IELTS format and exam types

Those who prepare quickly and effectively for IELTS are those who clearly understand what is expected of them in the exam, what band they need to get and what options there are for delivery. For those who have not yet figured out all the nuances, we have prepared a brief description of the Academic and General IELTS exams, how they compare, and the pros and cons of both the paper based and computer based testing.

Academic IELTS

A certificate showing the successful completion of the Academic IELTS is necessary for admission to many universities, employment in qualified positions, and sometimes for enrollment in private schools and colleges.

Structurally, the exam consists of 4 parts:

Listening – 40 minutes
Reading – 60 minutes
Writing – 60 minutes
Speaking – from 11-14 minutes

As part of the listening, you, the examinee, listens to 4 audio fragments read by native speakers with different accents. After each, you are asked to give answers to 10 questions regarding what you have heard.

Academic IELTS Reading is built around the need to read several texts with an abundance of complex terms, usually scientific articles or instructions. After that, the examinee answers 40 questions on what has been read.

Academic IELTS Writing is a written exam in which you need to write two texts in 60 minutes: a description of some graphics, a table or a diagram and an essay on a given topic of an academic nature.

During the three-part speaking interview, you need to speak about yourself, support the dialogue, and answer the questions of the interlocutor. The first part of the interview is composed of approximately 12 personal questions. In the second part you will be given a topic on a prompt card where you have one minute to prepare a 2-minute speech. The third part involves longer answers to more in-depth questions related to the topic in part 2. The blocks of reading and writing in Academic IELTS are strictly focused on academic English proficiency.

General Training IELTS

The General Training IELTS certificate gives an overall assessment of language proficiency and is considered not as difficult as academic. At the same time, the evaluation criteria are the same, and the range of application is somewhat similar - for admission to schools, work or immigration to an English-speaking country.

The structure of General Training IELTS is also in the same blocks. The examinee must show knowledge in the reading, speaking, reading and writing sections. The duration of the blocks is the same as in IELTS Academic, but academic knowledge from the examinee is not required, the information is quite general.

General Training IELTS Reading – reading 3 texts, with a total volume of about 2500 words, and answering questions on what you have read. The subjects of the texts can be very different, often it is a newspaper article, fragments of stories or biographies.

General Training IELTS Writing consists of writing a letter and then an essay on a given topic. The volume of the letter - at least 150 words, the volume of the essay - at least 250 words. The subject of the letter and essay is set by the examiner. To get the highest possible score for writing you need to use a wide range of vocabulary, complex sentence structures and phrases as possible in your work, as well as follow the logic of the narrative and the requirements for stylistics.

Paper Based IELTS: advantages and disadvantages

Until recently, the only format for passing IELTS that was allowed was in person on paper. Now you can also take advantage of the opportunity to take tests on a computer, but a written format still exists. And if you haven't decided exactly how you're going to be tested yet, let's look at the pros and cons of the Paper Based IELTS.

Taking IELTS in the old way — writing down the answers to the tests and writing the essay in pencil on prepared paper forms — has its benefits because this approach most accurately reflects the level of writing. The brain perceives handwritten practice better than typed practice, which is why in many countries school children still write in the classroom rather than typing notes on a computer keyboard.

The flip side of the Paper Based IELTS format is the need to be in that habit of writing and have understandable handwriting. Without a single mark and correction, it is rare for anyone to write an essay in Academic IELTS Writing or a letter in General Training. Apparently, it is for this reason that there is a practice of working with a pencil – errors can be erased with an eraser. Even with a high level of preparation, due to feeling nervous, the work can turn out messy and untidy. And this often leads to penalties in the assessment.

It is no less rare for those who pass Paper Based IELTS to face the problem of not having enough paper. Getting extra sheets is a waste of time will not be compensated. Also, those doing essays by hand are forced to independently count the words in order to meet the requirements for volume. And if you do not know how to do it quickly enough or even worse - write slowly, then it may be very difficult to cope with the task in an hour.

Computer Based IELTS

More and more people prefer to take IELTS in electronic form on their computer. That doesn't mean you'll be sitting at home and working online. To pass Computer Based IELTS, examinees are directed to an equipped room, where the examiner closely monitors honesty and the absence of cheat sheets.

The only significant drawback of Computer Based IELTS is that the examinee is required to have at least a basic level of computer proficiency and type in English as quickly as possible. Ideally, you are able to touch type, which is why we recommend users of the ULTRAFLUENT platform to devote at least 10 minutes a day to working on our free keyboard simulator in their personal account when preparing for IELTS.

As for the advantages of the approach, there are many more of them than for Paper Based IELTS. The first is fewer people at the exam. Usually, more than 100 people write a "paper" test at a time, while a "computer" test in one room is often carried out for a maximum of 10-15 people.

Essays in Computer Based IELTS Writing are easier to edit. Of course, the program for passing IELTS does not have a grammar and spell check function, but there is support for copying and transferring pieces of text. Thanks to this, there will fewer problems with readability due to messy handwriting or other "paper" shortcomings.

The function of automatic word counting in written work is another nice plus of Computer Based IELTS. You do not need to count words manually, which saves and average of 5-10 minutes for the final proofreading and revision of the essay or letter before delivery. Sometimes these five minutes are not enough to carefully re-read what is written and correct grammar errors, typographical errors and illogically constructed sentences.

What format of IELTS to choose

If by the word "format" you mean the choice between General Training IELTS and Academic IELTS, then the choice is determined by your reasons for obtaining the certificate. For immigration and registration of a work visa, a general exam is usually enough, and for admission to a university, especially for a master's degree and often for bachelor’s, academic is mandatory.

As for the choice between Computer Based IELTS and Paper Based IELTS, it all depends on what you can do better: type in English or write by hand. In order for you to be able to compare and choose, the ULTRAFLUENT platform provides opportunities for completing test tasks both in the form of printed text and in the form of photos of handwritten letters and essays. It is advisable to try both approaches, and according to the results decide which of the formats is best for you, and only then apply for IELTS with the examination center.