Academic or General Training?

There are two versions of IELTS. They share half of the test and differ in the other half. Taking the wrong one can mean taking the test twice.

Who each is for

According to the official IELTS website, read on 12 November 2026:

IELTS Academic is for people who wish to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, or who seek professional registration, for example doctors and nurses.
IELTS General Training is for people who wish to migrate to an English-speaking country, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom, or to train or study at below degree level.

The organisation that will receive your result decides which version it accepts. Always confirm this in writing, from the university, employer, professional body or immigration authority, before you book. Requirements change, and they differ between visa categories.

What is the same

Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions: the same kinds of recording, the same three-part interview, the same marking.

What is different

	Academic	General Training
Writing Task 1	Describe visual information: a graph, table, chart or diagram.	Write a letter that covers three bullet points, in a suitable tone.
Writing Task 2	An essay responding to a point of view, argument or problem.	An essay of the same kind.
Reading	Three long texts; at least one has detailed logical argument.	A different set of texts, graded on the same scale.
Reading: correct answers for band 6	About 23 of 40	About 30 of 40

Is General Training easier?

Not in the way people hope. The General Training reading texts may be simpler, but you need more correct answers for the same band: the official figures are 30 for band 6 against 23 in Academic. The writing is marked on the same four criteria. A letter is a more familiar task than describing a chart, yet it has its own demands: the right tone, and full coverage of the three points.

Preparing for each

For Academic, practise describing data: selecting the main features and comparing, not listing every number. See our Task 1 practice.
For General Training, practise letters in three tones, formal, semi-formal and informal. See letter practice.
For both, Task 2 essays and the Speaking test are prepared in the same way.

Other names you may see

The official site also lists IELTS for UKVI, a version of the test approved for United Kingdom visa purposes, and IELTS One Skill Retake, which lets a test taker repeat a single section where it is offered. Whether you need or may use either depends on the receiving organisation and the country. Check the official site and the organisation.

IELTS test format: the four sections Home

Independent practice site. IELTS Practice is not connected with, approved by or endorsed by the British Council, IDP IELTS or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own IELTS. The practice tasks and sample answers here are our own; they are not official test questions, and we do not award bands. Facts about the test were read on ielts.org on 12 November 2026. For registration, fees, dates and official sample tests, go to ielts.org.