IELTS Academic, General Training And Life Skills - Which Should You Take?

If you are looking to migrate, work or study in English-speaking countries such as the UK, you’d probably realise that the IELTS is a mandatory test that you’ll need to take and score well in!

But before you sign-up for the first test that you see, you need to be clear about your goals to select the right IELTS test to take.

Not only will the costs be different, but the formats and difficulty of the tests can also greatly differ as well!

In this article, we will take you through the four different IELTS tests available, what they entail and which you should choose!

The 4 Different IELTS Tests & What You Must Know

The IELTS has the following types of tests:

• IELTS Academic

• IELTS General Training

• IELTS Life Skills

• IELTS UKVI (Academic & General Training)

While these might seem confusing, fret not, we’ll take you through each of these tests to give you a better understanding of which you should choose!

1. IELTS Academic

Planning on pursuing your degree in a university in an English-speaking country? Then the IELTS Academic test is the one to select.

Many English-speaking countries from the UK and Canada to New Zealand and Australia all require IELTS as proof of your language proficiency for both the university and visa application.

The Academic test is a thorough examination of four critical skill sets. These are your listening, reading, writing and speaking abilities.

Compared to the General Training test, the reading and writing parts of the test are different and are substantially more challenging. However, the listening and speaking portions are the same.

If you are looking to study abroad at a degree level or for professional registration purposes including being a doctor, lawyer or nurse, you’d want to sit for the IELTS Academic test.

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2. IELTS General Training

While the Academic test targets students looking to study for their degree overseas, the General Training test focuses on assessing your English-language proficiency in a work or social environment.

There are a few scenarios where this is the suitable test for you to take:

• Studying below the degree level (eg. Secondary education)

• Vocational training

• Moving abroad for work or migrating to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK or the USA

The General Training test is typically easier in difficulty compared to the Academic test in the writing and reading segments.

However, you will still need to put your best foot forward as you will be required to go through passages from a variety of everyday contexts in both the written and reading portions.

As such, it is advised to prepare well for them by exposing yourself to English newspaper articles, advertisements, books and magazines.

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3. IELTS Life Skills

The Life Skills tests are split into 2 sub-categories, namely Life Skills A1 & Life Skills B2.

Life Skills A1 test is meant for people who need to provide their English speaking and listening skills at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This test is accepted by the UK’s Visa and Immigration Department as proof of your English-language proficiency.

On the other hand, Life Skills B1 is necessary for individuals who want to apply to stay in the UK indefinitely or for UK citizenship.

Both the Life Skills A1 and B1 tests assess your English speaking and listening skills. The A1 test will last between 16 to 18 minutes while the B1 test will last for 22 minutes.

It is key to note that for both tests, you will be given either a pass or fail grade, there will be no band scores.

4. IELTS UKVI (Academic & General Training)

The UKVI test is a separate type of test compared to the usual IELTS as it is one of the Secure English Language Tests (SELT) approved by the UK Home Office for visa applications to the UK.

Once again, the UKVI Academic test is necessary for those looking to study in the UK at a degree level or for professional registration while the UKVI General Training test is geared for those looking to seek vocational training or to work and migrate to the UK.

The level of difficulty, content, format and scoring of both UKVI tests are the same as that of the regular Academic & General Training tests. However, the UKVI tests are only available at test centres that meet the requirements outlined by the UK Home Office.

Get Prepared & Book Your IELTS Test & Score With IDP Today

Now that you know which IELTS test best suits your needs, the next step is to get prepared for them!

Thankfully, we have a whole host of IELTS resources available to guide you through the formats and get you as ready as possible.

Be sure to check out our Masterclass Webinars, our Preparation Course and tips from IELTS experts to get started!

Remember, practice makes perfect. And once you are ready, book your IELTS test with us today!