not easy at your first attempt to get a 7 overall, as you don't know what to expect. an all day exam of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
yes you need the academic one, there are lots of web sites, books, audio cd's out there for the ielts.
my wife got an avg 6.5 the first time, second time she got a 7, but as your pass cert only last 2yrs, she had to take it again and got a 7 again without any revision at all
