Free IELTS preparation, one skill at a time

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New to IELTS? Do these four in order before anything else.

1. 1Academic vs General TrainingShould I take IELTS Academic or General Training?
2. 2IELTS band scores explainedHow is the IELTS band score calculated?
3. 3Reading and Writing diagnosticHow can I check my IELTS level before I start preparing?
4. 430-day IELTS study planCan I prepare for IELTS in 30 days?

Practise by skill

Build your English

Skills that lift every section at once.

At a glance

1Where to start if you have never taken IELTS

Most students open a practice book, attempt a full test, get a disappointing score and lose a week to worry. A better first step is to understand what each section is actually measuring. Once you know why a question is built the way it is, the practice starts to make sense.

Read the Academic vs General Training page first so you prepare for the right test. Then read the band score guide, because your university offer is written in bands and you need to know what you are aiming at in each section, not just overall.

2How to use these lessons

Every lesson follows the same order. You get a short answer to the main question, then one worked example where we show the evidence and explain why the tempting option is wrong. After that come practice questions. The answers stay hidden until you tap them, so try first and check second.

• Do one lesson a day rather than five on a Sunday.
• Write down every question you get wrong and the reason, in one line.
• Come back to that mistake list every week. It tells you what to study better than any score does.

3Which skill to work on first

For most Indian students Writing is the lowest band and the one that blocks an offer, because universities often set a minimum for each section. Reading and Listening improve fastest with practice, since they are marked right or wrong. Speaking improves when you record yourself and listen back, which feels awkward for about three days and then stops.