There are two versions of IELTS available for test takers – IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The difference between the two relates to the purpose of the test taker. IELTS Academic is used for university admissions or professional registration in an English speaking country, while IELTS General Training is taken mainly for migration purposes.
Though the content for the Reading and Writing sections is different for the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, the test format is largely similar. For both versions, the Listening, Reading and Writing tests are conducted in a single sitting, while the Speaking test is conducted face-to-face with an examiner on a separate date.