How can I get the score I need in IELTS?

This is a very common quesiton and one we get asked a lot by people in our private Facebook group Feel free to join.

If you want to succeed in IELTS then you need to know what score you need in each of the skills. Let’s say, for example, you need Band 7.0 for immigration points or university acceptance.

So, now we know what you need. Now you need to see where you currently are.

Do a full IELTS test. You can do the listening and reading by yourself. The Cambridge exams website has a real exam you can use. However, and this is really important, you cannot do the speaking or writing by yourself. You will need to spend some money here. The exam costs 200 dollars+ and, unless you have money to burn, you should not book a test until you are ready.

So, get an IELTS examiner to evaluate your writing and do a speaking test with you. This will cost you around 43 GBP (60ish US dollars). You can order them at here

Now, you have done a practice test in all the 4 parts of the test, you know where you are. Maybe you have found that your writing is not good enough, or maybe you have found that your speaking is not good enough.

Now you know what you need to work on to “succeed” in IELTS. From here, you can focus on what you need to do. If it is your writing, then the IELTS examiners at Upmyielts will have told you what you need to improve. If it is speaking, examiners at Upmyielts will have told you what you need to work on.

You may need to join an English academy to improve your general English level or you may just need to work on reading in English (pick up a book or read a newspaper every day) or your listening (start downloading podcasts).  You can also have classes with an IELTS examiner

This is what will get you where you need to be when it comes to IELTS. After all, it is just a test of your English level, nothing else.

If you have questions about the exam then feel free to ask.