IELTS PracticeHow this site helps
IELTS rewards two things: your level of English, and knowing exactly what each part of the test asks for. The first takes months of reading, listening and speaking. The second can be learned in days, and many test takers never learn it. They write essays without knowing the four criteria an examiner uses, or lose marks in Speaking by giving one-word answers.
This site is about that second thing. It sets out the test as the official IELTS website describes it: four sections, 40 questions each in Listening and Reading, two writing tasks in 60 minutes, a three-part interview of 11 to 14 minutes, and a band scale from 0 to 9. It then explains each Writing and Speaking criterion with weak and better examples, and gives you material to practise on: essay questions, data tables, letters, interview questions and cue cards, all written by us.
The test
How the test is built and scored.
Writing
Criteria, practice questions and sample answers. All writing pages
- Task achievement and task response
- Coherence and cohesion
- Lexical resource: vocabulary
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Task 2 practice questions
- Sample essay: opinion
- Sample essay: discuss both views
- Sample essay: problem and solution
- Academic Task 1: describing data
- General Training Task 1: letters
Speaking
Criteria and practice for all three parts. All speaking pages
- Fluency and coherence
- Pronunciation
- Speaking Part 1: practice questions
- Speaking Part 2: cue cards
- Speaking Part 3: discussion
Preparation
Mistakes to avoid and a plan.
A way to begin
- Read the test format, so that nothing on the day is a surprise.
- Check with your university, employer or immigration programme which version and which bands you need.
- Take a free official sample test from ielts.org to find your level.
- Follow the six-week plan, using the pages here for Writing and Speaking.
Questions people ask
Is this an official IELTS website?
No. It is an independent practice site, not connected with the British Council, IDP IELTS or Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The official site is ielts.org.
Are the questions real IELTS questions?
No. Every task, cue card and sample answer was written by us for practice. Official sample tests are free on ielts.org.
Will you tell me what band my essay is?
No. Only certificated IELTS examiners award bands. Our comments explain how a sample tries to meet each criterion.
Is it free?
Yes. No login and no payment. Advertisements pay for the site.
Independent practice site. IELTS Practice is not connected with, approved by or endorsed by the British Council, IDP IELTS or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own IELTS. The practice tasks and sample answers here are our own; they are not official test questions, and we do not award bands. Facts about the test were read on ielts.org on 12 November 2026. For registration, fees, dates and official sample tests, go to ielts.org.