IELTS Study Plan

IELTS Study plan works as a clear plan of action that you can use before
you kick start your IELTS preparation. It helps you understand the
milestones you must hit every week during your preparation journey and
sets you off on the right track.
Typically your IELTS test prep can take anywhere between 1.5-3 months
or more, depending on your current English language proficiency. Given
below is a tried and tested IELTS Study Plan that can be customized to the
number of months/days left for your exam date.
This is a blueprint of what your week-to-week preparation should look like.
Feel free to cram or relax the flow of tasks based on the number of days
you have before the test. As a template, the following study plan is
designed for six weeks where you are required to give a minimum of 1
hour every day. If you have, say, three weeks before your test date,
double the number of hours to 10-14 per week, and so on.
*The status column of the plan needs to be checked off every time you
finish a task. Also, 5 is the minimum number of IELTS practice tests
you should ideally take. You can increase this number as per your test
prep, but make sure to space these mock tests to give yourself time to
prepare and analyze the results to identify and rework problematic
question types.

Week - 1
PRO TIP: Nothing can tell you more about the exam in three hours than
an entire mock test. So, start by taking an IELTS mock test; we suggest
the free official Cambridge Practice Test.

Sectio Goal Tasks Statu

ns s
WEEK 
:1
Understanding the  Go over the section-wise
Structure of the test. Syllabus
(Validity/Acceptance/Re  Take a Practice Test (1)
quired score/ Section
description etc.)
Readi Go through Reading Sample
ng Questions
Writin Part-1; Familiarize yourself with
g Pie charts, Line & Bar graph
questions
Listen Familiarize yourself with the type
ing of questions in the section
Speak Go through mock IELTS Speaking
ing interviews and Part 1,2 & 3
questions

Week - 2
PRO TIP: Analyse your test results and pinpoint why some of your
answers were incorrect. Being mindful of this would help you sidestep
similar pitfalls in the future.

Section Goal Tasks Statu

s s
WEEK: 
2
Building command Practice a combination of the
over IELTS question below-mentioned question types
types of each section (6-10 questions)
Readin - True/False/Not Given
g - Yes/No/Not Given
- Fill in the Blanks
- Finding Para
Writing Argument Specific questions:
- Agree/Disagree
- Positive/Negative
- Reason and Suggestions
- Task – 2
Listeni Practice and strategize for:
ng - Fill in the Blanks
- MCQs
Speaki Answer IELTS Speaking topics for
ng Part 1, 2, and 3 and record your
responses for evaluation

Week - 3
PRO TIP: Speak 15-minutes every day to improve your fluency,
coherence, and pronunciation.
 Section Goal Tasks Statu
s s
WEEK: Building Command +  Take a Practice Test 
3 Finding areas you (2)
need to work on

Readin Reading Comprehension Passages

g – 04
Combination Questions
Writing Practice and strategize for:
- Agree/Disagree
- Positive/Negative
- Reason and Suggestions
- Task – 2
- Essay Questions 3-4 (Direct
and Indirect)
Listeni Practice and strategize for:
ng - Fill in the blanks
- MCQs
- MAP
- Take a mock listening test
Speaki Stage a mock interview with a
ng friend using a fresh set of IELTS
Speaking test questions (11-14
minutes)

Week - 4
PRO TIP: Watch TV and listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and news in
English to get comfortable with different native accents.
Suggested Read: Best TV Series for IELTS Listening

Section Goal Tasks Statu

s s
WEEK: Working on  Time-bound practice of the
4 problematic sections below-mentioned question
+ increasing speed types
 Rework on areas of difficulty
 Take a Practice Test (3)

Readin - Heading to Para

g - MCQs
- Match the following
 - Diagram-based
- Practice test
Writing Discussion Specific Questions –
Task – 2
- Discuss both views
- Discuss advantages and
disadvantages
- Practice test
Listeni Practice test (all question types)
ng
Speaki Take a mock IELTS Speaking Test
ng and analyze your responses.

Week - 5
PRO TIP: Read IELTS-style articles and take notes of new vocabulary. We
suggest articles from BBC Science, The Guardian Science, and The
Science Magazine. For IELTS General, try newspaper articles, instruction
manuals, and job descriptions.

Section Goal Tasks Statu

s s
WEEK: Practice test +  Take a Practice Test(4) 
5 Review  Mock Test Review

Readin Reading Passages – 6

g Combination Questions
Practice test
Writing Practice test
Listeni Practice test
ng
Speaki Go over Speaking questions from
ng recent tests; Record your
responses

Week - 6
PRO TIP: Research your essays and start with the most typical IELTS
Writing Topics. Pay attention to the well-written articles you spot on the
internet, learn topic-specific words and phrases from articles and
incorporate them when necessary.
Suggested Read: How to Improve Your IELTS Writing Skills
 Section Goal Tasks Statu
s s
WEEK: Getting test-ready  Revision 
6  Take the Official IELTS
Practice test (5)

Readin Revisiting notes + Reviewing mock

g test results
Writing Revisiting notes + Reviewing mock
test results
Listeni Revisiting notes + Reviewing mock
ng tests results
Speaki Revisiting notes + Reviewing mock
ng tests results
Take a good night’s sleep, and good
luck:)

IELTS Scale
Suggested Read: IELTS bands demystified: How are IELTS scores calculated?

Band Skill Description

score level
The test taker has a fully operational command of the
Expert language. Their use of English is appropriate, accurate,
9 user and fluent and shows complete understanding.

The test taker has fully operational command of the

language with only occasional unsystematic
Excellent inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. They may
8 user misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations.
They handle complex and detailed argumentation well.
The test taker has operational command of the
language, though with occasional inaccuracies,
Good inappropriate usage, and misunderstandings in some
7 user situations. They generally handle complex language
well and understand detailed reasoning.
The test taker has an effective command of the
language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate
Compete usage, and misunderstandings. They can use and
6 nt user understand fairly complex language, particularly in
familiar situations.
 The test taker has partial command of the language and
copes with overall meaning in most situations, although
Modest they are likely to make many mistakes. They should be
5 user able to handle essential communication in their own
field.
The test taker's basic competence is limited to familiar
Limited situations. They frequently show problems in
4 user understanding and expression. They are not able to use
complex language.

Extremel The test taker conveys and understands the only

3 y limited general meaning in very familiar situations. There are
user frequent breakdowns in communication.

Intermitt The test taker has great difficulty understanding spoken

2 ent user and written English.
The test taker has no ability to use the language except
1 Non-user for a few isolated words.

Did not
attempt The test taker did not answer the questions.
0
the test

IELTS Preparation Tips

The best way to prepare for IELTS indeed depends on the number of days
left for your exam. In either case, here are a few tips to make the best of
your IELTS preparation-

I. Read a lot from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers

II. Learn to read long texts fast and the art of skimming and
scanning.
III. Consume content where you get to listen to native
English speakers talk daily.
IV. Practice writing essays on different topics of around 300 words
(When you do this regularly, your writing significantly improves).
V. Learn to analyze and write based on charts, tables, or diagrams
from practice questions and mock tests.
VI. Practice speaking in English on familiar topics, voice modulation,
 and clarity.

Choosing the right resources to study for IELTS is the trickiest part. If you
don’t have a lot of time or need a sure-fire way to score a good IELTS
band score, you can join Jamboree’s specialized classroom training or the
online coaching class to help you with everything from the right study
materials to expertly crafted practice tests and tutoring. Connect
with our counselors here.