IELTS General Training writing practice test: free sets, a timed run and an original paper
The British Council, IDP and IELTS.org all publish free General Training Writing practice. The paper takes 60 minutes and has two tasks: a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, then an essay of at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.
A practice test helps only if it feels like the real thing. This page tells you where the free sets are, what the real paper looks like, and how to run one at home. Then it gives you a short paper of our own, with a way to mark yourself.
Where to find a free General Training writing practice test
The owners host several. Start with these.
Start with the test owners' own pages. They publish General Training Writing practice for free. The British Council describes its page like this.
"Get ready for your IELTS General Training Writing test with free practice tests from the British Council."
It says the practice tests are for both parts of the paper, and what they help you do.
"In General Training Writing, Task 1 asks you to write a letter in response to a given situation, while Task 2 is an essay on a topic of general interest."
- understand the General Training Writing test format and the requirements of each task.
- practise writing formal, semi-formal, and informal letters for Task 1.
- develop your essay-writing skills for a wide range of General Training topics.
- review your responses alongside model answers to improve your score.
| Where | What the owner says |
|---|---|
| British Council, sample tasks on screen | General Training Sample task - Writing - Part 1 (opens in a new tab) |
| British Council, sample tasks on screen | General Training Sample task - Writing - Part 2 (opens in a new tab) |
| British Council, marked scripts | General Training Writing sample scripts and examiner comments (PDF, 0.35mb) |
| British Council, paper sample tasks | General Training Writing sample tasks (PDF, 1.37mb) |
| IDP IELTS | General Training Writing free sample questions |
| IDP IELTS Canada | You can access and download official IELTS General Training practice questions along with sample answer sheets. |
| IELTS.org | IELTS General Training - sample test questions |
The British Council also says its practice tests are built from real questions, and that they are free.
"Our practice tests use real IELTS questions from past papers, and the interface is just like the real exam. They are a great resource to get familiar with IELTS and are completely free to use!"
There is a bigger set for people who book with the British Council.
- When you book your IELTS test with the British Council, you’ll be able to access more than 40 practice tests covering every skill.
- IELTS Ready Premium is free and unlimited for British Council IELTS test takers.
One note on the computer. The British Council says the General Training Writing question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in IELTS on computer with Writing on Paper.
"The General Training Writing question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in IELTS on Computer (writing on paper)."
What the paper looks like on the day
Sixty minutes, two tasks, full sentences.
A fair practice test copies the real conditions. These are the facts to copy. All of them are IELTS's own wording, from its General Training Writing format page.
| Item | What IELTS says |
|---|---|
| Time and tasks | Time allowed: 60 minutes Number of tasks: 2 |
| Task 1 | In Task 1, you have to respond to a situation by writing a letter, for example, asking for information or explaining a situation. You need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. |
| Task 2 | In Task 2, you are given a point of view, argument or problem which you need to discuss. You need to write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. |
| Weighting | Marking: Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. |
| Notes and bullets | You must not write your answers as notes or bullet points. |
| On computer | If you are taking IELTS on computer, you must type your answers on the screen. |
| On paper | If you are taking IELTS on computer (Writing on Paper), you must write your answers on the answer sheet, using the pen provided. |
| Addresses | You do not need to write any addresses at the top of your letter. |
Three more rules explain what to avoid in a practice answer too.
- You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write is not related to the topic.
- You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source).
- If your answer is too short, there may not be enough evidence of the language features needed in order to award higher bands.
IDP's description of the paper adds that the General Training essay can be a little more personal than the Academic one.
- A quick look at the General Training Writing test Duration: 60 minutes.
- You will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.
- The essay can be slightly more personal in style compared to an Academic Writing task.
Our reading: because the essay counts for twice as much, spend the time on it. IELTS says to spend no more than 20 minutes on the letter, and the British Council's blog says to spend around 20 minutes. That leaves the rest of the 60 minutes for the essay. That is the clock to practise with.
"Manage your time. Keep an eye on the clock. Spend around 20 minutes on Task 1."
How to run the practice test
Ours: nine steps that make it a real test.
A practice test is only worth doing under test conditions. The British Council says so too.
"When you practice, make sure you time yourself so you put yourself in a similar environment to the real test."
Here is how we would run it.
- Choose a quiet place and switch off your phone. Have a clock in view.
- Decide whether you will type or handwrite, to match the version you booked. If you type, switch off grammar suggestions, so that you practise checking your own work.
- Set a timer for 60 minutes and do not pause it.
- Spend the first 2 minutes reading the letter task. Mark the three bullet points and the reader.
- Plan the letter for 2 minutes, then write it in about 16 minutes.
- At 20 minutes move to the essay, even if the letter is not perfect.
- Plan the essay for 5 minutes, write for 30, and keep 5 for checking.
- Stop when the timer ends. Do not add a last sentence.
- Mark your work the next day with the checklists below, not on the same day. A day's gap makes your own mistakes easier to see.
Our practice test: one letter and one essay
Both prompts are invented. Time yourself, then use the questions and the key.
The prompts below are ours and are not from a past test. Write 150 words or more for the letter and 250 words or more for the essay. Work to the 60-minute clock above.
The letter task
Your local library is going to close on Saturdays. Write a letter to the library manager. In your letter, say how the change will affect you and your family, suggest another way the library could help people on Saturdays, and ask when the final decision will be made. Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,.
The essay task
Some people think that the best way to learn a new language is to live in a country where it is spoken. Others think it can be learned just as well at home. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write at least 250 words.
Six questions to answer before you write
- How many things must the letter do?
- Who is the reader, and what style fits?
- The first bullet point has two parts. What are they?
- Which of these is the best opening sentence? (A) I hope this letter finds you well. (B) I am writing to ask you to reconsider closing the library on Saturdays and to suggest an alternative. (C) The library is a very important part of the community.
- Which closing goes with Dear Sir or Madam?
- The essay asks you to discuss both views and give your own opinion. How many parts does that make?
Answer key
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three | The letter has three bullet points: the effect on you and your family, an alternative, and the question about the decision. |
| 2 | The library manager, so a formal style | You do not know the person, so write politely and in full: could, would, please. Use no contractions. |
| 3 | The effect on you, and the effect on your family | The word and joins two things, so a good answer covers both. |
| 4 | B | It states the purpose and mentions the suggestion in one sentence. A is small talk and C does not say why you are writing. |
| 5 | Yours faithfully | A greeting to Sir or Madam, with no name, is matched with Yours faithfully. |
| 6 | Three | View one, view two and your own opinion. Give your own opinion its own space, and keep it separate from the two views. |
Mark your own practice answers
The owners' questions first, then ours.
The British Council has a short set of questions for each criterion. They are written for the letter.
- Task achievement: Have you covered the three bullet points in the task requirement? Have you written the required number of words?
- Coherence and cohesion: Are your ideas easy to understand? Do your ideas progress in a clear way? Do you use linking words so that your writing flows well?
- Lexical resource: Are you using the correct vocabulary? Are you using a range of different words? Are you spelling words correctly?
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Are you using the correct verb tenses? Do you show a variety in your sentences? Are you using complex sentence structures?
Our reading: for an essay, swap the first question for "Have you answered every part of the question?" There are no bullet points to count in an essay.
For the letter, IDP says the examiner checks four features. Check each one in your own answer.
- Purpose of the letter is presented.
- Tone of the letter is appropriate.
- Bullet points are presented, highlighted and extended.
- Format is appropriate - letter format.
IDP says each bullet point has to be there, and the British Council says to leave time to review.
- All three bullet points need to be presented. And remember that some bullet points contain more than one element. So, make sure to watch for ‘and’ and plurals.
- Take some time to review your work. Make sure you save a few minutes to review your work.
Our marking table
Use this table on the letter and on the essay. It is a set of questions, not a score. If you can answer yes with a specific line from your work, tick it.
| Question | How to check it |
|---|---|
| Is the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph? | Underline the sentence that says why you are writing. |
| Are all three bullet points covered? | Write 1, 2 and 3 in the margin next to the lines that cover each point. |
| Does every point have a detail, a reason or an example? | Circle the detail. If there is none, add a sentence. |
| Does the style match the reader? | Check the greeting, the verbs and the closing. All three should fit. |
| Does the essay answer every part of the question? | Write each part of the question at the top of the page and tick it. |
| Is the opinion clear? | Find the sentence that gives it. It should be in the first and last paragraphs. |
| Is each paragraph about one thing? | Write a four-word label for each paragraph. If you cannot, the paragraph holds too much. |
| Are the sentences easy to follow? | Read the answer aloud. Stop at any sentence that makes you lose track. |
| Are spelling and endings right? | Check plural -s, verb endings and common pairs such as their and there. |
After marking, write the three mistakes you made most often on a card. Keep the card next to you when you do the next practice test. This works because each practice test then has one specific job.
A four-week writing plan
Ours. One full paper a week, and short drills between.
If you have a month, this is how we would use the free practice tests. It assumes about four study sessions a week.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Letters | Read the four letter features. Write one formal and one informal letter, 20 minutes each. Mark them. |
| 2 | Essays | Write one opinion essay and one discussion essay, 40 minutes each. Mark them. Redo the weakest paragraph. |
| 3 | Full papers | Sit one full 60-minute paper under test conditions. Mark it the next day with the table above. |
| 4 | Fix and repeat | Choose your three most common mistakes. Write one more letter and one more essay that avoid them. Sit a second full paper at the end of the week. |
For letters and essays to read alongside, see our IELTS letter writing and essay samples. For books and the rest of your preparation, see IELTS General Training books and preparation. For useful phrases, see IELTS vocabulary. This page is general test preparation, not immigration advice.
Common questions
Yes. The British Council has a General Training Writing page with free practice tests, sample tasks and a PDF of marked scripts, and IDP and IELTS.org list sample questions too. The British Council says its practice tests are completely free to use, and that more than 40 practice tests covering every skill are available when you book your IELTS test with the British Council.
The paper takes 60 minutes and has two tasks. Task 1 is a letter of at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.
A letter task and an essay task. The British Council says Task 1 asks you to write a letter in response to a given situation, while Task 2 is an essay on a topic of general interest.
The essay. IELTS says Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
Not by the owners for free, unless you book your test with the British Council: it says IELTS Ready Premium, which is free and unlimited for its test takers, has AI feedback with indicative scores. The British Council's PDF of sample scripts with examiner comments shows what marked scripts look like but does not mark yours. We have not tested either. You can also mark your own answers with the tables on this page.
No. IELTS says you must not write your answers as notes or bullet points. You can use the note-taking tool on a computer, but the examiner will not see those notes.
The British Council says the General Training Writing question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in IELTS on computer (Writing on Paper). On computer you type your answer on the screen. With Writing on Paper you use the answer sheet and the pen provided. This page does not cover the fully paper-based test.