IELTS General Training · Listening
IELTS General Training Listening
IELTS General Training Listening has four parts and 40 questions and takes about 30 minutes. You hear each recording once and answer as you listen. Parts 1 and 2 use everyday social situations; Parts 3 and 4 use education and training contexts. It is the same Listening test that Academic candidates take.
- Parts
- 4 (Part 1 to Part 4)
- Questions
- 40, ten per part
- Time
- About 30 minutes
- Audio
- Each recording heard once
- Score
- Band 0 to 9 from your raw score out of 40
How IELTS General Training Listening works
Part 1 is a conversation between two people in an everyday situation, and Part 2 is one speaker giving everyday information. Part 3 is a discussion between up to four people in an education or training setting, and Part 4 is a talk on an academic subject. Questions include form and note completion, multiple choice, matching and map or plan labelling.
Each correct answer earns one mark, and your total out of 40 is converted to a band score from 0 to 9. Spelling counts, and answers must respect the word limit given for each question group.
Because Listening is shared with IELTS Academic, anything you practise here counts toward either version of the test.
IELTS General Training Listening tasks
Tips that work
- Use the time before each part to read the questions and predict the type of answer.
- Follow the order of the questions; they match the order of the audio.
- Read the word limit for every group and keep to it exactly.
- Practise with a mix of accents; the test uses a range of English accents.
Questions candidates ask
Is IELTS General Training Listening the same as Academic Listening?
Yes. Both versions of IELTS use the same Listening test, with the same four parts, question types and scoring. Only Reading and Writing differ between General Training and Academic.
Can I replay the audio?
No. Each recording is heard once, as in the official test. Our practice uses the same rule so your timing and focus match test day.
How much practice is available?
Each exam has 200 practice sets, with exam-style practice for every Listening part, plus 50 full mock tests that include a complete Listening test. The first mock is free.
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