Which should I take for a skilled visa?

If your goal is migration points only, General Training is the standard choice (Academic is also accepted). Use Academic if you also need the result for university study or professional registration.

Can I reuse a General Training result for university later?

No. Universities do not accept General Training for admission, so a client who later decides to study would need to sit Academic.

How is my English level decided?

By your lowest module score, not the overall band — one weak module can drop the whole level and its points.

IELTS General Training — CMG Migration Group | Commonwealth Migration Group

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Overview

IELTS General Training

IELTS General Training is the non-academic version of the IELTS test, delivered by the same providers (British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge University Press & Assessment). It is designed for people migrating for work, training or general purposes rather than university degree study. It uses the same 0 to 9 band scale and the same four modules as the Academic test, but the Reading and Writing content is set in everyday, workplace and social contexts. For migration points and English-level purposes, Home Affairs treats General Training equivalently to Academic.

Why it matters

General Training is the standard IELTS option for applicants whose goal is migration rather than university admission. It is accepted by Home Affairs for skilled-migration English: Competent English is the minimum to apply for GSM 189, 190 and 491 (0 points), Proficient English adds 10 points, and Superior English adds 20 points. There is no migration-points penalty for taking General Training instead of Academic. The choice between the two should be driven by whether you also need the result for study or registration — not by perceived difficulty alone.

Key Details

Score bands that matter

Functional English — 4.5 average overall (some partner and parent visas).

Vocational English — 5.0 in each module (some employer-sponsored streams).

Competent English — 6.0 in each module: the minimum to apply for GSM (0 points).

Proficient English — 7.0 in each module: +10 points.

Superior English — 8.0 in each module: +20 points.

Your level is set by the lowest module score, not the overall band.

Same points value as Academic — no penalty for choosing General Training.

How It Works

Your Step-by-Step Journey

Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Listening and Speaking are identical to the Academic test — same audio and same interview structure.

Uses everyday materials such as notices, advertisements, company handbooks and newspapers.

Task 1 is a letter (formal, semi-formal or informal); Task 2 is an essay, slightly less formal than the Academic essay.

Available paper-based or computer-delivered; the Speaking interview is live either way.

Listening, Reading and Writing run in around 2 hours 45 minutes; Speaking is on the same day or within a few days.

Computer-delivered results arrive in around 3 to 5 days; paper-based results in around 13 days.

Watch Out

Good to know

Not interchangeable with Academic for study or registration — a General Training result cannot later be reused for university admission.

Letter-writing in Task 1 trips up candidates used to academic essays; tone and register matter.

Per-module thresholds apply — one weak band drops the whole English level and the associated points.

Provider 2-year validity and the visa acceptance window are distinct (Home Affairs has generally accepted results within 3 years before lodgement — reverify the current rule).

There is no migration-points penalty for General Training, so do not pick Academic for points reasons alone.

How CMG helps

Advise whether General or Academic suits your specific visa subclass and any study or registration plans.
Coaching focused on General Training Writing Task 1 (letters) and reading of everyday texts.
Push every module to the points threshold — 7.0 for +10 or 8.0 for +20 — rather than only the Competent minimum.
Sequence the test with your EOI and lodgement timing so results stay valid, and flag early when future study means Academic is safer.

Information verified against the official source before we advise you.

FAQ

Common Questions

Is General Training worth fewer points than Academic?

No. Home Affairs treats the two equivalently for the points test, so there is no migration-points penalty for taking General Training.

Related services & visas

Skilled Independent 189

IELTS Academic

PTE Academic

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