IELTS Academic vs General Training for Canada
For immigration to Canada take IELTS General Training: IRCC says you must take that option for Express Entry. For a university or college, take IELTS Academic unless the programme says otherwise. Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions, and only Reading and Writing Task 1 differ.
In Canada the choice is rarely a matter of taste. The immigration department names the version it will accept, and a university names the version it prefers. This page shows what each owner says, using their own words, so you book the right one the first time.
Immigration: General Training only for Express Entry
IRCC names the version. It is not a free choice.
"IELTS: International English Language Testing System You must take the IELTS General Training option. We don’t accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry."
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is clear about this. For Express Entry you must take the IELTS General Training option. IRCC also says it does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry, so a single-section resit will not repair a weak score there.
"Please remember, you must take the General Training option. IRCC does not accept the Academic option for Express Entry."
Both test owners say the same thing. IDP says IRCC does not accept the Academic option for Express Entry. The British Council, which runs IELTS at ielts.ca, adds that General Training is accepted by IRCC's numerous immigration programs, such as Express Entry.
The post-graduation work permit page shows the same pattern. When IRCC explains how to find your language level, its table for IELTS carries the heading IELTS (General Training). IRCC also says that if you apply on or after November 1, 2024, you must provide proof of English or French language skills.
What the scores mean
IRCC converts your IELTS result into a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level. The level you need depends on the programme. For the Canadian Experience Class it is CLB 7 if your job is in TEER 0 or 1 and CLB 5 if it is in TEER 2 or 3. This is IRCC's table for IELTS (General Training) on the work permit page:
| CLB level | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
So CLB 7, the level many Express Entry streams ask for, is 6.0 in each of the four parts. Remember that IELTS General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band than Academic does. Our IELTS band score chart shows the marks, and our IELTS to CLB page has the full conversion.
One more rule from IRCC: your test results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your application for permanent residence.
Study and professional registration: Academic
Universities and colleges usually name the Academic test.
"IELTS Academic is for those who are looking to study at a university or college, or join a professional association where English is a prerequisite. Some organisations may even accept both versions of IELTS."
IDP's Canada site says the same: if you plan to study in higher education or seek professional registration, you can take IELTS Academic. If you want secondary-level study, work, or migration, General Training might be right.
"The band score you need to study abroad is set by the institution to which you are applying and not by IELTS."
That second quote matters. IELTS does not set the band score a school asks for. The programme does, and the score differs from one programme to the next. Look up the entry page of the programme you want and copy the exact test name and band scores.
"IELTS Academic and General Training are two wholly separate types of test, for two different purposes. While some individual organisations may accept an Academic result in the place of a General Training one, this decision is up to them. You will need to contact your specific organisation to learn more."
If a college accepts both, choose by your strengths. If you are studying in Canada and also plan to apply for permanent residence later, you may end up sitting both versions over the years. That is normal. Each result is valid for a different purpose.
How the two tests differ
Reading and Writing Task 1. Nothing else.
| Part | IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | Same test. 40 questions, four recordings. | Same test. 40 questions, four recordings. |
| Reading | Three long passages, such as excerpts from books, magazines or newspapers. | Passages from brochures and advertisements, which you may come across every day. |
| Writing Task 1 | A chart, graph or diagram that you describe in your own words. | A letter based on a given situation, formal or informal. |
| Writing Task 2 | An essay on a contemporary issue. The same in both versions. | An essay on a contemporary issue. The same in both versions. |
| Speaking | Same test. | Same test. |
Writing lasts 60 minutes in both versions, according to IDP's Canadian practice-test page. Both Reading tests are graded on the same 9-band scale, but IELTS says it is usual that a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on General Training to secure a given band score. On the average marks IELTS publishes, 30 out of 40 is band 7 on Academic Reading and band 6 on General Training, and band 7 on General Training needs 35.
What changed lately
No paper at IDP, Writing on Paper, and a home option for Academic only.
"IDP* no longer offers the IELTS on paper test. You can still take your IELTS, the world's most trusted English language test, on computer."
IDP no longer offers the paper test in Canada, and it says IELTS on Computer (Writing on Paper) is now available at multiple test centres nationwide. If you like to write by hand, ask for that option when you book. The tests and the scale stay the same. The British Council says Writing on Paper is now available in select venues, and IDP's own centre list still has names that end in "Paper", for example "IDP IELTS Test Centre Vancouver - Paper", so confirm the format with the centre before you book.
"For IELTS Academic, you can also choose to take the test at home."
Our reading: that at-home option is described for Academic only. Express Entry needs General Training, so an at-home Academic result does not help with Express Entry. For immigration, plan for a test centre and the General Training version.
"Note: The IRCC has not endorsed the new IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR). Please check with your respective recognizing organization to acceptance."
IELTS One Skill Retake, which lets you resit one part, is offered by both IDP and the British Council in Canada. IRCC does not accept it for Express Entry, as quoted above, so use it only where your organisation says it accepts it.
How to choose
A short checklist.
| If you need IELTS for | Which version, and why |
|---|---|
| Express Entry | General Training. IRCC says you must take the IELTS General Training option. |
| The post-graduation work permit language proof | General Training. IRCC's table for IELTS carries the heading IELTS (General Training). |
| A university, a college or a professional body | Usually Academic. Both IDP and the British Council describe it that way, and some organisations accept both. |
| Secondary school, vocational training or work | General Training might be right. IDP says so. |
| Taking the test at home | IDP describes the at-home option for Academic. Our reading: it does not help with Express Entry, which needs General Training. |
- Express Entry and the post-graduation work permit language proof: General Training, as IRCC specifies. For any other programme, read that programme's own page.
- A Canadian university, college or professional body: usually Academic. Read the programme's entry page and copy the exact test name.
- Not sure: ask the organisation in writing, and keep the reply.
- Planning both: book the one you need first, because IRCC wants results that are less than two years old.
This page summarises what IRCC, IDP and the British Council publish. It is not immigration advice, and the IRCC page for your programme decides what counts.
Common questions
Listening and Speaking are the same. Academic Reading uses long passages from books, magazines and newspapers and Academic Writing Task 1 describes a chart, graph or diagram. General Training Reading uses everyday texts like brochures and advertisements and Writing Task 1 is a letter. Writing Task 2 is the same in both.
IELTS General Training. IRCC says you must take the IELTS General Training option for Express Entry, and IDP says IRCC does not accept the Academic option.
Yes, that is its usual use. The British Council says IELTS Academic is for people who want to study at a university or college, or join a professional association where English is a prerequisite. IDP adds that the band score you need is set by the institution, not by IELTS.
IELTS says it is usual that a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on General Training Reading to secure a given band score. The Academic Reading test may have more difficult vocabulary. So it is not simply easier. Pick the version your organisation names.
On IRCC's table for IELTS General Training, CLB 7 is 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
IRCC says your test results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application for permanent residence.
IDP says it no longer offers the IELTS on paper test, but it does offer IELTS on Computer, and IELTS on Computer (Writing on Paper) is now available at multiple test centres. Check the British Council's booking page for venue options.