IELTS tips and tricks
Short, practical articles on the habits that win and lose marks. Each one links to a lesson and a practice task so you can try the tip straight away.
Listening tips
- IELTS Listening: how to stop losing marks on spelling and numbersSpelling, plurals, dates and numbers cost easy Listening marks. Seven habits that protect them, with examples of what is and isn't accepted.Read · 2 min
- IELTS Listening Part 4: how to follow a lecture without getting lostPart 4 is one speaker, ten questions and no break. How to use the structure of a lecture to stay on track and recover when you lose your place.Read · 2 min
Reading tips
- True, False or Not Given: five traps and how to avoid themThe five most common reasons learners choose the wrong answer in T/F/NG questions, with short examples of each trap.Read · 2 min
- Matching headings faster: a five-step routineA practical routine for matching headings that saves time: what to read, what to skip, and how to use elimination.Read · 2 min
Writing tips
- Writing Task 1: how to write the overview examiners look forWithout an overview, Academic Task 1 is hard to score above Band 5. What an overview is, where to put it, and examples for charts, tables and processes.Read · 2 min
- Plan a Task 2 essay in five minutesA five-minute planning routine that keeps your essay on topic, fully answers the question and saves time later.Read · 2 min
- IELTS Writing Task 2 essay types explained, with a Band 7+ sample answerThe five IELTS Writing Task 2 essay types, how to recognise each question, the best structure for every type and a full Band 7+ sample essay.Read · 5 min
Speaking tips
- Speaking Part 2: what to write in your one minute of notesUse the one-minute preparation time well: what to write, what not to write, and how notes help you talk for the full two minutes.Read · 2 min
- How to extend your Speaking answers naturallyShort answers limit your score. Four simple ways to say more in Parts 1 and 3 without sounding memorised.Read · 2 min
- Common IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card topics for 2026, with sample answersThe most common IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card themes for 2026, how to answer for two full minutes and three natural Band 7+ sample answers.Read · 6 min
Vocabulary tips
- How to learn IELTS vocabulary that you actually rememberLists of rare words don't help. How to learn words in collocations, review them with spaced repetition and use them in your own sentences.Read · 2 min
- Collocations: the quickest way to sound natural in IELTSWhy collocations matter more than rare words, 30 high-frequency IELTS collocations, and how to check them.Read · 2 min
Grammar tips
- A, an or the? Article rules that fix most IELTS errorsArticles are the most common grammar mistake in IELTS Writing. Four rules that cover most cases, with before-and-after examples.Read · 2 min
- Which tenses to use in Writing Task 1Past, present, future or present perfect? How to choose tenses for charts with past dates, projections and processes.Read · 2 min
Exam-day strategies
- IELTS exam-day checklist: what to do before and during the testA practical exam-day checklist: documents, timing, what to eat, and how to stay calm between sections.Read · 2 min
- Nervous about IELTS? Practical ways to stay calmExam nerves are normal. Simple techniques for before and during the test, and how practice under exam conditions reduces anxiety.Read · 2 min
- IELTS band score calculator explained: raw scores to bands for Listening and ReadingHow IELTS converts Listening and Reading raw scores into bands, with conversion tables for Academic and General Training and how the overall band is rounded.Read · 4 min
- IELTS vs IELTS UKVI vs PTE: which English test should Bangladeshi students take?IELTS Academic, IELTS for UKVI and PTE Academic compared for students in Bangladesh and South Asia: format, scoring, results time and which countries accept them.Read · 5 min
Time management
- A 60-minute time plan for IELTS WritingHow to divide 60 minutes between Task 1 and Task 2, which to do first, and what to do if you run out of time.Read · 2 min
- Where Reading time really goes (and how to get it back)The habits that quietly use up your 60 minutes in Reading, and the fixes that free up time for the final passage.Read · 2 min
- How to prepare for IELTS at home in 30 days: a free day-by-day planA free 30-day IELTS study plan you can follow at home, with daily tasks for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking and weekly mock tests.Read · 6 min
Common IELTS mistakes
- Eight IELTS Writing mistakes that cost a bandFrom under-length answers to memorised introductions, eight common Writing mistakes and the fix for each.Read · 2 min
- Six Speaking test mistakes and what to do insteadMemorised answers, one-word replies and silence: six common Speaking mistakes, why they lower your score, and better alternatives.Read · 2 min
Band 6 to Band 7
- From Band 6 to Band 7 in Writing: what actually changesThe difference between Band 6 and Band 7 Writing, criterion by criterion, with examples of how to make each change.Read · 2 min
- Reaching Band 7 in Listening and Reading: how many answers you needRoughly how many correct answers Band 7 needs in Listening and Reading, and where most learners can find the extra marks.Read · 2 min