IELTS General Training for UKVI preparation

The IELTS Academic for UKVI test will assess your English skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking in a casual setting. You can take the test in the paper-based format or in the computer-delivered format. Before you head into a computer-delivered IELTS test, make sure you take some time to get familiar with the computer-delivered format of the test.

Listening

You will listen to 4 recordings in your General Training Listening test and need to answer 40 questions based on these recordings. The first two recordings deal with situations you might experience in an everyday context. The last two recordings, however, focus on situations that might occur in an education or training context.

Reading

The General Training Reading test consists of three sections and 40 questions. It focuses on situations you might face in everyday life, work-related issues such as applying for a job, and topics of general interest. The extracts in each section are taken from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines.

Writing

The General Training Writing test is made up of two tasks, Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2. The topics in each task are of general interest. In Writing Task 1, you will be given a situation where you will need to write a letter to request information or explain the situation. You might be asked to write a letter to suggest how to improve facilities at a library. Examiners will look at your ability to provide general and factual information in relation to the task, express needs, wants, likes and dislikes, as well as opinions, views and complaints. Writing Task 2 is a little different. You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You will be assessed on whether you can provide general factual information, outline a problem, present a solution, justify an opinion or evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument.

Speaking

The IELTS General Training Speaking test will assess your use of spoken English. All speaking tests are conducted face-to-face with a certified IELTS examiner and are recorded in case they need to be reviewed. The General Training Speaking test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of 3 parts. 

Our free practice materials can help support you to get the best score.