General Training & Academic
IELTS General Training & IELTS Academic
Which one should I take?
IELTS has two test types available: IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic. Which one should you register for?
IELTS General Training
The IELTS General Training test is typically taken by those who wish to move to Canada and is accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s numerous immigration programs, such as Express Entry.
IELTS Academic
IELTS Academic is for those who are looking to study at a university or college or join a professional association where English is a prerequisite.
Every organisation sets its own entry requirements, and some may even accept both versions of IELTS. If you are unsure of which version to take, you should check with your organisation directly to see what version of IELTS they accept.
Test Format
Both tests assess the four same areas of your English language abilities: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, but there are some minor differences to the test content in the Reading and Writing sections.
Speaking & Listening
The Speaking and Listening sections are exactly the same for both tests. You can find out more about these two sections of the test here.
Reading & Writing
The Reading and Writing sections differ slightly in content, depending on whether you take the General Training or Academic test.
IELTS Academic Reading content
The Academic Reading test includes three long texts which are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. You will then be asked around 40 questions on these texts. You do not need any specialised knowledge on the subjects, but the content will be tailored more towards people entering a university course.
IELTS General Training Reading content
The General Training texts include three sections, which you will again be asked 40 questions on.
- Section 1: Two or three short factual texts with topics relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country.
- Section 2: Two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues.
- Section 3: One longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
Academic Writing content
- Task 1: You will be given a graph, table, chart, diagram or map and asked to describe or summarise the information in your own words.
- Task 2: You are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.
General Training Writing content
- Task 1: You are presented with a situation and asked to write a letter, either requesting more information on the situation or explaining it. The letter may be either informal, semi-formal or formal in style.
- Task 2: You are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.