Academic IELTS vs General Training IELTS: What’s the difference?

You are all set to embark on your journey to that foreign country you have been dreaming about for years. But before going to your dreamland, you need to prove your worth to the country, and one of the most important factors taken into consideration is the IELTS examination. If you are moving to an English-speaking country, you need to give this test to prove your English proficiency. IELTS has slowly gained popularity and is now the world’s most popular English proficiency test. It is widely accepted by universities and employers globally.

Now that you have found out that you need to give this exam, you must start your preparations as soon as possible to give a boost to your score.

But wait a moment! Before you begin with the preparations, did you know that there are different types of IELTS exams offered? Some of us are not aware that this proficiency exam is not just for academic purposes. IELTS is needed for transfer due to work or migration too.

There are TWO types of IELTS tests available: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Your purpose for going abroad should decide which exam you need to take. Both of these exams serve different purposes, and we are here to help you find the right one for you! There is not a huge difference between these two, but they still have different applications. Read ahead, and by the end, you will have an idea about which exam will suit your needs.

Through this blog you will learn:

• Who is IELTS Academic for?
• Who is IELTS General Training for?
• What are the similarities between the two tests
• What are the differences then?
• Is the scoring different for the two tests?
• Which test is the toughest of the two?
• Is there any difference in the fees?

What is IELTS Academic?

The IELTS Academic is an examination used to assess whether your level of English is appropriate for an academic environment. If you are planning to move to an English-speaking country for purposes that include, but are not limited to:

• Undergraduate degree/ Postgraduate degree/ Diploma/ PG Diploma/ Doctoral programs
• Apply for a Tier 4 student visa at a university that is a Tier 4 sponsor in the UK.
• Apply for professions (medical, nursing, engineering, accounting) that require an IELTS academic test result in an English speaking country

Then IELTS Academic is the exam you should opt for.

Your vocabulary and proficiency are tested to check whether you can handle the study load and begin your education or training.

What is IELTS General Training?

The IELTS General Training, as the name suggests, is an exam that assesses your English proficiency in an everyday, general context. If you plan to move to an English-speaking country for the following reasons:

• Migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK
• professional or work training
• Obtaining Permanent Residency in countries like Canada
• Apply to study below degree level.

Then IELTS General Training is the test designed just for you!

The test evaluates your ability to communicate efficiently in the workplace or in a social situation.

What are the similarities between IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic?

• Both the tests have four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
• Both tests have a total duration of about 3 hours in total.
• The listening and speaking sections of both the tests are absolutely similar. What a relief, isn’t it?
• Both the tests can be taken either in computer format or in paper-based format.

What are the differences between IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic?

Since the speaking and listening sections of both the tests are similar, it is obvious that the differences lie in the reading and writing sections, right?

Differences in the reading section:

To read in depth about the what the academic and general training reading section comprises you can visit: https://www.ielts.org/for-test-takers/test-format

Differences in the writing section:

Some of the major differences that set the two tests apart are seen in the writing section.

• Both the tests have two writing tasks that you are supposed to complete within a time limit of 60 minutes.

Reminder: In the writing section of either exam, do not write your answers in bullet points or in incomplete sentences.Your answer should be a complete sentence.

To read in depth about what the academic and general training writing section comprises you can visit https://www.ielts.org/for-test-takers/test-format.

Is the scoring different for the two tests?

The three sections: listening, speaking and writing are scored in the same manner for both the exams. The difference lies in the reading section of the test.

To help you understand the difference a little better let us look at an example. Say if you scored 33/40 in reading in your IELTS academic, your band score would be 7.5. However, if you scored a 33/40 in reading in your IELTS General training test, your band score would be 6.5.

It does seem a bit confusing, however for a little help you can check out this official chart of raw scores and their respective band https://www.ielts.org/en-us/for-organisations/ielts-scoring-in-detail

This will give you a fairly clear idea of the conversions and difference of scoring in both the tests.

The three sections: listening, speaking, and writing, are scored in the same manner for both the exams. The difference lies in the reading section of the test.

To help you understand the difference a little better, let us look at an example. If you scored 33/40 in reading in your IELTS academic, your band score would be 7.5. However, if you scored a 33/40 in reading in your IELTS General Training test, your band score would be 6.5.

It does seem a bit confusing, but for a little help, you can check out this official chart of raw scores and their respective bands. https://www.ielts.org/en-us/for-organisations/ielts-scoring-in-detail.

This will give you a clear idea of the conversions and difference in scoring in both the tests.

Which test is the toughest of the two?

There is no escape from preparation, irrespective of which test you opt for. However, if you are an IELTS academic test giver, you will need to put in a little extra effort to prepare for your exams compared to the IELTS General Training test givers. This is because the academic test is quite tougher than the general training one.

But don’t worry, we’re here to assist you. Statistics say that students have seen a boost in their scores after joining an IELTS coaching institute. Our institute, New Cambridge College, will provide you with a personalised learning experience. Our proficient teachers will provide you with tailored solutions for the areas that you lack. We are one of the best IELTS coaching institutes in Chandigarh that provides coaching for both IELTS academic and IELTS General Training.

Is there any difference in the fees?

Not at all. There is no difference in the fees for both the exams.

I hope this article clears up most of your confusion regarding which test suits you and your requirements the best. We advise you to check with your university, employer, etc. to see if there are any specifications mentioned regarding this test.

How NCC Global can help you?

We at NCC Global help students prepare for their IELTS by offering them the best IELTS coaching in Chandigarh. Our IELTS preparation helps students achieve the desired band score they require to study abroad in their preferred country. We hire staff who have already scored high on their IELTS and have rich experience in teaching students.

For a free consultation, call us or email us at –

Call – +919878222772 or +911724014454

Email – info@nccglobal.in

What is a good IELTS score?

IELTS is one of the most popular English exams in the world. It is taken by millions of people each year to study, work or migrate. This test score determines your eligibility for immigration, admissions or hiring in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the UK. The score requirements vary depending on your purpose, country and university or organisation. This might seem like a task but breathe a sigh of relief! With this post we will look at what the average IELTS score is, and what are the different requirements depending on your situation.

Advantages of a Resume

For a moment, forget your desired job or that academic course you want to start in the country for which you are giving this IELTS examination. First understand how the general scoring is done by the British Council.

• Each four skills: Listening, Writing, Reading and Speaking are evaluated and equally weighted.
• Each section has 40 questions, and each question gives you 1 mark.

• The mean score of these four skills is used to produce the overall band score for your examination.
• Your band score is scored within the range of 0-9. A band score of 7 or above is considered a good score generally.

General training IELTS scoring:

Your purpose behind giving IELTS determines whether you should give the academic IELTS or General training IELTS.

If you are wishing to migrate, move to an English-speaking country for work or employment training or move for schooling purposes, you will be required to give the General training IELTS. Though the test is almost the same as academic IELTS, the scoring is a bit different.

There are four sections for General IELTS too. However, the difference lies in the reading and writing section while the speaking and listening sections are the same for both.

• The scoring method for the listening section for both IELTS is absolutely the same.

United Kingdom:

Now that you’ve made up your mind to study in the UK, you need to showcase a satisfactory score to prove your English proficiency as per the requirements of your university and course.

Generally, the minimum score requirements are:

However, the requirements differ if you’re aiming for some of the top universities in the United Kingdom. The minimum requirements for such top tier universities varies from 6.0 to 7.0.

You also need to check for the requirements stated by the British visa institution. Your purpose to go to the United Kingdom matters here too. The requirements differ for IELTS, IELTS General Training and IELTS life skills.

The band score requirements are different for different tier visas and for settling there. You also need to give either all four tests or listening and speaking depending upon your purpose. The required band score ranges from 4.0-7.0. We recommend that you check the official site for IELTS score requirements for a UK visa https://www.ieltsidpindia.com/. From here you will get a fair idea about the necessities for your personal situation.

United States of America:

Though TOEFL has been the most preferred English proficiency test in the USA, IELTS is gaining popularity too and is widely accepted by universities and companies across the nation. America is a home to some of the most prestigious and renowned universities of the world. Due to this the basic score requirements for IELTS would naturally be higher. A 6.5 or 7 is required by most of the universities along with an overall good application to get an offer letter from them. You will need to boost your score to match their requirements.

For further details regarding the universities in USA that accept IELTS, test centres available in different areas and the score requirements as per your course, you can visit:

https://www.ielts.org/usa

Canada:

If you are a student looking to move to Canada for your undergraduate or postgraduate degree, you will have the following requirements for your universities:

However, this is not the same for your Canadian Visa. For a Canadian student visa, your minimum overall band score should be 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual section, if you’re applying for an undergraduate degree. For a postgraduate degree one must score an overall band score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each section.

If your purpose is to apply for a Canada PR or gain a Canadian Visa for work, your requirements are a little different. You will need to qualify for IELTS General with a score that is accepted by the IRCC- Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. You will need at least a score of 6.0 in each section to qualify for this visa.

Australia:

The requirements for Australia are quite the same as other countries. Majority of the Australian colleges and universities accept the IELTS score. Their minimum requirement is an overall band score of 6; the score increases as you opt for a better and prestigious university.

As for the study permit for Australia, you will need to obtain an overall band score of 6.0, with a minimum score of 5.5 in each section for an undergraduate course. For a postgraduate course one must score 6.0 or more in each section and an overall band score of 6.5 or above. Additionally, if you are willing to pursue courses like Teaching, Education studies or engineering, you will have to score a minimum of 7.0 overall and in each section too.

There are five different visa classes related for work-based migration. If your wish is to gain a Permanent Residency for Australia or move to the country for work, you need to obtain 65 points or more. Australian institutions follow a point system that is measured by various criteria, among which IELTS is a very crucial one.

A minimum score of 6.0 in each section is required, however you would not get extra points for that. If you score 7.0 or more, you get 10 points for that, and for a score of 8.0 or higher you get 20 points.

By looking at the requirements for these different countries, we can clearly see that the higher the scores the better the chances of you getting what you aim for. You would not be able to boost your score just overnight. It requires consistent practice, and a lot of it. Make use of a study guide which will make your learning process much smoother.

To increase your chances of getting into your desired university or job, join an IELTS coaching institute in Chandigarh. NCC Global provides the best IELTS coaching in Chandigarh. We will not only provide you with appropriate guidance and resources, but also personalised attention to each one of your problems. We pay special attention to the areas you lack in and provide effective solutions for that, to get you one step closer to your dream.

Remember! IELTS is not a competitive test, it is just a standardised examination used to evaluate the individual’s fluency and competence in the language. Also keep in mind that it is not the only way the authority in question assesses you. Other factors of your application are also considered; IELTS, though very important, is just one of them. That’s the reason a good IELTS coaching institute is a must.

We highly recommend that even after reading this, you go ahead and check the official website of your university, company, etc to check for specific band score requirements. The requirements vary as per your vocation, course, degree, etc so make sure to check for it. Join us for the best IELTS coaching in Chandigarh and get your desired IELTS band score.

To book a free consultation with our IELTS experts –

Call us – +919878222772 or +911724014454

Email us – info@nccglobal.in