IELTS General Training and Academic Modules

For the tests themselves, the Listening and Speaking test are the same for Academic and General Training in terms of content, timing, topics and question types, but there are differences in the reading and writing tests.

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For the Reading tests, both General Training and Academic modules have 3 parts and exactly the same question types and timing, that’s 1 hour for each. For the Academic Reading test, there are 3 descriptive or argumentative texts that are increasingly more difficult.

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For the General Training Reading test, part 1 is “social topics” and contains up to 5 short texts on social topics giving factual information (notices, schedules etc.). Part 2 is “workplace topics”, usually 2 texts that that give information (company policies, workplace facilities etc.).

For both General Training and Academic reading modules, part 3 is a descriptive or analytical text.

For task 1 Academic writing, you are asked to write a report based on a diagram and the are many different diagram types.

Whereas for General Training writing task 1, you need to write a letter, either formal or informal, based on the instructions

Writing task 2 is the same for both General Training and Academic modules.

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Which is easier?

There are some who believe that General Training is easier than the Academic. This is difficult to believe since the speaking and listening tests are exactly the same and the only differences are parts 1 and 2 in the reading test and task 1 for writing.

The General Training and Academic reading tests have different marking schemes. For example, if you score 30 correct from 40 you receive a band 6 in General Training but a band 7 for Academic.