Resources · IELTS checklist
IELTS, step by step
My own bands were Speaking 8, Listening 8, Reading 7.5, Writing 7. This is the checklist I wish I had: six phases, facts from the official IELTS pages, and my advice marked as advice.
Lines marked "advice" are my advice; the rest is stated on the official pages.
1 Choose your test Before you book
2 Eight to twelve weeks out 8 to 12 weeks before the test
3 Four weeks out About 4 weeks before the test
4 Test week The last 7 days
5 Test day On the day
6 After your results When results arrive
Official pages and free practice
One free video that walks through the whole test: the format, then a strategy for every paper. The course Rashid prepared with himself; watch it in parts, with the official practice papers beside it.
IDP, one of the test's owners, on the test itself: what each part looks like, how it is marked and what the examiners expect. The playlist Rashid used to get familiar with the test before he sat it.
The official IELTS site, jointly owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge. Use it for the test format, scoring rules and the official free preparation material.
The official hub of free preparation pages: sample test questions, writing videos, a test day guide and a trial test. Start here before paying for anything.
Free official sample questions for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, for both Academic and General Training. Do one full set under timed conditions to find your weakest section.
Explains how raw marks become band scores, how the overall band is rounded, and which criteria examiners use for Writing and Speaking. The band descriptor PDFs are linked from this page.
The official public version of the criteria examiners use to mark Writing Task 1 and Task 2: task achievement or response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Read the band you are aiming for and the one below it.
The official public version of the Speaking criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Useful for understanding why a fluent speaker can still score lower than expected.
Lets you retake one of the four skills instead of the whole test, within 60 days of the original test, if the original was taken on computer. Availability depends on the test centre and the organisation you are applying to, so check both before booking.
The British Council's preparation hub with free practice tests and online courses for registered candidates. Booking a test with the British Council also unlocks extra free material.
One of the two organisations that run IELTS in Pakistan. Use this page to see test cities, paper and computer options, the current fee and how to book.
The other organisation that runs IELTS in Pakistan, with test locations in many cities. The contact page lists centres under IDP IELTS and under AEO Pakistan, IDP's partner, so both names are legitimate.
Free computer-delivered familiarisation tests for Listening, Reading and Writing, a Speaking audio sample, articles, podcasts and a self-assessment. Good for getting used to the computer screen before test day.
IDP's personalised preparation hub with articles, videos and free practice events online or near you. Register with an email address to use it.
Cambridge's official page with a free guide for test takers, free sample papers and FAQs for Academic and General Training. The same page sells practice books, which are optional.
A widely used free site by an IELTS teacher, with lessons, model answers, topic lists and tips for all four sections, aimed at bands 7 to 9. The core lessons are free; a separate store sells advanced lessons and e-books.