IELTS study plan

Prepare to boost your score with our comprehensive 6-week IELTS study plan, made to guide you through every essential skill step-by-step. Whether you're aiming to strengthen your listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills, this plan provides a structured, targeted approach to help you achieve your desired score. Take advantage of the exercises, practical tips, and effective strategies each week to build your confidence and ensure you're fully IELTS-ready!

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Overview for the 6-week IELTS study plan

Week 1: Create effective study habits

Before you start your preparation journey, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the IELTS test format. Once you know what the test looks like, follow these steps to build successful study habits.

1. Write down your target score and what English language skills you need to improve.

2. Take a look at the next five weeks of our study plan and choose the preparation materials that will help you most.

3. Review your plan each week. Add extra options or change what you’re studying if necessary.

4. Create a study schedule that suits your daily routine. Treat your study time like an important appointment you wouldn’t want to miss.

5. Choose a quiet place to study where you won’t be disturbed. Consider switching your phone to silent mode.

6. Stay motivated by using some of these effective study strategies to make sure you keep on track:

• Share your study plans with a friend or family member for accountability.

• Ask a teacher to give you feedback on your writing or speaking.

• Reward yourself after each study session to celebrate your progress.

Week 2: Lift your listening

If you're taking the IELTS on Computer test, the first section you do is Listening – which is why we’ve put it first on the study plan. Choose from two different options to fill your IELTS study hour in the first week.

Option 1: Free practice questions

Want to get an idea of what kind of questions you’ll see in the Listening test? Listen to conversations and monologues while completing multiple-choice, form completion and other common IELTS Listening questions with these free practice sample questions.

Read more: IELTS listening practice

Option 2: Tips to improve IELTS Listening scores

If you’re looking for ways to improve your IELTS Listening score, don’t miss this free one-hour masterclass where IELTS experts shares their best tips and plenty of examples to help you score your desired band score.

Week 3: Get IELTS Reading-ready

Preparing for this section of the test involves more than just reading. This week’s options will help you develop reading skills and strategies and build up your vocabulary.

Option 1: Free sample questions

Trying test preparation questions can help you find out what reading skills you need to improve. Explore these free IELTS Academic and General Training sample questions to learn about the type of questions that you can expect to see in the IELTS Reading test.

Read more: IELTS Reading practice

Option 2: Learn Reading skills

Here’s a quick rundown for improving IELTS Reading skills:

1. Know the format: Understand Academic vs. General test differences and time limits (60 minutes for 40 questions).

2. Skimming and scanning: Skim for main ideas; scan for specific details like dates, names, and keywords.

3. Expand vocabulary: Focus on synonyms and paraphrasing; read diverse materials.

4. Master question types:

• True/False/Not Given: Look for specific statements.

• Matching Headings: Identify main ideas in each paragraph.

• Summary Completion: Stick to the word limit and locate keywords.

5. Increase Speed: Practice reading quickly without re-reading too much.

6. Use IELTS Practice Tests: Familiarise with real questions and time yourself.

7. Review Mistakes: Understand why an answer is wrong; look for patterns.

8. Stay Calm: Don’t get stuck on tough questions; move on and return if time permits.

Option 3: Read the news in English

When you’re preparing for IELTS, it’s important to expand your vocabulary so you can understand different types of texts. Breaking News English provides current news stories in seven different English levels with free vocabulary exercises to go with them.

Week 4: Boost your writing skills

Improving your writing skills for IELTS takes time, this week’s IELTS study plan cover a mixture of writing skills as well as ways to include English writing practice into your daily routine.

Option 1: Practice IELTS Writing topics

Familiarise yourself with the writing questions you might get on test day by downloading our free IELTS Academic and General Training Writing questions. We’ve also included sample answers to help you get the IELTS score you need.

Read more: IELTS Writing practice

Option 2: Improve your IELTS Writing band score

Are you aiming for a band 7 or 8 in Writing? Below is a step-by-step IELTS study plan to help you reach your desired score:

• Understand task requirements: Follow essay/report structure.

• Plan before writing: Outline key points.

• Use varied vocabulary: Avoid repetition.

• Focus on grammar: Mix sentence types.

• Stay relevant: Stick to the topic.

• Practice time management: Allocate time for planning, writing, and revising.

• Review your work: Check for grammar and spelling errors.

Option 3: Keep a daily journal

Regular practice improves both your writing skills and self-confidence. Start a journal in English and write about your thoughts and experiences for ten minutes every day.

Week 5: Advance your speaking skills

Improving your speaking skills requires a clear IELTS study plan with regular practice. This week’s options offer three different study strategies to help you boost your confidence and speaking abilities.

Option 1: IELTS Speaking practice topics

Improve your IELTS Speaking skills by taking a closer look at the types of questions you might get on test day. Add these common IELTS speaking questions to your study plan and practise with friends to stay motivated.

Option 2: Record yourself

Talk about a different topic for five minutes every day. Record yourself on your phone and listen to the recording afterwards. This allows you to identify areas for improvement in pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar.

Week 6: Revision and confidence

Congratulations on making it to Week 6! This week is all about building up your IELTS confidence by identifying any gaps you might have in your skills and knowledge.

Option 1: Free mock tests

Practise managing your time effectively by taking an online IELTS mock test under exam conditions. Analyse your results to identify your weaknesses so you know what to focus on for the rest of the IELTS study time.

Option 2: Understanding IELTS Scores

Read about how IELTS is scored. Look at the band descriptors for Writing and Speaking and find your desired band score. Identify the areas you need to improve and set aside time to work on these.

Option 3: What to expect on test day

Learn what you need to bring on test day and what are things you should follow.

Remember, consistency is the key to success. By starting with just one option a week of the IELTS study plan, you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals. Stay connected with our social media channels, explore the additional preparation materials on our website, download our app and get involved with our community of learners for support and motivation.

You've got this! Start your journey to IELTS readiness today.

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