Two Types of IELTS Test

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Two types of IELTS test:
IELTS Academic
IELTS Academic is for people planning to study in higher education or seeking
professional registration. It assesses whether you are ready to begin studying
or training in an environment where English is the language used.
IELTS Academic doesn't assume that test takers have already mastered (or
even partly have) the range of skills they are likely to need at college or
university. For this reason, while the test reflects some of the features of
academic language, it does not aim to simulate academic study tasks in their
entirety. This approach is widely supported by the institutions that recognise
IELTS.
IELTS General Training

IELTS General Training focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and
workplace contexts. It is typically for those who are going to English-
speaking countries to do secondary education, work experience or training
programs. People migrating to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK
must take the General Training test. It should be noted that professional
organisations normally require an Academic test result for registration and
migration purposes.
Test format
The IELTS test assesses your abilities in all four skills – listening, reading, writing and
speaking – in under three hours.
IELTS is available in two test formats: Academic or General Training. There are four
parts – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The total test time is 2 hours and 45
minutes.
All test takers take the same Listening and Speaking tests but different Reading and
Writing tests. The distinction between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training lies
in the subject matter of the Reading and Writing components.
Listening, Reading and Writing must be completed on the same day, with no breaks in
between them. The order in which these tests are taken may vary.
The Speaking test will either be after a break on the same day as the other three tests,
or up to a week before or after the other tests. This will depend on your test centre.
Test format – Academic Reading
60 minutes
The 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 and
recognising writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose.
The 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 appropriate for people entering university courses or
seeking professional registration.
Test format – Listening
30 minutes
You will listen to four recorded texts, monologues and conversations by a range of
native speakers, and write your answers to a series of questions.
These include questions that test your ability to understand main ideas and detailed
factual information, ability to understand the opinions and attitudes of speakers, ability
to understand the purpose of an utterance and the ability to follow the development of
ideas.
A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used and each section is heard only
once.
Section 1
A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.
Section 2
A monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local facilities.
Section 3
A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context,
e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.
Section 4
A monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.
Test format – General Training Reading
60 minutes
The 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 and
recognising writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose.
The General Training version requires test takers 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.
Test format – Academic Writing
60 minutes
The Writing component of IELTS Academic includes two tasks. Topics are of general
interest to, and suitable for test takers entering undergraduate and postgraduate
studies or seeking professional registration.
Task 1
You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and 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 in a formal style.
Test format – General Training Writing
60 minutes
The Writing component of IELTS General Training includes two tasks which are based
on topics of general interest.
Task 1
You will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting
information, or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or
formal in style.
Task 2
You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or
problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing
Task 2 essay.
Test format – Speaking
11–14 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
delivered in such a way that it does not allow people to rehearse set responses
beforehand.
Part 1
The examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar
topics, such as 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 1
minute to prepare before speaking for up to 2 minutes. The examiner will then ask 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
will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the
test lasts between 4 and 5 minutes.

Two Types of IELTS Test

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e968e27d-62ad-4

Two types of IELTS test:

IELTS General Training

The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in

Test format – Listening

Test format – General Training Reading

The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in

Test format – Academic Writing

You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or

Test format – General Training Writing

Test format – Speaking

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