IELTS Academic vs General Training: what's different

The short answer

IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training share two of their four sections. Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions. Reading and Writing are different. The texts, the tasks and, for Reading, the way your raw score converts to a band all change depending on which version you take.

Explanation, step by step

Side-by-side comparison of the four sections

Step 1: Listening is identical

Both versions use the same Listening test. Part 1 is a conversation between two speakers in an everyday social situation. Part 2 is one speaker in an everyday social situation. Part 3 is a conversation between two main speakers in an educational or training context. Part 4 is one person speaking on an academic subject. The raw-score conversion is also the same: 16 correct answers out of 40 gives band 5, 23 gives band 6, 30 gives band 7 and 35 gives band 8.

Step 2: Speaking is identical

Speaking takes 11–14 minutes in both versions. Part 1 lasts 4–5 minutes. Part 2 lasts 3–4 minutes, including one minute to prepare, and you speak for up to 2 minutes. Part 3 lasts 4–5 minutes. You are assessed on Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.

Step 3: Reading uses different texts and a different conversion

Both Reading tests last 60 minutes and have 40 questions. Academic Reading has three passages totalling 2,150–2,750 words. General Training Reading has three sections that get harder as you go. Section 1 contains short everyday texts such as notices and timetables, Section 2 contains workplace texts, and Section 3 is one longer general-interest text, totalling 2,150–2,375 words.

The key point many candidates miss is that the same raw score gives a different band. According to the conversions published by IELTS, General Training needs more correct answers than Academic for the same band:

Step 4: Writing Task 1 is a different task

In both versions, Writing takes 60 minutes. Task 1 needs at least 150 words and should take about 20 minutes. Task 2 needs at least 250 words, should take about 40 minutes and counts twice as much as Task 1. The difference is what Task 1 asks for. In Academic, you describe visual information such as a graph, table, chart, diagram or process. In General Training, you write a letter, which may be personal, semi-formal or formal. Task 2 is an essay in both versions. In both, Writing is assessed on Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Step 5: Bands and the overall score work the same way

Each section is reported on a 1–9 band scale in whole or half bands. Your overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and an average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.

Worked example

Imagine two candidates with exactly the same performance: 30 correct answers in Listening, 30 correct answers in Reading, band 6 in Writing and band 6 in Speaking. One takes Academic and the other takes General Training.

The Reading band differs by a whole band, but rounding means the overall band is the same in this case. That will not always happen. If the organisation you are applying to sets a minimum for each section, a General Training Reading score of 30 gives band 6, not band 7, so check your target against the correct conversion. You can test different combinations with Stride's free band score calculator, which uses the official rounding.

Two Task 1 prompts compared

These short prompts were written by Stride as a study model. They are not official IELTS material. They show how the same 20 minutes asks for very different writing:

• Academic-style Task 1: The chart shows the number of visitors to three city museums each month over one year. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
• General Training-style Task 1: You recently moved into a rented flat and the heating has stopped working. Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter, explain the problem, say how it is affecting you and say what you would like the landlord to do.

The Academic prompt rewards an accurate overview and well-chosen comparisons of data. The letter rewards covering every point in the prompt and keeping a tone that suits the reader. For a landlord you have not met, a semi-formal or formal tone would usually fit.

Common mistakes

• Booking a version without checking first. Always confirm which version the receiving organisation accepts before you book.
• Reading your practice scores against the wrong conversion. A raw score of 30 is band 7 in Academic but band 6 in General Training.
• Preparing separately for Listening or Speaking 'for General Training'. These sections are identical in both versions.
• Practising the wrong Task 1. Graph descriptions will not prepare you for a letter, and a letter will not prepare you for a graph.
• Spending too long on Task 1. In both versions, Task 2 counts twice as much, so it deserves about 40 of your 60 minutes.
• Using only one style in General Training letters. You may be asked for a personal, semi-formal or formal letter, so practise all three.

How to practise this

1. Confirm your version and target bands with the organisation, including any minimum for individual sections.
2. Use Reading practice material for your version only, and convert your raw scores with that version's table.
3. For Academic Reading, build stamina with long passages totalling up to about 2,750 words in 60 minutes. For General Training, practise moving quickly through short notices and workplace texts, then switch to one longer text.
4. For Writing Task 1, practise the task type you will actually face: visual data for Academic, or letters in different tones for General Training.
5. Practise Task 2 essays in timed 40-minute blocks, because the essay carries the most weight in Writing.
6. Prepare Listening and Speaking in the same way whichever version you take.

On Stride, Reading and Writing tests are available in both Academic and General Training versions. Reading tests are timed and marked instantly, with explained answers. Writing is marked by AI, which gives an estimated band on the four criteria and feedback. Estimated bands are not official IELTS scores. Stride does not offer Listening practice yet.

Frequently asked questions

Are Listening and Speaking different in General Training?

No. Listening and Speaking are the same in Academic and General Training. Only Reading and Writing differ.

Is General Training Reading easier than Academic Reading?

The texts are different, so the two tests are not directly comparable. Academic uses three passages, while General Training moves from everyday texts to workplace texts to one longer general-interest text. General Training also needs more correct answers for the same band. For example, 30 correct answers is band 7 in Academic but band 6 in General Training.

Is the Task 2 essay the same in both versions?

Both versions ask for an essay of at least 250 words in about 40 minutes, and in both it counts twice as much as Task 1. General Training describes it as a discursive essay.

Which version should I take?

That depends on the organisation that will receive your result. Check directly with them which version and which band scores they accept before you book.

Is the overall band calculated differently?

No. In both versions the overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. Averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band, and those ending in .75 round up to the next whole band.

Are Stride's band scores official?

No. Stride is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with the IELTS partners. The bands it gives for Writing and Speaking are estimates.

Related guides

• IELTS exam format: every section explained
• IELTS vocabulary by topic
• IELTS grammar lessons for Writing and Speaking
• IELTS Writing sample answers: Task 1 and Task 2 model answers