IELTS General Training

Why take an Academic test when you don't need to?

IELTS General Training is for people who wish to live and work abroad in an English-speaking country. It examines your English using everyday, non-academic English.

Take the IELTS General Training test if you would like to:

• Migrate to English-speaking countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the UK.

• Study or train below degree level (i.e. secondary education)

• Work in an English-speaking country, or get another job in your own country

In Australia, you can take the IELTS General Training test on paper or on computer. 

Always check with your migration agent, education consultant or workplace to find out which IELTS test you need. 

Find out more about how the IELTS General Training test works

Book IELTS General Training

You may also need IELTS General Training for migration to Australia. Why? Because the test features everyday English language skills that you will need in social and workplace environments.

If you'd like the opportunity to live, study, or work in Australia, many visa options are available. There is a study, skilled, sponsored work, and business visa. Some of these may even lead to Permanent Residency (PR) in Australia. 

IELTS is the most widely accepted proof of English language proficiency for study, work and migration in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK. By choosing IELTS, you will be choosing an English language test that sets you up to succeed from day one in your study, work and migration goals.

IELTS Migration Guide for work & study 

IELTS Academic and IELTS General training are comprised of the same four sections of the test: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

The Listening and Speaking sections are the same, but the Reading and Writing tests are where they differ.

IELTS General Training focuses mainly on assessing a person’s proficiency, confidence and comfort when communicating in English in daily situations that they are likely to encounter in a native English-speaking environment.

Reading Test

In the IELTS General Training Reading test you will be presented with passages from brochures and advertisements. These are materials that you may come across every day.

Read more about the question types in the IELTS General Training Reading test

Writing Test

In the IELTS General Training Writing test, you're required to write about general topics instead of academic ones. Just like IELTS Academic, for the General Training Writing test you also have to complete two tasks:

• The IELTS Writing Task 1 asks you to write a letter based on a given situation. The letter could be formal or informal and would be about a request, explanation or a viewpoint supporting the situation.

• The IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same for both Academic and General Training. You would need to write a formal essay in response to a statement or premise.

Read more about the question types in the IELTS General Training Writing test

We have the largest range of IELTS General Training test preparation online.

• Access a free IELTS General Training online module when you book your test. Find out how. 

• Access a wealth of IELTS training resources that no one else provides. So prepare your way using a range of videos, articles, and the new IELTS by IDP app .

• Practise completing IELTS General Training tasks under test conditions. Review your answers to model answers and gain valuable test practice experience with these free practice tests.