IELTS introduction

A brief introduction to the IELTS general exam,

Aims and objectives

• Assess the ability to understand and use English in real-life situations across four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
• Provide a reliable, standardized indicator of language readiness for immigration, employment, vocational training, or secondary education.
• Ensure fairness and accessibility through consistent test design, varied accents, and real-world task types.

Testing method

• Delivery modes: paper-based or computer-delivered (content and scoring are the same).
• Speaking test: face-to-face interview with a certified examiner.
• Test day: Listening, Reading, and Writing are taken consecutively on the same day; Speaking may be on the same day or up to a week before/after.
• Security: identity checks and standardized administration.
• Results: typically 3–5 days for computer-delivered; about 13 days for paper-based.

Scoring pattern

• Band scale: 0 to 9 (including half bands, e.g., 6.5).
• Each skill receives a band score; the Overall Band Score is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest 0.5 (e.g., 6.25 → 6.5; 6.75 → 7.0).
• Listening and Reading: 40 questions each; raw scores are converted to band scores; no penalty for wrong answers.
• Writing and Speaking: analytically scored on four criteria (Task Achievement/Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy) with equal weighting.
• Score validity is commonly two years (check with the specific institution).

Structure of the IELTS General Training exam (total: about 2 hours 45 minutes)

• Listening (30 minutes; paper-based adds 10 minutes to transfer answers)
• 4 parts; 40 questions
• Mix of monologues and conversations with a range of accents
• Question types include multiple choice, matching, form/table completion, map/plan labeling, etc.
• Reading – General Training (60 minutes)
• 3 sections; 40 questions
• Texts from notices, advertisements, workplace documents, magazines/newspapers
• Question types include matching headings, True/False/Not Given, multiple choice, sentence completion, etc.
• Writing – General Training (60 minutes)
• Task 1: a letter (at least 150 words) in a given situation (formal/semi-formal/informal)
• Task 2: an essay (at least 250 words) presenting an argument or viewpoint
• Suggested timing: ~20 minutes for Task 1; ~40 minutes for Task 2
• Speaking (11–14 minutes)
• Part 1: introduction and general questions
• Part 2: long turn on a cue card topic (1 minute to prepare, up to 2 minutes speaking)
• Part 3: two-way discussion on related abstract issues

Note: IELTS General Training differs from IELTS Academic mainly in the Reading and Writing tasks; Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions.