IELTS test stands for- International English Language Testing System. The IELTS test assesses your abilities in all four skills in English– listening, reading, writing and speaking.
There are two versions of IELTS to choose from:

• IELTS Academic
• IELTS General Training

Everyone takes the same Listening and Speaking tests, regardless of which version they take. The Reading and Writing tests differ in content, depending on whether you are taking IELTS test academic or IELTS General Training.

There is no limit for the IELTS test. One can give the exam as many times as he wants.
The IELTS General Training Test is for those who are going to English speaking countries for secondary education, work experience or training programs. Hence, it is also a requirement for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.
In the IELTS General Training Test, you will take the Listening, Reading and Writing tests all on the same day one after the other, with no breaks in between them. They are always taken in this order. So, these 3 tests together take a total of 2 hours 40 minutes. These 3 tests are paper tests and
Your Speaking test will either be after a break on the same day as the other three tests, or up to seven days before or after that. This will depend on your test center. The Speaking Test is a face-to-face test with an IELTS examiner and lasts about 11-14 minutes.

Details about the  IELTS test  formats in IELTS General Training:

About the IELTS Listening Test

• The audios include a range of accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand, American and Canadian.
• In this test, the students are required to simultaneously listen, read and write. They are first given some time to read the questions before an audio is played and then they can write their answers on the question paper as they listen to the audio. At the end of the IELTS test, they are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to an answer sheet.
• multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion and sentence completion- these are the questions that come.
• Avoid poor spelling, grammar, and illegible handwriting.

IELTS Speaking test

• The Speaking Test is a face-to-face test with an IELTS test.The computer is not used.
• Here, the students are marked on fluency of speech and consistency of ideas; vocabulary used; grammar and pronunciation in this test.
• So, a variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.
• Please note that only some questions may come in order e.g. they come in order for summary completion or sentence completion questions but not for matching information or matching headings.

About the IELTS test- General Training Writing 

• For this paper, students need to write a letter for Question / Task -1 and an essay for Question / Task -2. Each task  The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1.
• The overall clarity and fluency of the message / passage; the appropriate and accurate use of grammar and vocabulary.

About the IELTS test- General Training Reading

• So, a variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.
• Also, please note that only some questions may come in order e.g. they come in order for summary completion or sentence completion questions but not for matching information or matching headings.
• You wont get extra time for transferring answer sheets. Avoid poor spelling, grammar and illegible handwriting.

IELTS test scores

• You cannot fail the test. This IELTS test will access you English language skills
• On a band of 1-9 , you can score. You can score whole (e.g., 5.0, 6.0, 7.0) or half (e.g., 5.5, 6.5, 7.5) bands in each part of the test on the basis of 4 tests.
• So, your overall band score may be crucial if you intend to emigrate, apply for university or take up a job in an English-speaking country.