Is English widely spoken in Mongolia?

Mongolia children are generally taught English in school.  Essentially, every child regardless of where they live will spend at least eight years studying English.
But on the other hand, like any learned foreign language, without chance to practice, the ability to communicate diminishes rather quickly.  Also English lessons in Mongolia tends to emphasize reading and writing in English as opposed to listening and speaking comprehension.

To sum up briefly, the average Mongolian person can’t speak English well enough to communicate with you specially in countryside. But in Ulaanbaatar, there will have a good chance of come across someone who has a good grasp of the English language, especially if you happen to find yourself in a business or commercial district.
This is why guided tours are so popular in countryside tour of Mongolia.