General Training Reading test collection
IELTS General Training Reading
ExamBand · 11 full tests · 33 sections · General Training
11 General Training Reading tests
- Practice Test 1Portable phone chargers: our reviews · Hartfield Council: residents' parking permits · Understanding your payslip · Annual leave: guidance for warehouse staff · The puzzle that conquered the world60:00Start free
- 2 Practice Test 2Eastfield Household Recycling Centre · Short courses at Dunmore College · Accidents at work: guidance for all staff · Hybrid working at Pemberton Insurance · Leading the way60:00Start free
- 3 Practice Test 3Walking boots: six of the best · Fernbrook Dental Practice: information for new patients · Speedline Parcels: guidelines for new drivers · Flexible working at Brookfield Engineering · The sixpenny revolution60:00Start free
- 4 Practice Test 4Valley Coaches: summer day trips · Volunteers wanted · Kingsbridge Buses: the staff suggestion scheme · Business travel: booking and expenses · Fixing the throwaway habit60:00Start free
- 5 Practice Test 5Greenvale Hospital: information for visitors · Recipe boxes: five services compared · Working at a computer: a guide for office staff · Staff benefits at Brightline Logistics · The penny that changed the post60:00Start free
- 6 Practice Test 6Pet care in Lindford · Sending parcels overseas with Parcelpoint · Fairway Housing: social media guidance for staff · The Fairway mentoring scheme · The map that changed the way we see a city60:00Start free
- 7 Practice Test 7Days out for families near Kingsford · Westford Allotment Society: how to get a plot · The Carlton Hotel: protective clothing for kitchen staff · Larkfield Council: applying for promotion · Going up60:00Start free
- 8 Practice Test 8Where to stay in Harwell Bay · Noise from neighbours: how Brampton Council can help · Brightway Energy: induction for new customer advisers · Brightway Energy: how we handle complaints · To the rescue60:00Start free
- 9 Practice Test 9Selling your unwanted things: five websites compared · Hartley Park and Ride · Safety for staff who work alone · Booking meeting rooms and refreshments at Harland House · Counting the birds60:00Start free
- 10 Practice Test 10Fishing at Westwater Reservoir · Music lessons in Ashford · Northfield Council: reporting sickness absence · Working safely in hot weather · The woman who hated washing up60:00Start free
- 11 Practice Test 11Suitcases: six of the best · Clean Up Kingsford Day · Marston Bank: dress code for staff · Keeping our systems secure · Eyes in the dark60:00Start free
The guide
About the General Training Reading test
What is in the IELTS General Training Reading test
General Training Reading has three sections, about 2,150 to 2,375 words in all, and the texts get harder from Section 1 to Section 3. On the computer test you answer directly on screen in 60 minutes. For this reason, each General Training Reading test here is timed and shown the same way.
Two or three short everyday texts, such as notices, adverts, timetables and reviews.
14 questions, often matching information and True/False/Not Given.
Two texts about work, such as staff guides, job descriptions, contracts and training materials.
13 questions, often note, sentence, table or flow-chart completion.
One longer text on a topic of general interest, from a newspaper, magazine, book or website.
13 questions, such as headings, multiple choice and matching people to statements.
The question types you will meet
General Training Reading uses the same task types as Academic Reading. Our tests rotate them, with the real instructions and word limits.
Matching information
Which advert, review or paragraph says this? Often several short texts, A–F.
True / False / Not Given
Does a statement agree with the text, contradict it, or is it not covered?
Note, sentence, table and flow-chart completion
Fill gaps with words copied from the text, within the word limit.
Short answers
Answer questions with a few words or a number from the text.
Matching headings
Choose the heading that sums up each section of a longer text.
Matching features
Link people, places or things to statements about them.
Multiple choice
Choose the answer that matches the text's meaning, purpose or detail.
Summary completion
Complete a summary of part of the text with words from it, or from a list.
How IELTS General Training Reading is marked
Your correct answers out of 40 become a band score. General Training has its own table: the texts are more everyday, so you need more correct answers for the same band than in Academic Reading.
- Each correct answer scores one mark, and a wrong answer loses nothing.
- Completion answers must be copied from the text, spelled correctly and within the word limit.
- True/False/Not Given answers are clicked on the computer test, so there is no spelling to worry about.
Source: ielts.org: IELTS scoring in detail
Turn your score into a band with the IELTS band score calculator Every Reading score out of 40, explained| Correct answers (out of 40) | Band |
|---|---|
| 40 | 9 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 38 | 8 |
| 36–37 | 7.5 |
| 35 | 7 |
| 32–34 | 6.5 |
| 30–31 | 6 |
| 27–29 | 5.5 |
| 23–26 | 5 |
| 19–22 | 4.5 |
| 15–18 | 4 |
From 10 years of teaching IELTS
Tips for IELTS General Reading
- 1
Read the question, then scan
Section 1 and 2 texts are practical. Read the question first, then look for the name, number or detail it needs.
- 2
Watch the small words
In notices and rules, words such as only, all, never and must often decide whether a statement is True or False.
- 3
Match ideas, not words
In matching tasks the right advert or review rarely uses the words in the statement. Look for the same idea said differently.
- 4
Save 25 minutes for Section 3
The last text is the longest and the hardest, so keep a steady pace through Sections 1 and 2.
- 5
Not Given means not there
If the text says nothing about the statement, the answer is Not Given, even if it sounds true. Never use your own knowledge.
- 6
Copy the word exactly
Check the spelling and the word limit of every completion answer. One extra word makes it wrong.
Questions about the General Training Reading test
How is General Training Reading different from Academic Reading?
The texts. General Training uses everyday and workplace texts in Sections 1 and 2 and one longer text of general interest in Section 3, while Academic has three long academic-style passages. Both have 40 questions in 60 minutes.
How many answers do I need for band 7 in General Training Reading?
About 35 out of 40. Band 6 needs about 30, and band 5 about 23.
Is there extra time to transfer answers?
No. On the computer test you answer directly on screen, so the 60 minutes includes everything.
Can I highlight words in the text?
Yes. As in the computer-delivered exam, you can highlight text and add notes while you read.
Is this General Training Reading test free?
Yes. Every General Training Reading test is free, with your band and every answer explained.