Long-time lurker here, and I just wanted to share my results and thank this community for all the helpful posts and advice over the past few months.

I booked my test in the middle of September, leaving me with only 4 weeks of prep (although I have been practicing on and off since last year, but it was not consistent at all since I have work). I am not a native speaker but I have been exposed to a lot of english and American media since I was in kindergarten and been speaking and learning it ever since. Never studied in International Schools, parents don't talk in English.

I will give you a full breakdown of my experience:

Arriving at the test center

My test starts at 9.00 AM, and I arrived around 8.00-ish. Registration started 30 minutes before the test starts. I'm not gonna lie, I felt like I almost had a panic attack. I was so nervous, dizzy, shaking, and really wanted to throw up. I was mostly thinking about the cost of the test which is half of my monthly salary (sad). Before registration, they asked me to turn off my phone, and after I went through registration, they told me to immediately put all my belongings in the locker.

It's important to stay calm, you'll eventually get through it especially if you've been preparing really well! What made it hard for me is that I was very unfamiliar with the place, the people around me, and the overall atmosphere. Please just focus on yourself and on your test! Don't overthink it.

Listening, Reading, Writing

Here it finally comes... the test. That's what was on my mind. During listening, I did not have any difficulties with the audio. I zoned out a bit at the very beginning though, I missed a phone number, and until now I don't even know if I got it right or not.

Reading was generally easy, the only hard one is part 3 - which talks about this ancient code that everyone tries to encode or something. I don't remember it very well. I tried to forget everything after I finished it.

I did not expect to get a 7.0 for writing. I got a bar chart, but it was presented in a very difficult way that I cannot figure it out until 10 minutes later. My task 1 was about hospital wards and the reviews they received from patients. I did both task 1 and task 2 at the same time, switching it after I got one paragraph in each. I did task 1 as best as I could, at that point I was ready to surrender to God. Task 2 went very well for me tho, it was about advertising and whether it should be banned or not.

Speaking

I was so excited for Speaking just because I'm a yapper in real life. In part 1, the examiner asked me about my job, things I like or don't like about it. For part 2, she asked me to tell her about the well organized person in my life, who are they, why are they well organized, what I feel about them, etc. and since part 3 is an extension of the previous part, she asked me about communities and organization, why is a community or organization should be well organized, what if it's not, etc. I was not nervous at all and just keep speaking. It ended abruptly tho, it was pretty funny because as I was elaborating my opinion, she immediately said "Okay the speaking test is done now, good bye" *call ended*

Final thoughts

I'm so happy with my result because I was not expecting an 8! I was expecting either 7 or 7.5 because I feel like I answered a lot of the questions in Listening and Reading wrongly. The results came really fast too and it felt like I almost fainted when I receive the email. To everyone who's about to take the test, good luck! you can do it! The only way out is through.

A little surprise, though, as I thought I’d only get a 7.0 overall. What’s even more surprising is that I was scoring around 6.0 last month (not an official score, just mock tests at some well-known English centers).

Although I’ve met my target score of 7.0, I’m planning to apply to graduate programs in the US, so I’m wondering whether a Speaking score of 6.0 could hurt my application.

Most of the universities on my list only require an overall IELTS score of 6.5 or 7.0, while a few require a minimum of 6.0 in each band. Do you think I should retake the test after improving my Speaking, or is my current score good enough for graduate admissions?

I’d appreciate any advice, especially from people who have applied to or are currently studying in US graduate programs!

I GOT MY SCORES!!

as dictated by IELTS ✨

I took the Speaking test online. The examiner asked me where I lived, what my hobbies were, and some other general questions. In Part 2, I got a question about technology, and in Part 3, the examiner asked me some follow-up questions related to the same topic.

To be honest, the examiner kept interrupting me, which really brought my mood down. As a result, I got quite nervous and made a few simple grammar mistakes.

After that, I had my Listening test. Since I couldn’t shake off the stress from the Speaking test, I think I missed around four or five questions in Part 1.

Reading was usually the section I struggled with the most, but this time, I actually found it easier than the Cambridge practice tests.

For Writing, I got a pie chart for Task 1. For Task 2, the question was about the decline in the number of animal and plant species, and I had to discuss the causes and possible solutions.

I went into the exam aiming for a band score of 7, but honestly, I feel like I might get a maximum of 6. I’m a little disappointed because I had higher expectations for myself, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see!

Hey guys, I’m looking for tips and suggestions to improve my writing as I need 7 each. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

So I tried this writing test on keen ielts and I’ve been getting band 5.5 and band 6 according to Gemini I need band 6 for others module I’m getting above 7 most of the time. Idk if these ai tools are accurate I already have exam 2 years ago and had 6 band in writing but I’m worried now

Hello everyone! Can you share your IELTS speaking questions pleasee?

Hello, I was practicing mocks on some websites and came across this audio in listening where whie saying their names they don't spell it out. I mean how should I know how Herbert Hewitt is spelled as 🙂

Do these kinds of questions appear in the exam nowadays? Last time I attended the ielts is 4 years ago and listening used to be so much easier. I can't believe I'm struggling with listening. Any tips would be helpful.

Also need some writing tips. I do follow structures and I feel like I pretty much write okay to get a 7 but I keep getting 6, 6.5. No amount of tips and practice has imporoved my score yet. What do I do 😭

so generally speaking, the only thing I can possibly do in my reading test is changing the aspect of the verb or maybe changing a word to a noun or adjective?

OR even that possibility is not an option and I must put the exact information or exact word?

like only locate the info, not write from the text.

Non-native speaker, but have used English professionally for close to 15 years. Needed the general training score for migration purposes, but wasn’t able to dedicate a lot of time for studying, due to work and personal commitments. Prepared for a couple of weeks (15-30 mins daily on average)mostly via ChatGPT giving me focused tips for writing structure, how to spot speakers correcting themselves for the listening section, how to handle true/false/not given etc. The lower score in speaking was mostly because of a few pauses I took when I was correcting my own chain of thoughts, I realized that during the test itself. But overall I’ll say that the experience was good, and good enough for my requirements.

Some people argue that the most important environmental problem of current era is the loss of certain flora and fauna. Though it is a valid concern, I believe that there are other various significant environmental issues that need to be addressed.

Some people worry about the extinction of certain animal and plant species that could be extremely valuable to the environment. For instance, the loss of a specific insect or plant may disrupt the natural ecosystem or food-chain of the environment. Many wild plants have also been linked to the cure of potential human diseases, so the extinction of such flora is a concerning issue that many worry about. Apart from this, forests and plants play an integral role in the overall stability of the environment by producing oxygen, the loss of which may threaten the survival of many animals.

Conversely, some individuals have concerns about other major environmental issues such as noise pollution and climate change. These changes have proved to be quite harmful and disruptive to environment and its people. Air pollution often caused by toxic chemicals released from the vehicles into the air is one of the leading causes of many life-harming diseases such as Asthma and Lung Cancer. It also reduces the overall quality of life and can negatively affect the mood of people. For instance, many schools and offices are closed in winters due to the high levels of Smog which can be dangerous if exposed to. Apart from this, climate change has also been a notorious issue that has been disturbing the natural ecosystem of life. Harsh weather conditions such as extremely hot weather in summers and insane level of cold in winters can cause the normal functions of society to cease. Such as, many elderly people are advised not to go out in such weather as it can adversely affect their fragile health.

So, even though the disappearance of certain flora and fauna is badly impacting the environment, in my opinion, other disastrous environmental problems such as air pollution and climate change can have more harmful effects on the environment and needs to be properly checked.

Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the lloss of particular specifes of plants and animals. Others say that there are more important environmental problems. discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Gobi bear, Snow leopard, and Takhi—these are examples of endangered animals in Mongolia. Tremendous conservation efforts were poured to protect their habitats. However, public opinion is divided on what environmental problem is the first to solve: some believe conservation should be the main focus; the others would like to focus on different goals.

Species and animals don't exist in a vacuum: every factor, whether natural or human, can put pressure on a habitat. A holistic approach to ecology suggests we should approach environmental problems with a focus on ecosystems; every plant and animal serves a function to regenerate earth with its food chain. Birds help propagate plants, coral reefs house fishes that help clean our oceans, and leopards protect the mountain habitats. Breaking the chain—loss of plants and animals—interrupts natural ecological systems of protection, regeneration, and growth, thus needing protection.

However, as humans populate the earth more and more, we are creating new environmental problems: deforestation and urban sprawls, mining and industrialization, pollution and floods. For example, air pollution is said to account for 30% of miscarriages annually. Growing urban sprawls and concentration of people in a city increase the demand for water and energy to provide for its citizens. So, people are worried about how we can help urbanization be sustainable and leave it for our next generations.

These environmental problems feel more visible and tangible to us as we coexist next to each other, compared to plants and animals, who seem far away and unrelatable to us. Challenging the idea, I believe that natural habitats are interconnected and protection of them would bring greater benefits in the long term. Humans, plants, and animals all serve their roles in our ecosystem—Earth. Thus, I believe protection of members is of utmost importance as we aren't alone in this world.

Hi everyone!

I’m preparing for IELTS Academic, aiming for an overall Band 8, and planning to take my exam in December 2026.

The resources I currently have are:

• IELTS Liz
• IELTS Advantage
• Cambridge IELTS Academic 18, 19 and 20

I want to use these resources efficiently instead of studying the same things repeatedly.

For those who have used these resources, I’d really appreciate your advice:

1. Listening: Is IELTS Liz or IELTS Advantage better for learning strategies and question types?
2. Reading: Which is better for improving accuracy, speed, True/False/Not Given, and Matching Headings?
3. Writing Task 1 (Academic): Which is better for learning graphs, charts, maps, and process diagrams?
4. Writing Task 2: Which is better for essay structure, developing arguments, vocabulary, and achieving Band 7–8?
5. Speaking: Which is better for Parts 1, 2, and 3, and improving fluency and pronunciation?
6. Cambridge 18–20: When should I start the books, and how should I use the 12 practice tests effectively?

Would you recommend using IELTS Liz for some skills and IELTS Advantage for others, or is one website sufficient for all four sections?

If you achieved Band 7.5 or 8+, I’d especially appreciate hearing what worked for you and what you would do differently.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone!

I'm struggling with IELTS Listening and Reading, and my exam is at the end of this month. Currently, I'm scoring around Band 5 in both sections, and I really want to improve my scores.

If anyone has been in a similar situation and managed to improve their band score, could you please share some tips or strategies that worked for you?

- How should I practice Listening effectively?

- How can I improve my Reading score, especially with time management?

- Are there any specific resources or mock tests you recommend?

Any advice or tips would really help me out. I'm feeling a bit stressed because my exam is approaching, and I genuinely want to improve my score.

Thank you in advance

https://ieltsonlinetests.com/sot/result/speaking-practice-test-2-1523199

I just got my ielts result and I really need your help. I want to go from 5.5 to 7.0 by January

To be honest, I went unprepared. I only studied for a week and was super confident because I have a humangous amount of vocabulary, but once I sat for the test, I froze. like i didn't have time to comprehend question and while worrying about time

Listening

It was easy at first, but I had a hard time adapting to the different question types across sections. and i don't want to make excuses but ,In Section 3, a girl next to me started crying out loud because she was in severe pain of period cramps. As a medical student, I got super distracted and worried about what to do until the teacher helped her out. By Section 4, my focused was completely ruined I lost track after the thirdd question
and missed several answers.

Reading

Reading was really tough. tbh I kept switching strategies reading the full passage first, then questions, then back again which gave me a headache wallahe. I actually understood the text and complex words through context, but time management killed me. By Section 3, i was so fascinating by the article and didn't have time and had to guess most answers

Writing & Speaking

The funny part is, in Writing, I intentionally replaced basic words with complex ones just to flex my vocabulary, yet I only got a 5.5 Meanwhile, in Speaking, where I kept my vocabulary simple and expected a 3 at best, I ended up getting a 6.0

Where am I like i got 5.5 cuz of technique issue or language or both confuseeeed

My experience was terrible, and I’m sooo frustrated because I know I can do much better. I checked Oxford vocabulary lists b2 was easy, and for c1, I recognized a lot of words, though I realized I had forgotten the exact meanings of many words like really a lot.

Now I’m lost on how to restart is my problem a language like vocabulary issue , or technique problem? How do I bridge this gap to reach a 7.0 by january?

Question 1:

Context:

I got two questions wrong in my mock, and I want to understand why I got it wrong since I have located the two option and it is more a wordy problem rather than understanding

In this question

text for question 10:

text for question 9:

So, for question 10 I forgot about the 'would' in the question, what would have given me the answer immediately. Now, regarding 9 I don't understand why my answer is not valid. I know that I made up that sentence and it not literally on the text, but I though both car rental and hotels shared the concept of not sharing info about discounts and upgrades. In addition, the question mentioned that no more than three words were required here.

in other words, my reasoning was this:

• hotels hide discounts
• hotels hide upgrades
• car hire companies hide upgrades

Therefore:

hotels and car hire companies may choose not to tell customers about discounts and upgrades

Logically, that sounds plausible.

Any thoughts?

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to decide between British Council and IDP for my computer-delivered IELTS Academic test in Islamabad, Pakistan, and I'd really appreciate some advice from people who have taken IELTS recently.

I have an important university scholarship application deadline on October 23, 2026, and ideally, I need my official IELTS result before then.

Here is my situation:

- IDP: Test available on October 17.

- British Council: Test available on October 18.

- Application deadline: October 23.

The university has confirmed that I can submit my application with proof of IELTS registration while waiting for my result, but I'd really prefer to receive my score before the deadline if possible.

I've read that computer-delivered IELTS results can arrive within 1–3 days, but I've also seen reports of delays. I'm unsure whether taking the test a day earlier with IDP or choosing British Council would give me a better chance of receiving my result in time.

I'd especially appreciate responses from people who recently took computer-delivered IELTS Academic in Islamabad.

1. Did you take IELTS through IDP or British Council?

2. What date did you take the test, and when did you receive your results?

3. Has anyone recently received their results within 24–48 hours or 2–3 days?

4. Based on your experience, which provider would you choose in my situation?

I understand that neither provider can guarantee an early result. I'm just trying to make the most informed decision possible given my deadline.

Thank you so much for your help!

Hi everyone!
I’m taking my IELTS exam in the next 15 days, and I’d love to hear some opinions, tips, and advice from people who have already taken the test.
So far, I’ve completed around 35 Listening mock tests and 25 Reading mock tests. Honestly, it’s been a rollercoaster throughout my preparation. Sometimes I score really well and feel confident, but other times my scores drop, which makes me doubt my preparation.
For those who have taken the actual IELTS exam recently:
• How does the difficulty of the actual Listening and Reading tests compare with mock tests?
• Were your actual scores similar to your mock test scores?
• Do you have any last-minute tips for the final 15 days?
• Is there anything you wish you had done differently before your exam?
• If anyone has recently taken the test and remembers the types of Listening or Reading questions they got, could you please share any practice materials, recalled questions, or useful resources in the comments or chat? I’d like to compare the difficulty with my mock tests.
I’d really appreciate your honest experiences and advice. Thanks in advance!

I keep trying to improve my writing but every time claude rates my eassy as 5.5 Does AI under rates? Any advices?

Can someone who has practised IELTS mocks on Arno and has taken the exam please share a review on the platform?
Is the difficulty level the same, or does it vary across sections?
How about the band scoring? Is it similar to the scores Arno gives?

Review my essay and let me know how and which areas should i improve

Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

A number of people believe in open choice to study whatever any student wants to but a lot of people suggest to restrict students to certain subjects. Although, limiting students to those subjects whose graduates get high pay can help them live a luxurious life but I think one should choose the field which they are passionate about. On the one hand, it is necessary to have a good source of income. Studying and being excellent in STEM fields increase chances of any person to get a good job with a decent pay because engineers are always needed for construction, people always get sick, so, doctors are required for their treatment, similarly, there is a high demand of IT graduates during this period of technology and AI. Therefore, People with these type of degrees face less trouble in finding jobs and get high pays. For example, some of the highest paid professions in US are doctors, engineers and computer science graduates. On the other hand, a person should always choose a field which they feel passionate about because there is no joy in working in a field with no interest in it.Passion drives people crazy and they are committed to do more than they can and become something extraordinary. No one has become great by working in a field that they were not passionate about. All the greats in every field were eager to learn about it. They found their true purpose and excelled in that field. For example, Hasan raheem chose to be a musician beside being a doctor and became a successful one because it was his passion to be. In conclusion, Although STEM fields can guarantee a secure future, I believe students should be free to choose subjects because eagerness and passion leads to greateness.

Can i copy the question in task 1 and put in the answer. Because usually I don’t have time to finish it, so i copy from the question for the introduction