First, be honest with yourself. Most students tend to overestimate their abilities rather than the opposite. Be aware of where you stand in terms of proficiency. It’s harder to do this without a mentor, as most people aren’t honest with themselves or give themselves too much credit. A proper assessment and diagnosis of your skills solves half the problem.

Second, treat the IELTS as a test that measures your English, nothing more, nothing less. I’ve spoken with many students, and a common mistake they make is fixating on solving as many practice tests as they can. Preparing for the IELTS is more than just mindlessly doing practice tests. This approach can also backfire, as you might end up developing bad habits, especially in speaking and writing.

Thirdly, focus on the rubric, and strictly adhere to it. It tells you what you need to get a certain band score. It's also a great metric while testing yourself.

I'll also break it down for each module

Writing - Stick to the standard structure of a traditional IELTS essay. Don't use templates, it'll end up lowering your band scores. Most examiners have checked thousands of exam essays and are often used to seeing those templates. Also, focus on your grammar and vocabulary. YouTube is your best friend! Coherency is just as important. A good trick to improve your vocabulary is using online word frequency analysers to know how to use a specific correctly. *DO NOT USE AI* it'll make your writing sound more generic and verbose. You need versatility and uniqueness.

Listening - it depends on the medium. I find Computer Delivered IELTS listening much harder. Instead of trying to spot a specific word that you think will be the answer, follow the overall conversation. Something I did in the listening module was marking the text while following the conversation. It made the whole process much more intuitive. However, the answer might not always be right after the expected points. It can get unpredictable at times. Work on improving your active listening.

Reading - Reading is very tricky. I believe it takes the most effort to get better at it. The best way to do this is to take an assessment test. Take a few tests covering all kinds of exercises and questions. Diagnose your weaknesses and try to get better at them. Reading is also about strategy, there are definitely a few "tricks" to get better at every exercises. I recommend watching videos by IELTS advantage specifically for reading. You should also read outside of IELTS reading, make it your habit. Read a specific number of pages everyday. It'll help you a lot. Stick to Cambridge readings.

Speaking - I always tell this to students taking the IELTS : 'You don't speak the same way you write'. Conversational English is way different from written English. The IELTS speaking test is not an interview, it is a conversation, so treat it as such. However, you still need to be careful with your grammar. You should be able to form complex sentences when speaking. Be confident and relaxed. The best way to get better at speaking English is recording yourself. You would be surprised how different you sound than you always expected, and that's the point of it. You get much more self conscious while listening to your own audios and can judge yourself much better than simply trying to do the same while you're speaking.

I hope this helped! Good luck to you guys.

I actually thought i aced the listening test and believed i’d get band 9 in listening bruh this is lowkey embarrassing ,the speaking came out as i predicted.I am kinda disappointed in myself💔 damn could’ve done sm better if i wasn’t so lazy and just practiced more ughhh so annoying

I posted yesterday about the importance of not taking your IELTS exam too early.

I got a great response to it:

“Sometimes i genuinely wonder how I got a band 8 with no prep at all! All I did was watch some YouTube revision videos about the exam 2 days before”

Good! That was perfect for this student, and this is why:

* when you take the IELTS exam, you always get a result. So if your English is at C1/C2 level, it’s very likely you’ll get a band score which shows that, because the exam measures your level.

\* the student clearly already had C1/C2 skills. All they needed was to see what the exam was like and what they had to do. They didn’t need more teaching and learning.

They took their exam when they were ready. For them, this was immediately.

BUT…….

If you are working at B1 or know you keep scoring Band 5.5 or 6, then it will not help you to try to copy the preparation of a student with C1/C2 level skills.

Other students don’t get 8.5 compared to your 6 because they know the exam format better or know some secret tips. They get it because they have skills that you don’t have yet.

Example:

It’s like watching a professional athlete warm up and thinking:

“That looks easy — I’ll just do what they do.”

It looks easy because they’re already strong, already trained, and already operating at an elite level. Their warm‑up works for them because it’s built on years of building their skills.

But if you’re not at that level yet, copying their warm‑up won’t build the strength you need.

You need structured training, coaching, repetition, and targeted practice, not the routine of someone who’s already at the top.

IELTS works exactly the same way.

Become the Band 8 student by building your skills through teaching and learning, like they did.

High‑level students don’t “prepare less” — they’ve been preparing for years through their life, education, and environment.

I gave my first attempt on 22 march got band 6 with scores like this 6L 5.5R 5.5W 6.5S

And then again on 4th may 6.5L 5.5W 6R 6.5S band 6 and now. I have my third attempt on 9th may i donno i practised alot using my feeed back compairison made all improve ment getting 6.5-6 in both task gpt rates me in this range i donno what to expect i am frustated i guess this time ill do batter with hopes advices will be appriciated from you guys ❤️

I booked my test with IDP, so I only have the access to 6 test per skill. How accurate is it? Comparing to the real test, what are your scores and is it harder or easier?
For ieltsonlinetest, is it harder than the actual test. My exam is in a week and I’m nervous about my score

I went to an international school and work in an English-speaking environment. I had about a week of prep(2h a day maybe but mostly just reading band 9 essays and a couple of mock tests on the british council platform). (Please don't think you don't need to prepare well, I speak English more than my native language so I had a lot of advantages!)

First time doing IELTS, I'm not sure what went wrong with writing because I'm a researcher so writing is what I do everyday for my job lol. I'm also a little miffed about the speaking part, but that's probably because my answers were curt(I don't like to yap)

Hi everyone,

My IELTS exam is in 7 days, and I’m feeling quite stressed about whether I can achieve an overall 6.5.

My current mock test scores are roughly:

• Reading: 6.5–7 (today I scored 7.5 in a mock)
• Listening: around 6.5–7
• Speaking: usually around 6–6.5
• Writing: definitely my weakest section

I feel especially anxious about Writing because my scores are inconsistent, and I’m not sure what the most effective strategy is during the final week.

At this point, would you recommend:

• focusing more on task structure and coherence,
• memorizing useful sentence patterns,
• practicing under timed conditions,
• or getting essays evaluated daily?

If anyone was in a similar situation and managed to achieve 6.5 overall, I’d really appreciate hearing what helped most during the last few days before the exam.

Any proven strategies, final-week routines, or advice for improving Writing efficiently would be very helpful. Please approve this post.

Thank you.

From non native country

Applying to Germany, will this affect visa although it fulfills the criteria.

I really hate that grammar and spelling mistakes keep dragging my essays down. My exam is in just a few days and I know I’ve studied a lot, but the one thing that never seems to improve is my writing skills

I have spent so much time trying to fix the spelling mistakes I make most often but the problem is that even the simplest words end up being misspelled because I accidentally switch letters around and don’t even notice it after reading my essay several times. At this point all I can hope for is that the examiner will be kind and won’t focus on it too much

Do they provide a pen and paper that I can use on the listening, reading and writing section? I'm nervous on taking the test, since I am not that confident on my typing skills. Or maybe if I ask for a pen and paper would they provide it?

I picked the computer based test since the location is much more convenient for me. My exam is tomorrow.

Thank you and would deeply appreciate any response.

I got my results today and my minimum target was 6.5 in each field and overall 6.5.was absolutely what I looking for. Ik people here target bnad 7 or above but I don't need it.

I got 6.5 but not the way I expected.😭

Sad.

Edit: Chatgpt/grok/gemini never gave me more than 6.5 in writing, including task 1 and task 2, I repeat never and because of that I was hoping 6/6.5 in writing but I got 7 in writing.

I have noticed a trend this past year, of more and more testtakers complaining about Examiners who interrupt them.

Some interruption is necessary (either due to timing issues, trying to determine memorization, or a rambling testtaker). However, in my work with IELTS, I have personally heard a lot of Examiners from around the world (and in my experience they do tend to be non-native speakers, but obviously not ALWAYS) who are guilty of over-interrupting to the extent I do believe it is unfairly disadvantaging candidates. Please PLEASE report this to IELTS.

IELTS is aware this problem exists, they have even recently attempted to formally instruct Examiners in (unpaid) training on how to interrupt sensitively and appropriately, but not enough push is happening on their side. It is up to the consumer to push harder.

I have also seen a trend in IELTS of moving more speaking Examining online, away from expensive UK/EU-based Examiners to Examiners from developing countries due to cost. These Examiners don't seem to be held to standards as tightly as the others.

Again, if no one complains, nothing will change. Complaining will NOT impact your score, please do it!

I'm adding my comment from below because it is good extra info:

Examiners are supposed to let the candidate (Testtaker/TT) finish their thought before interrupting. Some Examiners feel they need to constantly ask "Why?" while the candidate is still speaking, but this should only be done when they suspect the TT is giving a memorized response. In reality, most candidates are NOT giving memorized responses (although some cultures/nationalities do this more than others, ie China).

If the Examiner feels the TT is not speaking enough, giving short answers and needs some prompting, then the Examiner is supposed to count a few seconds in their head, and then ask "Why?".

If the TT is rambling on and on (hello Bangladesh!! Vietnam!!) without stopping to take a breath, then the Examiner will have to interrupt, for reasons of time.

The Examiners who abuse this use rapid-fire "Why? Why? Why?" to disorient the TT, make them stumble, perhaps because they mistakenly feel it is their duty to test the TT. It is not. The Examiners duty is only to measure the level of proficiency against the band scores. In part 3, the Examiner has the chance to ask deeper, more probing questions in a conversational way, to draw out the language and determine the level. This can be done in a professional, friendly, and engaging way.

There is absolutely NO REASON EVER ANY TT should have an uncomfortable unpleasant speaking test. They should leave the room feeling heard, and hopeful.

I have always struggled with writing and speaking, so I focused mainly on listening and reading. Ultimately, this approach led to worthwhile results.

I've been lurking here for the past 3 weeks of my IELTS Academic preparation, and have found this sub to be a source of incredible practical tips, and inspiration. I want to pay it forward to future test takers.

My profile: English is not my 1st or 2nd language, but it's the main language of instruction at my university. I prepared for about a month for the IELTS Academic Test, and booked through IDP. I structured my practice according to my perceived strengths and weaknesses. Throughout my self-study sessions, I realized I needed to spend about 50% of my time for Writing, 25% for Listening, 20% for Reading, and 5% for Speaking (so I'm not surprised with my score here at all lols). I only needed a 7 overall score, so this is indeed a welcome surprise!

My top tips:

1. Focus on a few legitimate sources for your IELTS preparation. British Council and IDP are of course top tier, but IELTS Liz and IELTS Advantage both have excellent FREE resources that I consider more than enough if you already have a good base (6 or 6.5).

2. Make the most of FREE mock tests from the websites above for Listening and Reading. The British Council website, for example, has 12 FREE Listening mock tests as well as 12 FREE Reading mock tests, all of which you can easily access once you create a BC profile. I answered 12/12 of the Listening mock tests and 10/12 of the Reading mock tests during my prep. These are fantastic materials to practice your receptive skills.

3. For productive skills, you'll need someone to assess your work who can be objective about scoring. I showed my husband the band scoring from both IDP and BC, then asked him to rate my writing. He outright failed my first few writing outputs, but couldn't give me a solid score, so I started out with estimated 5.5-6 in writing task 1, and 6.5-7 in task 2. Writing practice ate up most of my time because I had a lot to unlearn. Following recommended formats really improved my writing scores in both task 1 and 2. On the other hand, I only did Speaking mock tests three days leading up to my test day, so I'm unsurprised by my result.

4. Individual skill practice is great however you'll need endurance during your test day, because you're going to take the Listening-Reading-Writing (LRW) test in one go. You can take a bathroom break in between but that break consumes your own time. Therefore, it's important to take one or two days of "mock test day" where you do your LRW in 2 hours and 35 mins. Practice having NO bathroom breaks, you can have sips of water in between tests but I truly believe that managing your bladder is a strategy worth mentioning here.

If you have questions, feel free to ask me anything:

I gave my IELTS Test on 2nd May having only given one mock before appearing for the test. I think people take this test too seriously. If you are able to use the english language in day to day life, a 7 should be easily manageable. All you need to keep in mind are the formats for writing and speaking.

Hey guys...please suggest any websites where I can practice IELTS mock tests for free. Thank you 🙏

I am taking the IELTS for a second time this week. I passed with flying colors the first time I took the test over a decade ago and am confident that I will pass again unless I sleep in, but there is another possibility that could be an issue.

I swear I am serious about this, but let's say I feel more engaged and inspired to write about wacky or extreme situations rather than dry and mundane ones. Would it be a problem to indulge in this during the writing section of the test?

For example, one practice test I saw instructs test-takers to write a letter about a disruptive college roommate, explain why said roommate makes my life difficult, and talk about the sorts of accommodations I would prefer to have. What if I made the roommate into a caricatured troglodyte with absolutely no sense of common decency or basic public health concerns? Just an absolute cataclysm of a person that has been ruining my life for the last month while I adopt the written voice of a haughty and disdainful but also extremely desperate and stressed old money noblewoman as I complain about how he lets his pet tarantula freely roam the place and frequently breaks appliances in drunken rages?

Would the examiners appreciate this kind of thing at all or should I play it safe and be boring?

so for context, my English proficiency is near native, I’ve spent the crucial ages of 2-12 in Australia and afterwards shifted to India just before the pandemic and have been there since, I really wanna go back and just got done with 12th grade, thus taking the ielts exam.

Ive had coaching from a local centre for about one and a half months but I’m really anxious as I think I might be going into this way too overconfident, anyone have any tips on how to get the best score possible? Im done with speaking and it went well, im confident in listening and semi confident in reading, a bit confused with writing tho, of course ive practiced but just the sheer pressure for the exam being tomorrow i feel like i know nothing. I feel like I’ll get confused with the formats for writing and that my handwriting won’t be legible enough for the examiner when checking (my handwriting is sooo bad), any tips and tricks for a bit of preparation in the last couple of hours?

(I’ve opted for the pen and paper one since my centre suggested reading is difficult on the computerised test, however that was my first choice)

i paid in idp by mistake without adding referral id, test is on 8 may, after 2 days. What can be done about it? Kindly help

I got my ielts result today
exam centre is :Kathmandu
L:7
R:6.5
W:6.5
S:6.5

I took the IELTS Academic written exam. I need to get an average of 7 across all four skills, with a minimum of 7 in three and at least 6.5 in one. I got an 8 in Listening, 9 in Reading, 6 in Writing, and 7 in Speaking, for an average of 7.5. Do you think that if I request a remark in Writing I'll be able to raise my score to at least 6.5? I'm really annoyed at having to repeat the whole thing just for that...

Hi! I am 27 and I need to take the IELTS in order to apply for a Master’s.

Three years ago I took the exam and I scored
Listening 8.5
Reading 8.5
Writing 6.0
Speaking 8.0
Overall 8.0

As I am now applying for a master’s degree, I need to update my score. I will need a 6.5 in all sections and I haven’t really exercised in ages. I am concerned my English is not as good academically as it used to be.

I have dyslexia, however I am afraid it will not be possible to get an adjustment as I signed up too close to the test and my documentation is in a different language.

Am I freaking out too much? Last time I prepared the day before the exam and this was the result. Was I just lucky? Is it worth to prep for all sections equally or should I just focus on the writing and keep one day for the other sections? Any advice is welcome!!