IELTS General Syllabus for Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking

IELTS General Syllabus: The IELTS General Training is a type of IELTS used to move abroad for work or immigration purposes. Candidates must appear for the IELTS General to move to countries like Canada, Australia, or the UK. The IELTS General Training test assesses everyday English skills relevant to social and workplace environments. Here, we have compiled a detailed description of the IELTS General Syllabus, including the general exam patterns, section-wise details, and effective preparation tips.  

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IELTS General Syllabus Overview 

The IELTS General Training test evaluates your proficiency in four key language skills:

• Listening (30 minutes)

• Reading (60 minutes)

• Writing (60 minutes)

• Speaking (11–14 minutes)

IELTS Syllabus 2025, Section wise Key Features and Guide

1. IELTS Listening Syllabus

Duration: 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes to transfer answers)
Number of Questions: 40

Structure:

• Section 1: A conversation between two people in an everyday social context (e.g., booking a hotel).

• Section 2: A monologue on a daily topic (e.g., a guided tour or event announcement).

• Section 3: A conversation among up to four people in an educational or training context.

• Section 4: A monologue on an academic subject (e.g., a lecture).

Skills Tested:

• Understanding main ideas and specific factual information

• Recognizing the speaker's opinions, attitudes, and purpose

• Following the development of an argument

IELTS Listening Band Descriptors with Scores, Check Here

2. IELTS Reading Syllabus

Duration: 60 minutes
Number of Questions: 40

Structure:

• Three sections with texts of increasing difficulty.

• Section 1: Short, factual texts related to everyday life (e.g., advertisements, notices).

• Section 2: Work-related texts (e.g., job descriptions, company policies).

• Section 3: A longer, more complex text on a general topic.

Skills Tested:

• Skimming and scanning for information

• Identifying main ideas and details

• Understanding tone and purpose

• Recognizing logical arguments and inference.

IELTS Reading Band Score for Academic and General Test

3. IELTS Writing Syllabus

Duration: 60 minutes
Tasks: 2

Task 1: Letter Writing (150 words)

You are required to write a letter based on a given situation. It may be:

• Formal (e.g., to a company)

• Semi-formal (e.g., to a landlord)

• Informal (e.g., to a friend)

Task 2: Essay Writing (250 words)

You must respond to a point of view, argument, or problem. This involves:

• Presenting and justifying an opinion

• Providing general factual information

• Outlining problems and offering solutions

Skills Tested:

• Grammar and vocabulary range

• Coherence and cohesion

• Task achievement (meeting word count and responding appropriately)

• Tone and style

4. IELTS Speaking Syllabus

Duration: 11–14 minutes
Format: Face-to-face interview with an examiner

Structure:

• Speaking Part 1: Introduction and personal questions (4–5 minutes)

• Speaking Part 2: Long turn: You will speak on a given topic using a cue card (1-minute prep + 2-minute talk)

• Speaking Part 3: Discussion: A deeper conversation about the topic in Part 2

Skills Tested:

• Fluency and coherence

• Pronunciation

• Grammatical accuracy

• Vocabulary usage

Tips for Tackling the IELTS General Syllabus

It is normal to feel nervous before taking the IELTS test. Here are some preparation ideas for IELTS to help you feel confident on test day. 

Avoid memorization of answers 

The examiner will want your answers in the Speaking and Writing sections of the examination to be organic. If the examiner notices that you are memorizing your answers, it might affect your final band score. Make use of various grammatical structures. The IELTS Speaking and Writing examinations heavily weigh lexical resources, correctness, fluency and coherence, and grammatical range when determining your score. Make careful to convey what you say using a variety of grammatical patterns. 

Practice carefully 

You may familiarize yourself with the exam by using our complimentary practice tools. You may have your questions addressed at the IELTS classes, which are led by PW IELTS skilled professionals. To ensure that you are well-prepared for the IELTS exam, you may also use the free practice exams and other resources. 

Seeking more information 

If you believe you may not have understood the question correctly or are unsure of the examiner's intent, you are free to request clarification throughout the IELTS Speaking examination.  Asking "Do you mean..." might be a useful way to hint at what the examiner is attempting to get you to answer.  Should you need to check the question, you do not lose points.  Seeking clarification may assist in ensuring that the answer is on topic. 

Practice listening 

As there are several speakers in Parts 1 and 3 of the IELTS Listening exam, it might be beneficial to practice listening to a variety of conversations, including those from a discussion panel or TV play.  Since there is only one speaker in Sections 2 and 4 of the IELTS Listening exam, watching a little video lecture might be a useful preparation.  It is a good idea to listen to anything that is around the same duration as Parts 2 and 4, which each run for about five to seven minutes. 

The reading order of answers 

Keep in mind that some problem categories, such as True / False / Not Given or Multiple Choice, have answers that appear in sequence on the IELTS Reading exam. That suggests you don't have to answer the questions in the correct sequence, starting with the first one.  Start with the question that contains the most clearly recognizable information, such as a person or place's name.

Guidance of PW IELTS

Physics Wallah offers multiple online IELTS courses for all students. Follow the IELTS pages to better prepare for the exam.