IELTS is the most widely used English proficiency exam among non-native English speakers seeking to study, work, or relocate to English-speaking countries (International English Language Testing System).
If you wish to study abroad, you’ll need to score well on the IELTS. A good band score on the IELTS exam after finishing your graduation or post-graduate degrees will allow you to pursue higher study at the top international colleges or work in English-speaking countries.
it is divided into two categories: Academic and General Training. English hearing, reading, writing, and speaking abilities are assessed by both the exams.
Table of Contents
What is IELTS academic?
IELTS Academic is a test taken by students who desire to study in English-speaking universities and colleges at the undergraduate or postgraduate level.
The IELTS academic exam type is designed to measure your level of English language competence and academic readiness. For professional and academic publications, textbooks, magazines, and newspapers, students and professionals must be taught good English reading abilities.
IELTS academics utilise texts from various sources to assess their abilities. The writing work consists of straightforward topics that are applicable in academic and professional settings. Writing tests are given to ensure that they are capable of writing college-level essays.
What is IELTS General?
IELTS General Training is for secondary school applicants, professionals wanting work experience, and individuals seeking immigration to nations such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The IELTS general training explores English in a practical and everyday environment. Those doing the General Training IELTS will get a taste of the language used in advertising, guidebooks, periodicals, notices, and so on. Written tests will include typical tasks including letter writing and basic essay writing.
IELTS academic and general differences
The IELTS exam is divided into four parts: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Both Academic and General Training applicants take the identical speaking and listening examinations, but the reading and writing tests are different.
The IELTS Academic exam is designed for students who want to study at institutions overseas where English is the predominant language, whereas the IELTS General Training test is designed for students who want to study at a level lower than a bachelor’s degree. It may also be utilised for job hunting or other sorts of professional development.
The reading, listening and writing components of all IELTS examinations must be completed on the same day, however the speaking section can be completed up to a week before or after the other sections.
| Tests | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training |
| Speaking | The speaking test is the same as that of IELTS General training | The speaking test is the same as that of IELTS Academic |
| Writing | a) In task 1, candidates are given a situation and instructed to write a letter requesting information or describing the circumstance. The letter could be written in a casual, semi-formal, or formal tone. b) In assignment 2, candidates will be required to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. The essay’s style might be highly personal. | a) In task 1, candidates have 20 minutes to describe some visual data in 150 works. b) In task 2, candidates must respond to a point of view or argument in 250 words in approximately 40 minutes. |
| Listening | The listening test is the same as that of IELTS General training | The listening test is the same as that of IELTS Academic |
| Reading | The exam lasts one hour and consists of three sections totaling 40 questions. a) The first segment includes 2-3 factual themes that are frequently discussed in English-speaking countries. Section 2 consists of two work-related factual examinations (e.g workplace facilities, company policies) c) Portion 3 is a lengthy section including sophisticated content on a number of general-interest themes. | For this test, candidates must complete three sections (40 questions) in one hour. The academic test’s texts are designed to be more difficult than the general test’s. The texts are drawn from magazines, books, and newspapers and are pertinent to academic themes. |
IELTS general vs academic which is easier
IELTS General is the easier exam to pass. The questions are designed to assess your command of the English language. IELTS does not have a pass/fail system. You may retake the exam as many times as necessary until you achieve your desired score. With a high number of points, you will be admitted to a top university. All you need is careful planning.
The academic version is used to assess your level of comprehension. In terms of IELTS Academic vs General difficulty. Reading is much easier in IELTS general training than in IELTS academic. The scoring format is also different.
IELTS academic vs general for Canada PR
Many people would rather study or work in Canada. If you wish to study and then work in Canada, you must first apply for permanent status. To guarantee you have adequate communication skills, you must provide documentation of your language skills when applying for a visa.
We become perplexed when taking IELTS academic or general training for Canada immigration/Canada PR.
The Canadian express entry programme allows immigrants to get permanent residence in Canada more quickly. There are three kinds of programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
To apply for permanent residency through Express Entry, you must have a CLB (Canadian language benchmark) score of 7 and an IELTS score of 6.0 in each part.
IELTS academic vs general scores
The IELTS exam score goes from 1 to 9 for each section of the test: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The overall band score is calculated by taking the average of the four component scores and rounding to the closest full or half band.
If your average score is less than 0.25, your overall band score is rounded up to the next half band; if it is less than 0.75, your overall band score is rounded up to the next entire band.
If the sum of the four components is a fraction, the score is rounded down.
Chart for IELTS Academic Reading
| Raw Score | Band Score |
| 39-40 | 9 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8 |
| 33-34 | 7.5. |
| 30-32 | 7 |
| 27-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-26 | 6 |
| 19-22 | 5.5 |
| 15-18 | 5 |
| 13-14 | 4.5 |
| 10-12 | 4 |
| 8-9 | 3.5 |
| 6-7 | 3 |
Chart for IELTS General Training Reading
| Raw Score | Band Score |
| 40 | 9 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37-38 | 8 |
| 36 | 7.5. |
| 34-35 | 7 |
| 32-33 | 6.5 |
| 30-31 | 6 |
| 27-29 | 5.5 |
| 23-26 | 5 |
| 19-22 | 4.5 |
| 15-18 | 4 |
| 12-14 | 3.5 |
| 9-11 | 3 |
IELTS academic vs general fees
IELTS Academic and IELTS General exam prices are the same. You must spend Rs.14,000 to complete your IELTS exam registration.
The IELTS exam price in India varies depending on the test type.
Payment can also be done by credit/debit card, demand draught, or direct cash deposit at an authorized bank.
Which IELTS test is suitable ?
It is dependent on your reason for taking the IELTS. If you intend to pursue higher education overseas (at colleges such as Oxford) or professional registration, you must take IELTS Academic. If you want to move to another country, you need take IELTS general.
So, before you book the test, make sure you know if you want IELTS Academic or General Training. For people who are unable to attend the exam because to Covid-19, the IELTS indication has been established.
| GOAL | TEST TYPE |
| Undergraduate level | IELTS Academic |
| Postgraduate level | IELTS Academic |
| Doctorate | ILETS Academic |
| Post-Doctoral | IELTS Academic |
| For Professional organization | IELTS Academic |
| Below degree level | IELTS General |
| Migration | IELTS General |
| Work or training | IELTS General |
| Another job in own country | IELTS General |
| Permanent Residency | IELTS General |
FAQs
✅ Which IELTS is easier Academic or general?
Ans: IELTS General is the easier exam to pass. The questions are designed to assess your command of the English language. IELTS does not have a pass/fail system. You may retake the exam as many times as necessary until you achieve your desired score. With a high number of points, you will be admitted to a top university. All you need is careful planning.
✅ Can I convert IELTS general to academic?
Ans: Candidates may change their test module (Academic/General Training), but any changes must be done before the test date. Changes to IELTS modules will be processed only if there are spaces available for the new module requested.
✅ Is academic IELTS harder than general?
Ans: The academic version is used to assess your level of comprehension. In terms of IELTS Academic vs General difficulty. Reading is much easier in IELTS general training than in IELTS academic. The scoring format is also different.
✅ Can I apply for PR with Academic IELTS?
Ans: No, IELTS academic scores are not accepted for immigration purposes. It is exclusively valid in Canada for higher education. IELTS general is necessary for immigration.
IELTS Academic is appropriate for students who desire to study at the undergraduate or postgraduate level in an English-speaking setting or at a DLI (college, university, polytechnic).
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