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IELTS tips and tricks

71 practical tips based on how the test is marked, in plain English. Start with the module you find hardest: raising your weakest score lifts your overall band the most.

Which skill to work on first

Your overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded to the nearest half band. That means half a band gained anywhere is worth the same, but it is much easier to gain in your weakest skill than in your strongest. A candidate with Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 5.5 and Speaking 6.5 averages 6.5. Lifting Writing to 6.5 raises the average to 6.75, which rounds up to 7, while the same work on Reading would barely move it.

Many visas and universities also set a minimum for each skill, often in Writing, so a low Writing or Speaking score can fail an application even when the overall band is high enough. Check your score requirements before you choose where to spend your time.

A simple four-week plan

  1. Week 1: take one full Listening and one full Reading test to find your starting bands, and read the tips for your weakest skill.
  2. Week 2: practise only the question types and parts you lose most marks on, using single parts and passages rather than whole tests.
  3. Week 3: write one Task 1 and one Task 2 answer every two days, and record yourself answering a Speaking cue card each day.
  4. Week 4: take full tests under exam timing, and spend the last two days on the test-day tips below rather than new material.

Tips for the whole test

  • Know the format

    Take at least one full mock test for each module before the real exam, so nothing surprises you.

  • Paper or computer?

    Practise on the same format you'll take. The computer test shows your word count in Writing; on paper you count yourself.

  • Sleep well the night before

    A tired brain reads and listens more slowly. Last-minute studying rarely helps.

  • Arrive early with your ID

    Bring the same passport or ID you used to register. Without it you can't take the test.

  • Keep your focus between sections

    Forget the last section as soon as it ends. Every module is scored separately.

  • Target your weakest skill

    Your overall band is the average of all four. Raising your lowest skill by one band lifts the average most.

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