What good IELTS study notes look like
Good notes are short, practical and tied to the test. Before you trust any material, check whether it:
- matches the current format, including computer-delivered IELTS;
- separates Academic and General Training where they differ, in Reading and Writing;
- explains why an answer is right, not just what the answer is;
- gives strategies you can apply under time pressure, not long theory;
- is written in correct English. It sounds obvious, but a lot of material shared in group chats contains errors.
Be careful with old PDFs passed around between friends and colleagues. Some are outdated, some are copied without permission, and many have wrong answer keys.
Our Study Notes and learning tools
IELTS Learning includes Study Notes: strategy chapters for each module, written to be read in about 10 to 15 minutes each. They cover things like how to approach Matching Headings, planning a Task 2 essay, and handling Part 3 Speaking questions.
Alongside the notes, you get tools that turn reading into practice:
- Mistake Notebook: every wrong Listening and Reading answer is saved automatically, so your revision material builds itself from your own errors.
- English Improvement: grammar and vocabulary lessons for the gaps that IELTS feedback reveals.
- Spaced-repetition flashcards: vocabulary comes back just before you would forget it.
- Personal study plan: a schedule based on your test date and weakest modules.
- Quick Wrap: a last-minute checklist for the days before your test.
All of these are part of Full Access, at $12 for 2 months, together with 15 full mock tests and all practice sets.
Free IELTS practice material you can use today
You do not need to pay anything to start. With a free account (no card) you get:
- a complete sample mock test with all four sections;
- free sample Listening and Reading sets;
- Daily Vocabulary, five new words a day with examples;
- the Band Score Calculator to convert raw scores and work out your overall band;
- the Quick Wrap tips;
- our weekly IELTS tips blog.
For many students, the free material is enough to find their level and decide what to focus on.
Using Cambridge IELTS practice books alongside our tests
Many students in Abu Dhabi already own one or more of the official Cambridge IELTS practice books, and they are excellent. They contain authentic past test material in the official format.
The best way to use them alongside an online platform:
- Save the Cambridge tests for full paper-style mocks if you are taking the paper test, or as an extra check if you are taking the computer test.
- Use our tests for computer-format practice, so you are comfortable with the timer, navigator and on-screen highlighting.
- Use our practice sets for targeted work on single question types, with explanations, between full tests.
- Log mistakes from both sources in one place. Your Mistake Notebook stores errors from our sets automatically; add notes on book errors yourself.
Our tests follow the same official format, so moving between the two should feel natural.
A weekly study routine for an Abu Dhabi schedule
Your days off may fall on different days from your neighbour's, so adapt this to your own week. It assumes about six to seven hours of study, which suits most working adults.
- Two weekday mornings or evenings (30 minutes each): one Listening part and one Reading passage, timed. Review mistakes the same day.
- Two other weekdays (30 minutes each): one Speaking task with AI feedback, plus your flashcards.
- Every day (5 minutes): Daily Vocabulary, perhaps over coffee or while waiting at school pick-up.
- First day off (2 hours): one full Writing task (Task 1 and Task 2), then read one Study Notes chapter.
- Second day off (up to 3 hours): every other week, a full mock test. On the other weeks, rewrite an essay using feedback and do a Charged set.
Students at Khalifa University, NYU Abu Dhabi, Zayed University or UAE University can fit the shorter sessions between lectures. Shift workers in healthcare or the energy sector can swap the order to match their rota.
Getting started
Begin with the free sample mock and a week of Daily Vocabulary. If you are an Academic student thinking about studying overseas, you can also share your plans and, if you agree, our overseas education advisers can suggest suitable courses. Create your free account to start.