Academic or General Training: which test should you take?
Admin1 November 2026 1 min read
The two versions share Listening and Speaking but differ in Reading and Writing. Here is how to choose.
What is the same
Listening and Speaking are identical in both versions.
What is different
| Academic | General Training | |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Three long academic texts | Shorter everyday texts, one longer text |
| Writing Task 1 | Describe a graph, chart, table, map or process | Write a letter |
| Writing Task 2 | Essay | Essay (slightly easier topics) |
How to choose
- University study or professional registration abroad: usually Academic.
- Work experience, training or migration: usually General Training.
Preparing
Skills for Listening, Speaking and the Task 2 essay apply to both. Spend the rest of your time on the part that is specific to your version.
- Requirement checked with the institution
- Version chosen
- Practice plan matches the version
#format#planning
See it in a model answer
Read answers from band 4.5 to 9, annotated against the criteria.