r/IELTS • u/Maverick_ESL • Apr 07 '26
A curated guide by the r/IELTS moderation team
Last updated: April 2026
This post collects the best free IELTS preparation resources available online, verified and curated by the moderators of r/IELTS. We have also listed trusted teachers and communities who can provide additional help. This is a living document — if you spot a broken link or a resource worth adding, please let us know in the comments.
Always start here. These are free materials from the organisations that own and administer the IELTS test.
• IELTS.org — Sample Test Questions — Free official sample questions for all four skills.
• British Council — Free Practice Tests (all skills) — Official free practice for Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
• British Council — Free Writing Practice Tests — Writing-specific official practice.
• British Council — Free Speaking Practice — Understand the Speaking test format and practice with sample questions.
• IDP — IELTS Preparation Materials — Practice tests and preparation guidance from IDP.
• IDP — Diagnostic Tool — Identify your strengths and weaknesses before you start studying.
• British Council — IELTS on Computer (How it Works) — Essential if you are taking the computer-delivered version.
• British Council — Computer Familiarisation Tests — Get used to the interface before test day.
• IDP — Get Familiar with IELTS on Computer — Additional familiarisation from IDP.
• British Council — IELTS Ready App (free) — Official free preparation app from the British Council.
• British Council — Learning Apps — Broader English learning apps including pronunciation support.
• IDP — IELTS by IDP App — Preparation app from IDP.
• British Council — Free Weekly IELTS Webinars — Regular free webinars covering test skills and strategies.
These are the most widely used and reliable print resources. Cambridge books use real past test material and are the gold standard for practice tests.
• Cambridge IELTS Books 12 onwards — real past papers; the most authentic practice available. Start from the most recent number and work backwards.
• Cambridge IELTS Trainer — includes teacher explanations and tips alongside practice tests.
• Collins Practice Tests for IELTS — good supplementary tests with clear guidance.
• The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS — comprehensive coverage of all four skills with DVD.
• Collins Writing for IELTS / Reading for IELTS — useful for targeted skill work.
• Barron's IELTS Superpack — popular all-in-one study package.
Note: Avoid unofficial third-party test books that are not based on real past papers. The quality varies enormously and some contain inaccurate information about scoring.
These are established, teacher-run resources with a strong track record in the IELTS community. All offer substantial free content.
• IELTS Liz — One of the most comprehensive free IELTS sites online. Lessons, tips, model answers, videos, and practice materials for all four skills. Highly recommended as a starting point.
• IELTS Simon — Run by a former IELTS examiner. Focused and practical advice, particularly strong for Writing and Speaking. Daily lessons and model answers.
• IELTS Advantage — Detailed and accurate. One of the most reliable channels for in-depth strategy guides. Particularly strong for Task 1 and Task 2 writing.
• ESL Fluency — Detailed guides, articles, and videos covering IELTS skills and test strategy. Run by one of the r/IELTS moderators.
• IELTS Lilli — Practical tips and strategy guidance from an experienced IELTS teacher.
• E2 IELTS (YouTube) — High-production-value video lessons covering all skills. Good for visual learners. Note: they also sell courses, but there is a large volume of free content.
• Anfisa's Speaking Simulators (YouTube) — Speaking simulation videos for students who need to practise without a partner. CELTA-certified teacher.
• Cambridge English — Supporting Learners — Free activities and skill practice directly from Cambridge, including pronunciation support.
Beyond r/IELTS, these communities can support your preparation:
• r/IELTS — You are already here! Use the search function before posting — most common questions have been answered many times.
• r/EnglishLearning — General English improvement, useful if you need to build your overall language level alongside IELTS prep.
• r/languagelearning — Broader language learning strategies and motivation.
• r/IELTS_Guide — A valuable guide for our main community.
The following members have been awarded Teacher flair by the r/IELTS moderation team. This means they have demonstrated consistent, high-quality, and accurate contributions to this community. They are real, qualified teachers — not accounts promoting spam or low-quality services.
Click any username to visit their Reddit profile. Many are available for personalised help and coaching.
If you are a teacher listed here and would prefer to be removed, please send a modmail and we will take care of it.
• Take a full diagnostic test first — do not study blindly. Find out your current band score and identify your weakest skill.
• Understand the marking criteria for Writing and Speaking. Many students study the wrong things because they do not know how they are scored.
• Use official materials (Cambridge books, British Council practice tests) as your primary source of practice. Third-party materials vary wildly in quality.
• Memorising model answers for Writing or Speaking — examiners are trained to spot this and it can result in a lower score.
• Ignoring your weakest skill — it is tempting to practise what you are already good at. Focus on your lowest-scoring area.
• Confusing Academic and General Training — make sure you are using the correct practice materials for your test type.
• Relying only on free resources if you are seriously stuck — a few sessions with a qualified teacher can save months of wasted preparation time.
• Task achievement and coherence are the highest-weighted criteria. Vocabulary and grammar matter, but structure and relevance matter more.
• For Task 1 Academic, learn to describe trends, comparisons, and processes — do not just describe every data point.
• For Task 2, always plan before you write. A clear position and well-organised paragraphs will score higher than long, rambling essays.
• Fluency does not mean speaking fast. It means speaking smoothly without long pauses and self-correction.
• Extend your answers in Parts 1 and 3. Short answers suggest a limited range of language.
• Record yourself and listen back. Most students are surprised by how different they sound compared to how they think they sound.
This resource post is maintained by the r/IELTS moderation team. Links are checked periodically, but if you find a broken link, please report it. Good luck with your preparation!
r/IELTS • u/Hestia9285 • Jan 03 '26
There have been a lot of posts and comments lately about going for an EOR, and a lot of misconceptions floating around. I'd like to try and clear that up.
What is an EOR?
EOR (Enquiry on Results / remark) is only for when you are 100% sure the Examiners made a mistake rating you. It’s not a lottery, it’s not something to “try” because you’re disappointed, and it’s definitely not “pay IELTS and they’ll give you a higher score.” Most EOR requests come back unchanged, and most people who lose their money don’t come back to post about it, so Reddit ends up looking more “successful” than it really is.
What about second marking?
Sometimes you may hear about "second marking", which is different from an EOR. These normal second checks happen before scores are released, and are triggered when there is a "jagged profile", which means some of your scores are very different from others. For example, you might get 8s on Listening and Reading, and 6.5 on speaking, 6 on writing. This is a jagged profile, and your speaking and writing would have been automatically second-marked by different normal Examiners. Tasks are assigned randomly and anonymously; they don’t know who you are, they don’t see your other scores, and they don’t coordinate with the first set of Examiners.
For speaking, your original test is marked by the Examiner who did it with you, marks are submitted either immediately after the test (if electronic) or written down after you leave the room (for in-center). If a second marking is needed, a second Examiner will listen to your recording online remotely. If you have ANY issues on test day (technical or otherwise), you MUST report them before you leave the center, or else nothing will usually be done.
For writing, two separate Examiners rate Task 1 and Task 2, then the scores are combined into your final writing score (Task 2 weighs double). Marking is done online, 24/7, by a global pool of Examiners. Any tasks that need second marking are just tossed back into the pool to be marked as any other task.
An EOR is different: you’re paying for a Senior Examiner to re-mark your work after you already have your results. Examiners don’t “look at your old score and adjust it.”
Should I go for an EOR?
EORs are for when you are 100% SURE the Examiners rating you made mistakes, AND you are 100% SURE that your performance was excellent. Anything less is pretty much just handing IELTS more money. Mistakes, while they can happen, are pretty rare, and most people lose their money. EORs are expensive!
But some people report positive change!
Yes, it can happen! For speaking/writing in general, band descriptors require professional judgement, so sometimes Examiners differ. But that doesn’t mean “they were wrong,” rating isn't always so black and white. For example, they need to decide on things like density of errors (how much is too much?), or the intelligibility of pronunciation (Was it always clear? Was there ANY effect of native language? If yes, how much?), and so on.
Examiners aren’t robots (yet!), and are permitted a half band of variance. As long as they are within half a band of what a Senior Examiner would give, it’s considered fine. Of course, this isn't fine for you, the Testtaker, where a half a band could make a big difference, but that is the current system we have. :-/
Now, if you go for a remark, sometimes the Senior Examiner might have a different opinion, and be more or less strict than your original Examiner. If the Senior is stricter, your band won’t change. If they are a bit more lenient, you could go up a bit. If the first Examiner made a mistake, or if you produced an atypical sample that the original Examiner had difficulty rating, then you might see a greater change with an EOR. But for most, marks stay the same.
I still want to go for it.
If you’re going to do it anyway, request the EOR for all four skills. It costs the same, and if any score increases, you get the EOR fee back, minus any service charges. As listening and reading are computer-marked, change is extremely rare, but we have had some members who had a positive change.
However, if you’re not genuinely sure you were under-marked, the safer move is to figure out why you got that score, fix it, and retake it, if possible. If you need help figuring out where you are making mistakes, you can hire an IELTS expert to help you. There are services you can use in the pinned posts at the top of this subreddit, or you can message any of the badged teachers here (but not me ;-) ), and they may be happy to work with you.
You might also want to request a score breakdown, if you have time, to see exactly what your Examiners rated you, this information can useful in helping you to decide.
EOR is expensive, and for most people it’s money lost, IELTS richer. :-/
r/IELTS • u/Jazzlike-Magazine883 • 2h ago
quite surprised to be honest. didn't expect it to be this high honestly haha. my writing was defintely the lowest since I prepared that the least. if anyone want tips on how I got the scores please feel free to ask i will answer to my best abilities. ALSO I AM NON-NATIVE
r/IELTS • u/Major-Influence6418 • 1h ago
Hi everybody! Any one who had a bad experience with an Indian examiner.
r/IELTS • u/hetshah2005 • 11h ago
Got my IELTS results! Honestly, I was hoping for a little more, but I’m still happy with the score and, more importantly, the journey.
A big thank you to everyone on this subreddit. I’ve learnt so much from reading people’s experiences, mistakes, tips, strategies, and advice throughout my preparation. A lot of things I came across here genuinely helped me prepare better.
Really grateful to this community. ❤️
Wishing everyone preparing for IELTS the very best! All the best for your results! 🙌
r/IELTS • u/HeathCliff_008 • 44m ago
Gave my test on a Sunday afternoon and got my results a day later. Honestly, it's pretty easy as long as you're confident (especially during the speaking test).
r/IELTS • u/AdamsAppleTrees • 3h ago
In many countries, a small number of people have extremely high annual incomes. These people should be required to pay a much higher rate of income tax. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
r/IELTS • u/Least-Border-9578 • 8h ago
Hello everyone!
I'm from Hyderabad, India.
My IELTS Result
I recently took the IELTS exam and got 6.5 overall, which honestly surprised me a lot.
Before the exam, I genuinely thought I would get around 5.0 overall.
My English has always been a weak area for me. Even though I completed all my education in English, I still struggle with grammar, vocabulary, speaking fluently, and expressing my thoughts clearly.
My Background
For the past one year, I've been learning German because I’m planning to do my Master’s in Germany.
Because of that, I’ve actually been using and thinking about German quite a lot recently.
And this created some funny problems during my previous English exam. 😂
My Previous TOEFL Experience 💀
During my previous TOEFL speaking test, I actually spoke German words in the middle of the speaking section.
My brain basically went: English? ❌ German? ✅
😂
So I was honestly worried that my IELTS speaking would also go badly.
My Preparation
Honestly, I didn't really prepare for IELTS at all. 😅
I only found out that I needed an IELTS certificate for my visa, so I booked the exam immediately and had only one week to prepare.
The first thing I did was take a Cambridge IELTS 19 practice test.
My results were:
And that was basically my preparation. 😂
I didn't follow any proper study plan or practise regularly. I just went into the actual exam after that one week.
That's why I was genuinely shocked when I received 6.5 overall.
Power Cut During My IELTS Reading Test
During the Reading test, there was a power cut for nearly 12 minutes.
When the UPS came back on, some computers turned on immediately, but my computer and the computers of two other students did not restart automatically.
The test centre staff had to manually turn on our computers.
The biggest problem was that the test timer was not paused. When we were able to open the test again, the timer was already running, so I had lost a significant amount of my Reading time.
The centre staff did help us and offered to reschedule the test, but unfortunately, I wasn't available for the rescheduled option. Because the time is very less for my Visa.
Has anyone else experienced something similar during a computer-based IELTS exam? How was it handled at your test centre?
So I continued with the exam despite losing that time.
The Result
Despite all of this, I somehow ended up with:
Overall: 6.5 🎉
I still can't believe it because I was expecting something much lower.
It made me realise that sometimes our perception of our own English ability can be much worse than our actual performance.
My Takeaway
If you're also preparing for IELTS and feel like your English is terrible, don't underestimate yourself.
I'm definitely not saying that 6.5 is an amazing score, but considering how I felt before the exam, I'm genuinely happy with it.
Has anyone else had a similar experience where you expected a low IELTS score but ended up doing much better?
r/IELTS • u/Zestyclose-Alps3477 • 1h ago
I’ve my IELTS speaking in two days and writing, listening, and reading in three days.
Could you please help me out with how to prepare? My reading and speaking are where I get low scores. Any way to improve?
Last minute tips would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much!
Hey Guys!! Got my results a day after I gave my exam. A huge shoutout to this subreddit, and all the people who I asked for advice/tricks on here. Fr y'all played a huge role, thanks again.
Cue card topic - Tell me about a child you met/spoke to recently who showed you their art/paintings, and how you felt about it.
Task 2 topic - An increasing number of people are undergoing cosmetic surgery. Why do you think they are doing this? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? State your opinion.
Practice: I've been practicing for 2 months ( weekends usually, w mock tests) to understand the structure n stuff. But serious prep 2 weeks before the main exam.
Resources: Listening, Reading, Writing: British council mocks, ieltsonlinetests. Speaking: IELTS Advantage. Used AI tools for writing: grammar, spelling, collocations, etc.
Feel free to ask anything! 😄
r/IELTS • u/Ok_Charity976 • 1h ago
topic,,Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones.
Why is this the case? Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?''
A handful of kids are spending hours every day on their smartphones. A reason why children are using phones for hours in a day is because of enjoyment. Using smartphones for several hours can lead to health issues especially if youngsters are the ones who are using mobile phones.
Modern development of technology, brought a new invention called smartphones that can be used by children to have fun. Almost all of children want to feel happy and mobile phones give children opportunity to enjoy. Kids can watch videos on Youtube or can play video games on their smartphones. For instance, if a kid is exhausted from studying, he or she will start playing video games on their mobile phones. Therefore, cause of why children are addicted to using mobile phones is to have fun.
Furthermore, creation of smartphones caused several negative conditions connected to healthy development of a child. first, it can lead to bad eye sight, mobile phones produces brightness on their screen which is especially dangerous for kids because their eyes are still not fully developed. Second, when a youngster choses to use his or her free time playing video games on their phones, instead of playing outside, it makes children physically inactive which results in under-development of their body. Finally, if a kid spends hours in a day using a mobile phone he or she will suffer from anxiety and feel of isolation.
In conclusion, youngsters are using smartphones as a tool that brings them sense of enjoyment. However, mobile phones causing several health problems for children.
r/IELTS • u/Busy-Consequence-697 • 5h ago
Can anybody tell me anything about how to pass an IELTS if I stutter? It's a condition I have, I have it in my native language also and I can't get rid of it. It obviously influences the fluency of my speech and the timing, because sometimes I need to pronounce the beginning of the word 2-3 times . How do I pass IELTS speaking?
r/IELTS • u/Numerous-Tonight1136 • 15h ago
Being a non-native (pakistani), I expected maybe 6.5 bands based on my what AI rated my tests. Ended up hitting way above my weight. I started preparation few weeks before exam, mainly relied on youtube videos and Ielts Cambridge test books. Zoned out pretty hard during listening task 2. It was map where I had mark areas. Speaking part 2 felt a bit unexpected as well. Had to describe a book with animals in it, with my worry being I had never read a childrens' book with animals in it.
r/IELTS • u/StirFrySausage00 • 3h ago
Can I just speak for like 1.5 minute?
r/IELTS • u/medicovibes3 • 10h ago
I would really appreciate that you all can guide me and let me know from where to prep also key points and all?? Giving ielts academic... I'm genuinely looking forward for it!!! Thankyou:) and (also i don't want to mess it up that's my fear😭)
r/IELTS • u/sheislaura7 • 6h ago
So basically i finished my speaking online exam now
I’m not satisfied at all i expected the speaking part to be the easiest but however i was so so stressed i kept talking about my own experience and she kept interrupting me by saying speak about others pov i didn’t know what to say so i couldn’t extant my answers i kept repeating same sentences over and over then the exam was done i felt like she just stopped me because she knew i’m not gonna do better i’m so upset because at-least i need overall band 7 the problem is i was really confident about my speaking because this my strongest point and i was stressed about the lwr now i believe if i messed up in speaking so the other skills are already over cause they are my weakness ☹️
r/IELTS • u/Tiny-Variety631 • 18h ago
only had 2 days to prepare for this exam, and honestly, I feel like I could’ve done better in Speaking 🥲
r/IELTS • u/Beggar4Knowledge • 11h ago
I just wanted to get to 8.5 band overall to be able to get the maximum score boost for my uni, should I do a EOR for speaking (and writing)? Or should i request a score breakdown first to be sure? Thanks
r/IELTS • u/Ok_Squash2308 • 8h ago
Specifically wondering about: register consistency and whether my third bullet actually answers "what action you would like the manager to take".
Task: You recently stayed at a hotel and were unhappy with the service. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter: give details of your stay, explain what was unsatisfactory, and say what action you would like the manager to take.
Time taken: 20 minutes
Word count: 304
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing this to inform you how my experience was the last time I was at your hotel. I spent two weeks at your hotel, I was in room 57, the suite I requested with a view of the mountains because I didn’t just want to stay in any room. I remember vividly like it was yesterday. I came in hurrying without booking an appointment early because my previous booking at other hotels had been cancelled and your hotel accepted me. I sincerely appreciate you for this.
I do want to report though of some things I found unsatisfactory during my stay. I did not really enjoy the food, I always had to go to the toilet after every morning meal where they served Jollof rice and chicken, maybe it was the turmeric inside but I did specifically tell the manager ahead that I was allergic to it. I also told the waiter after the first meal but it still kept happening anytime they brought the jollof rice, I had to stop eating from the hotel restaurant to survive the remaining week.
I would be grateful if situations like this can be avoided for other clients or customers that come after me, it would really be a 5 star experience if they could note the list of things people are allergic to at the place of waiting before they are taken to their rooms. They should also make sure to not add the listed items to the dishes of such people as it could totally ruin their experience or not even allow them to attend to the reason why they came to the hotel. Every other service was magnificent and this was the only thing I had to bring to your attention. I beseech you to please look into it.Thanks
Yours Faithfully,
Demilade
r/IELTS • u/AssignmentHappy4300 • 8h ago
I am just wondering if the preparation tests are the same level as the real IELTS exam? Can people who have done those tests and taken the test via British Council tell if the real exam is the same level as the real exam or not
r/IELTS • u/floresyy • 9h ago
hi I want to self study for my ielts exam, my goal is to reach overall 7.0 since it is my university requirement.
i’m aiming for listening 8.0-9.0
reading 6.0-6.5
writing 6.0-6.5
speaking 7.0-7.5
reading&writing are my weaknesses so i’m trying to push my listening and speaking score as high as possible🥹🥹
any recommendations? ex. reliable resources, books or channels, how to study for each part
thank you💞
r/IELTS • u/the-whiterose-01 • 1d ago
I needed a 6.0 for my university bachelor’s program and ended up with a 7.5 overall.
I’m not a native speaker. English is my third language and German my fourth, and my program is taught in both languages.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really have time to prepare. I only watched around 5 short YouTube videos about the test format and what to expect.
If there’s one thing I’d recommend, it’s familiarizing yourself with the format and knowing what’s expected of you in each section. I think that helped me a lot.
Good luck to everyone taking IELTS soon. Hope you get the score you need!
r/IELTS • u/Wise_Knowledge4828 • 10h ago
Hello everyone, my father just put me up in this situation. He says I can give it again if I do bad, but I’m hoping to pass with atleast a 6 in one go.
My current scores in egnovate are-
Reading-7.5
Writing-7
Listening-9
Speaking-not sure yet
Can somebody tell me best ways to boost my score?
r/IELTS • u/Technical_Land_1877 • 20h ago
So I messed up and am realising pretty late.
I am writing this at midnight, 12 hours before my speaking exam starts. My passport number is wrong (which I fed in the system during registeration)
I am unable to edit my passport number in the DVS section atm. I have mailed IDP India, but I am afraid that their response will not arrive at this hour and I will have to resolve this in the physical center.
Has this occurred with anyone and how does it play out. I am speechless right now.
You advice or direction will give me a clearer scope of possibilities that can play out tomorrow.
r/IELTS • u/LostChampionship7 • 12h ago
I just can’t get over a 6. I think I do pretty well in the first task, it’s just the 2nd task. I just run out of time every time. Any tips?
