IELTS is a test for people who want to study or work in English-speaking countries. The two different versions of the test are called Academic and General Training. These two versions are not just different but also have different objectives.
You can take the IELTS exam if you have studied for at least one year of high school in the United States, Canada, or Australia; this includes international schools and colleges that award degrees in English.
Which IELTS exam should you take?
You should take the IELTS Academic if you want to go on further learning or higher education in English-speaking countries.
The IELTS test is divided into two types: Academic and General. IELTS test-takers are often confused about the distinction between the two types of IELTS exams, but it is pretty simple.
IELTS Academic: This is for test-takers who want to go on further learning or higher education in English-speaking countries. IELTS Academic tasks require no prior knowledge of the language but test your ability to understand and use complex grammar and vocabulary. The test measures your proficiency in all four listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.
It also assesses how well you can apply what you have learned from lectures or other materials when answering questions about current affairs that may be unfamiliar to you (for example: how long does it take for an eggplant seed pod? How many countries are in Africa?).
The IELTS General Training: This is for test-takers who wish to migrate to an English-speaking country (such as the UK, Canada, and Australia) or train or study at a below degree level in an English-speaking country. It assesses basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts. The General training test will help you build confidence by covering all four skills areas: Listening Comprehension, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
Choosing between academic and general training versions of IELTS can be confusing, especially for those who have never taken the test. You may be wondering whether there is a difference between the academic and general training versions of IELTS. The answer is yes; they are different in some ways.
There are two main differences between the two:
- First, the academic version of the test assesses your language ability at an advanced level, while the general training focuses on your fluency skills.
- The IELTS Academic and General Training examinations include separate writing and reading sections. The academic test will cover subjects that are appropriate for students entering colleges or professional institutions. Topics of broad interest will be covered in the General Training exam.
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There is no difference in the difficulty level of both test formats; each module is scored on the same 9 band scale.
The IELTS exam is scored out of 9 bands:
1-5: Low skills/low proficiency
6-7: Intermediate skills/mid proficiency
8-9: High skills/high proficiency
There are four sections in each test:
- Writing exam: 40 minutes
- Speaking exam: 40 minutes
- Reading exam: 80 minutes (120 minutes if you’re taking the Academic version)
- Listening exam: 55 to 80 minutes depending on whether you’re taking the Standard or Academic version.
The two types of IELTS exams are completely distinct and are used for different purposes. Depending on the organization and the nation, you may be able to use IELTS Academics for migration. It is upto each respective organization to accept or not to accept an academic result in lieu of general training.
The reading section of an IELTS test consists of three passages (of varying length) which must be read aloud by candidates who are asked questions about them after each passage has been read out loud by an examiner or examiner-in-chief at the end of each section. Candidates should have access to a dictionary (if necessary) when answering questions about unfamiliar words used in these passages – although if there are no dictionaries available then it’s possible to ask one person from another group or country where they lived before moving here where they might know some words; however this isn’t always possible due to lack of time during exams themselves (which tend last over two hours long).
In speaking sections, candidates are asked questions about topics covered within each passage chosen by examiners and other topics relating directly back to conversation starters used previously throughout testing sessions – so again, having access either through someone else who knows more about these topics than yourself would be helpful!
Conclusion
The IELTS exam is one of the world’s most popular English language tests, with over 800,000 people taking it yearly! In this article, we’ve discussed what type of test-taker you are and how to choose which version is correct for you. The distinction between the two exams is pretty simple: While the General form of the exam is intended for students who wish to study in other nations without English-speaking universities or colleges, the Academic version of the test is more appropriate for those who want to attend a university or college in an English-speaking nation.
The IELTS is a very popular exam for international students who want to study in the UK, and it has become one of the world’s most widely accepted English language tests.
We strongly advise speaking with an expert who can assess your needs and guide you toward the best option if you are still perplexed. We hope this information has helped clarify any questions or confusion surrounding these two types of exams.
