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Choose IELTS General Training test for migration

Why take an Academic test when you don't need to? IELTS General Training is for people who wish to live and work abroad in an English-speaking country. It examines your English using everyday, non-academic English.

Take the IELTS General Training test if you would like to:

  • Migrate to English-speaking countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the UK.

  • Study or train below degree level (i.e. secondary education)

  • Work in an English-speaking country, or get another job in your own country

You can take the IELTS General Training test on paper or on computer.

Always check with your migration agent, education consultant or workplace to find out which IELTS test you need.

Find out more about how the IELTS General Training test works

Book your IELTS General Training!

IELTS Academic or General Training - thumbnail (high res)
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Find out the differences between IELTS Academic and General Training so you can choose which one is best for you.

IELTS General Training - What's the difference?

IELTS Academic and IELTS General training are comprised of the same four sections of the test: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

The Listening and Speaking sections are the same, but the Reading and Writing tests are where they differ.

IELTS General Training focuses mainly on assessing a person’s proficiency, confidence and comfort when communicating in English in daily situations that they are likely to encounter in a native English-speaking environment.

Reading Test

In the IELTS General Training Reading test you will be presented with passages from brochures and advertisements. These are materials that you may come across every day.

Read more about the question types in the IELTS General Training Reading test

Writing Test

In the IELTS General Training Writing test, you're required to write about general topics instead of academic ones. Just like IELTS Academic, for the General Training Writing test you also have to complete two tasks:

  • The IELTS Writing Task 1 asks you to write a letter based on a given situation. The letter could be formal or informal and would be about a request, explanation or a viewpoint supporting the situation.

  • The IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same for both Academic and General Training. You would need to write a formal essay in response to a statement or premise.

Read more about the question types in the IELTS General Training Writing test