If you want to improve your IELTS score, you need to know what to work on and how to work on it.
Doing more practice tests isn’t necessarily the answer. Neither is learning hundreds of new words or spending hours every day studying IELTS.
The best way to improve is to find out where you’re losing marks, understand why, and then practise the skills you need to improve.
Your preparation should also depend on your current score, your target score and the time you have available. There is no single study plan that works for everyone.
So where should you start?
Here are the steps I recommend if you want to make your IELTS preparation more effective.
1. Find out where you are now
Before you start studying, you need to know your current level.
If you need Band 7, for example, there’s a big difference between starting at Band 5.5 and starting at Band 6.5. You may need a very different kind of preparation.
Start by getting a realistic idea of your current score in all four skills:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
You can use practice tests for Listening and Reading, but remember that these only give you a snapshot of your current performance. For Writing and Speaking, getting feedback from an experienced teacher is much more useful than trying to estimate your own score.
You should also look at the IELTS Band Descriptors so that you understand what the examiner is looking for.
Once you know your current level, you can start working out what you need to do to reach your target.
🔗 Use my IELTS Band Score Calculator for Reading and Listening.
2. Find out what is stopping you getting the score you need 🔍
Knowing your score is useful, but it’s not enough.
You also need to understand why you’re losing marks.
For example, if you get a Listening question wrong, ask yourself why:
- Did you not know the word?
- Did you know the word but not recognise it when you heard it?
- Did you miss the answer because the speaker used different words from the question?
- Did you lose concentration?
- Did you make a spelling mistake?
The same applies to Writing and Speaking.
If you’re getting Band 6 in Writing, for example, you need to know what is keeping you at Band 6. Is it your grammar? Your ideas? Your paragraphing? Your vocabulary? Are you answering the question directly enough?
This is much more useful than simply knowing that an answer was wrong or that an essay was given Band 6.
Don’t just collect mistakes. Find out why they happened.
Once you understand the problem, you can choose the right way to practise it.
👉 See my IELTS Resources page.
3. Work on the skills you actually need 🎯
IELTS preparation involves two things:
English skills: vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, reading, listening, speaking and writing.
IELTS skills: understanding the questions, managing your time, planning your answers and knowing what the examiner is looking for.
You need both.
For example, learning how to approach a True/False/Not Given question can help you do better in the Reading test. But if you have difficulty understanding the text, learning more question strategies won’t solve the underlying problem.
Similarly, learning how to structure a Task 2 essay can help you organise your ideas. But if your grammar is inaccurate or your ideas are not developed clearly, you also need to work on those skills.
IELTS techniques can help you use your English more effectively, but they can’t replace the English skills you need to get a higher score.
This is why your preparation should focus on the skills that are actually limiting your score, rather than simply doing whatever IELTS activity happens to be available.
4. Practise deliberately, not just repeatedly 🔄
Practice is essential, but not all practice is equally useful.
Doing a complete IELTS Reading test every day, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean that your Reading skills will improve.
A practice test shows you what you can do now. It doesn’t automatically teach you how to do it better.
A more useful cycle is:
Practise → check → understand → improve → practise again
For example, if you keep getting the same type of Reading question wrong, don’t just do another test. Find out why you’re making the mistake and practise that particular skill.
The same applies to Writing and Speaking. Writing another essay or speaking for another 15 minutes isn’t enough if you don’t know what you need to change.
Practice tests are useful for:
- getting used to the test format
- practising time management
- checking your progress
- finding areas that need more work
But most of your preparation should be about developing the skills you need to improve, not simply completing more tests.
5. Get feedback and use it ✍️
It’s difficult to improve if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong.
This is especially true for Writing and Speaking, where you can’t simply check your answers against an answer key.
Good feedback should tell you more than your score.
You need to understand:
- What is wrong?
- Why is it a problem?
- How is it affecting your score?
- What should you do differently?
- How can you practise that change?
For example, being told that your grammar is “Band 6” isn’t very helpful on its own. You need to know which grammar problems are affecting your accuracy and what you can do to improve them.
And don’t just collect feedback. Use it.
If your teacher tells you that your ideas need more development, your next step isn’t simply to write another essay. You need to practise developing ideas and then apply that skill in your next essay.
Feedback becomes useful when it changes what you do.
6. Build a study plan that fits your target ⏰
Once you know your current level and what you need to improve, you can make a realistic study plan.
Your plan should depend on:
your current score
your target score
your test date
your weakest areas
how much time you have available
whether you need to improve your English, your IELTS skills, or both
For example, someone who needs to improve their Writing from Band 6 to Band 7 may need to spend much more time on Writing than someone who already has Band 7 in Writing but needs to improve their Listening score.
Don’t simply copy somebody else’s study plan because it worked for them.
Your preparation should reflect your needs.
And remember that your plan may need to change. As you improve, your weaknesses may change too.
The important thing is to keep asking:
What do I need to improve now, and what is the best way to practise it?
🔗 See How to prepare for IELTS in 10 days and my 28-day planner.
The most effective way to improve your IELTS score
Improving your IELTS score isn’t simply about doing more work.
You need to know what you need to improve, why you’re losing marks and how to practise the skills you need.
So don’t just ask yourself:
“How many hours should I study?”
Ask:
“What do I need to improve, and what is the best way to practise it?”
That question will help you make much better use of your preparation time.
Before you start studying, you need to know your current level.
If you need Band 7, for example, there’s a big difference between starting at Band 5.5 and starting at Band 6.5. You may need a very different kind of preparation.
Start by getting a realistic idea of your current score in all four skills:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
You can use practice tests for Listening and Reading, but remember that these only give you a snapshot of your current performance. For Writing and Speaking, getting feedback from an experienced teacher is much more useful than trying to estimate your own score.
You should also look at the IELTS Band Descriptors so that you understand what the examiner is looking for.
Once you know your current level, you can start working out what you need to do to reach your target.
🔗 Find out how long it might take to improve your IELTS score: Progress Predictor
Further reading
- How to get Band 7 in the IELTS test
Find out what you need to do to reach Band 7. - Why is my IELTS score not increasing?
Stuck at the same score? Find out why this happens and what you can do about it. - How long will it take to increase my IELTS score?
Get a realistic idea of how long it may take to reach your target score. - 14 simple ways to improve your IELTS Writing score
Practical ideas to help you improve your Writing score.
Want to improve your approach to IELTS preparation? Read How to improve your IELTS score: the mindset you need.
About Fiona
Fiona is an IELTS trainer, ex-examiner and course creator based in the UK. She has a Master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Distinction) and over 35 years of teaching experience. She has helped thousands of IELTS candidates develop the language and exam skills needed to achieve their target scores.
Thank you Fiona for taking your time to make people understand when progressing their English. I find your lessons very helpful and right to the point.
Thanks for your comment Sergelen! I’m really glad you find my lessons useful. Let me know if you need anything, Best wishes, Fiona.