What is the same and what differs
Both versions are IELTS tests on the same 9-band scale. ielts.org says the Reading and Writing sections were designed to assess language ability more relevant to each sector. This page quotes no exam fees, test dates or current entry requirements.
- The same: Listening, Speaking, the band scale and overall-band rule, and Writing timing, weighting and criteria.
- Different: the type of Reading texts, Writing Task 1 (visual information or a letter), how Reading marks convert to bands, and IELTS Online at home, which ielts.org lists for Academic only.
Academic vs General Training, section by section
This table follows ielts.org's description of each version, checked in October 2026. "Same test" means the section is shared.
| Part of the test | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 30 minutes, 4 parts, 40 questions. Each recording is played once. | Same test |
| Reading | 60 minutes, 3 sections, 40 questions, 2,150 to 2,750 words in total. Texts from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and online sources, written for a non-specialist audience on topics of general interest to undergraduate or postgraduate students. At least one text contains detailed logical argument, and texts may include diagrams, graphs or illustrations. | 60 minutes, 3 sections of increasing difficulty, 40 questions, 2,150 to 2,375 words in total. Section 1: everyday texts such as notices, advertisements and timetables. Section 2: work topics such as job descriptions, contracts and training materials. Section 3: one longer, more complex text of general interest. |
| Writing Task 1 | Describe visual information (a graph, table, chart or diagram) in your own words. At least 150 words, about 20 minutes. | Respond to a situation by writing a letter: personal, semi-formal or formal depending on the task, with three bullet points saying what to include. At least 150 words, about 20 minutes. |
| Writing Task 2 | Discuss a point of view, argument or problem, in an academic or semi-formal/neutral style. At least 250 words, about 40 minutes. | Discuss a point of view, argument or problem on a topic of general interest, as a semi-formal/neutral discursive essay. At least 250 words, about 40 minutes. |
| Writing overall | 60 minutes, 2 tasks. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1. Four equally weighted criteria. | Same timing, weighting and criteria |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts, an interview with an examiner. | Same test |
| Scoring | 9-band scale in whole and half bands. The overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. | Same scale and overall rule. On Reading, ielts.org says General Training usually needs more correct answers for a given band. |
| At home (IELTS Online) | Offered in some countries. | Not offered |
What this means for your preparation
Reading. Academic texts are written for a non-specialist audience, and if technical vocabulary appears, ielts.org says a simple dictionary definition is provided. Because Reading marks convert to bands differently in each version, practise with Reading tests labelled for your version and compare practice scores only within that version.
Writing. Task 1 is the most visible difference: describing visual information versus writing a letter whose tone changes with the task. ielts.org does not say the two Task 2s are identical in every respect, so use practice questions labelled for your version.
Which one do I need: Academic or General Training?
ielts.org says the choice depends on where you want to live, work or study and what you want to do. The notes below describe what each version is designed for, not what any particular university, employer or government asks for today.
Studying at a university
ielts.org says to choose Academic for undergraduate or postgraduate study. It describes the test as checking whether you are ready to begin studying in English, using vocabulary familiar in an academic setting.
Migrating to an English-speaking country
ielts.org says General Training suits people who want to migrate to a country where English is spoken, and names Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK as examples. It assesses everyday English for social situations and workplaces.
For UK visa applications, ielts.org also lists IELTS for UKVI, taken in person at an IELTS for UKVI test centre. It comes in Academic and General Training versions too, and IDP Hong Kong says it is the same as other IELTS tests apart from extra security measures the UK government requires. For some UK visa routes, including British citizenship, indefinite leave to remain and family visas, the test ielts.org lists is IELTS for UKVI Life Skills, which tests only Listening and Speaking, so check GOV.UK for the test your route needs. ielts.org says to confirm your requirements on the government website or with your receiving organisation; see its IELTS for UKVI page.
Professional registration
ielts.org lists professional registration, for example doctors and nurses, as a use of Academic. IDP adds that registration bodies decide both the band score and the test type, so ask the body rather than assuming.
Work experience, training or study below degree level
ielts.org lists work experience, training and school or college as uses of General Training. IDP's General Training page says candidates who are not going to university might be able to take it.
If you have more than one purpose, this page cannot tell you whether one result will serve all of them. IDP says governments, institutions and other recognising organisations set their own IELTS entry requirements, so ask which version they name, what score they want and how long they accept a result. IDP says the Test Report Form states which version you took. Whichever version this page points you towards, confirm with your university, employer or immigration body before you book.
Which is easier, Academic or General Training?
The sources used here do not rank either version as easier, and IDP advises against choosing on that basis. What they do say:
What ielts.org says
- Academic Reading may contain texts with more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style.
- The two Reading tests are graded on the same scale, but it is usual for more questions to be answered correctly on General Training Reading to reach a given band. ielts.org's average-marks table (out of 40) puts band 6 at 23 for Academic and 30 for General Training, and says exact marks vary slightly between test versions.
What IDP says
IDP's General Training page says the test isn't "easier"; it has a different focus. An IDP article says it is hard to say which is easier because people find different things easier or harder, and warns against choosing General Training just because it seems easier.
Mike's teaching view
This is Mike's view as a teacher, not guidance from IELTS or IDP: difficulty is personal. For example, one student may find describing a graph harder than writing a letter, and another may find the reverse.
Taking either version on computer
IDP says both Academic and General Training can be taken on computer, with Listening, Reading and Writing on screen and Speaking still an interview with an examiner. Writing on Paper (Writing questions on screen, handwritten answers) is offered for both versions in selected countries, but not for IELTS for UKVI. ielts.org announced on 5 March 2026 that from mid-2026 IELTS would no longer be offered on paper, with timelines varying by market, so check the format on the session you book. For Vietnam, see computer-delivered IELTS in Hanoi.
Where one-to-one coaching fits in
Band Booster IELTS is a private coaching service, not the exam board or a test centre; it does not register students or set exam fees. Sessions are one-to-one on Google Meet with Mike: Cambridge CELTA (July 2017), more than twelve years teaching English and IELTS in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran, more than 500 one-to-one sessions taught, and his own IELTS result of 7.5 overall with 8.5 in Speaking (see about Mike).
Sessions are taught in English and cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) and Speaking (Parts 1 to 3, with feedback during the session). Tell Mike which version you are sitting. See Reading coaching, Writing feedback or online IELTS tutoring.
The calendar shows times in your own timezone, and the booking page shows the price for your country or region before you pay (regional pricing applies). A 30-minute trial session is available once, on your first booking. Payment options are shown on the booking page. If you are in mainland China, check that you can open Google Meet before booking, and if you are unsure, email Mike first at mkcenter007@gmail.com. No band is promised; progress depends on your starting point and the work between sessions.
Fees, dates and where to read more
Exam fees and dates change, so check the test provider's own site for your country. For Vietnam, see IELTS test dates and fees in Hanoi; for study abroad, see IELTS scores for study abroad. Sources: ielts.org's test types page and IDP's General Training page.