Course description

If you need an IELTS band score for a university place, a job, professional registration or a visa, good preparation makes a real difference. This course shows you, step by step and in plain English, how each part of IELTS works, how band scores are worked out, and what to do with every type of question, so you can walk into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.

It's a full course, not a quick tour. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow a hospital pharmacist through 15 weeks of preparation for a UK master's degree, from her first practice exam to her results, with her real-feeling practice scores, writing feedback and study hours. Every section has a worksheet, answers, a cheat sheet and practice materials written for this course, including Listening scripts, Reading passages, Task 1 and Task 2 questions, Speaking task cards and model answers.

What you'll learn

• The basics: the four parts of IELTS, Academic, General Training, IELTS for UKVI and Life Skills, and how band scores and the overall band are worked out.
• Listening and Reading: predicting answers, keywords and paraphrase, True, False, Not Given, matching headings, word limits and managing your time.
• Writing Task 1: overviews, describing and comparing data, processes and maps, and General Training letters.
• Writing Task 2: question types, planning in five minutes, clear paragraphs and well-supported ideas.
• Language for higher bands: linking, vocabulary, grammatical range, accuracy and your own error list.
• Speaking: natural Part 1 answers, a confident two-minute talk in Part 2, discussing ideas in Part 3, fluency and pronunciation.
• Practice and exam day: a weekly study plan, practice exams under real conditions, marking your own work, booking, exam day and what to do after your results.

Who it's for

Anyone preparing for IELTS Academic or General Training, with English at around intermediate level or above. It ends with a final project: a full practice exam, a writing portfolio and a speaking plan for your last weeks. The practice questions are written for Rootlet, not taken from real exams, and the course points you to the free official practice materials on ielts.org.

What will I learn?

• Understand the four parts of IELTS, how band scores work and which version you need
• Use clear strategies for every Listening and Reading question type
• Write a clear Academic Task 1 report or General Training letter with an overview and key features
• Plan and write a well-organised Task 2 essay within the time and word count
• Build the vocabulary, grammar and linking that the marking criteria look for
• Answer all three parts of the Speaking exam fluently and naturally
• Make a realistic study plan, practise under real conditions and mark your own work
• Prepare for exam day and know your options after your results

Frequently asked questions