The two types of the IELTS test are IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. If your goal is higher education or a professional career in an English-speaking environment, you should take the IELTS Academic test. The IELTS Academic test measures your academic language proficiency and determines your adequateness for any job or study. The IELTS General Training test, on the other hand, measures a more general level of English. Applicants for secondary education, work experience or training programs in English-speaking countries can take this test. Additionally, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom require those wishing to immigrate to take this test. The test assesses whether you have basic survival skills in everyday life and work contexts. The Listening and Speaking sections are similar in both tests, but the Reading and Writing topics differ in the Academic and General IELTS tests.