Your language test result scores play a crucial role when migrating to Canada. Many people choose to take IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as it is accepted and recognized globally by many companies and institutions. IELTS assesses the English language proficiency level of a non-native English speaker. There are two types of IELTS – Academic IELTS which is attempted by students who want to pursue education AND, General Training IELTS for those who want to work and settle in a country like Canada. Through this article, we intend to explore the differences between these two different IELTS exams.
Therefore, Academic IELTS determines whether your English proficiency level is appropriate for an academic setting. It comprises elements of academic language and determines whether you are prepared to start training or studying. Whereas General IELTS determines your ability to use English language in an everyday context. That is, the evaluations and tasks mirror professional and social contexts.
Whether you are attempting Academic or General IELTS, you can opt to take the test either paper-based or computer-based. For a paper-based test, the test taker needs to present the paper with legible handwriting whereas a good typing speed is the key factor for a computer-based test. However, the key difference between the modes of test is the availability of test results. Computer-based test results are available within 3-5 days of taking the test whereas it takes up to 14 days to get the results for a paper-based test.
Academic and General IELTS measure the test takers’ proficiency through 4 modules- Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Read on to understand the format and grades for each module.
If you are taking IELTS to migrate to Canada, you can read this article.
Grading/marking in the Listening Section: the listening section is the same for both Academic and General IELTS. The test is for 40 minutes and consists of 40 questions, each carrying 1 mark. The scores are later converted to bands between 0-9. The test taker needs to answer questions based on 4 recordings (2 recordings in a social context and 2 recordings in an educational or training context). The table below shows the typical number of marks needed to obtain each band score in Academic and General IELTS.
Grading/marking in the Reading Section: the reading module is 60 minutes with 3 sections and is different for Academic and General IELTS. The primary difference is that in the General Training IELTS, the test taker is evaluated on their ability to communicate and understand in English whereas Academic IELTS tests the depth of comprehension and clarity with intricate ideas. The band scores allotted is 0-9, look at the table below to understand the difference between Academic and General IELTS Scoring for the Reading module.
Grading/marking in the Writing Section: the writing module is for 60 minutes with 2 tasks and is different for Academic and General IELTS. For General IELTS, task 1 is letter writing whereas for Academic IELTS, task 1 is to write a summary in response to a particular bar, table, chart, or graph. Task 2 for General and Academic IELTS is to write an essay. The band score (0-9) for each of the four categories using the following assessment criteria:
Grading/marking in the Speaking Section: the speaking module is the same for both General and Academic IELTS. It consists of 3 parts which must be completed between 11-14 minutes. The speaking band score (0-9) is assessed by the examiners based on the following four criteria:
Contact us for IELTS Training that meets your immigration requirements. Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn about finding employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.
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