Is General Training easier than Academic?

Not exactly. Reading texts are more familiar, but the raw score needed for the same band is higher in General Training Reading.

Can I use IELTS General Training for a university application?

Most universities require IELTS Academic. Check with the university before you book.

IELTS Academic vs General Training: Which One Should You Take?

The real differences between IELTS Academic and General Training, which test you need for study, work or migration, and how preparation differs.

By IELTSora teaching team · Updated 4 November 2026 · 2 min read

What is the same

Listening and Speaking are identical in both tests. Both are scored from band 0 to 9 and take about 2 hours 45 minutes in total.

What is different

Reading: Academic uses long passages from books and journals; General Training uses everyday texts such as notices, adverts and workplace documents.
Writing Task 1: Academic asks you to describe a chart, graph, table, map or process; General Training asks you to write a letter.
Writing Task 2: both are essays, but General Training topics are usually more familiar.

Which one do you need?

Choose Academic for undergraduate or postgraduate study and for many professional registrations. Choose General Training for most work visas and migration to countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Always check the exact requirement on the official website of your university, employer or immigration authority before booking.

How preparation differs

For Academic, practise describing trends, comparisons and processes in Task 1, and build the reading speed to handle long, dense passages with academic vocabulary. For General Training, practise formal, semi-formal and informal letters, and get used to scanning short practical texts quickly because there are more of them. In both versions, Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band, so give it most of your writing practice. Listening and Speaking preparation is exactly the same, so you can use any practice material for those two skills. Take a mock test in the version you will sit at least twice before exam day.

Frequently asked questions

Is General Training easier than Academic?: Not exactly. Reading texts are more familiar, but the raw score needed for the same band is higher in General Training Reading.
Can I use IELTS General Training for a university application?: Most universities require IELTS Academic. Check with the university before you book.

Put this tip into practice

Start a free IELTS mock test