Free IELTS guides and tools
Clear answers to how IELTS works and how it is marked, and tools to check your own work.
Free tools
IELTS band score calculator
Enter your Listening and Reading scores out of 40, your Writing task bands and your Speaking band. The calculator converts each to a band and rounds your overall band the way IELTS does.
IELTS word counter
Paste your answer to check its length. Task 1 needs at least 150 words and Task 2 at least 250. Numbers, hyphenated words and contractions each count as one word.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card timer
Practise the long turn: read the cue card, take one minute to make notes, then speak for up to two minutes. Try to keep talking until the timer ends.
Scores and the test
- How IELTS band scores are calculated
How IELTS turns your answers into band scores: Listening and Reading conversion tables, Writing and Speaking criteria, and how the overall band is averaged and rounded.
- IELTS Academic vs General Training
The difference between IELTS Academic and General Training: which one universities and immigration programmes ask for, and how the Reading and Writing tests differ.
- IELTS on computer vs paper: what is different?
IELTS on computer or on paper: same questions, timings and scoring, with differences in answer time, results speed and how you write. Which to choose.
- IELTS study plan: how to prepare in 4 weeks
A realistic 4-week IELTS study plan: a starting mock test, a weekly focus on each skill, daily habits, and a final full test under exam conditions.
Listening
- IELTS Listening test format and question types
The IELTS Listening test format: four parts, 40 questions, about 30 minutes, the recording played once, and every question type with tips for each.
- IELTS Listening tips: common traps and how to avoid them
IELTS Listening tips: how distractors work, spelling and number traps, word limits, and how to use the reading time before each part.
Reading
- IELTS Reading question types
Every IELTS Reading question type explained, including True/False/Not Given vs Yes/No/Not Given, matching headings and summary completion, with a strategy for each.
- IELTS Reading time management: how to finish in 60 minutes
How to finish IELTS Reading in 60 minutes: time per section, skimming and scanning, which questions to do first and when to move on.
Writing
- How IELTS Writing is marked
How IELTS Writing is marked: the four criteria for Task 1 and Task 2, why Task 2 counts double, word limits, and the most common reasons answers lose marks.
- IELTS General Training letter: formal, semi-formal and informal
How to write the IELTS General Training Task 1 letter: choosing formal, semi-formal or informal tone, how to start and end, covering the three bullet points, with an example.
- IELTS Writing Task 1: how to describe a line graph
How to describe a line graph in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: the four-paragraph structure, writing an overview, grouping trends and useful language for changes.
- IELTS Writing Task 2: the five essay types and how to structure them
The five IELTS Writing Task 2 essay types (opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem and solution, two-part question) and a simple structure for each.
- IELTS Writing Task 1: how to describe a process diagram
How to describe a process diagram in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: structure, writing the overview, the passive voice and sequencing language, with examples.
- IELTS Writing Task 1: how to describe bar charts and pie charts
How to describe bar charts and pie charts in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: choosing what to compare, writing the overview, and language for proportions and comparisons.
Speaking
- How IELTS Speaking is marked
IELTS Speaking is marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. What each criterion means and how to raise it.
- IELTS Speaking Part 1: common topics and how to answer
IELTS Speaking Part 1 explained: what the examiner asks, common topics, how long your answers should be, and a simple way to extend them naturally.
- IELTS Speaking Part 3: how to give longer, better answers
How to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3 discussion questions: giving opinions, comparing, speculating about the future and developing answers with reasons and examples.
No card needed. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, marked with a band for each.