IELTS General Training Course
Achieve your
Band score 7.0
in 4 weeks
Prepare for the official British Council exam with our intensive online course. Live classes Monday to Thursday, flexible timetables, and top syllabus materials to achieve the Band score you need to emigrate, work, or live abroad in just 4 weeks.
Over 1,000
students
IELTS General Training helps you to
The standard English certificate for immigration, employment, and living abroad. Recognised by governments in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, as well as multinationals worldwide.
Emigrate to the UK, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand
Secure your work visa (Skilled Worker)
Apply for permanent residency
Work in multinational companies
Access vocational and technical training
Recognised by governments and accepted worldwide
IELTS General Training Exam Structure
The exam lasts approx. 2 hours and 45 minutes, testing 4 language skills. Listening and Speaking modules are identical to Academic; Reading and Writing focus on workplace and everyday situations.
Writing
The Writing section lasts 60 minutes and consists of two tasks. Task 2 carries double the mark weight of Task 1, so allocating around 40 minutes to it is recommended.
Task 1 (Letter, minimum 150 words): You must write a functional letter asking for information, reporting a problem, or describing a situation. Register (formal, semi-formal, or informal) is crucial and must remain consistent throughout.
Task 2 (Essay, minimum 250 words): Write an essay on a general social or cultural topic, presenting a viewpoint, evaluating arguments, offering solutions, or weighing pros and cons.
Assessment criteria: Each task is marked against four equally weighted criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical accuracy.
Speaking
The Speaking test lasts between 11 and 14 minutes and takes place face-to-face in an interview with a certified examiner. It is the only part not conducted on a computer.
Part 1 (Introduction & Interview, 4-5 mins): Questions about yourself and familiar topics such as family, work, studies, or interests.
Part 2 (Individual Long Turn, 3-4 mins): You receive a cue card with a topic; you have 1 minute to make notes and must speak for 1 to 2 minutes.
Part 3 (Two-way Discussion, 4-5 mins): A deeper conversation expanding on Part 2 topics, requiring justification, comparison, and speculation.
Assessment: The examiner evaluates fluency, coherence, vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation throughout.
Reading
The Reading module lasts 60 minutes and contains 40 questions across 3 sections of increasing complexity. Unlike Academic, texts focus on everyday and work scenarios.
Section 1 (Social survival): Two or three short factual texts on everyday life, such as public notices, brochures, timetables, or advertisements.
Section 2 (Workplace context): Two texts focused on the work environment, such as staff handbooks, job descriptions, safety rules, or training contracts.
Section 3 (General interest): A longer, more complex text from newspapers, magazines, or books covering a general interest topic.
High precision required: Because texts are simpler than in Academic, the grade boundary table is stricter: to achieve Band 7.0 you can only miss 5 or 6 questions out of 40.
Listening
The Listening module lasts around 30 minutes and features 40 questions across 4 recordings with different English accents. Each audio is played once only. This module is identical to IELTS Academic.
Section 1: A conversation between two people in an everyday social context (e.g. booking local services or accommodation).
Section 2: A monologue in an everyday social context (e.g. a speech about public facility rules).
Section 3: A conversation involving up to four people in a training or educational setting (e.g. students discussing an assignment with a tutor).
Section 4: A continuous academic monologue on a general interest topic at an introductory level.
Understanding IELTS General Training Scoring
IELTS is scored using Band Scores from 0 to 9 (with half bands) assigned to each skill and overall. CEFR equivalencies are identical to IELTS Academic.
Band Score to CEFR Equivalency
| CEFR level | IELTS Band Score | Competence level |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | 3.5 | Basic user |
| B1 | 4.0 - 5.0 | Independent user |
| B2 | 5.5 - 6.5 | Upper-intermediate user |
| C1 | 7.0 - 8.0 | Advanced user |
| C2 | 8.5 - 9.0 | Proficient user |
From Band Score to the level you need
Each of the four skills receives a Band Score from 0 to 9, and the Overall Band Score is the average with official rounding: an average of 6.25 rounds up to 6.5, and 6.75 rounds up to 7.0.
In General Training Reading, the score conversion is stricter than in Academic: because texts are simpler, you need more correct answers for the same Band Score. For Band 7.0, you need 34-35 correct answers out of 40, compared to 30-32 in Academic.
Note: The standard minimum for most skilled migration processes is 6.0 in each skill (B2 level); 7.0 is not a minimum requirement, but the level that maximises your immigration points. Canada uses Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB 9 requires 7.0 in Reading, Writing, and Speaking, and 8.0 in Listening), Australia and New Zealand require between 6.0 (Competent) and 8.0 (Superior), and UK visas require the IELTS UKVI version. The certificate is valid for 2 years.
Course prices
A complete course including teacher support, materials and live class mock exams, at the most competitive price on the market.
IELTS General Training Intensive Course
Teacher support
Materials and resources
Individual corrections for Writing and Speaking
Mock exams in live classes
All modules
Live online classes
4 weeks duration
4 classes per week
Mondays
Tuesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays
At 10:00 or 19:00
Each class lasts 2 hours
¹ Intensive classes start on the first Monday every two months.
² Ongoing classes have no fixed duration or scheduled start date. You will start lessons within a week of enrolling at the most, and you can keep studying for as long as you wish until you feel ready to take the official exam. We don't require a minimum term or tie you into a contract: cancel at any time.
Everything you need to know about IELTS General Training
What is IELTS General Training and what is it used for?
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is one of the world's most recognised English tests, managed by the British Council, IDP Education, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The General Training version measures English in practical, workplace, and social contexts, and is the benchmark required by governments for work, residency, and immigration visas, as well as vocational training and international employment.
How does it differ from IELTS Academic?
Listening and Speaking modules are identical in both versions. The difference lies in Reading (General Training texts are social and workplace-focused rather than academic) and Writing: Task 1 in General Training requires a letter, whereas Academic requires describing a chart or graph.
How many parts does the exam have and how long is it in total?
It consists of 4 modules: Listening (30 mins), Reading (60 mins), Writing (60 mins), and Speaking (11-14 mins), taking around 2 hours and 45 minutes in total. Listening, Reading, and Writing are taken consecutively on the same day without breaks.
Is the exam paper-based or computer-based?
Since 27 June 2026, the paper-based format has been phased out globally. Listening, Reading, and Writing are taken by computer at an official test centre, while Speaking remains a face-to-face interview with a human examiner.
What is the IELTS UKVI version and when do I need it?
IELTS UKVI General Training is the variant required by the UK Home Office for Skilled Worker and settlement visas. The exam format and difficulty are identical, but it is conducted under SELT security protocols and generates a certificate with a government verification code required for your visa application. The fee ranges from around £257 to £313.
Can I use it to emigrate to Canada, Australia, or New Zealand?
Yes. The usual minimum for skilled migration is 6.0 in each skill (B2 level); higher scores yield additional points. Canada uses Express Entry with Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB 9, which maximises points, requires 7.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and 8.0 in Listening). Australia and New Zealand use it in General Skilled Migration across Competent (6.0), Proficient (7.0), and Superior (8.0) tiers.
How long does it take to receive results?
With the computer-based format, results are published on your portal within 1 to 5 days, compared to 13 days for the old paper format. You receive a digital eTRF certificate that immigration authorities can verify online.
How is my overall score calculated?
The Overall Band Score is the average of the four skills, rounded officially: an average ending in .25 rounds up to .5, and .75 rounds up to the next whole band. Listening and Reading give 1 mark per correct answer with no negative marking.
Is General Training Reading harder to score highly in?
Yes. Because General Training texts are simpler than Academic texts, the mark boundaries are stricter: you need more correct answers for the same Band Score. For instance, Band 7.0 requires 34-35 correct answers out of 40, compared to 30-32 in Academic.
How much does the exam cost?
In the UK, the British Council fee for computer-based IELTS General Training is typically around £215 to £250, including access to prep materials. The IELTS for UKVI version costs between £257 and £313.
How long is it valid for, and can I retake just one component?
The certificate is valid for 2 years from the exam date. Additionally, IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) allows you to retake a single skill module within 60 days, retaining your scores for the remaining sections.