IELTS Academic is tailored for candidates aiming to enroll in undergraduate, postgraduate, or professional registrations in English-speaking nations (universities, medical councils, engineering bodies). The reading passages feature rigorous academic extracts and Writing Task 1 requires describing graphs, charts, diagrams, or maps.
IELTS General Training is required for permanent residency (e.g., Canada Express Entry, Australian PR) and secondary education or vocational training. It assesses social and workplace survivability; Reading consists of work rosters, advertisements, and noticeboards, while Writing Task 1 is a formal, semi-formal, or personal letter.