IELTS General

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a language assessment tool for applicants who need to study or work in an environment where English is the primary language of communication. IELTS is necessary for university admission in the United Kingdom and other nations.

What is the IELTS General test like? 

The General IELTS test is less difficult than the Academic IELTS test. The Listening and Speaking parts are the same for all candidates.

The test is divided into four sections:

Listening

30 minutes, 4 sections, 40 questions

The first section is about a chat between two persons.

Section 2 is a monologue set in a real-life social setting.

Section 3: a discussion among up to four participants in an educational or training setting

Section 4: a monologue about a scholarly topic (e.g. a university lecture)

Each part is only heard once.

Speaking

A 15-minute interview

1st part Interview and introduction

Part 2 Individual long turn (you must explain a topic) Part 3 Two-way conversation (the examiner will ask you additional questions related to the topic of Part 2)

Reading

60 minutes, three portions, 40 questions

Section 1 consists of two or three brief factual sentences.

Section 2: consists of two brief factual pieces about work-related topics.

Section 3 consists of a longer, more complicated text.

Writing

Part 1: compose a letter requesting information or elaborating on an issue.

Part 2: respond to a point of view, argument, or problem with an essay.

Level and scores

Multi-level. You are given a score ranging from 1 to 9. Half-point scores of 6.5 are possible. An IELTS score of 6 or 7 is frequently required by universities. They might also set a minimum score requirement for each of the four areas.

To learn more about IELTS Band Scores, please visit here. You can convert your raw reading and listening scores using the IELTS Band Score Calculator on this site.

To compare a comparison of IELTS scores with those from other tests, go here.

Click here to see a comparison of IELTS scores with other exams