IELTS Academic vs IELTS General: Which One is for You?

Introduction

Welcome to “Speak in Finite,” your ultimate guide to navigating the complexities of the English language and acing your language proficiency tests. Today, we’re diving deep into the world of IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, a pivotal assessment recognized by over 1,500 organizations in more than 140 countries worldwide. Whether you’re planning to study, work, or live in an English-speaking environment, IELTS is your golden ticket. But did you know there are two types of IELTS tests? That’s right, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Confused about which one suits your needs? Don’t worry! In this video, we’ll uncover the key differences between the two, guiding you to make the best choice for your future. Stay tuned as we explore everything you need to know about IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, right here on “Speak in Finite.”

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IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. The IELTS Test is an English language proficiency assessment for non-native English speakers. 1,500+ organizations across 140+ countries around the globe recognize it as a proof of proficiency in English to enable a non-native speaker to study, work, or live in an English-speaking environment.

If you are aware about the test, you might also be knowing that the authority offers two testing options, namely, IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. It is natural to wonder which one is for you. In this article, we will discuss the differences between the two tests to help you select the right option.

Comparison Between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

In this part, we will look at both the similarities and the dissimilarities between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Some of the parameters with which we can compare and contrast are:

Purpose

One of the most important factors in deciding which test you should take is where you are going to use your IELTS score. If you want to pursue your education in an English-speaking nation, you need to sit for the IELTS Academic Test. This applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Besides students, IELTS Academic is also suitable for some professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and lawyers.

On the other hand, if you want to work in a Canadian organization, or simply immigrate to Canada, you should be taking up the IELTS General training Test. Therefore, you should choose between the two tests depending on your personal requirements and the university or organization concerned.

Test Format

Both of these tests assess the four language skills that are Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. However, the format slightly varies between the Academic and General Training tests. Now, we shall look at the test format for each section of IELTS.

Listening (30 minutes)

This part is the same for both of the versions of the test. This means that the Listening Test in IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training have the same format, duration and scoring criteria. There are four recordings in it and a set of ten questions following each recording. One gets 30 minutes to answer these 40 questions.

Recording	Description
Recording 1	Conversation between two people in an everyday social context
Recording 2	Monologue (one speaker) in an everyday social context
Recording 3	Discussion among up to four speakers in an educational context
Recording 4	Monologue (one speaker) in an educational context

Reading (60 minutes)

The Reading Test is different for the two types of IELTS tests. However, both of them have 40 questions in total and a duration of 60 minutes. Let us look at the formats now:

IELTS Academic

• The content of the Reading test is set in an academic context.
• The test contains three three sections, each having a long text based on topics of general interest. Sometimes, non-verbal elements such as illustrations, graphs and diagrams are also present.
• The texts may be factual, descriptive, analytical or discursive in nature. They are taken from academic sources like books, journals, magazines, and newspapers.

IELTS General Training

• The content is related to everyday life and work situations.
• There are 3 sections in the test which can be further classified as:

• Section 1: It contains two or three short texts. These are factual in nature and based on daily life in an English-speaking nation. 
• Section 2: It contains two short texts. These are factual in nature and based on work life situations.
• Section 3: It contains a bit longer text than in the previous two sections. This text is also more complicated and based on general topics.
• The texts are extracts from materials common in an English-speaking environment such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines.

Writing (60 minutes)

The Writing Test varies for the two types of IELTS tests. However, both of them have two tasks and a duration of 60 minutes. Let us look at the formats now:

IELTS Academic

Task	Task Description	Word Limit	Time Duration
Task 1	Describing, summarizing or  data from a graph, table, chart, or diagram	150 words	20 minutes
Task 2	Writing an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem (The response should be in a formal or academic style)	250 words	40 minutes

IELTS General Training

Task	Task Description	Word Limit	Time Duration
Task 1	Writing a letter requesting information or explaining a given situation	150 words	20 minutes
Task 2	Writing an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem (The response may be fairly personal in style)	250 words	40 minutes

Speaking (11-14 minutes)

The format of the Speaking test remains the same for both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests. The session is recorded so that it can be used for remarking if required. The test starts with ID checking and greeting. Further, it has three parts:

Part	Task Description	Time Duration
Part 1	Introduction	4-5 minutes
Part 2	Speaking for 2 minutes on a topic given on the cue card	2-3 minutes
Part 3	Discussion on the same topic introduced in Part 2	4-5 minutes

Scoring System

Here, we will discuss how examiners score the four individual sections of the test. As we have already discussed the format, it is clear that the number of questions or tasks in a particular section is the same in both the tests. There is no negative marking in any part whatsoever. Now, let us have a look at the scoring pattern of the sections.

Listening

The Listening section has a total of 40 questions. You receive 1 mark for every right answer. The scoring pattern is the same in both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.

Number of Correct Responses	IELTS Listening Band Score
39-40	9.0
37-38	8.5
35-36	8.0
32-34	7.5
30-31	7.0
26-29	6.5
23-25	6.0
18-22	5.5
16-17	5.0
13-15	4.5
10-12	4.0

Reading

The Reading section contains 40 questions in total. Each correct response awards you with 1 mark. However, the scoring pattern varies slightly between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.

Number of Correct Responses	IELTS Academic Reading Band Score
39-40	9.0
37-38	8.5
35-36	8.0
33-34	7.5
30-32	7.0
27-39	6.5
23-26	6.0
19-22	5.5
15-18	5.0
13-14	4.5
10-12	4.0
8-9	3.5
6-7	3.0
4-5	2.5

Number of Correct Responses	IELTS General Training Reading Band Score
40	9.0
39	8.5
37-38	8.0
36	7.5
34-35	7.0
32-33	6.5
30-31	6.0
27-29	5.5
23-26	5.0
19-22	4.5
15-18	4.0
12-14	3.5
9-11	3.0
6-8	2.5

Writing

There are two tasks in the Writing section. Each task receives a score on the basis of these four criteria:

1. Task Achievement
2. Coherence and Cohesion
3. Lexical Resource
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The examiners rate each of the criteria on a scale of 0 to 9. They follow strict guidelines and all the criteria have equal weightage. The overall Writing score is the average of these four scores. It can be either in whole or half bands.

Speaking

The Speaking section involves an in-person interview with an IELTS examiner. It consists of three parts, each of which is assessed by these criteria:

1. Fluency and Coherence
2. Lexical Resource
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
4. Pronunciation

The examiners rate each of the criteria on a scale of 0 to 9. They follow strict guidelines and all the criteria have equal weightage. The overall Speaking score is the average of these four scores. It can be either in whole or half bands.

Which Test Should You Go For?

Both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training assess your English language proficiency. However, the choice of test depends on your study, work, or immigration requirements. Be sure to select the appropriate format based on your goals and needs.

Which Test Is Easier?

IELTS General Training is slightly easier than IELTS Academic. This is simply because the Academic version tests your skills in an educational setting and hence contains more difficult texts in the Reading section. On the other hand, the General Training test is set in everyday situations. As a result, it has more practical content.

Conclusion

We hope that this article has provided you with valuable insights regarding the two types of IELTS tests. Since you are aware of the differences now, it will be easier for you to decide which test you should register for. If you still have doubts, feel free to contact us!

FAQs

1. Is Academic or General IELTS better?

Neither of the tests can be called superior over the other as both are intended for specific purposes. IELTS Academic is usually applicable for getting into a university while IELTS General Training is suitable for immigration and work.

2. How much harder is academic IELTS than general?

IELTS Academic and General Training has the same Listening and Speaking sections. The only difference in the format lies in the other two components.

As far as Reading is concerned, the texts are more difficult in the case of Academic. Also, you need to write your responses in a formal tone for Academic Writing while your answer may be fairly personal in style for General Training Writing.

3. Which IELTS is required for Canada PR?

For obtaining Canadian Permanent Residency, you need to take the IELTS General Training Test.

4. Can I use IELTS academic for work?

IELTS Academic is suitable for work only in certain professions such as medicine, nursing, teaching, and law.

5. Can I convert IELTS general to academic?

Yes, you are allowed to change the type of your test through a form introduced by IDP Education. You should submit the request to the concerned test center at least five days before your test date.