Guides
IELTS Academic — exam knowledge in plain English
Guides to the IELTS Academic exam: format, band descriptors, Reading and Listening strategy, Writing Task 1/2, Speaking Parts 1–3, and study plans.
IELTS Academic: the full picture in ten minutes
What IELTS Academic actually tests, who accepts it, and how the four sections and the 0–9 band scale fit together — without the marketing gloss.
Read articleIELTS Academic: format and time management
Exact section lengths, per-question time budgets, and how to keep them under real test pressure.
Read articleHow the IELTS band score is calculated
How the 0–9 scale actually converts raw answers into a section band, and how the overall band is rounded.
Read articleSetting your IELTS Academic target band
How to decode target statements and plan a route to hit them — overall and per section.
Read articleIELTS Academic Reading: question types field guide
Every IELTS Academic Reading question type, what it tests, and the safest strategy for each.
Read articleIELTS Listening: strategies that raise your band
How to prepare for each of the four Listening parts and the traps that cost the most marks.
Read articleIELTS Academic Writing Task 1: structure and language
Task 1 in 20 minutes: paragraph structure, overview language, and how to avoid the two most common band-costers.
Read articleIELTS Writing Task 2: essay types and structure
The essay types, the structure that fits each, and how to answer the specific question — not the topic.
Read articleIELTS Speaking: Parts 1, 2, 3 explained
What actually happens in each Speaking part and what the examiner is actually marking.
Read articleThe ten most common IELTS Academic mistakes
The ten mistakes that most often cost half a band, and how to avoid each one.
Read articleIELTS Academic 4-week study plan (crash)
Four weeks, six days a week, 90 minutes a day — for candidates already at Band 6 with a specific score gap to close.
Read articleIELTS Academic 8-week study plan (balanced)
Eight weeks, five days a week, 75–90 minutes a day — the default plan for candidates at Band 5.5–6 aiming for a half to full band improvement.
Read articleIELTS Academic 12-week study plan (full build)
Twelve weeks, six days a week, 60–90 minutes a day — the plan for candidates starting at Band 5 or below who need vocabulary and grammar foundations.
Read articleIELTS test day: practical checklist
What you need to bring, what is provided, and the technical differences between the paper and computer versions.
Read articleIELTS Academic vs TOEFL iBT
Structural differences, scoring, and the specific situations where one exam clearly fits better than the other.
Read articleIELTS Academic vs IELTS General Training
Where the two versions actually differ, and which one your institution or immigration route requires.
Read articleIELTS Academic for university applications
Typical requirements, section minimums, how long results stay valid, and how to send scores.
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