What good IELTS study material looks like
Not all IELTS study material in Chittagong is equal. Before you spend hours on a book or a shared PDF, check that it:
- follows the current test format: four Listening parts, three Reading passages, Task 1 and Task 2, and the three Speaking parts;
- matches your track: Academic and General Training differ in Reading and Writing Task 1;
- explains answers, not just lists them. An answer key tells you that you were wrong; an explanation tells you why;
- has audio of decent quality for Listening, with natural accents;
- is honest about scoring. Material that promises a "guaranteed band" or "secret tricks" is a warning sign.
Many photocopied guides contain outdated tasks or memorised "model essays" full of phrases that examiners now recognise easily. Use them with caution. The same goes for vocabulary lists of "band 9 words": using a rare word in the wrong context lowers your Lexical Resource score rather than raising it. Learn fewer words, but learn how they are actually used, with the words that usually go with them.
For students in Chittagong, a mix of sources works well: an official practice book, an online platform with explanations, and real English reading from quality newspapers, science magazines and university websites in the country you plan to study in.
What good study notes contain
Useful notes are short, personal and practical. Strong IELTS study notes usually cover:
- Strategy per question type: for example, how to approach Matching Headings or Listening map questions.
- Your own error patterns: a running list of the mistakes you keep making.
- Topic vocabulary, grouped by theme: environment, education, technology, work, health, transport.
- Structures for Writing: how to organise a Task 1 overview or a Task 2 discussion essay, not ready-made sentences.
- Speaking ideas: bullet points of personal examples you can adapt to several cue cards.
Our Study Notes and free tools
IELTS Learning includes Study Notes: strategy chapters for each module, written to be read on a phone between classes or during a quiet moment at work. Alongside them:
- Daily Vocabulary: five new words every day, free. Try today's words.
- Band Score Calculator: free. Convert raw Listening and Reading scores and average your module bands. Open the calculator.
- Quick Wrap: a free last-minute checklist for the days before the test.
- Weekly tips blog: free strategy articles. Read the blog.
- Free sample practice: a complete sample mock test and sample Listening and Reading sets, no card needed.
With Full Access you also get the Mistake Notebook, spaced-repetition vocabulary flashcards, English Improvement grammar and vocabulary exercises, and a personal study plan.
Using Cambridge IELTS books alongside our tests
Many students in Chittagong use the official Cambridge IELTS practice books, and they are worth using. They contain past-style tests produced by the test makers. A sensible way to combine them with online practice:
- Use Cambridge tests as checkpoints, perhaps one every fortnight, on paper if you are sitting the paper test.
- Use our sets for daily, targeted practice on the question types you get wrong, with explanations and an automatic Mistake Notebook.
- Use our mocks for computer-format rehearsal if you are sitting the computer-delivered test, since the screens, timer and navigation work like the real thing.
Our tests are original material that follows the same official format, so you will not see repeated passages from the books.
A weekly study routine for Chittagong students
Here is a routine that suits a university student or a working professional with about eight to ten hours a week. Adjust it to your track and target, and remember that Friday is the main weekly holiday for most people here, so it is the natural day for longer tasks:
- Saturday: one Reading passage (timed) and Study Notes on that question type.
- Sunday: one Listening set with headphones; review errors.
- Monday: Writing Task 1, 20 minutes, then AI feedback.
- Tuesday: Speaking Part 2 and Part 3 practice with the cue-card timer.
- Wednesday: Reading or Listening, whichever is weaker.
- Thursday: Mistake Notebook review and flashcards.
- Friday: Writing Task 2, 40 minutes, or a full mock test every second week.
Daily: five words from Daily Vocabulary, on the train to the University of Chittagong campus or during a quiet tea break at the office.
Free IELTS practice material to start with
If you are just beginning, do not buy anything yet. Register free, take the sample mock test, and try the sample sets on our practice tests page. Once you know your weak areas, your IELTS study notes will be built around real needs rather than someone else's guide.