ACADEMIC VS GENERAL TRAINING 

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It's important that you know which version of the IELTS you need to take. There are separate versions of the test, depending on what your requirements are. 

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ACADEMIC: Generally taken by those applying to university/higher education. May be required by some companies.

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GENERAL TRAINING: Normally taken by those applying for visas and for employment.

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Your future university, migration authority or workplace will tell you which test to take, and therefore which test you should be studying for. 

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Some elements of the test are the same for both Academic and General Training, but the separation of the two for some units mean the vocabulary, difficulty and marking schemes will also vary. 

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You don't want to make the mistake of studying unnecessarily complex academic vocabulary if you're studying for the General Training exam. And you don't want to be underprepared for the Academic exam because you have only been studying for General Training.

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That is why it is so important to check this information now. 

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To see how the units differ for the Reading and Writing sections, check out the descriptions:

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Reading

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Writing

 

The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both Academic and General Training. 

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A further part of Knowing Your Test is deciding whether you want to take the test using the computer or with the paper-based format. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but either way the content of the exam will be the same and the speaking portion will be done face-to-face with an examiner. 

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COMPUTER VS PAPER

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This choice is entirely down to preference, but you cannot change from paper to computer halfway through the test so pick whichever gives you the advantage overall. There is no change to the marking scheme or the content for the different formats of the test, however you may find that one suits you better than the other when you consider other elements:

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Do you type faster or is handwriting your forte? 

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If you are a whizz with a pen (and have neat handwriting), but you can only type 20-30 words a minute, then the paper-based format will give you an advantage in the Writing exam. 

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If the opposite is true, and you are speedy with a keyboard but your handwriting is illegible, then the computer will suit you more. 

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Do you need a fast turnaround time between the exam and receiving the results?

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The computer exam results are generally available 3-5 days after the test, whereas the paper test results can take 13 days on average. If timing doesn't matter, then consider other factors when making this decision. 

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When you are reading long pieces of text, do you prefer to annotate or take notes separately?​

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​If you prefer being able to write on the text and underline relevant information, the paper format will be easier for you in the Reading section. You are able to use notepaper in the computer exam, but it becomes more time-consuming when you start checking your written notes vs what's on the screen. 

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Do you often lose track of time when taking exams, or like to know quickly how many words you've written?

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The computer-based exam has an on-screen timer and word counter. With the paper exam, there will be a shared timer for all candidates and any words you've written need to be counted manually. 

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OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER

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• Everyone listens to a shared audio with the paper test, whereas you have headphones in the computer test, so everyone can hear the same audio, but separately. 

• If you are worried that potential technical issues will make you too anxious, then the classic paper test might be better for you.

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