Most IELTS General Training candidates know more English than their band shows. What costs them is time: a Reading section that runs long, a letter that eats into the essay, a Listening answer missed while still thinking about the last one. These tips are about getting the band your English deserves.

Listening: about 30 minutes

• Read ahead. You get time to look at the questions before each part plays. Use it to underline key words and predict the type of answer, such as a number, a name or a place.
• Move on when you miss one. The recording plays once. If an answer goes past, let it go and listen for the next one, or you’ll lose two answers instead of one.
• Check word limits and spelling. On paper, you get 10 minutes at the end to transfer your answers; use it to check spelling and word limits as well. On computer, there’s no transfer time, so check as you go.

More in the Listening tips.

Reading: 60 minutes, no extra transfer time

The Reading test includes the time to transfer answers, so plan your hour before you start. The sections get harder, so give the later ones more time:

Section	What you read	Suggested time
Section 1	Short everyday texts	About 15 minutes
Section 2	Two workplace texts	About 20 minutes
Section 3	One longer text	About 25 minutes

These are guide times, not rules. On paper, build in a few minutes to write answers on the answer sheet.

• Read the questions first, then scan the text for the part each question points to.
• Don’t read every word. Skim for the main idea, then read closely only where the answer is.
• Watch the clock at each section change. If you’re more than five minutes behind, guess the question you’re stuck on and move on.
• Never leave a blank. A wrong answer costs nothing.
• True/False/Not Given: if you’ve searched for over a minute and can’t find the information, the answer is probably Not Given.

Practise with the General Reading practice.

Writing: 60 minutes for two tasks

Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1, so protect its 40 minutes.

Task	Plan	Write	Check	Total
Task 1 letter	3 minutes	14 minutes	3 minutes	20 minutes
Task 2 essay	5 minutes	30 minutes	5 minutes	40 minutes

• Consider doing Task 2 first. You can do the tasks in either order. Starting with the essay guarantees it gets your best time and energy.
• Don’t overwrite the letter. About 160 to 190 words is plenty. You won’t be penalized for going over 150, but every extra minute comes out of the essay.
• Plan before you write. A short plan (one line per paragraph) saves more time than it takes, because you won’t stall halfway through.
• Count lines, not words. On paper, work out how many words you usually write per line, so you can estimate your total in seconds. On computer, a word count is shown.
• Leave time to check. Look for missing words, verb tense errors and any bullet point you forgot.

See the letter writing samples and Task 2 essay samples.

Speaking: 11 to 14 minutes

• Part 1: answer, add a reason, add a detail, then stop. Two to four sentences is about right.
• Part 2: in your one minute, jot one or two words for each point on the card, plus an example. Aim to speak for the full two minutes; if you run out, add how you felt, or what you’d do differently.
• Part 3: give longer answers with an opinion, a reason and an example. It’s fine to take a second to think: “That’s a difficult question, but I’d say…”
• Ask for a repeat if you don’t understand a question, rather than guessing.

Practise with the Speaking practice questions.

In the weeks before the test

1. Take a full timed practice test to find your weakest section. For Express Entry, each section counts on its own, so your lowest band matters most.
2. Practise each section on its real clock, and record how long each part takes you.
3. Fix your slowest habit first: reading every word, overplanning, or overwriting the letter.
4. Get feedback on Writing and Speaking. Compare your answers with sample answers, and check every part of each task is covered.
5. Aim above your target band in practice, so a harder test version doesn’t push you below it.

For the full format, read the IELTS General Training test guide. To see what bands you need, see IELTS band scores for Canada PR. Then start practising on the home page.