IELTS preparation

Prepare for your IELTS test and give yourself the best chance to succeed.

Materials from IELTS

Practice is advisable for all test takers, even native English speakers. Taking practice tests will improve your skills and improve your awareness of the test format.

  • British Council and IELTS online - includes sample papers and further information about all available training options.  Find out more by visiting Take IELTS or IELTS online.
  • IELTS mobile apps - this is a free IELTS app for your mobile that allows you to learn English flexibly.
  • IELTS YouTube channel - for tips, advice and more visit the TakeIELTS Official channel.
  • IELTS Ready: Premium - once you have registered for your test, you will have access to the British Council's online preparation course for IELTS test takers. IELTS Ready: Premium provides personalised, smart support that works with you and your learning needs to help you reach your required IELTS score, including mock tests and practice resources for all our skills. You’ll find this on the test taker portal - just log in and select the ‘Preparation’ tab to get started.

Tips

  • Remember to bring the identification document that you applied with, photocopies are not acceptable. As you know, IELTS is a very secure test with strict rules. Throughout the test, you will be asked for your government issued ID or passport.
  • Know the test venue. Many cities have multiple test locations. Make sure you know your test locations, if unsure contact the test centre to confirm the test venue address at least 24 hours before the test. If you are late, you might not be able to take the exam!
  • Make yourself available for the whole day. IELTS can take the whole day. Make sure you don’t schedule other plans around these times. If you try and do too much on test day, it might stress you out and affect your performance.
  • Always check your spelling. You can lose marks for incorrect spelling.
  • Don’t cheat! IELTS is very secure. IELTS invigilators and examiners are some of the strictest, best trained, and observant professionals in the language testing world. So, the chances are, if you cheat you will get caught, and have your results withheld permanently!