Exam preparation: IELTS

IELTS preparation: format, band scores, fees and how to prepare

IELTS has the same format wherever you take it, and it is moving fully to computer, with Speaking still face to face. Here is how it works, what it costs in four countries, a six-week plan and a worked Writing example.

Research + first-party information Facts checked 25 October 2026 By the LearnEnglish.life editorial team

The short answer

IELTS tests Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking in 2 hours 45 minutes and reports bands from 0 to 9. Take IELTS Academic for university study or professional registration, General Training for migration, work or training below degree level, and IELTS for UKVI when a UK visa asks for a Secure English Language Test. IELTS is moving every test to computer from mid-2026 (timelines vary by market), and Speaking stays face to face with an examiner.

IELTS at a glance

Owners: British Council, IDP IELTS, Cambridge University Press & Assessment; Trusted by over 13,500 organisations, IELTS says
Test time: 2 hours 45 minutes; Same format everywhere
Scores: Bands 0 to 9; Whole and half bands
Fee examples: USD 325 (US), GBP 260 (UK); Set by each centre; 25 October 2026
Results: Usually 1 to 2 days on computer; Up to 5; IELTS Online 6 to 8 days
Validity: 2 years (recommended); Some organisations accept older results
At home: IELTS Online, Academic only; Some countries; not for UK visas
Retake one skill: One Skill Retake; Within 60 days, once per test

Academic, General Training or UKVI?

Pick the version your organisation names. Listening and Speaking are identical in Academic and General Training; Reading and Writing differ.

IELTS versions and who each is for
Version	Who it is for	Good to know
IELTS Academic	Undergraduate and postgraduate study; professional registration, for example doctors and nurses	The only version offered as IELTS Online at home, in some countries
IELTS General Training	Migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK; work; training or study below degree level	Different Reading texts and Writing tasks from Academic
IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training)	UK visas that need a Secure English Language Test	Taken in person at an IELTS for UKVI centre
IELTS for UKVI Life Skills (A1, A2, B1)	UK family, settlement and citizenship routes	Speaking and Listening only; pass or fail

Sections and timing

IELTS sections, timing and what to expect
Section	Time	What to expect
Listening	About 30 minutes	40 questions, one mark each; the same in both versions
Reading	60 minutes	40 questions; different texts in Academic and General Training, same band scale
Writing	60 minutes	Tasks differ between the versions; typed, unless you book Writing on Paper where offered
Speaking	11 to 14 minutes	Face to face with a trained examiner (by video call in IELTS Online); the same in both versions

Band scores and the CEFR

Each section gets a band from 0 to 9, in whole or half bands. The overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band: an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 to the next whole band. So 6.5, 6.0, 6.0 and 6.5 (average 6.25) give 6.5 overall, and 7.0, 6.5, 6.5 and 7.0 (average 6.75) give 7.0.

On IELTS's chart, overall bands 4 to 5 sit at B1, 5.5 to 6.5 at B2, 7 to 8 at C1 and 8.5 to 9 at C2, with band 5 on the B1/B2 border and band 8 on the C1/C2 border. IELTS stresses there is no exact one-to-one match. Many organisations also set a minimum for each section.

Recent changes

Paper tests withdrawn. IELTS announced on 5 March 2026: "from mid-2026, we will no longer offer IELTS as a paper-based test. All IELTS tests will be delivered on computer. Exact timelines will vary by market." Selected markets offer Writing on Paper, where you handwrite only the Writing section. IDP India already lists IELTS on Paper as discontinued.
Test Report Forms issued from 15 July 2026 carry the Ofqual logo; older forms remain valid.
Score corrections. IELTS says a small proportion of test takers received incorrect results between August 2023 and September 2025, and affected candidates were contacted.
UK work visas. According to IELTS, Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas now require B2: IELTS for UKVI 5.5 in each component (B1 for people on the route before 8 January 2026).

One Skill Retake

Still offered in 2026 at participating centres. You retake one of the four skills, in Academic or General Training, within 60 days of your original test and once per test. The original must be on computer (or Writing on Paper, retaken the same way). You get a new Test Report Form and choose which one to send, with results in 3 to 5 days. The fee is local: INR 12,650 in India. IELTS says UK Visas and Immigration accepts One Skill Retake for IELTS Academic and General Training tests on computer in selected locations.

Fees by country

From official test-centre pages on 25 October 2026. Each centre sets its price, which can change or carry local tax. We found no official fee for IELTS Online.

IELTS fees by country on 25 October 2026
Country	Academic or General Training	IELTS for UKVI	Life Skills	Centre
United States	USD 325	USD 340	USD 200 (A1, B1)	Inlingua Washington DC
United Kingdom	GBP 260	GBP 257	GBP 182	British Council London King's Cross; UKVI and Life Skills at London West
India	INR 19,000	INR 19,250	INR 18,000	IDP India
Australia	AUD 490	AUD 505	not checked	IDP Sydney Central Station

Results: on computer usually in 1 to 2 days (IELTS also says up to 5), within 5 days with Writing on Paper, 6 to 8 days for IELTS Online and within 9 days for Life Skills.

How to prepare: a six-week plan

This plan suits you if you are already close to your target band and can study for about an hour a day, five days a week. If you are a whole CEFR level or more below it, build your general English first: see general English or exam preparation and the 12-week plan on our hub.

Week 1: find your weakest section. Work through the official sample test questions for your version under exam timing, on screen where you can, and note where you lose most marks. If a participating centre offers the free IELTS Trial Test, book it now: its unofficial results take 13 days.
Weeks 2 and 3: work on that section. Spend 30 minutes a day on it and 15 on a list of your own mistakes. Each week, write one essay and record one Speaking practice for feedback, and watch the free Writing videos.
Week 4: a full practice test. Do Listening, Reading and Writing in one sitting, typing your Writing, then check every wrong answer. IDP's IELTS Prepare hub has free practice tests.
Week 5: timing. Timed Reading and Listening sections, two complete Writing sections of 60 minutes each, and Speaking practice on everyday topics with a partner or teacher.
Week 6: light review. One short timed practice early in the week, then rest. Check your booking details, your ID and the centre's rules.

Feedback on Writing and Speaking is the part that is hardest to do alone. On Preply tutors set prices (USD 3 to 100 per 50 minutes, billed every 28 days); italki states USD 4 to 60 an hour, paid per lesson; See Guru (shares our owner) lists IELTS preparation, with its cheapest English teacher at USD 4.63 for 25 minutes and three free trials, though its terms say there is no standardised curriculum. Prices on 25 October 2026; exam specialists may charge more, and quality varies by teacher.

Worked example: improving an opinion essay paragraph

An opinion question in the style of IELTS Writing, a weaker body paragraph and a stronger rewrite. We are not IELTS examiners, and neither paragraph has an official band: watch the direction of the changes.

Question: Some people think cities should spend more money on public transport than on building new roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Before: a weaker paragraph

In my opinion public transport is more better than roads. Because many people use the bus and it is cheap. Also roads make pollution and traffic is very bad in big cities, for example in my city there is traffic every day. So government must to spend money for buses and trains and not roads.

After: clearer, developed, accurate

I largely agree that cities should prioritise public transport over new roads, mainly because buses and trains move far more people in the same amount of space. A full bus carries the passengers of many cars, so investing in frequent services reduces congestion for everyone, including people who still drive. New roads, by contrast, tend to bring only temporary relief, since extra lanes often encourage more people to travel by car. For these reasons, money spent on reliable, affordable public transport is likely to deliver longer-lasting benefits than money spent on wider roads.

What changed, and why it helps

A clear position: "I largely agree" answers "to what extent", and the reason follows at once.
One idea, developed: claim, explanation, example, link back, instead of loosely connected points.
The other side answered: "by contrast" deals with the case for roads.
Grammar fixed: "more better" is gone (the comparative is just "better"), "must to" becomes "should", "spend money for" becomes "money spent on", and the fragment that starts "Because many people" becomes part of a full sentence ("mainly because buses and trains ...").
Precise vocabulary: "prioritise", "congestion", "temporary relief" and "longer-lasting benefits" replace repeated words.
Linking words with a job: "mainly because", "by contrast", "for these reasons", rather than "Also" and "So" at the start of every sentence.

Quick practice: correct one mistake in each sentence

The number of students who study abroad have increased.
People should be more aware about the risks of social media.
Many people now work from home, it saves them time.
The government should invest more money to education.
Although technology is useful, but it can also be harmful.

Show the answers

The number of students who study abroad has increased. ("The number" is singular.)
People should be more aware of the risks of social media.
Many people now work from home, which saves them time. (Or use a full stop: a comma cannot join two sentences.)
The government should invest more money in education. (We invest money in something.)
Although technology is useful, it can also be harmful. (Use "although" or "but", not both.)

Mistakes to avoid

Booking the wrong version. Academic, General Training and IELTS for UKVI are different products, and IELTS Online is not valid for UK visas.
Checking only the overall band. Look for minimums per section, such as 5.5 in each for UK Skilled Worker visas.
Practising only on paper. Unless you book Writing on Paper, you will read and type on screen.
Reciting prepared Speaking answers. Speaking is a conversation with an examiner, so practise many everyday topics instead.
Missing the One Skill Retake window, which closes 60 days after your test.
Assuming an at-home result is accepted. Each organisation decides whether to accept IELTS Online.

Frequently asked questions

Is IELTS still available on paper?

It is being withdrawn. IELTS announced on 5 March 2026 that from mid-2026 it would no longer offer a paper-based test, with exact timelines varying by market, and IDP India already lists IELTS on Paper as discontinued. Selected markets offer "Writing on Paper": a computer test in which you handwrite the Writing section. Paper results already issued stay valid for the recommended two years.

How much does IELTS cost?

Each centre sets its fee. On 25 October 2026 IELTS Academic or General Training cost USD 325 at a US centre, GBP 260 at the British Council in London, INR 19,000 in India and AUD 490 in Sydney. IELTS for UKVI cost USD 340, INR 19,250 and AUD 505 at the same US, Indian and Sydney centres.

Can I retake only one section of IELTS?

Yes, with One Skill Retake at participating centres: one of Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking, within 60 days of a computer-delivered test, once per test. You choose which Test Report Form to use. The fee is local, for example INR 12,650 in India.

Does it matter whether I book with the British Council or IDP?

Not for the test itself. The British Council and IDP IELTS co-own IELTS with Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and IELTS says the format is the same wherever it is taken. Fees are set by each test centre, so compare the centres near you.

How long is an IELTS result valid?

IELTS recommends that organisations treat results as valid for two years from the test date. Some accept older results, so check with yours.

Skills: Writing Task 2, Writing Task 1, Speaking, Listening and Reading, plus free IELTS practice tests.
Other tests: TOEFL iBT, the Duolingo English Test, Cambridge English exams, or our guide to choosing an exam.

Not sure whether you are at B2 or C1 yet? Our free level test gives a quick estimate of your grammar, vocabulary and reading.

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