What Is IELTS Academic, and How Is It Different from GT?

Who is it for?

• Applicants for undergraduate, master's or doctoral study abroad
• Candidates whose academic institution requires a specific band score
• Healthcare and engineering professionals whose professional registration calls for IELTS Academic

Who should take IELTS Academic?

The Academic version is for candidates who will study in an academic setting, or whose professional registration requires academic-level English. If you're applying for an undergraduate, master's or doctoral programme abroad, the institution will most likely ask for Academic. In some fields, such as healthcare and engineering, professional registration may also require it.

How is Academic Reading different?

Academic Reading is built around three long academic passages taken from journals, books and research sources, and the vocabulary is denser. The number of questions (40) and the time allowed (60 minutes) are the same as in General Training, but because the texts are academic in tone, skimming, scanning and time management become even more important here.

Why is Academic Writing Task 1 different?

In Academic Task 1 you summarise visual information — a line graph, bar chart, pie chart, table, map or process diagram — in at least 150 words, without adding any interpretation of your own. That's a completely different skill from the letter in General Training: you have to pick out the trends worth reporting, make comparisons and keep your own views out of the data, so it needs practice of its own.

Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions

The only differences between Academic and General Training are in Reading and Writing; Listening and Speaking are exactly the same in both. Whichever version you sit, your preparation for these two skills carries over unchanged.