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IELTS General vs IELTS Academic

There are two main versions of the IELTS, General Training (GT) and Academic (ACA). Any student who has to appear for an IELTS exam must decide which version to study for, as each has its particular pattern based on the visa requirements.
 Is the test format Visa Specific
• An IELTS ACA result is one of the basic requirements for universities.
• To apply for immigration or a work visa must appear for the GT version of the test.
 Difference between the format of the test?
READING

• ACA Reading is Academic-based; three long passages.
• GT passages are real-life based & could be a notice, an announcement. 5 passages, including 1 long & 4 shorter ones
WRITING

• Writing task 1 for ACA is Report writing
• Task 1 is about communicating through a letter or email for a GT test.
33-34 correct answers in ACA Reading will be given a band score of 7.5, whereas a GT Reading with the same score will be given 7.0 for 34-35 correct answers and 6.5 for 32-33
Is there any difference in the marking system?
• Academic Module: University-level academic language is usually used in the Reading and Listening modules.
• General Training Module: Everyday-general language in some reading passages is used.
What kind of language is used in both?
• Most universities expect a score of 5.5 or 6; depending on your country  & course.
• For a job or an immigration visa, one needs a minimum score of 6.0, and it can go as high as 8.5.
How different are the score requirements for both?
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