IELTS PracticeTest types
IELTS Academic and General Training
Two versions of the same test. Listening and Speaking are identical; Reading and Writing are written for different purposes. Which one you take depends on why you need IELTS.
IELTS Academic
For university study and professional registration. Its Reading uses longer texts from books, journals and newspapers, and Writing Task 1 asks you to describe a graph, table, chart, map or process.
Usually needed for
- Undergraduate and postgraduate study in an English-speaking country
- Professional registration, where the body asks for Academic (many medical and nursing boards do)
- Some student and skilled-worker visa routes - check what yours asks for
IELTS General Training
For migration, work and training. Its Reading starts with everyday notices and workplace documents before one longer text, and Writing Task 1 is a letter.
Usually needed for
- Migration - Australia, Canada and New Zealand, among others, ask for it
- Work experience or training programmes
- Study below degree level, such as secondary school or vocational courses
What's the same, what's different
| Section | Academic | General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | Same test for both - four recordings, forty questions, about thirty minutes. You hear each recording once. | |
| Reading | Three long passages, forty questions, sixty minutes - texts from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. | Three sections, forty questions, sixty minutes - from everyday notices to one longer text. |
| Writing | Two tasks in sixty minutes: a report on visual information, and an essay. | Two tasks in sixty minutes: a letter, and an essay. |
| Speaking | Same test for both - a conversation in three parts, 11 to 14 minutes, from familiar topics to more abstract discussion. | |
Not sure which you need? Ask the university, employer or visa authority you're applying to - they set the requirement.
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