IELTS General Training sample test questions

Preparing for your IELTS General Training test

We want you to do well in your test. To help you get ready, here are some sample tests for the General Training test.

Listening and Speaking tests are the same for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, but the Reading and Writing tests are different.

With these official practice materials you can:

get used to the test format
experience the types of tasks involved
test yourself under timed conditions
review your answers and compare them with model answers.

IELTS General Training - sample tasks

A variety of tasks is used including: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion, short-answer questions.

Multiple choice (one answer)

You will hear an extract from a Part 3 recording in which a student called Judy is discussing her research with her tutor and fellow students.

For each question, click on the correct answer.

Multiple choice (more than one answer)

You will hear an extract from a Part 1 recording in which two people are discussing a guide to a library.

Click on the correct answers.

Plan/Map/Diagram Labelling (Type A)

You will hear an extract from Part 2 of the test in which a tour guide describes different places in a US town.

For each question, click on the correct space in the table.

Note completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 1 recording in which two people are discussing second-hand furniture.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Table completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 4 recording in which a university lecturer is giving a talk about research into ‘learner persistence’.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Flow-chart completion (selecting from a list of words or phrases)

You will read an extract from a Part 3 recording in which two biology students are comparing their research on evidence of life on Earth and other planets.

For each question, click on the correct answer and move it into the gap.

Sentence completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 3 recording in which two friends are discussing studying with the Open University.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Short-answer questions

You will hear an extract from Part 2 of the test in which a representative from a clothing company is giving a talk to high school students.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Find out more about the Listening test

A variety of tasks is used including: multiple choice, identifying information (True/False/Not Given), identifying a writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not Given), matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, summary completion, note completion, sentence completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.

Multiple choice

True/False/Not Given

Matching information

Matching features

Summary completion

Note completion

Sentence completion

Find out more about the General Training Reading test

In Part 1, you are asked to respond to a situation by writing a letter, for example, requesting information or explaining a situation.

In Part 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.

Find out more about the General Training Writing test

The General Training Writing question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in IELTS on paper.

In Part 1, you are asked to respond to a situation by writing a letter, for example, requesting information or explaining a situation.

In Part 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.

Find out more about the General Training Writing test

IELTS General Training - sample tasks

Multiple choice (one answer)

You will hear an extract from a Part 3 recording in which a student called Judy is discussing her research with her tutor and fellow students.

For each question, click on the correct answer.

Multiple choice (more than one answer)

You will hear an extract from a Part 1 recording in which two people are discussing a guide to a library.

Click on the correct answers.

Plan/Map/Diagram Labelling (Type A)

You will hear an extract from Part 2 of the test in which a tour guide describes different places in a US town.

For each question, click on the correct space in the table.

Note completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 1 recording in which two people are discussing second-hand furniture.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Table completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 4 recording in which a university lecturer is giving a talk about research into ‘learner persistence’.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Flow-chart completion (selecting from a list of words or phrases)

You will read an extract from a Part 3 recording in which two biology students are comparing their research on evidence of life on Earth and other planets.

For each question, click on the correct answer and move it into the gap.

Sentence completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 3 recording in which two friends are discussing studying with the Open University.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Short-answer questions

You will hear an extract from Part 2 of the test in which a representative from a clothing company is giving a talk to high school students.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

Find out more about the Listening test

Multiple choice

True/False/Not Given

Matching information

Matching features

Summary completion

Note completion

Sentence completion

Find out more about the General Training Reading test

In Part 1, you are asked to respond to a situation by writing a letter, for example, requesting information or explaining a situation.

In Part 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.

Find out more about the General Training Writing test

The General Training Writing question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in IELTS on paper.

In Part 1, you are asked to respond to a situation by writing a letter, for example, requesting information or explaining a situation.

In Part 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.

Find out more about the General Training Writing test

IELTS practice experience

The practice experience will show you how everything will look on your computer ahead of the test day. The sample below uses IELTS Academic questions for the Reading and Writing sections so while you won’t get to practise General Training questions in all the sections, you will get to familiarise yourself with the test platform.

As these are practice tests, they are not timed. There are some variations from the live tests, including the timer, highlighting, and notes functions performing differently.

In this Listening test sample, you will hear four different recordings.

You will hear each recording ONCE only.

The test is in four parts, with 40 questions in total.

This Academic Reading sample will show you three texts to read.

The test is in three parts, with 40 questions in total.

This Academic Writing sample consists of two writing tasks.

This Academic Writing on Paper sample consists of two writing tasks.

In this Listening test sample, you will hear four different recordings.

You will hear each recording ONCE only.

The test is in four parts, with 40 questions in total.

This Academic Reading sample will show you three texts to read.

The test is in three parts, with 40 questions in total.

This Academic Writing sample consists of two writing tasks.

This Academic Writing on Paper sample consists of two writing tasks.

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