IELTS General Training measures your ability to use English in everyday, workplace, and social situations. It evaluates four main language skills.
IELTS General Training Overview
Four skills combine to create your overall IELTS band score.
IELTS General Training measures your ability to use English in everyday, workplace, and social situations. You receive a separate band score for each section and an overall IELTS band score.
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Open ChatGPT and begin a guided IELTS lesson in Reading, Writing, or Speaking.
How IELTS Scores Work
IELTS uses a band-score system from 0 to 9.
Scores may be reported as whole bands, such as 6.0 or 7.0, or half bands, such as 6.5 or 7.5.
Your overall IELTS score is calculated by adding your four section scores and dividing the total by four. The result is then rounded to the nearest whole or half band.
The final average is rounded to the nearest whole or half band.
IELTS Band Score Meanings
Each band describes a different level of practical English ability.
Expert User
You have a complete and accurate command of English. You communicate fluently and understand complex language.
Very Good User
You use English very effectively, although you may occasionally make small mistakes or misunderstand something in an unfamiliar situation.
Good User
You have a strong command of English. You can understand detailed ideas and complex language, although some mistakes may occur.
Competent User
You use and understand English effectively, especially in familiar situations. However, you may make some grammar, vocabulary, or comprehension mistakes.
Modest User
You understand the general meaning in most situations, but you may make frequent mistakes. You can usually manage basic communication in familiar areas.
Limited User
You can communicate in familiar situations, but you often have difficulty understanding or expressing more complicated ideas.
Extremely Limited User
You understand and communicate only general meanings in very familiar situations. Communication frequently breaks down.
Intermittent User
You have significant difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
Non-User
You can use only a few isolated English words.
Did Not Attempt the Test
You did not answer the test questions.
How Long Is an IELTS Score Valid?
Always confirm the exact rule used by the organisation receiving your score.
IELTS recommends that test results be considered valid for two years after the test date. However, an employer, school, immigration authority, or other organisation may decide whether it will accept an older result. Always check the requirements of the organisation receiving your score.
What Does Each IELTS Section Test?
Together, the four sections show how well you can understand information, communicate ideas, and interact with other people.
IELTS Listening
What does the Listening section test?
The Listening section tests your ability to understand spoken English in everyday, educational, and social situations.
It measures whether you can:
- Understand the main idea of a conversation
- Identify specific details
- Follow instructions and directions
- Understand speakers’ opinions and attitudes
- Recognise how ideas are connected
- Follow a discussion as it develops
- Understand different English accents
How does it test your English?
You listen to recordings and answer questions based on what you hear. The recordings may include conversations between two people, group discussions, and talks given by one speaker.
You normally hear each recording only once, so you need to listen carefully while reading and answering the questions.
Common question types may include:
- Multiple choice
- Form completion
- Note completion
- Sentence completion
- Map or diagram labelling
- Matching information
How is Listening scored?
The Listening test contains 40 questions. Each correct answer receives one mark. Your total score out of 40 is converted into an IELTS band score.
| Correct Answers | Approximate Band Score |
|---|---|
| 16 | Band 5 |
| 23 | Band 6 |
| 30 | Band 7 |
| 35 | Band 8 |
The exact number of correct answers required may vary slightly between different versions of the test.
IELTS General Training Reading
What does the Reading section test?
The Reading section tests your ability to understand written English that you may encounter in daily life, at work, or in the community.
It measures whether you can:
- Find specific information quickly
- Understand the main idea of a text
- Identify important supporting details
- Understand opinions and arguments
- Recognise the writer’s purpose
- Understand vocabulary from context
- Follow the structure of a written text
- Recognise paraphrased information
How does it test your English?
You read several texts and answer questions about them.
General Training Reading materials may include:
- Advertisements
- Notices
- Timetables
- Workplace documents
- Job descriptions
- Company policies
- Instructions
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- General-interest articles
The earlier parts usually focus on everyday and workplace information. The final part normally contains a longer and more detailed text.
Common question types
- Multiple choice
- True, False, or Not Given
- Yes, No, or Not Given
- Matching headings
- Matching information
- Sentence completion
- Summary completion
- Short-answer questions
How is General Training Reading scored?
The Reading test contains 40 questions, and each correct answer receives one mark.
| Correct Answers | Approximate Band Score |
|---|---|
| 15 | Band 4 |
| 23 | Band 5 |
| 30 | Band 6 |
| 35 | Band 7 |
IELTS General Training Writing
What does the Writing section test?
The Writing section tests your ability to communicate information, opinions, explanations, and arguments clearly in written English.
It measures whether you can:
- Answer all parts of a writing task
- Organise ideas logically
- Connect sentences and paragraphs
- Use suitable vocabulary
- Use a range of grammatical structures
- Write accurately and clearly
- Use an appropriate tone for the reader and situation
- Explain and support your ideas
How does it test your English?
The Writing section contains two tasks.
Letter
You write a letter based on a situation. The letter may be formal, semi-formal, or informal.
You may need to:
- Request information
- Explain a situation
- Make a complaint
- Apologise
- Give advice
- Invite someone
- Thank someone
The task tests whether you can communicate with the correct purpose, tone, organisation, and level of formality.
Essay
You write an essay about a general topic or issue.
You may need to:
- Give your opinion
- Discuss two different views
- Explain a problem and suggest solutions
- Discuss advantages and disadvantages
- Answer two related questions
Task 2 carries more weight in the final Writing score than Task 1.
How is Writing scored?
Examiners assess Writing using four criteria:
- Task Achievement or Task Response This measures how completely and appropriately you answer the question.
- Coherence and Cohesion This measures how clearly you organise and connect your ideas.
- Lexical Resource This measures the range, accuracy, and appropriateness of your vocabulary.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy This measures the variety and correctness of your sentence structures and grammar.
The criteria are equally weighted within each task, but Task 2 contributes more heavily to the final Writing band score.
IELTS Speaking
What does the Speaking section test?
The Speaking section tests your ability to communicate naturally and clearly in a face-to-face conversation.
It measures whether you can:
- Answer questions directly
- Speak at a natural pace
- Develop and explain ideas
- Tell stories and describe experiences
- Express and support opinions
- Discuss familiar and abstract topics
- Use suitable vocabulary
- Use different grammatical structures
- Pronounce words clearly
- Connect ideas logically
How does it test your English?
The Speaking test is divided into three parts.
Introduction and Interview
The examiner asks questions about familiar subjects, such as:
- Your hometown
- Your home
- Work or study
- Hobbies
- Food
- Travel
- Daily routines
This part tests your ability to answer everyday questions naturally.
Individual Long Turn
You receive a topic card and have a short time to prepare. You then speak about the topic for approximately one to two minutes. The examiner may ask one or two follow-up questions.
This part tests whether you can organise and develop a longer answer without depending on constant questions from another person.
Discussion
The examiner asks more detailed and abstract questions connected to the Part 2 topic.
You may need to:
- Explain causes and effects
- Compare the past and present
- Predict future changes
- Discuss social issues
- Evaluate different ideas
- Give and justify opinions
This part tests your ability to discuss complex ideas in greater depth.
How is Speaking scored?
Examiners assess Speaking using four equally weighted criteria:
- Fluency and Coherence Your ability to speak smoothly, develop answers, and connect ideas.
- Lexical Resource Your ability to use a suitable range of vocabulary and express meanings clearly.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy Your ability to use different sentence structures with reasonable accuracy.
- Pronunciation Your ability to speak clearly enough for the listener to understand you easily.
The average of these four criteria determines your Speaking band score.