IELTS Practice Tool
IELTS Practice Test
A complete IELTS preparation hub: practice sets for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, three timed full mock tests, a question bank of 150+ practice questions — and a personal study plan built from your scores.
Finish Listening and Reading practice — or sit the Full Mock Test — to unlock your estimated band, then build a personal study plan from your results. Writing and Speaking are self-assessed with model answers and examiner checklists — and below you can now get instant AI examiner feedback on your own answers.
AI Feedback — Writing & Speaking
New: paste your own Writing answer, or type what you would say for a Speaking cue card, and an AI examiner will estimate your band, correct your biggest mistakes and suggest better vocabulary. Free — up to 20 checks a day.
0 words · AI feedback is an estimate to guide your practice, not an official IELTS score.
Booking a cooking class
Recording length: about 1 minute 10 seconds.
Read the transcript (check after answering)
Receptionist: Good morning, Riverdale Community Centre. How can I help you?
Daniel: Hello. I’d like some information about your weekend cooking classes, please.
Receptionist: Of course. We run two classes at the weekend. The Saturday class focuses on Italian cooking, and the Sunday class is all about Asian street food.
Daniel: The Saturday one sounds perfect. What time does it start?
Receptionist: It starts at ten thirty in the morning and finishes at one o’clock. Each session costs thirty-five pounds, but if you book four sessions together, you get a ten percent discount.
Daniel: That’s reasonable. Do I need to bring anything with me?
Receptionist: Just an apron. All the ingredients and equipment are included in the price. But I should mention that places are limited to twelve people per class, so they fill up quickly.
Daniel: Then I’d like to book a place for this Saturday, please. My name is Daniel Carter.
Receptionist: Could you spell your surname for me?
Daniel: Yes, it’s C-A-R-T-E-R.
Receptionist: Thank you. And could I take a contact number?
Daniel: It’s zero seven seven four two, eight one five, nine zero three.
Receptionist: Perfect, you’re booked in. Please arrive fifteen minutes early on the day. And just so you know, payment is by card only. We don’t accept cash.
Daniel: No problem. Thank you for your help.
Receptionist: You’re welcome. See you on Saturday.
Reading passage
For centuries, people in northern Europe covered their roofs with turf and grass, mainly to keep their homes warm through long winters. Today, this old idea is returning to the world’s biggest cities — but for very different reasons. Modern “green roofs”, planted with grasses, flowers and even small trees, are now seen as a practical answer to several urban problems at once.
The most immediate benefit is water management. In a typical city, rainwater runs quickly off concrete and tarmac into drains, which can overflow during heavy storms and cause flooding. A green roof acts like a sponge: the soil and plants absorb a large share of the rain, releasing the rest slowly over many hours. Studies in Germany, where green roofs have been widely adopted, suggest they can retain between 50 and 80 per cent of annual rainfall.
Green roofs also help to cool cities. Urban areas are often several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside — a phenomenon known as the “urban heat island effect” — because dark roofs and roads absorb heat from the sun. Plants, by contrast, cool the air around them as water evaporates from their leaves. A single large green roof will not transform a city’s climate, but thousands of them together can lower temperatures noticeably, and they reduce the energy buildings need for air conditioning.
There are two main types. Extensive green roofs have a thin layer of soil, usually less than 15 centimetres deep, and are planted with hardy, low-growing plants that need little care. They are relatively light, so most existing buildings can support them. Intensive green roofs are more like rooftop gardens: deeper soil, a wider variety of plants, and sometimes paths and seating for people. They offer greater benefits but are heavier and far more expensive to install and maintain.
Despite the advantages, green roofs still cover only a small fraction of city rooftops. Cost remains the main barrier, and some building owners worry — often unnecessarily — about leaks and structural damage. Nevertheless, the trend is growing. Several cities, including Toronto and Copenhagen, now require green roofs on certain new buildings, while others offer financial incentives to encourage property owners to install them. As summers become hotter and storms more intense, the turf roofs of the past may become a standard feature of the future city.
Describe the chart
Examiner’s checklist — a strong Task 1 answer…
- Paraphrases the task in the introduction instead of copying it word for word.
- Includes an overview of the main trends — this is essential for Band 6 and above.
- Groups similar data together rather than describing every bar separately.
- Supports every main point with accurate figures from the chart.
- Uses comparison language: higher than, whereas, roughly double, the gap widened.
Model answer (187 words)
The bar chart compares the proportion of households recycling waste in Germany, Japan, the USA and Brazil in 2005 and 2020.
Overall, recycling rates rose in all four countries over the period. Germany had the highest rate in both years, while Brazil, despite recording the largest relative increase, remained the lowest of the four.
In 2005, just under half of German households (45%) recycled, ahead of Japan at 38%. The USA stood at 30%, while Brazil lagged far behind at only 12%. Fifteen years later, Germany had extended its lead, with roughly two-thirds of households (68%) recycling. Japan also saw a substantial rise to 55%, keeping it in second place.
The USA experienced more modest growth, climbing 12 percentage points to 42%. The most dramatic change occurred in Brazil, where the figure more than doubled, from 12% to 28%. Nevertheless, Brazil’s rate in 2020 was still lower than that of any other country in 2005 except itself, and the gap between Brazil and the leader actually widened from 33 to 40 percentage points.
Why it scores highly: clear overview, data grouped logically, every claim supported with figures, and a wide range of comparison structures.
Opinion essay
A reliable essay structure
- Introduction: paraphrase the statement, then give your clear position.
- Body 1: your strongest reason, explained and supported with an example.
- Body 2: a second reason — or acknowledge the other side, then explain why your view is stronger.
- Conclusion: restate your position in different words. Never add new ideas here.
Model answer (276 words)
In many countries, the rising cost of a university degree has sparked debate about whether higher education should be provided free of charge. While I accept that free tuition would widen access for poorer students, I largely disagree with the idea, because it would place an unfair burden on taxpayers and could reduce the quality of education.
Admittedly, abolishing fees would remove a major barrier for talented young people from low-income families. At present, many capable students are discouraged from applying to university, or graduate with debts that shape their career choices for years. A system funded through general taxation would, in theory, ensure that a person’s background matters less than their ability.
However, “free” education is never truly free — its cost is simply transferred to the whole population, including the majority who never attend university. It seems unjust that a shop assistant or bus driver, earning a modest wage, should pay higher taxes to fund degrees that will typically lead to well-paid professional jobs. A fairer approach is a system of means-tested grants and low-interest loans, which targets support at those who genuinely need it while expecting graduates, who benefit financially, to contribute.
There is also a risk to quality. If governments must fund every place entirely, they may respond to rising demand by capping student numbers or squeezing university budgets, resulting in larger classes and fewer resources. By contrast, institutions that receive part of their income from fees have a direct incentive to maintain standards and student satisfaction.
In conclusion, although free university education is an appealing idea, I believe targeted financial support offers a fairer and more sustainable solution than making degrees free for everyone, regardless of their means.
Why it scores highly: a clear position throughout, both sides addressed, ideas developed with reasons and consequences, and precise topic vocabulary (means-tested grants, tuition, taxation).
Warm-up questions
- Do you work, or are you a student?
- What do you enjoy most about your job or your studies?
- Do you prefer spending your free time indoors or outdoors?
- How often do you read books or news in English?
- What is one skill you would like to learn in the future?
Cue card
You should say:
- what the skill is
- who taught it to you and how you learned it
- how often you use it now
- and explain why it is still useful in your life.
Recording uses your microphone and stays on this device — nothing is uploaded. Playback appears here when you stop.
Follow-up discussion
- What skills do children today learn that previous generations did not?
- Do you think schools should spend more time teaching practical life skills, such as cooking or managing money?
- How important is it for adults to keep learning new skills throughout their lives?
- In the future, which human skills might become less valuable because of technology?
Words that raise your band
Say it the natural way
Quick quiz — topic words
Grammar practice
Mock Test 1 — exam conditions, start to finish
- Listening: a museum tour talk (Section 2), 7 questions — play the recording once, like the real exam.
- Reading: the “Farming Upwards” passage, 7 questions, with a 20-minute countdown.
- Writing: one Task 2 essay of at least 250 words, with a 40-minute countdown.
- Speaking: one cue card, with 1-minute preparation and 2-minute speaking timers.
At the end you get a band report — Listening and Reading are marked instantly, Writing is checked for length against the task, Speaking is self-rated — plus the focus areas for your study plan. Every question in each mock test also appears in the practice tabs, so you can review anything you missed afterwards.
A guided tour of the City Museum
Farming Upwards
Essay
Cue card
Your results
Your personal study plan
What the bands mean
| Band | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | Expert | Full command of English — accurate, fluent and completely appropriate, like an educated native speaker. |
| 8.0 | Very good | Only rare, unsystematic errors. Handles complex, detailed argument easily. |
| 7.0 | Good | Operational command with occasional inaccuracies. Can follow and build complex arguments — the target for most universities and employers. |
| 6.0 | Competent | Generally effective despite some errors. Can handle familiar topics and fairly detailed meaning. |
| 5.0 | Modest | Partial command — copes with overall meaning in most situations, but frequent mistakes in complex language. |
| 4.0 | Limited | Basic competence in familiar situations only; frequent misunderstandings. |
Most universities ask for an overall Band 6.0–7.0; immigration programmes often require 6.0–8.0 depending on the route. Always check the exact requirement of the institution you are applying to.
How to lift your band
- Listening: read the questions before the recording starts, and underline key words — answers are often paraphrased, not repeated word for word.
- Reading: never read every word. Skim for the topic, then scan for the specific detail each question needs.
- Writing: the overview (Task 1) and a clear position (Task 2) are the two fastest wins — examiners cannot award Band 7 without them.
- Speaking: fluency beats perfection. Keep talking, extend answers, and never memorise scripts — examiners are trained to spot them.
- Vocabulary: learn words in topic sets (education, environment, technology, health) — all four sections recycle the same themes.