What to Opt between IELTS Academic Training & IELTS General Training?
IELTS Academic training vs. IELTS General Training
The IELTS test is conducted by professional bodies to find out whether or not a person is fluent in the English language. Candidates who wish to study appear for the IELTS Academic training test, to work and settle; they appear for general IELTS training. So let’s check what is different between these two training type or what to opt between IELTS academic training & IELTS general training?
IELTS Test Format
The IELTS tests consist of two types of training:
- IELTS Academic training and
- IELTS General Training
Each test consists of four modules:
- listening Task in IELTS
- reading Task in IELTS
- writing Task in IELTS
- speaking Task in IELTS
Depending on your need to travel abroad, you need to choose the right IELTS test for you.
Difference per module between Academic IELTS preparation and general IELTS preparation
Let’s understand the two tests in detail:
IELTS Academic Training Test
Choose the IELTS Academic preparation for test if you want to pursue your higher education anywhere in the world where English is the first language.
IELTS General Training Test
Choose the IELTS Training Practice test if you want to immigrate to an English speaking country or have a better job opportunity.
Modules That Remain the Same in Both Tests
Listening test:
Understand that the IELTS listening test is the same for IELTS Academic training and IELTS General Training. You will get four different records and question sequences. Accents may vary, so be careful when reviewing.
The duration of the IELTS Listening test is 40 minutes; 30 minutes to listen to the recording and an additional 10 minutes to complete your answer sheet.
Note: You can only listen to the recording once.
Speaking test:
The IELTS Speaking test also remains the same for IELTS Academic preparation and IELTS General preparation .
The IELTS speaking test has 3 part tasks or you can say sections. This is an individual session where a professional English speaker will ask the candidate several questions.
This test takes an average of 11 to 14 minutes. It is divided into three parts – Introduction, Reminder and Discussion.
Introduction – The questions are general and basic. Especially about your job, home, family, and interests.
Cue Card – The examiner will give a topic to discuss for almost 2 minutes. Remember to cover all the points mentioned in the subject.
Discussion – The examiner asks questions based on the topic posed in Task 2 and discusses issues related to it.
In most cases, the speech test is scheduled on a different day, while the rest of the tests are scheduled on the same day. For the online IELTS test, all four modules take place on the same day.
Different Modules in the Two Tests
Reading test:
The IELTS reading test will determine your reading skills. The duration of the test is 60 minutes and there are 40 questions in the test.
IELTS Academic Training Test
The entire test is divided into three sections and includes three long texts from newspapers, magazines, books, and journals. Questions are asked in the form of a multiple-choice question, matching information, titles, sentence endings, and much more.
IELTS General Training Test
The test is divided into three sections.
- Part 1 – There is a brief conversation between two people, known as “social life”. For example, Reviews, Advertisements, and Library Subscriptions.
- Part 2 – It consists of two texts and is slightly longer than Section 1. It focuses on passages related to work, also known as “Workplace Survival”. For example, contract, preparation and job description.
- Part 3 – These are long and complex passages. It is more narrative and informative, also known as “General Reading”. For example, extract from newspaper, magazine and extract from seminar.
Most of the topics are excerpts from newspapers, magazines or lectures that you usually come across in your daily life.
Point:
Focus on grammar and spelling, as even a misspelling is considered a wrong answer.
Writing test:
The IELTS Academic preparation Writing Test and the General IELTS Writing preparation are divided into two tasks, namely Task 1 and Task 2. It takes 1hr to complete the IELTS writing test. It takes 1hr to complete the IELTS writing test. The IELTS writing test is assessed on four criteria: task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy.
IELTS Academic Training – Writing:
Task 1:
Part 1 is to describe or summarize a diagram given in the question.
You can get a graph, chart, table, or any pie chart you need to explain. The word limit is 150. You cannot write less than the word limit as this will lead to low scores.
Part 2:
In this task, you will have to write an essay on a given topic. Make sure to write at least 250 words with proper sentences and grammar and follow the structure of the essay.
IELTS General Training – Writing
Task 2:
Part 1 is to write a letter. It can be of any type:
- a formal letter,
- a semi-formal letter or
- an informal letter.
In this task, you will be asked to write a letter asking for something or explaining a problem.
Write at least 150 words and try to complete it in 20 minutes, so you can save the remaining 40 minutes for task 2.
Part 2:
In this task, you will be asked to write an essay on a given topic with at least 250 words.
Always ensure that you covered all the points mentioned in your question. You will get less points for not completing all given tasks. Try to divide the essay into 4-5 paragraphs, start with an introduction and end the essay with an appropriate conclusion.
To summarize:
Differences between IELTS Academic preparation test and IELTS general preparation
IELTS Academic Training Test
- Content of the test – The test is very difficult and suitable for students who wish to pursue higher education in an English-speaking country.
- Objective – This exam is intended for those who wish to pursue their diploma or post-diploma in an English-speaking country.
- Writing Style – You will need to maintain a formal writing style for IELTS Academic training.
IELTS General Training Test
- Content of the test – The test is much easier and the content is usually based on regular items from newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Purpose – This exam is intended for those who wish to work or migrate to an English-speaking country.
- Writing Style – However, in IELTS General Training you will get different writing styles from formal to informal style.
Prepare to achieve your desired group score on the IELTS exam. The best way to prepare is to join IELTS coaching in Agra or start practicing with the IELTS practice tests right away. Also, you can take help of your study abroad consultants for coaching the best coaching center for you.
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