By Thanh Tran, co-founder and PTE instructor
Updated
People take General Training for work and migration, such as a skilled visa for Australia or permanent residence in Canada. If you need IELTS for university, take Academic instead.
On this page
Test format
You take listening, reading and writing on the same day, one after the other, with no breaks.
- Listening, about 30 minutes: four recordings and 40 questions. It is the same test as in IELTS Academic.
- Reading, 60 minutes: three sections and 40 questions. The texts get longer and harder from Section 1 to Section 3.
- Writing, 60 minutes: a letter of at least 150 words in Task 1, and an essay of at least 250 words in Task 2.
- Speaking, 11 to 14 minutes: you talk with an examiner in three parts. It is the same test as in IELTS Academic, and it can be on the same day as the other parts, or up to a week before or after.
Reading in General Training
Section 1 has short texts about everyday life, such as notices, adverts and timetables. Section 2 has texts about work, such as a job description, a contract or training notes. Section 3 has one longer text on a topic of general interest.
The question types are the same as in Academic: multiple choice, matching, headings, gap-fill, and statements you mark True, False or Not Given.
- IELTS General Training Reading test
A full reading test online, with your band at the end.
Writing in General Training
Task 1 is a letter. The task describes a situation, says who to write to and gives you three points to cover. The person you write to decides how formal you should be: formal to a company, semi-formal to someone you know a little, and informal to a friend.
Task 2 is an essay, the same as in Academic. It counts twice as much as Task 1.
- IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
The three kinds of letter, a structure to follow and real tasks.
- IELTS General Training Writing test
Both tasks in 60 minutes, with a band for each criterion.
How General Training is scored
You get a band from 0 to 9 for each skill, in halves, such as 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0. Your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band.
Reading has its own table in General Training. The texts are easier, so you need more correct answers for the same band.
Correct answers out of 40 for each reading band
5.0
- General Training
- 23
- Academic
- 15
6.0
- General Training
- 30
- Academic
- 23
7.0
- General Training
- 34
- Academic
- 30
8.0
- General Training
- 38
- Academic
- 35
| Band | General Training | Academic |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 23 | 15 |
| 6.0 | 30 | 23 |
| 7.0 | 34 | 30 |
| 8.0 | 38 | 35 |
- IELTS General Training band score calculator
Your band from your correct answers, and your overall band.
Who takes General Training
For an Australian skilled visa, you can use either General Training or Academic. For permanent residence and citizenship in Canada, Canada's immigration department accepts General Training, not Academic. People also take it for work, or for a course below degree level.
If you want to study at university, or to register in a profession such as nursing, take IELTS Academic. A General Training result will not count.
- IELTS Academic exam format
The test for university, and how it compares.
- English scores for Australian visas
The IELTS band each visa level needs, skill by skill.
How to prepare
Take full practice tests with a timer, on a computer. Many mistakes only happen when you are under time pressure, and short exercises do not show them.
In reading, practise the long Section 3 text most, because it takes the most time. In writing, practise letters to different readers, so you choose the right tone quickly on test day.
