The major goal of the IELTS is to assess a candidate's English language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in less than three hours. Both the academic and general tests have 4 sections each. The speaking and listening sections of the test have a similar pattern, but the reading and writing sections usually have differing topics, depending on whichever test a candidate chooses.
The IELTS exam's writing, reading, and listening sections are all administered on the same day, with no gaps or breaks in between. Nonetheless, contingent on available slots, the speaking section of the IELTS exam may be finished one week before or following the other assessments. The entire duration of the IELTS examination is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Refer to the table below to easily understand the difference between IELTS Academic and General Tests:
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IELTS Section
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IELTS Academic
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IELTS General
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IELTS Reading Section
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- 40 Questions (3 Reading Passages)
- 60 minutes
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- 40 Questions (3 Sections)
- 60 minutes
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IELTS Writing Section
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- 2 Writing Tasks (Graphs Essay)
- 60 minutes
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- 2 Writing Tasks (Letter Essay)
- 60 minutes
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IELTS Listening Section
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- 40 Questions (4 Sections)
- 30 Minutes and 10 Minutes to transfer answers to sheets
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IELTS Speaking Section
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- 3 Sections (Introduction, Cue Card Discussion)
- 11-14 Minutes
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Now that you know the general differences and similarities between the IELTS Academic and General tests, read ahead to find out the distinctions between each section of the tests!
IELTS General vs Academic: Speaking Section (Common to both)
About
The speaking test usually consists of an interview between the candidate and the examiner. Every speaking exam is recorded on video, for future reference. Each candidate is allowed to spend up to 14 minutes on this part. The speaking section is divided into three parts, each of which aims to accomplish a certain objective in terms of task input, candidate output, and interaction pattern. This section's primary goal is to assess the candidates' spoken English proficiency.
Format
- Part 1: In the first part, the examiner poses general questions to the candidate on any topic, from speaking about themselves to hobbies, family, studies, and employment. This exchange takes about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Part 2: In the second part of this section, the candidate is handed a card with a topic, on which he has to speak for two minutes. The candidate gets one minute to prepare before they begin speaking on the topic.
- Part 3: The examiner addresses the subject covered in Part 2 with the candidate in this phase. In particular, the candidate gets to talk about abstract concepts and issues for four to five minutes during this time. The interviewer may ask questions on family and personal values and other abstract topics.
IELTS General vs Academic: Listening Section (Common to both)
About
In this section, the candidates are required to listen to four audio recordings, and respond to a series of questions. This section lasts for 30 minutes, and its primary goal is to ascertain the candidates' comprehension of the key ideas and specific factual information. This section also evaluates the candidate’s thoughts and attitudes, the aim of a speech, and evidence of their ability to follow the development of ideas.
Format
- Recording 1: In this first recording, two people have a conversation in a typical social setting.
- Recording 2: On this second tape, a monologue in an everyday setting is played.
- Recording 3: The third recording is usually a conversation between four people set in an educational or training context.
- Recording 4: The final recording is a monologue on an academic subject.
Difference between IELTS General and Academic: Academic Reading
About
This section assesses a candidate's reading comprehension, and lasts about sixty minutes. During this part, the candidate needs to read a range of passages and respond to 40 questions based on them. This specific segment is particularly beneficial for professionals looking to work overseas or for those who want to pursue higher education, as doing well in this section gives them a competitive advantage.
Format
This section comprises three lengthy paragraphs, which might be factual, analytical, or descriptive. Generally, these paragraphs are taken from books, journals, newspapers, research papers, or even magazines.
Difference between IELTS General and Academic: Academic Writing
About
In the writing section, candidates are required to write on subjects related to their graduate and undergraduate education. The total time given for writing is one hour.
Format
The candidate is given a piece of paper containing a table, graph, or diagram. The candidate is then required to summarise the pictorial information in a descriptive form. In addition, they can also be asked to interpret a specific data input and process the given information in a flowchart to arrive at a logical conclusion. Following this, the candidate is also required to write an essay using the deduction they’ve made from the data. Adding relevant examples to substantiate the data makes it more appealing, and brings better scores.
Difference between IELTS General and Academic: General Test Writing
About
In the general writing section, the candidates are expected to write two tasks on a topic of general interest. The duration of this test is one hour.
Format
The first plan of action is to compose a letter about the given situation. Depending on the topic, the letter may be formal, semi-formal, or personal. The candidate would be required to defend their position, make a request, or provide an explanation to an authority figure. For the second task, the candidate will be required to write an essay based on the aforementioned point of view. Here again, adding relevant examples would improve the scope of gaining better grades.
