Academic or general IELTS training tests,
IELTS offers two tests – IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training – the aim of these test are academic and non-academic purposes. Every organisation sets its own requirements but for some organizations scores from both tests may be accepted. Both types of test include the same Listening and Speaking components and different Reading and Writing components.
Which IELTS test do you need?
The IELTS test you take depend on the requirements of the institution where you plan to study or work.
IELTS Academic test measures English language proficiency needed for academic purposes .
You choose IELTS Academic to;
study or train at a university or college at undergraduate or postgraduate level,
gain a professional organisation.
IELTS General Training measures English language proficiency in everyday context.
You choose IELTS General Training to,
get a visa to migrate or working permission in English speaking countries including Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
The differences of two tests ,
All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests, the Reading and Writing tests differ in content, depending on whether you are taking IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training.
IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are assessed at exactly the same levels.
IELTS Test Format
IELTS is a test that measures all four language skills – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. You take the Listening, Reading and Writing tests all on the same day one after the other, with no breaks in between. Speaking test may be on the same day as the other three tests, or up to seven days before or after that. The total test time is under three hours.
Listening Section
Time 30 minutes
In Listening section you will hear four recorded texts, monologues and conversations by a range of native speakers, and you should write your answers a series of questions by listening those texts . These include questions which test the ability to understand main ideas and detailed factual information, ability to understand the opinions and attitudes of speakers, ability to understand the purpose of what is said and ability to follow the development of ideas. A variety of voices and native-speaker accents is used in recorded texts and you will hear each section only once.
The Listening component is the same for both Academic and General Training versions of IELTS Exam .
Listening section 1
A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.
Listening section 2
A monologue set in an everyday social context .
Listening section 3
A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context.
Listening section 4
A monologue on an academic subject.
Reading section
Time 60 minutes
IELTS reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, recognising writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose. Reading section is divided into two different parts as academic and general training versions.
IELTS reading – Academic version
IELTS Academic version includes three long texts which range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. These have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are recognisably appropriate for anyone entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration.
IELTS reading – General Training version
The General Training version requires you to read extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials you are likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English speaking environment.
Question types of reading section
A variety of questions is used, chosen from the following types: multiple choice, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.
Reading marking
Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
IELTS Writing
Time 60 minutes
There are two tasks on IELTS writing module , task 1 and task 2 , IELTS writing module is two sections academic and general training sections . Candidates are required to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2. Both responses should be written in a formal style.
IELTS Writing Academic version
The Writing component of the Academic version includes two tasks (task 1 and task 2 ) . Topics are releated to general interest , and suitable for anyone entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration.
Task 1
You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and are asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.
Task 2
You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be written in a formal style.
IELTS Speaking Module
Time 14 minutes
The Speaking component assesses your use of spoken English, and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded. *The Speaking component is the same for both Academic and General Training versions.
Part 1
You will be asked to answer general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as your home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between 4 and 5 minutes.
Part 2
You will be given a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The examiner then asks you one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test.
Part 3
You will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions give you an opportunity to discuss more abstract issues and ideas. This part lasts between four and five minutes.