IELTS General or IELTS Academic - which one should you take?

There has been a lot of debate recently over whether people should take the IELTS General or Academic test. You may have read on many websites or articles that there are two sorts of IELTS: General IELTS and Academic IELTS. And if you've been stumped as to which one to choose, this article is just for you!

In this article, we'll go through both IELTS versions in-depth and compare them on a variety of variables. This will assist you in making an educated decision about which of these two examinations to take based on your specific needs and requirements. So let's get started!

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What is IELTS?

Before we get into depth regarding General IELTS versus Academic IELTS, let us first understand what exactly IELTS is.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) evaluates people's language skills in order to study or work in contexts where English is the primary language of communication. It employs a nine-band scale to clearly distinguish degrees of proficiency, ranging from non-user (band score 1) to expert (band score 9). Depending on their own admission standards and rules, each school sets its own minimum score requirement.

It was established in 1989 and is jointly supervised by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council, and IDP Education Pvt Ltd.

IELTS is offered in two versions:

• IELTS Academic
• IELTS General Training

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Understanding IELTS Academic and General Training Modules:

Now that we've learned about IELTS, let's look at the differences between its two modules: Academic and General Training.

The Academic Module is for those who wish to study at a post-secondary level in an English-speaking nation or who want to become professionals. It evaluates your readiness to begin studying or training at this level. For entrance to graduate programmes, universities frequently need an IELTS score of 6.5 or above.
The exam is designed to evaluate your ability to communicate successfully in academic contexts including lectures, seminars, and tutorials, as well as your ability to produce assignments and reports.

The General Training Module is for people who wish to participate in work experience or training programmes, attend secondary school or relocate to an English-speaking nation (for example, UKVI in the UK). If you are not pursuing a course that requires intellectual abilities (such as science or engineering), many colleges may accept a GT score for admission.
The exam focuses on essential survival abilities in a wide range of social and business settings, including education, training, employment, and networking.

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So which version of the IELTS test should you take – General Training or Academic? Here are some things to consider:

The purpose of your IELTS test

Are you preparing for university or college by taking the IELTS test? Or are you taking it as part of your application for a Work Visa? You'll need to select which version is best for you based on your reasons for taking the test.

1. You may take the Academic module if you intend to study at a university or college.
2. You might have to complete the General Training module if you plan to leverage your IELTS scores as part of a Work Visa application (depending on the visa requirements of the country you are applying to).

The distinction between the modules

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training measure the same four language skills – listening, reading, writing, and speaking. But there are differences in:

1. topics covered in the listening and reading sections
2. style of the writing tasks
3. content of the speaking test

IELTS Test Format

The hearing and speaking examinations alter between the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training versions, but the reading and writing assessments are the same, except for a few differences.

1. Listening:
   - IELTS Academic – four recordings of academic lectures or talks, each followed by ten questions.
   - IELTS General Training – four recordings on everyday topics, each followed by ten questions.
2. Speaking:
   - IELTS Academic – a face-to-face interview with an examiner lasting 11–14 minutes
   - IELTS General Training – a face-to-face interview with an examiner lasting between 8 and 10 minutes, during which candidates are asked to speak about general topics such as home life, family, work/study, hobbies, etc.
3. Reading:
   - IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training – three passages with tasks. These include multiple-choice questions, identifying information, identifying writers’ views/claims, matching information, headings identification, true/false/not given, and yes/no/not given questions.

The three IELTS Academic Reading passages are taken from academic books, journals, periodicals, and newspapers. The texts include academic vocabulary that you must know in order to correctly answer the questions.

The three IELTS General Training sections are: The reading passages come from periodicals, newspapers, books, announcements, advertising, and business handbooks and rules. In an English-speaking setting, you are likely to come across these things on a daily basis.

1. Writing:
   - IELTS Academic – candidates are required to write a report based on graphical information (bar chart, line graph, table, etc.) or a discursive essay (argumentative essay).
   - IELTS General Training – candidates are required to write a letter in response to given everyday situations (letter of complaint, letter of inquiry, etc.).

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So, which is the better option? If you wish to study in an English-speaking university or college, you should take the IELTS Academic version, as most institutions recognize it as proof of English competence. IELTS General Training, on the other hand, maybe more appropriate if you need to demonstrate your English proficiency for immigration or employment purposes.
“In any case, remember to study thoroughly and allow plenty of time for practice before taking any test to improve your chances of succeeding!!!”

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Published on May 19, 2022