This week's sessions
Tick each session when you finish it. Your ticks are saved only in this browser.
- Listening full test 1Do the full listening test in one go, then group your mistakes: paraphrase, distractor, qualifier, precision.
- Speaking practice 2Answer all three parts out loud and record yourself. Check each Part 3 answer for a reason, an example and balance.
- Full mock test: Listening and ReadingStart the complete mock test and do the Listening and Reading parts in one sitting. It takes about 90 minutes, so set aside the time.
- Full mock test: Writing and SpeakingFinish the mock test: Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (about 12 minutes). Your estimated overall band appears at the end.
- Review against band 7Review your mock with the band 7 checklist in this week's lesson. Choose the skill furthest from 7 and repeat that week.
This week's lesson: closing the last half band
You've worked on every skill. This week you'll take a full mock test, find exactly where the last half band is, and plan the final days before your test.
Take the mock like the real test
- Listening, Reading and Writing in one sitting, about 2 hours 40 minutes, with no breaks. Speaking can be another day.
- Real timings: 17, 20 and 23 minutes for the three reading passages; 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2.
- No pausing, no dictionary. The estimate is only useful if the conditions are real.
Review by band 7 criteria
At this level, "I need more practice" isn't specific enough. Check your mock against the band 7 features for each skill.
Listening and Reading
Count your mistakes in each group:
- Paraphrase: the answer was there, but in different words.
- Distractor: you chose an option that was mentioned, then rejected.
- Qualifier: you missed most, may, initially or a similar word.
- Precision: spelling, plurals, word limit or grammar of the gap.
- Timing: questions you guessed or left because time ran out.
If one group has three or more mistakes, that's your focus. Two or three answers is often the whole gap between 6.5 and 7.
Writing
Read your Task 2 and ask:
- Is my position clear in the introduction and consistent to the end?
- Is every main idea extended, with a reason and a specific example?
- Do I use reference and substitution, not just linking words at the start of sentences?
- Are most of my sentences completely error-free?
For Task 1: is there a clear overview with no numbers, and have I selected key features rather than listing everything?
Speaking
Listen to your recording and check:
- Do I hesitate for ideas or for words?
- Did I develop every Part 3 answer with a reason, an example and some balance?
- Did I use a few less common phrases accurately?
If you're at 6.5 in one skill
That's common, and it's close. Repeat that skill's week, with one change: do every task twice. The second attempt, after reading the model answer, is where most of the learning happens.
The last week before your test
- Keep practice short and regular: one listening part, one reading passage and one speaking answer a day.
- Write one timed essay three or four days before the test, then stop writing full essays. Review your error list instead.
- Don't change technique now. Use the timing and routines you've practised.
- Prepare the practical details: ID, test centre, timing, and sleep.
On the day
- Listening: read ahead during every pause, and wait for speakers to settle on an answer.
- Reading: keep to your time plan; guess and move on rather than lose a whole passage.
- Writing: spend the first five minutes of Task 2 planning your position and ideas.
- Speaking: treat it as a conversation. Develop your answers, and don't worry about one mistake.
What's next
If you're at 7 or above in every skill, well done. If you need band 8, the IELTS band 8 page explains what changes at the top level.
Weekly check: Complete IELTS mock test
All four parts with an estimated overall band.
When you finish, come back to your plan home: your dashboard updates with the new score.
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