What is the same and what differs
| Part | Academic | General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | Identical: 4 parts, 40 questions, about 30 minutes plus 2 minutes to check | Identical |
| Reading | 3 long passages from books, journals and newspapers, one with a detailed argument; 40 questions, 60 minutes | Short everyday texts, workplace texts and one longer general-interest text; 40 questions, 60 minutes |
| Reading conversion | 37/40 for Band 8.5 | 39/40 for Band 8.5 (stricter, because the texts are easier) |
| Writing Task 1 | A report on a graph, chart, table, process or map (150+ words) | A letter: formal, semi-formal or informal (150+ words) |
| Writing Task 2 | An essay (250+ words) | The same kind of essay, often on more everyday topics |
| Speaking | Identical: 3 parts, 11–14 minutes | Identical |
Both versions use the same band scale and the same rounding.
Which version do you need?
| Purpose | Usual requirement |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate or postgraduate study | Academic |
| Professional registration (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, teaching and similar) | Usually Academic, often with a minimum in every skill. Check your regulator. |
| Work, training below degree level, secondary school | Usually General Training |
| Canada: Express Entry and other economic immigration, and citizenship | General Training only. Academic is not accepted for these. |
| Australia: most visas, including skilled migration | Either version, taken at a test centre. Skilled points use a minimum per skill: 8.0 in each for Superior English. |
| New Zealand: residence and work routes | Usually either version. Check the current rule for your visa. |
| UK visas | An approved Secure English Language Test (SELT): IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training, as your route specifies) or IELTS Life Skills (Speaking and Listening only) for some family and settlement routes. |
| UK degree study | Many universities accept standard IELTS Academic for degree courses; courses below degree level usually need IELTS for UKVI. |
Is one version easier?
Not at the top. General Training Reading texts are less demanding, but the conversion is stricter: 38/40 is Band 8.5 in Academic and only Band 8 in General Training. The Academic Task 1 report and the General Training letter test different skills, and neither is easier by default. Choose the version your organisation requires, never the one that looks easier.
Delivery in 2026
- IELTS on computer at a test centre is now the standard format. Paper-based IELTS was withdrawn from mid-2026, with the last paper dates around June 2026 in most countries. Results from paper tests already taken stay valid for the usual period.
- Writing on Paper, in selected markets, lets you take Listening and Reading on computer but handwrite the Writing section. If you later use One Skill Retake for Writing, you must retake it on paper as well.
- Speaking is always a live interview with an examiner, face to face or by video call with an examiner at some centres. It takes place on the same day as the written test or up to 7 days before or after.
- IELTS for UKVI is fully digital and must be booked as the UKVI version at an approved centre.
- IELTS Online (taken at home) is available only in some locations and is not accepted everywhere. Australia’s visa rules, for example, require a test taken at a centre. Check before booking.
Booking checklist
- Confirm the version (Academic, General Training, UKVI, or Life Skills) against your organisation’s written requirement.
- Book through the British Council or IDP IELTS for your country, using the passport or national ID you will bring on test day. The name must match exactly.
- Choose a date that leaves time for a retake before your deadline. Computer tests run on many days each week.
- Note the Speaking date and time, which may differ from the written test.
- Request special arrangements (extra time, modified materials, accessibility support) when you book. Centres need notice to arrange them.
- Read the transfer and cancellation terms. Late changes usually carry a fee or no refund.
Fees are set locally, roughly USD 200–300 equivalent in most countries.
Results and validity
- Computer results usually appear online within 1–5 days. You can send your Test Report Form to organisations from your account.
- IELTS recommends that organisations accept results for 2 years, and most universities apply that limit. Some immigration authorities set their own window, so check yours.
- Validity is counted from your test date, not the date results arrive. Test well inside the window your application needs.
Retaking: remark, One Skill Retake or full retake?
Full retakes have no limit and no compulsory waiting period. You can book again as soon as you like.
Remark (Enquiry on Results) must be requested within 6 weeks of the test. A senior examiner re-marks the skills you choose. There is a fee, refunded if your score increases.
One Skill Retake lets you retake one skill within 60 days of a full IELTS on computer test taken at a centre that offers it. You can use it once per original test. You then receive a new Test Report Form showing the new skill band alongside your other three original bands, and you choose which report to use. Not every organisation accepts it, so check first.
| Your situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| One Writing or Speaking band is clearly below your consistent practice level; the rest are on target | Remark, and prepare in case it doesn’t change |
| One skill is below the required minimum; the other three comfortably meet it | One Skill Retake, after 2–4 weeks of focused work on that skill |
| Several skills are short, or the overall band is short by more than half a band | Full retake, after 4–6 weeks of targeted practice |
| Listening or Reading is one or two answers short | Retake that skill (One Skill Retake) or the full test. Remarks rarely change right-or-wrong sections. |
Common traps
Quick recap
- Listening, Speaking and Task 2 are the same in both versions; Reading and Task 1 differ.
- Study and professional registration usually need Academic; work and most migration routes need or accept General Training; UK visas need IELTS for UKVI.
- IELTS is now taken on computer at a centre, with Writing on Paper in some markets.
- Results arrive in 1–5 days and are usually accepted for 2 years.
- Remark for a surprising Writing or Speaking band; One Skill Retake for one short skill; full retake otherwise.