Let's find out where you're starting from.
Five short sessions of about 30 to 60 minutes each. There are no long lectures — you try the real test in small pieces, so we can see what you can already do.
Nice work — you finished every day this week.
Download your Summary Report. It puts everything from this week into one PDF: your goals, how much of each day you finished, your Listening and Reading scores, and your Writing and Speaking answers.
Your Week 1 overview
✅ What you do well
🌱 What you're still working on
🎯 Skills to focus on
Copy this instead
Downloading doesn't work here. Instead, select all the text below, copy it, and paste it somewhere safe, like a note or an email to yourself.
Week 1 is the first step. Here is the whole course — each week builds on the week before.
How you are marked — and the language skills behind it.
Five days: how Writing and Speaking are marked, recorded speaking practice, how to paraphrase safely, and the grammar mistakes that lose the most marks. Choose a day to start.
How examiners mark your writing.
Week 1 showed your starting level. This week, you learn to read your own writing the way an examiner does. You will practise fixing weak writing, and then use the same skills to improve your Week 1 answer.
Quick tip
For each of the four criteria, the examiner reads your whole answer and chooses the band description that fits it best. This is called "best fit". You don't need to match every point in a description — just most of them.
"Best fit", not a checklist
In Week 1 you learned the four Writing criteria: Task Achievement/Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. For each one, the examiner reads your whole answer and chooses the band description that matches it best. Your answer does not need to be perfect to score well. It needs to show most of the features of that band, again and again. Your four criteria scores together make your band for the task, and in the real test Task 2 counts for two-thirds of your Writing band.
You will use this chart in every activity below. You can scroll back up to it at any time.
Task Achievement / Response
Answers the task, but the ideas are general or just a list. Part of the task is missing, or the overview (Task 1) or opinion (Task 2) is unclear or missing.
Answers every part of the task and explains each idea with support. Task 1 has a clear overview of the main points. Task 2 gives a clear opinion from start to finish.
Coherence & Cohesion
The ideas connect, but the linking words are used too often or in a fixed way ("moreover", "in addition", "furthermore" one after another), or the paragraphs are unclear.
The ideas move naturally from one to the next, many different linking words are used well, and each paragraph has one clear main idea.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is good enough, but the same words are used again and again, or less common words are used with mistakes.
A wide, natural range of words, including some less common words used correctly. Small mistakes are rare and never make the meaning unclear.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Mostly simple sentences. Longer sentences are tried, but they often have mistakes.
A good mix of short and long sentences. Most sentences have no mistakes, and the few mistakes don't change the meaning.
Which one is stronger, and how would you fix the other one?
Here are four pairs of short texts (excerpts), one pair for each criterion. For each pair, tap both cards to read them, then choose the stronger one. When you choose correctly, you see why it is stronger, and a box opens so you can rewrite the weaker one yourself. Seeing the difference is the first step. Writing it better yourself is the real skill.
"Homework is both good and bad. Some students like it and some do not. It depends on the student and the school. There are many opinions about this topic."
"I disagree that schools should stop giving homework. While excessive homework can cause stress, a moderate amount reinforces classroom learning and helps students build independent study habits they will need beyond school."
"The number of coffee shops rose steadily over the decade, climbing from just 5 in 2010 to 12 by the midpoint of the period, before reaching 20 by 2020 — roughly a fourfold increase overall."
"In 2010 there were 5 coffee shops. Moreover, by 2015 there were 12. In addition, by 2020 there were 20. Furthermore, this shows a big increase."
"The disturbance was persistent and increasingly frustrating, occurring almost nightly and leaving little room for rest."
"The noise was very bad and very annoying. It happened very often and I was very unhappy about it."
"More people work from home now. This is because of technology. Many companies allow this. It save money."
"More people are working from home now, largely because advances in technology have made it easier for companies to allow remote arrangements, which in turn helps them save money."
Now check and improve a real Task 1 answer
You just practised finding and fixing weak writing. Now use the same skills on a real Task 1 answer. The answer is in the box below, so you don't need to look for it. Read it, write one strength and one thing to improve, then rate it.
Now rate the answer in the box for each criterion. Be honest: think about where it really is, not where you hope it is.
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I understand that examiners choose the band that fits best ("best fit").
- I practised rewriting weak writing for all 4 criteria, not just finding it.
- I rated my own Week 1 answer honestly and rewrote its weakest part.
You've completed 0% of today's work so far. Finish everything to unlock the button above, or move on now and come back to finish later.
How examiners mark your speaking.
In Week 1 you recorded answers for Parts 1, 2 and 3. Today you learn the four criteria examiners use. Then you speak again — out loud, not just typing — to make your answers stronger. Last, you use the same skills to check your own Part 2 answer.
Quick tip
A short pause to think is fine. A long, silent pause is the problem. Natural thinking phrases like "let me think about that for a second" or "that's an interesting question… I'd say…" keep you talking. A long silence does not.
"Best fit" across the whole interview
Like Writing, Speaking is marked with four criteria. The examiner chooses the band description that fits your speaking best. They are not counting mistakes on a list. The examiner listens to all three parts together, so your general level matters, not one very good or one weak moment. Tap each card, then test yourself below.
Talks for a long time without many pauses, connects ideas naturally, and explains each idea — not just short, separate answers.
Uses many different, exact words for the topic — not the same 2–3 words again and again.
Uses a mix of short and long sentences, and many sentences have no mistakes.
Stresses the important words and lets the voice go up and down naturally, so the listener can follow easily.
Which one is stronger, and can you say it better?
Here are four pairs of short spoken answers, written down, one pair for each criterion. For each pair, tap both cards to read them, then choose the stronger one. When you choose correctly, you see why it is stronger, and then you record yourself saying a stronger answer — out loud, not typed. Seeing the difference is the first step. Saying it better yourself is the real skill.
"I'd really like to learn how to cook properly, mainly because it's such a practical skill — you save money, eat healthier, and it just feels good to make something from scratch."
"I want to learn... um... I want... maybe cooking? Because... um... it's useful. Yeah."
"The city is very busy. There are a lot of people. It is very crowded and very noisy."
"The city is incredibly hectic — the streets are packed with commuters, and there's this constant buzz of traffic and conversation that never really dies down."
"My hometown is change a lot. Before it was small. Now it have many building."
"My hometown has changed a lot over the past decade — it used to be quite small, but now it's full of new buildings and shopping centres."
"The speaker stressed the important words naturally ('I really enjoyed it because it was challenging') and let their pitch rise and fall with the meaning, so it was easy and effortless to follow."
"The speaker's individual words were clear, but the whole answer sounded flat and monotone, with almost no stress on key words, so I had to concentrate hard to follow which points mattered."
Now check and improve a real Part 2 answer
You just practised finding weak answers and saying stronger ones. Now use the same skills on a real Part 2 answer. The answer is in the box below, so you don't need to look for it. Read it, write one strength and one thing to improve, then rate it.
Now rate the answer in the box for each criterion. Be honest: think about where it really is, not where you hope it is.
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I understand that the examiner chooses the best-fit band for each criterion, across the whole interview.
- I spoke out loud and recorded a stronger answer for all 4 criteria, not just typed one.
- I rated my own Part 2 answer honestly and said a better version of one part out loud.
You've completed 0% of today's work so far. Finish everything to unlock the button above, or move on now and come back to finish later.
Say it in different words, but keep the same meaning.
Paraphrasing means saying the same idea in different words. You need it everywhere: in Reading, the questions use different words from the text; in Writing and Speaking, you should not copy the words of the question; and using varied words raises your vocabulary score. Today you learn four ways to paraphrase, practise them, and then look for words you repeat in your own writing.
Quick tip
Never change names, places, numbers or dates. Changing them doesn't make your English better — it just makes the facts wrong. Change the other words around them, and keep the facts exactly the same.
Four ways to paraphrase
A good paraphrase does not need fancy words. It changes the words but keeps exactly the same meaning. Here are three ways to do it, and one trap that can ruin all of them.
Use a word with the same meaning (a synonym) that fits the sentence and the style — not just the first word a dictionary gives you.
Better"big house" → "spacious house"
Change the type of word, for example from a noun to a verb ("a rise" → "rose") or from an adjective to an adverb ("rapid" → "rapidly").
Change the order of the sentence, or change it from active to passive ("The government built the bridge" → "The bridge was built by the government").
Choosing a word that sounds more advanced but changes the meaning. This ruins all three ways above.
Rightkeep the meaning exact, even if it means using simpler words
Which version keeps exactly the same meaning?
Here are four sentences, each with three possible paraphrases. Choose the safe one — same meaning, different words. Then write your own paraphrase of a new sentence. Seeing the trap is the first step. Writing a safe paraphrase yourself is the real skill.
Now look for words you repeat in your own writing
You just practised finding safe paraphrases. Now look at your own Week 1 Task 1 answer and find a word that you used too often, maybe without noticing.
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I understand that a safe paraphrase keeps exactly the same meaning, even with simple words.
- I practised finding and writing safe paraphrases in 4 examples.
- I found a word I use too often and rewrote a sentence to fix it.
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Fix the grammar mistakes that lose the most marks.
Some grammar mistakes are small, and examiners hardly notice them. Others make your meaning unclear. Today you practise the four mistakes that students make most often. Then, if you will take the test on a computer, you practise typing an answer with a time limit.
Quick tip
One correct long sentence is better than three short ones. But a long sentence with mistakes is worse than a correct short one. Only use long sentences that you can write correctly.
Find the mistake
Students make these four mistakes very often, and examiners notice them quickly because they happen again and again. Read each sentence and choose what is wrong. The explanation shows you the correct sentence.
Match each sentence to its fix
Here are four sentences. One of them is already correct — be careful, because "fixing" a correct sentence can also lose marks. Match each sentence to what it needs.
Computer-test skills
If you will take the test on a computer, your typing speed and computer habits matter almost as much as your English.
Before you start typing on test day
Use the word counter on the screen, so you don't have to guess how many words you wrote. If you are not sure about a question, flag it and come back later instead of stopping. Spelling still counts, so leave a few minutes at the end to check for typing mistakes. Learn the basic shortcuts (select all, copy, paste), so that fixing a sentence doesn't take your writing time.
Now practise typing with a short time limit. Don't try to be perfect — try to keep a steady speed.
Words to try in your answer
Using a few of these words correctly can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 3–4 that fit. Each word gets a tick when you use it below.
- cut down ondo or use less of somethinge.g. I cut down on sugar last year.
- set aside (time)keep time for one purposee.g. She sets aside an hour a day for reading.
- habitsomething you do regularly, often without thinkinge.g. Checking my phone in bed is a bad habit.
- procrastinate / put offdelay doing somethinge.g. He kept putting off his dentist visit.
- motivatedwanting to do somethinge.g. Music keeps me motivated at the gym.
- so thatgives the purpose of an actione.g. I leave early so that I can find a seat.
- in the long runover a long timee.g. Cooking at home saves money in the long run.
- instead ofin place ofe.g. I take the stairs instead of the lift.
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I know the 4 grammar mistakes that lose the most marks.
- I matched each sentence to its fix and wrote my own correct sentence.
- I typed a full answer with a time limit.
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Put this week's skills together, like in the real test.
For four days, you learned how examiners mark Writing and Speaking, practised fixing weak language, and checked your own answers. Today you first look at how you rated yourself this week. Then you write one full essay exactly like in the real test: the same time limit, instructions and word count.
Quick tip
In the real test, Task 2 counts for two-thirds of your Writing band. Plan your time: about 5 minutes to plan, 30 minutes to write and 5 minutes to check. Decide your opinion before you start writing.
What your self-ratings show
The summary above shows every self-rating you gave this week for Writing and Speaking. Read it honestly. It is the best picture you have of your level right now.
The same time, instructions and word count as the real test
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school education. Others think students should be free to choose how they spend their free time. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
Some people say every high school student should have to do unpaid work that helps the local community, for example helping at a food bank or cleaning a park. Other people say students should decide for themselves how to use their free time.
compulsory = something you must do · community service = unpaid work that helps the people where you live
Your job: explain both opinions, then say which one you agree with and why.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- voluntarydone by choice, without being forcede.g. Voluntary work looks good on a CV.
- character-buildingdevelops good personal qualitiese.g. Camping trips can be character-building.
- civic duty / civic responsibilitywhat a good citizen should doe.g. Voting is a civic duty.
- give back (to the community)help the place or people that helped youe.g. He coaches children to give back to his town.
- empathyunderstanding how others feele.g. Good doctors show empathy.
- obligationsomething you must doe.g. There's no obligation to buy anything.
- workloadthe amount of work you havee.g. Teachers have a heavy workload in June.
- reluctantnot wanting to do somethinge.g. He was reluctant to lend me his car.
Should unpaid community service be compulsory in high school? Discuss both views and give your opinion.
A model Band 8 essay (about 285 words). The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Whether secondary school students should be required to do unpaid community work is a matter of debate. While I understand the argument for freedom of choice, I believe a modest compulsory program would benefit both students and society.
Those who oppose compulsory service argue that teenagers already face heavy academic workloads. Forcing them to volunteer could leave them with little time for rest, hobbies or part-time jobs, and coerced volunteering may breed resentment rather than generosity. From this perspective, students should decide for themselves how to use their limited free time.
However, supporters make a persuasive case. Community service exposes young people to realities they might otherwise never encounter, such as poverty or loneliness among the elderly. Students who have spent time in a food bank, for instance, are more likely to understand the challenges others face. In addition, such programs develop practical skills — teamwork, reliability and communication — that are highly valued by employers.
In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, provided that the requirement is reasonable — perhaps twenty hours a year, with students free to choose the organization. This would give them a sense of ownership while still ensuring that every student gains the experience. In conclusion, although compulsion is not ideal, a limited and flexible scheme would help young people become more responsible and compassionate citizens.
- Paraphrased introduction. “Secondary school students”, “unpaid community work” — no copying.
- Clear, balanced position. Acknowledges the other side while stating an opinion.
- Introduces the first view. A clear topic sentence for the paragraph.
- Gerund subject. “Forcing them to volunteer could leave them…” — a complex structure.
- Advanced collocation. “Coerced volunteering may breed resentment” — precise and sophisticated.
- Sums up the view. Rounds off the paragraph neatly.
- Clear contrast. “However” moves to the second view.
- Precise verb. “Exposes young people to realities” — formal, accurate vocabulary.
- Relative clause + example. “Students who have spent time… are more likely to…”.
- Adds a point. “In addition” develops the argument.
- Collocation. “Highly valued by employers.”
- Qualified opinion. “Provided that…” shows a nuanced, well-thought-out view.
- Complex sentence. “…while still ensuring that…” balances two ideas.
- Conclusion. Restates the opinion concisely.
Words worth borrowing
- coerced — forced
- breed resentment — cause people to feel angry and unfairly treated
- expose someone to — let someone experience something
- outweigh — be greater or more important than
- provided that — only if
- compassionate — showing care for others
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: Both views are fully developed and the opinion is clear and qualified.
- Coherence & cohesion: Logical paragraphs with a range of linking phrases, used naturally.
- Lexical resource: Sophisticated collocations (“breed resentment”, “highly valued”).
- Grammar: Gerund subjects, relative clauses and conditions, with very few errors.
Your turn: Find the phrase “provided that” and write one sentence of your own using it.
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
Rate your own essay honestly with the four Writing criteria from Day 1. Choose the band that fits best, as you practised this week. There is no answer key this time.
How much do you remember from this week?
Three quick questions about the whole week. They are not a test. They show you what to read again before Week 3.
- I looked at my self-ratings from this week and chose a focus for Week 3.
- I wrote a full Task 2 essay of at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
- I rated my essay honestly with all 4 Writing criteria.
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Finding exact information under real test conditions.
Five days: the Listening gap-fill types that cause the most problems (forms, notes, tables, flow-charts), the difference between facts and opinions in Reading, and your first full Writing Task 1. Choose a day to start.
Complete forms, notes and tables correctly.
Forms, notes and tables are the most common question types in the Listening test. They all need the same skill: keep up with the recording and write down the exact words you hear, not a guess. Today you learn the usual problems with each type, then practise twice with real recordings.
Quick tip
Look quickly at every gap BEFORE the recording starts. Each gap tells you what kind of word is missing — a name, a number or a place — so you know what to listen for.
One skill, three layouts
Forms, notes and tables are not really different tasks. They all test the same skill — writing down the exact word you hear — in three different layouts. Tap each card, then test yourself below.
You write personal or booking details exactly as you hear them: names, dates, numbers, addresses. The trap: writing what you expect (a common spelling, a round number) instead of what the speaker really says.
You fill gaps in short notes about a talk. The trap: the notes follow the same order as the recording, so if you lose your place, you can miss several answers, not just one.
You fill gaps in a grid, like a timetable or a price list. The trap: you need to read both the row heading and the column heading to know what kind of answer goes in a box.
Every task tells you a word limit (for example, "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER"). A correct answer that is too long or spelled wrong still gets zero — the same rule as in Week 1.
Listen twice, fill the form
Read the form first. Then press play. You can listen to this recording twice.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
| Surname | |
| Membership type | |
| Membership fee | |
| Collect card from | |
| Latest closing day | |
| Bring on collection day |
One talk, two formats — notes, then a table
This time, one person gives a welcome talk at a gym. Read the notes and the table below before you press play. You can listen twice.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Notes
- Three main areas: weights room, pool, and (for spin classes)
- Pool temperature: degrees
- Lockers are free, but bring your own
- Towel rental: £ each
- Forgot your card? Reception can look you up by
Class Timetable
| Day | Class | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6:00pm | |
| Monday | Advanced spin | |
| Wednesday | (lane swimming only) | 6:00–8:00pm |
| Friday | Yoga |
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I know the usual traps in forms, notes and tables.
- I practised forms, notes and tables with real recordings.
- I understand why an answer that is too long gets zero, even if it is correct.
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Follow each step of a process.
A flow-chart shows the steps of a process in boxes, sometimes with two different paths ("if this happens… if not…"). Today you learn the words that tell you the order of the steps and when there is a choice. Then you practise with a real recording, and finish with a timed set that you can play only once.
Quick tip
The boxes in a flow-chart are almost always in the same order as the recording. But the speaker often gives extra information before the key word. Wait for the whole sentence before you write.
Two kinds of signal words
A flow-chart is a process shown with boxes and arrows. When people describe a process, they use two kinds of signal words: words that move to the next step, and words for a condition — something that happens only if something else is true. Here is an example that is already filled in, so you can see how it works before you try one.
What to listen for
Order words move to the next step: first, next, after that, once this is done, before you can. Condition words show a choice: if, provided that, as long as, unless. Missing one of these words is the most common reason students fill in the wrong box.
Fill in the process, step by step
Read every box first, including the two paths near the end. Then press play. You can listen twice.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
One listen only.
Test condition
You can play this recording once, at normal speed, like in the real test. If you miss an answer, don't stop. Go to the next question and keep listening.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I can tell the difference between order words and condition words.
- I completed a flow-chart with a real recording.
- I completed a timed set with only one play, like in the real test.
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Are you checking a fact or an opinion?
True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given look almost the same, but they test different things. The first checks the facts in the text. The second checks what the writer thinks. Students often mix them up. Today you learn to tell them apart, then answer a timed passage that uses both.
Quick tip
Before you answer, read the instructions above the questions. They say either "True / False / Not Given" or "Yes / No / Not Given", never both. This tells you whether you are checking a fact or the writer's opinion.
The same three choices, two different questions
In both types, you read a statement and choose one of three answers. But "true" and "false" mean something different in each type.
True / False / Not Given
Used with texts that give facts. You check whether the statement matches the facts in the text.
TRUE = the text says this. FALSE = the text says something different. NOT GIVEN = the text does not say.
Yes / No / Not Given
Used with texts where the writer gives their own opinion. You check whether the statement matches what the writer thinks.
YES = the writer agrees. NO = the writer disagrees. NOT GIVEN = we don't know what the writer thinks about this.
Ask yourself
"Is this sentence about facts — what happened or what is true? Or is it someone's opinion about what should happen or what is right?" Facts → True/False/Not Given. Opinions → Yes/No/Not Given.
Fact or opinion?
Here are four short sentences. For each one, decide which question type you would most likely see: True/False/Not Given, or Yes/No/Not Given.
22 minutes. Questions 1–8.
Test condition
Don't use a dictionary. If you are not sure, choose your best guess and keep going. You can come back later if you have time. This passage has both facts and the writer's opinions, like many real Reading passages.
A Several countries have now trialled a four-day working week, in which staff work four days but are paid for five, on the condition that output is maintained. In a widely reported UK trial that ran for six months in 2022, sixty-one companies and around 2,900 employees took part. Sixty of those sixty-one companies chose to continue the practice after the trial ended, and self-reported revenue rose slightly across participating firms during the trial period.
B In my view, the results of these trials are more encouraging than sceptics generally admit. Critics often argue that a four-day week simply moves five days of work into four, increasing stress rather than reducing it. However, I believe the trial data tells a different story: reported burnout fell by a significant margin among participating staff, and resignation rates dropped as well.
C It would be wrong, however, to treat these results as proof that a shorter week suits every kind of work. The trials involved mostly office-based and creative roles; very few participants worked in manufacturing, healthcare, or other shift-based industries, where a four-day model is harder to apply without hiring additional staff. I suspect that any national rollout would need a different design for these sectors.
D A separate concern, seldom discussed, is measurement. Several participating companies defined "output" loosely, using employee self-assessment rather than independent performance data. I would argue that future trials need clearer, externally verified metrics before governments consider the four-day week as formal policy, however promising the early results appear.
Questions 1–4 · True / False / Not Given
Do these statements match the facts in the passage?
Questions 5–8 · Yes / No / Not Given
Do these statements match what the writer thinks?
Did it stick?
Four quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
- I can tell the difference between True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given.
- I completed a timed passage with both question types.
- I know NOT GIVEN means the passage does not tell me whether the statement is true.
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Learn the structure of Task 1 before you write.
Academic Task 1 (describing a chart) and General Training Task 1 (writing a letter) look very different, but each one has a clear structure. Most students lose marks because they don't follow it, not because their English is weak. Today you learn the structure for your test, plan a new task, and practise the hardest part.
Quick tip
Task 1 needs only 150 words and about 20 minutes, much less than Task 2. Use a lot of that time to read the task carefully and plan. With a good plan, the writing is much easier.
Academic chart or General Training letter?
We chose your test type from your Day 1 answer. If it's wrong, you can change it here at any time.
Press the button above for the test you are registered for.
Four quick questions
These questions are useful for both Academic and General Training.
A new task: plan it before you write
Plan only the ONE task below that matches your test. Your choice above is used here too.
Task
The table shows average weekly hours spent on three leisure activities by three age groups in a 2024 survey. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
In 2024, a survey asked people how many hours a week they spend on three free-time activities: watching TV, exercising and reading.
The table shows the average for three age groups: young adults (18–34), middle-aged adults (35–54) and people aged 55 and over.
leisure activities = things you do in your free time · average = the usual or middle amount for the group
Your job: compare the age groups and describe the main differences. Don't give your opinion.
| Age Group | Watching TV | Exercising | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 8 hrs | 5 hrs | 2 hrs |
| 35–54 | 10 hrs | 3 hrs | 3 hrs |
| 55+ | 14 hrs | 2 hrs | 5 hrs |
Task
You recently ordered a piece of furniture online, but it arrived damaged. Write a letter to the company. In your letter: describe what you ordered and when; explain the damage; say what you would like them to do. Begin "Dear Sir or Madam," and write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
You bought furniture (for example, a table, a chair or a bookshelf) on a company's website, and it arrived broken.
Your job: write to the company. Say what you bought and when, explain what is broken, and say what you want them to do (for example, send a new one or give your money back). You don't know who will read it, so the letter is formal.
Write only the hardest paragraph
Tomorrow you write a full timed answer. Today, practise only the part that is most important for your Task Achievement mark.
Words to try in your answer
Using a few of these words correctly can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 3–4 that fit. Each word gets a tick when you use it below.
- It is clear that …introduces the main pointe.g. It is clear that demand grew in every region.
- prevalentcommon, found a lote.g. Smartphone use is prevalent among teenagers.
- age grouppeople of a similar agee.g. The 18–24 age group uses social media the most.
- the older …, the more …two things change togethere.g. The older the car, the more it costs to repair.
- tend tousually doe.g. Teenagers tend to go to bed late.
- with ageas people get oldere.g. Eyesight usually weakens with age.
- across all …true for every groupe.g. Prices rose across all regions.
- the most striking featurethe thing that stands out moste.g. The most striking feature is the fall in rail use.
Overview for the table of weekly leisure hours by age group.
A Band 8 overview: two sentences, the big picture, no exact numbers. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Overall, watching television was by far the most popular leisure activity for all three age groups, and the time spent on it rose steadily with age. By contrast, exercise declined as people got older, whereas reading followed the opposite pattern.
- Starts with “Overall”. Signals the overview immediately — examiners look for this.
- The main feature. The biggest point first: TV dominates for everyone.
- A clear trend. Describes the pattern across ages without numbers.
- Comparison language. “Declined”, “whereas”, “the opposite pattern” — precise and varied.
Words worth borrowing
- by far — by a large amount
- rose steadily — increased gradually and regularly
- declined — decreased
- the opposite pattern — the reverse trend
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: It picks out the most important features and trends, with no unnecessary numbers.
- Coherence & cohesion: It is signalled clearly with “Overall” and “By contrast”.
- Lexical resource: Precise comparison language.
- Grammar: Accurate complex sentences.
Your turn: Check your own overview: does it have zero exact numbers and at least one clear trend?
Words to try in your answer
Using a few of these words correctly can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 3–4 that fit. Each word gets a tick when you use it below.
- with reference toa formal way to say aboute.g. With reference to your email, I can attend on Monday.
- purchasebuy (formal)e.g. I purchased two tickets online.
- order / reference numberthe number that identifies your ordere.g. Please quote your reference number.
- be delivered / deliverywhen goods are brought to youe.g. The parcel was delivered on Monday.
- Unfortunately, …introduces bad news politelye.g. Unfortunately, the concert was cancelled.
- scratched / cracked / chippedkinds of damage on a surfacee.g. My phone screen is cracked.
- on arrival / upon unpackingwhen it arrived / when you opened ite.g. On arrival, we found the room had no towels.
- a replacement or a refundwhat you'd like them to doe.g. I'd like a refund for the broken lamp.
Opening paragraph: a complaint about damaged furniture.
A Band 8 opening: correct greeting and a clear purpose in the first sentence. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to complain about a dining table I ordered from your website on 3rd March (order number 58214), which arrived yesterday badly damaged. I would be grateful if you could deal with this matter promptly.
- Correct formal greeting. The reader's name is unknown, so “Dear Sir or Madam,”.
- Purpose in the first sentence. The reader knows exactly why you are writing.
- Precise description. “Arrived badly damaged” — clear and formal.
- Polite request structure. “I would be grateful if you could…” — a formal, accurate pattern.
Words worth borrowing
- I am writing to complain about — formal way to begin a complaint
- badly damaged — seriously broken or harmed
- deal with this matter promptly — solve the problem quickly
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: Greeting and purpose are exactly right for a formal complaint.
- Coherence & cohesion: One clear opening paragraph that leads into the details.
- Lexical resource: Formal, precise vocabulary.
- Grammar: Accurate relative clause and polite request.
Your turn: Write the next paragraph of this letter, describing the damage in two sentences.
- I know the 3-part structure of Task 1 for my test.
- I planned a new Task 1 before writing anything.
- I practised writing the hardest part on its own.
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Put this week's skills together, like in the real test.
This week you practised the Listening question types where students make most mistakes, the difference between facts and opinions in Reading, and the structure of Task 1. Today you look back at your week, then write one full Task 1 answer exactly like in the real test: the same time limit, instructions and word count.
Quick tip
In the real test, spending too long on Task 1 hurts you twice: Task 1 is rushed, and you have less time for Task 2. That's why on Day 4 you practised the hardest paragraph first, so you already know how to start.
What you did this week
The summary above shows your test type and what you wrote on Day 4. Read it honestly. It is the best picture you have of your level before today's timed task.
The same time, instructions and word count as the real test
Do only the ONE task below that matches your test (Academic or General Training).
Writing Task 1
The table below shows the percentage of commuters in a city using four different modes of transport to travel to work in 2000 and in 2020. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
Commuters are people who travel to work every day. The table shows what percentage of the commuters in one city went to work by car, by bus, by bicycle or on foot, in 2000 and in 2020.
modes of transport = ways of travelling
Your job: describe the main changes between 2000 and 2020 and compare the four ways of travelling. Don't give your opinion.
| Year | Car | Bus | Bicycle | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 58% | 27% | 6% | 9% |
| 2020 | 39% | 22% | 28% | 11% |
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- the preferred optionthe choice most people madee.g. The train was the preferred option for long trips.
- mode of transporta type of transporte.g. Walking is the cheapest mode of transport.
- rose from X to Ygive the start and end figurese.g. The price rose from $2 to $3.
- slight / slightlya littlee.g. Sales fell slightly in March.
- sharp(ly) / dramatic(ally)big and faste.g. Temperatures dropped sharply overnight.
- the figure for …the number belonging to one categorye.g. The figure for women was higher.
- over the 20-year periodthe whole time showne.g. Over the ten-year period, rents tripled.
- negligibleso small it hardly matterse.g. The difference in price was negligible.
How commuters travelled to work in 2000 and 2020 (car, bus, bicycle, walking).
A model Band 8 report (about 175 words). Figures match the table exactly. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
The table illustrates the proportion of commuters in a city who travelled to work by car, bus, bicycle and on foot in 2000 and 2020.
Overall, the car remained the most common mode of transport, but its share fell considerably, while cycling grew dramatically to become the second most popular option.
In 2000, well over half of commuters (58%) drove to work, and a further 27% took the bus. By contrast, only 6% cycled, which made it the least popular choice, slightly behind walking at 9%.
Twenty years later, the picture had changed noticeably. Car use dropped to 39%, and bus travel also declined slightly, to 22%. The most striking change was in cycling, which almost quintupled to 28%, overtaking the bus. Walking, meanwhile, remained relatively stable, rising marginally to 11%.
- Paraphrased introduction. “Illustrates the proportion… on foot” — not copied from the question.
- A clear overview. The two biggest features, with no numbers — the key to Task Achievement.
- Time-based paragraphing. One paragraph for 2000, one for 2020 — easy to follow.
- Accurate approximation. “Well over half (58%)” — varies how the numbers are described.
- Relative clause. “…which made it the least popular choice” — a complex sentence.
- Signals the second period. “Twenty years later” links the paragraphs smoothly.
- Varied trend verbs. “Dropped”, “declined slightly” — no repetition.
- Superlative + precise verb. “The most striking change… almost quintupled” (6% → 28%).
- Precise verb. “Overtaking” shows the change in ranking.
- Describes small change accurately. “Remained relatively stable, rising marginally.”
Words worth borrowing
- illustrate — show
- considerably — by a large amount
- quintuple — become five times bigger
- overtake — become bigger than something that was bigger
- marginally — by a very small amount
- relatively stable — not changing much
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: A clear overview, key features selected, and every figure accurate.
- Coherence & cohesion: Logical paragraphs organized by year, with smooth links.
- Lexical resource: Varied, precise trend and comparison vocabulary.
- Grammar: Relative clauses and complex sentences, error-free.
Your turn: Find three different verbs this report uses for “go down” or “go up”, and add them to your notebook.
Writing Task 1
You currently work for a company and would like to request an extended period of leave. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter: explain why you need the leave; say how long you will need; suggest how your work could be covered while you are away. Begin "Dear ___," and write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
You have a job, and you want to stop working for a long time (for example, a few weeks or months) and then come back to the same job.
leave = time away from work that your employer agrees to · extended = longer than usual · covered = done by someone else while you are away
Your job: write to your manager. Explain why you need the time off, say how long you need, and suggest how your work could be done while you are away. You know your manager, so you can begin with their name (for example, "Dear Ms Chen,").
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- requestask for formallye.g. I'd like to request a window seat.
- annual leave / time offdays away from worke.g. I have five days of annual leave left.
- commitmentsomething you have promised to doe.g. I have a family commitment on Friday.
- arrange coverfind someone to do your work while you're awaye.g. The teacher arranged cover for her class.
- ensuremake suree.g. Please ensure the door is locked.
- deadlinethe date work must be finished bye.g. The deadline for the report is Friday.
- approve / approvalofficially agreee.g. The council approved the plan.
- I look forward to hearing from youa formal closing linee.g. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
A letter to your manager requesting an extended period of leave.
A model Band 8 letter (about 185 words). Semi-formal: you know your manager, so use their name. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Dear Ms Patel,
I am writing to request an extended period of unpaid leave. As you may know, my father recently underwent major surgery, and he will need full-time care while he recovers. As his only child living nearby, I feel I should be there to support him.
In terms of timing, I would like to take eight weeks off, starting on 1st June. His doctors expect him to be fully independent again by the end of July, so I would be able to return to work on 3rd August.
Regarding my workload, I have already discussed the situation with Daniel, who has worked closely with me on the client accounts. He has kindly agreed to take over my regular reports, provided that he can contact me for occasional advice. I will also prepare detailed handover notes before I leave.
I would be very grateful if you could consider my request, and I would be happy to discuss it at your convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Lee
- Right greeting for a known reader. You know your manager, so use their name.
- Purpose in the first sentence. Clear and direct.
- Formal past tense. “Underwent major surgery” — precise and formal.
- Topic vocabulary. “Full-time care”, “recovers” — precise and appropriate.
- Signposts each bullet point. “In terms of timing” covers the second task point.
- Specific details. Exact dates make the request clear and realistic.
- Signposts the third point. “Regarding my workload” — clear paragraph purpose.
- Condition with “provided that”. A complex, accurate sentence.
- Workplace collocation. “Prepare detailed handover notes.”
- Polite request. “I would be very grateful if you could…”.
- Matching sign-off. A named greeting takes “Yours sincerely,”.
Words worth borrowing
- underwent surgery — had an operation
- full-time care — looking after someone all day
- take over — start doing a task someone else did
- handover notes — instructions for the person replacing you
- at your convenience — at a time that suits you
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: All three bullet points covered in detail with the right tone.
- Coherence & cohesion: One paragraph per bullet point, each with a clear signpost.
- Lexical resource: Precise workplace vocabulary.
- Grammar: Conditionals, relative clauses and polite forms, used accurately.
Your turn: Circle the three signpost phrases that start each paragraph. Use similar ones in your next letter.
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
Rate your own answer honestly with the four Writing criteria. Choose the band that fits best, as you have practised. There is no answer key this time.
How much do you remember from this week?
Four quick questions about the whole week. They are not a test. They show you what to read again before Week 4.
- I looked back at my week and chose a focus for Week 4.
- I wrote a full Task 1 answer of at least 150 words in 20 minutes.
- I rated my answer honestly with all 4 Writing criteria.
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Following the structure of what you hear, read and say.
Five days: labelling a plan or map from spoken directions, matching headings and information in Reading, and your first real Speaking practice — Parts 1 and 2, including the 2-minute talk on a cue card. Choose a day to start.
Follow directions on a plan or a map.
In plan and map tasks, you listen to someone describe a place and follow their words on a picture. You need direction words like "opposite" and "next to", not exact facts. Today you learn these words and a simple method, then practise twice with real recordings.
Quick tip
Before the recording starts, look at the plan and find the starting point (usually the entrance, or where the speaker begins). Guess what each empty area might be. It is much easier to check a guess than to work everything out while the recording is playing.
The direction words you need
A small group of direction words gives you most of the answers in plan and map tasks. Tap each card, then test yourself below.
Side by side, touching. "The cafe is right beside the entrance" means they share a wall.
Across from each other, facing. "The gift shop is opposite the ticket desk" means they face each other, usually with something in between.
This depends on which way you are facing or walking. That's why the speaker's starting point and direction are so important.
These show how far along a path something is. "Past" means you go beyond a place first. "At the end of" means the very last thing on that path.
Listen twice, label the plan
Look at the plan below first. Find where you start (Reception) and the two rooms that are already labelled. Then press play and choose a letter for each numbered room.
A second plan, same strategy
The same method with a different picture. Find the Main Gate and the Car Park first, then listen and choose a letter for each numbered place.
Four quick questions
- I can explain what "opposite" and "next to" mean on a plan or map.
- I completed both plan and map practices.
- I know that in the real test, each recording plays only once.
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Find the main idea, not a matching word.
Matching Headings asks a new kind of question. Not "Is this true?" but "What is this whole paragraph about?" The wrong headings are made to look right: they use words from the passage but miss its main point. Today you learn the traps, then do a short practice and a full timed passage.
Quick tip
Read the list of headings first, so you know what ideas to look for. Then, for each paragraph, read the first and last sentences carefully. They usually show the main idea fastest. You don't need to read every word.
Three kinds of wrong heading
Wrong headings are not random. Each one uses one of these three tricks. Tap each card, then test yourself below.
Uses a word from the paragraph, but with a different idea. If a paragraph mentions "libraries", it doesn't mean every heading with "library" in it is correct.
Covers only one small detail, not what the whole paragraph is about.
Covers more than this one paragraph talks about. It might fit the whole passage, or a different paragraph.
3 paragraphs, 5 headings
Read the list of headings first. There are more headings than paragraphs, and two of them are traps.
| i | The environmental benefits of city-based bees |
| ii | A brief history of beekeeping worldwide |
| iii | Obstacles facing today's urban beekeepers |
| iv | Why more city dwellers are taking up beekeeping |
| v | Government subsidies for rural farmers |
A. Over the past decade, an increasing number of city dwellers have taken up beekeeping on rooftops, balconies, and in small back gardens. Rising concern about food security, a broader interest in where food comes from, and a general enthusiasm for sustainable hobbies have all fed into this trend, turning what was once a rural pursuit into a distinctly urban one.
B. Keeping bees in a city, however, is rarely straightforward. Many municipalities require permits, and some ban hives outright in residential areas. Neighbours unfamiliar with bees sometimes object out of fear of stings, and the sheer lack of outdoor space in dense neighbourhoods can make finding a suitable, legal spot for a hive genuinely difficult.
C. Despite these obstacles, the bees themselves do measurable good once established. They pollinate community gardens, allotments, and street trees that would otherwise rely on a shrinking population of wild pollinators, and studies in several cities have linked urban hives to noticeably higher yields in nearby vegetable plots.
5 paragraphs, 7 headings — 22 minutes
The same task, but with the real length and time limit. Read the headings first, then work through the passage.
| i | Turning a book warehouse into a community hub |
| ii | The private collections of the ancient and medieval world |
| iii | Reading rooms and beyond: broadening what a library offers |
| iv | Wealthy donors bring free access to the masses |
| v | Squeezed budgets and shrinking visitor numbers |
| vi | The rise of e-book piracy |
| vii | National libraries and their founding charters |
A. Long before the idea of a public library existed, access to written material was the privilege of the few. Monasteries, royal courts, and wealthy individuals assembled private collections that ordinary people had no right to consult, and a scholar wishing to read a particular text often had to travel to wherever the single existing copy happened to be kept.
B. That began to change in the nineteenth century, when a number of wealthy industrialists funded the construction of libraries that anyone in the community could use for free, regardless of income. Their stated aim was to give working people the same chance at self-improvement through reading that the privileged had always taken for granted.
C. Over the following century, libraries steadily expanded what they offered beyond simply lending books. Quiet reading rooms were added for those without a suitable place to study at home, and eventually collections of records, then films, then digital media, turned the library into somewhere people came for far more than the printed page.
D. In recent years, though, many public library systems have faced serious financial pressure. Local government funding has been cut in real terms in numerous countries, forcing reduced opening hours or branch closures, even as the number of people walking through the door for traditional book-borrowing has continued to decline.
E. In response, many libraries have deliberately remade themselves as community hubs rather than book warehouses — offering free job-search support, digital literacy classes for older residents, and even "maker spaces" with 3D printers and sewing machines, betting that these services will keep the building relevant to people who might rarely borrow a physical book at all.
Four quick questions
- I can name the 3 traps in wrong headings.
- I did the short practice and the full timed passage.
- I know to read the list of headings before the paragraphs.
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Know what you are looking for before you search.
Matching Information is different from yesterday's headings task. You don't look for the main idea of a paragraph. You look for one small piece of information — an example, a comparison, a reason or a number — and it can be anywhere in the passage. Today you learn to decide what you are looking for first, then do a full timed passage.
Quick tip
Before you search, decide what TYPE of information the statement needs: an example, a comparison, a reason, or a number or date. Then look for words with the same meaning, not the exact words of the statement. The passage almost never uses exactly the same words.
Four kinds of information to look for
Almost every Matching Information statement asks for one of these. Tap each card, then test yourself below.
A named person, place or case that shows a general idea.
Two things compared with each other — look for "more than", "unlike", "compared with".
WHY something happened or changed — look for "because", "due to", "as a result".
A number, a percentage or a date. These are often the fastest to find, because numbers are easy to see.
What is each statement looking for?
5 paragraphs, 5 statements — 26 minutes
Before you search, decide what kind of information each statement needs.
A. Growing food within city limits is nothing new. During both World Wars, city residents were encouraged to dig up parks and back gardens to plant so-called "victory gardens," and community allotment schemes handing small plots of public land to individual growers have existed in various forms for well over a century.
B. Interest in urban farming resurfaced sharply after the 2008 financial crisis, as rising unemployment and tighter household budgets pushed many city residents to look for ways to cut their own food costs, and a renewed anxiety about how fragile long supply chains could be under economic pressure gave the movement further momentum.
C. Singapore has become one of the most cited examples of the trend done at scale: facing almost no spare land at ground level, the city-state has instead built vertical, multi-storey farms on the rooftops of car parks and warehouses, aiming to grow a meaningful share of its own vegetables rather than relying entirely on imports.
D. Compared with a conventional soil-based farm, a vertical hydroponic farm of the kind found in Singapore typically uses a small fraction of the water, since the liquid nutrient solution is recirculated rather than draining away into the ground, though it depends far more heavily on a continuous supply of electricity to run its lighting and pumps.
E. Data collected across several major cities suggests the number of registered urban farming operations has grown by more than sixty percent over the past ten years, though researchers caution that the true figure for small, informal, unregistered plots is almost certainly considerably higher still.
| # | Statement | Paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contains a specific example of a city known for its rooftop farms. | |
| 2 | Explains why urban farming saw a resurgence after a global economic downturn. | |
| 3 | Compares the resource use of vertical farming to traditional farming methods. | |
| 4 | Gives a statistic on how much urban farming has grown in the past ten years. | |
| 5 | Describes an early historical form of city-based food growing. |
Four quick questions
- I can name the 4 kinds of information these statements usually ask for.
- I did the short practice and the full timed passage.
- I know the passage usually says things in different words.
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Part 1 and Part 2 need different answers.
In Part 1, you give short, natural answers about everyday topics. In Part 2, you do the opposite: you talk about one topic for up to 2 minutes without stopping, after 1 minute to prepare. Students often lose marks because they mix up the two. Today you learn the difference, then record yourself for both parts.
Quick tip
In Part 2, many students stop too early, after about 45 seconds, because they feel they have answered. Use each point on the cue card to keep talking. A good answer lasts close to the full 2 minutes.
Two parts that need different answers
Part 1 — Introduction & interview
4–5 minutes. Questions about everyday topics: your home, work or studies, hobbies, daily life. The examiner asks short questions, one at a time, with no time to prepare. Answer in 2–4 natural sentences: a direct answer plus one reason or detail.
Part 2 — The long turn
3–4 minutes in total. You get ONE topic on a cue card, with 3–4 points to talk about. You have 1 minute to make notes with a pen and paper. Then you speak for 1–2 minutes. The examiner will not stop you until the time is up.
Answer directly, then add one more sentence
Give 2–4 natural sentences for each question: a direct answer, then a reason or a detail. Answer all five in one recording, with no preparation, like in the real test.
- 🗣️ Do you prefer mornings or evenings? Why?
- 🗣️ What's a skill you're currently trying to improve?
- 🗣️ How do you usually travel around your town or city?
- 🗣️ Is there a tradition in your country that you particularly enjoy?
- 🗣️ What kind of music do you like listening to?
Phrases to try in your answer
Natural phrases like these can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 2–3 that fit what you want to say. Each phrase gets a tick when it appears in your typed answer below.
- a morning person / a night owlsomeone who prefers mornings / late nightse.g. My brother is a real night owl.
- get the hang ofstart to be good ate.g. I'm finally getting the hang of driving.
- get aroundtravel around a placee.g. It's easy to get around Paris by metro.
- I'd say …a natural way to start an opinione.g. I'd say summer is my favourite season.
- To be honest, …introduces a frank answere.g. To be honest, I don't cook much.
- can't standreally dislikee.g. I can't stand waiting in queues.
- be into somethinglike something a lot (fine for speaking)e.g. My sister is really into photography.
- catchyeasy to remember (songs, tunes)e.g. That advert has a catchy tune.
1 minute to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
Cue card
Describe a place you visited that you found interesting. You should say: where it is; when you went there; what you did there; and explain why you found it interesting.
When you press Start on "Speaking time", recording starts by itself. It stops when the time is up, like in the real test.
Phrases to try in your answer
Natural phrases like these can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 2–3 that fit what you want to say. Each phrase gets a tick when it appears in your typed answer below.
- picturesquepretty, like a picturee.g. We stayed in a picturesque mountain village.
- off the beaten trackaway from the usual tourist placese.g. We found a café off the beaten track.
- bustlingfull of busy peoplee.g. The market was bustling on Saturday.
- vibrantfull of energy and lifee.g. The city has a vibrant music scene.
- What struck me was …introduces the detail you remember moste.g. What struck me was how quiet the city was.
- I'll never forget …shows a strong memorye.g. I'll never forget my first day at school.
- exploretravel around to discover a placee.g. We explored the old town on foot.
- I'd love to go back one dayyou wish to returne.g. I'd love to go back to that beach one day.
Describe a place you visited that you found interesting.
A written-out version of a strong 2-minute long turn (about 300 words). The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Well, the place I'd like to talk about is Kotor, a small walled town on the coast of Montenegro. I went there about three summers ago with my cousin, and it wasn't actually on our plan at all — we'd only intended to stop for an afternoon on our way south, but we ended up staying for four days.
As for what we did there, the old town is a real labyrinth of narrow stone lanes, so for the first day we just wandered around and got completely lost, which, to be honest, was half the fun. The highlight, though, was climbing up to the fortress above the town. It's something like thirteen hundred steps, and it was absolutely sweltering, so we set off at dawn to beat the heat. By the time we reached the top, the whole bay was lit up in this soft pink light, and the view was genuinely breathtaking.
So why did I find it so interesting? I think it's mainly because there are layers of history everywhere you look. Over the centuries it's been ruled by the Venetians, the Austrians and others, and you can actually see that in the buildings — one street looks Italian, and the next could be somewhere in central Europe. If I hadn't gone, I would never have realized how many times the region had changed hands. What struck me most, though, was that people still live inside those old walls — it isn't just a museum piece; kids play football in the squares and there's washing hanging between the windows. It completely changed the way I think about historic places, and I'd love to go back one day, ideally out of season when it's a bit quieter.
- Straight into the topic. Names the place in the first sentence. No memorized introduction (examiners mark those down).
- Past perfect + "ended up -ing". "We'd only intended…" shows the plan came before the trip. Accurate tense mixing = Band 8.
- Signposting the next point. "As for…" moves to the next cue-card point, so the examiner can follow.
- A vivid, less common word. "Labyrinth" paints a picture; "lots of small streets" is Band 6.
- Natural spoken phrases. "To be honest", "half the fun": real conversation, not an essay read aloud.
- Strong adjective + the right intensifier. "Absolutely sweltering", never "very sweltering". Right pairings score highly.
- Pronunciation: stress the key word. Say "genuinely BREATHtaking". Stressing the key word sounds confident.
- A question to yourself. Introduces the last cue-card point naturally and buys thinking time.
- Pronunciation: contrast stress. "ONE street looks Italian, and the NEXT…" Stress helps the listener follow.
- Third conditional. "If I hadn't gone, I would never have realized…" Accurate and flexible.
- A cleft sentence for emphasis. "What struck me most was that…" highlights the main point.
- Idiomatic language. "Just a museum piece" = only for looking at. Correct idioms lift vocabulary scores.
- A natural finish. Rounds off with a personal wish, inside the 2 minutes.
Words worth borrowing
- a labyrinth of — a confusing network of (streets, corridors)
- wander around — walk slowly with no fixed plan
- sweltering — extremely hot (use "absolutely", not "very")
- set off — start a journey
- beat the heat / the crowds — avoid them by going early
- breathtaking — so beautiful it surprises you
- layers of history — signs of many different periods in one place
- change hands — pass from one owner or ruler to another
- out of season — at a quieter, less popular time of year
Why this reaches Band 8
- Fluency & coherence: covers every cue-card point in order, with clear signposts, and keeps talking for the full time.
- Lexical resource: precise, less common words and natural idioms, used correctly.
- Grammar: a wide mix of tenses and complex sentences, with very few errors.
- Pronunciation: can't be shown in writing, but a Band 8 speaker stresses key words and groups words into natural chunks. Try reading this answer aloud with the stress marked in notes 7 and 9.
Your turn: pick two phrases from this answer you could use in your own talks, and write them in your notebook with an example about a place you know.
Four quick questions
- I can explain how Part 1 and Part 2 are different.
- I recorded (or typed) real answers for both Part 1 and Part 2.
- I used the 1 minute to prepare and tried to speak for close to 2 minutes.
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One full Part 2 answer, like on test day.
This week you followed directions on plans and maps, found the main idea of paragraphs, searched for specific information, and practised Speaking. Today you look back at your week, then give one full Part 2 answer: 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to speak. You record it, type it, and rate it with the four Speaking criteria from Week 2.
Quick tip
Today's cue card is new, so don't use yesterday's notes. Treat the 1 minute to prepare like the real test: write short phrases only, then put your pen down and speak from your notes.
What you did this week
The summary above shows your Speaking practice from Day 4. Read it honestly. It is the best picture you have of your level before today's timed answer.
The same time, instructions and format as the real test
Cue card
Describe an object that is important to you. You should say: what it is; where you got it; how long you've had it; and explain why it is important to you.
When you press Start on "Speaking time", recording starts by itself. It stops when the time is up, like in the real test.
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
Rate your own Part 2 answer honestly with the four Speaking criteria from Week 2 Day 2. Choose the band that fits best, as you have practised. There is no answer key this time.
How much do you remember from this week?
Four quick questions about the whole week. They are not a test. They show you what to read again before Week 5.
- I looked back at my week and chose a focus for Week 5.
- I gave a full Part 2 answer with 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to speak.
- I rated my answer honestly with all 4 Speaking criteria.
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The same skills with harder traps — and two more full Task 1 answers.
Five days: choosing one (or two) correct Listening answers when the speakers try to trick you, gap-fill and short-answer questions in Reading, a full timed Writing Task 1, a check on how far you have come since Week 1, and a final Task 1 answer that you check yourself. Choose a day to start.
The right answer is often not the first one you hear.
Multiple choice questions, including the harder "choose TWO" type, often use the same trap: the speaker mentions one option, then changes their mind and chooses another. Today you learn the words that show a change of mind, practise spotting them, and do a matching task that checks you followed the speaker's reasons, not just their words.
Quick tip
Read all the options before the audio starts. Then listen for words like "actually", "sorry", "I mean" or "on second thought". The answer usually comes right after these words, not before them.
You have seen this trick before
In Week 4, a speaker sometimes named a place on a map and then said it was wrong. Multiple choice questions use the same idea, but with opinions and choices instead of places. Tap each card, then match each phrase to how it is used.
The speaker is about to replace what they just said with something more correct. What comes next usually cancels what came before.
The speaker corrects themselves. They are telling you that their first word was wrong, so trust the correction, not the first word.
The speaker has thought again and changed their mind. You often hear this after they have talked about two or three options.
Sometimes there is no correction word. The speaker names an option and then gives a reason it won't work, such as "that clashes with…" or "that doesn't include…".
Listen twice and choose ONE answer for each question
A receptionist explains the membership options and changes her mind in the middle. Listen for the correction.
Listen once, choose TWO, then match the reasons
Two colleagues talk about five workshops and choose two of them. Listen once and choose your two answers. Then match each workshop to the reason it was chosen or rejected.
Four quick questions
- I can name at least two correction phrases to listen for.
- I did both the single-answer practice and the choose-TWO practice.
- I understand how marks work on "choose TWO" questions.
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The word limit is a strict rule.
Sentence completion, summary completion and short-answer questions have the same trap. If you write even one word more than the limit, the whole answer is wrong. It is also wrong if you use your own word instead of the word in the passage. Today you learn the exact rules, then practise all three types.
Quick tip
A word with a hyphen, like "well-known", counts as ONE word. A number like "1990" also counts as ONE word. Only words that are really in the passage can be correct, so never change them to your own synonym.
Three question types and the word-limit rule they share
Tap each card, then match each question type to what it asks you to do.
A short paragraph tells the story of the WHOLE passage in different words, with gaps. The gaps follow the order of the passage, so after you find one answer, the next one is usually further down.
Separate sentences, each about one detail. Each sentence usually matches just one part of the text.
A direct question. You answer with words you choose FROM the passage, not your own words, and you must stay inside the word limit.
If you write even one word more than the limit, the whole answer is marked wrong. There are no marks for "nearly right".
Summary completion — word limit: NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
Read the passage, then complete the summary below. The answers come in the same order as in the passage.
Sleep is not a single, uniform state but a cycle made up of several distinct stages. Each cycle lasts roughly ninety minutes and repeats four to six times a night. The first stages are classified as light sleep, during which the body's temperature drops and muscles begin to relax. This is followed by deep sleep, sometimes called slow-wave sleep, which is considered the most physically restorative stage; growth hormone is released heavily during this period, and the body repairs damaged tissue. The final stage of each cycle is REM sleep, named for the rapid eye movement that occurs beneath closed eyelids. Most vivid dreaming happens during REM sleep, and researchers believe it plays a central role in memory consolidation and emotional processing.
Sleep occurs in repeating cycles, each lasting about minutes. During light sleep, muscles relax and body falls. The most restorative stage is sleep, when growth hormone is released and tissue is repaired. The final stage, sleep, is linked to dreaming and to consolidation.
Sentence completion and short answers — 20 minutes
Word limit: NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. Read the passage once, then answer both sections.
Many major cities have introduced congestion charging schemes, requiring drivers to pay a fee to enter designated zones during peak hours. London introduced its scheme in 2003, initially charging drivers five pounds per day to enter the central zone between 7am and 6:30pm. The immediate effect was a drop in traffic volume of around thirty percent within the first year, along with a corresponding rise in bus ridership as commuters switched to public transport. Singapore, meanwhile, was actually the first city in the world to adopt a form of congestion pricing, launching its Area Licensing Scheme back in 1975, decades before London followed suit. Critics of congestion charging argue that it unfairly penalizes lower-income drivers who cannot easily switch to alternative transport, while supporters point to the revenue raised, which many cities reinvest directly into public transport infrastructure. Stockholm's scheme, introduced in 2006 as a trial before being made permanent the following year, uses a variable charge that rises during the busiest periods of the morning and evening rush, rather than a single flat fee.
Sentence completion
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Copy the words exactly from the passage — spelling counts.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Short-answer questions
Four quick questions
- I can explain how words with hyphens and numbers are counted.
- I did the summary completion practice and the full timed passage.
- I know short answers must use the passage's words, not my own.
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A new kind of chart and a new kind of letter.
You wrote a full Task 1 response in Week 3. Today's task is different on purpose. Academic students describe a bar chart that compares groups, not a change over time. General Training students write a semi-formal complaint letter to an organization, a style you haven't practised yet. You have the same 20 minutes and the same 150-word minimum as the real test.
Quick tip
In a bar chart with categories (like energy sources), the categories often form two groups, such as "fossil fuels" and "renewables". Find these groups and your overview becomes easy: say which group is bigger and how that changed.
What is different this time
In Week 3, the table showed a change over time between two years. Today's Academic bar chart compares groups, so your overview says which GROUP is bigger, not which year is higher. Today's General Training letter is semi-formal: you write to an organization and you don't know the person who will read it. It is not to a manager or a friend.
The same time, instructions and word count as the real test
Do only the ONE task below that matches your test (Academic or General Training).
Writing Task 1
The bar chart below shows the percentage of electricity generated from four different energy sources in Country X in 2005 and 2023. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
Country X is not a real country. The chart shows where the country's electricity came from in 2005 and in 2023: coal, natural gas, wind, or solar power (from the sun).
Each number is a percentage of all the electricity the country made that year, so the four numbers for one year add up to 100%.
Your job: describe the biggest changes and compare the four energy sources. Don't give your opinion.
Electricity generated from four energy sources in Country X, 2005 and 2023
Percentage of all electricity generated
Show the exact numbers in a table
| Energy source | 2005 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 45% | 20% |
| Natural gas | 35% | 30% |
| Wind | 15% | 30% |
| Solar | 5% | 20% |
Words to try in your answer
Using a few of these accurately lifts your Lexical Resource score. Don't force them all in. Pick 3–4 that fit the chart. Each one ticks itself off as you use it below.
- plummetfall suddenly and by a lote.g. Ticket sales plummeted after the price rise.
- surgerise quickly and stronglye.g. Online orders surged during the holidays.
- double / halvebecome twice / half as muche.g. Membership doubled in five years.
- overtakebecome bigger than something that was bigger beforee.g. Tea overtook coffee as the most popular drink.
- account formake up a part of the totale.g. Buses accounted for a third of all journeys.
- the share / proportion ofthe part of the whole (useful with %)e.g. The share of rail travel grew slightly.
- remain stable / level offstay about the samee.g. Prices remained stable throughout the decade.
- a quarter / a fifth / one in fivefractions instead of repeating %e.g. Almost a quarter of households own a bike.
- respectivelyin the same order as the things just listede.g. Cars and trains made up 60% and 25% respectively.
- in contrast / whereasshow a difference between two itemse.g. Cycling rose, whereas driving fell.
Electricity generated from four sources in Country X, 2005 and 2023.
A model Band 8 report (about 170 words). Figures match the chart exactly. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
The bar chart compares the share of electricity produced from coal, natural gas, wind and solar power in Country X in 2005 and 2023.
Overall, the country shifted markedly away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy, with coal experiencing the sharpest decline.
In 2005, coal was the dominant source, accounting for 45% of electricity, followed by natural gas at 35%. Renewables played a minor role, with wind providing 15% and solar just 5%.
By 2023, the proportion from coal had more than halved, to 20%, while natural gas fell only slightly, to 30%. In contrast, wind power doubled to 30%, drawing level with gas, and solar grew fourfold to 20%, matching coal. As a result, renewable sources together generated half of the country's electricity.
- Paraphrased introduction. “Compares the share… produced from” — not copied.
- Overview with the big trend. Fossil fuels → renewables, no numbers.
- Organized by year. A clear paragraph for each year.
- “Account for”. A precise phrase for describing shares of a total.
- “With” + noun phrase. Packs two figures into one elegant sentence.
- Time signpost. “By 2023” moves to the second period.
- Accurate comparison. “More than halved” (45% → 20%) — precise and varied.
- Contrast signpost. Moves from falling to rising sources.
- Precise trend language. “Doubled”, “drawing level with”.
- Parallel structure. “Grew fourfold… matching coal” mirrors the previous clause.
- Summarizing result. “As a result…” adds a meaningful comparison (30% + 20% = half).
Words worth borrowing
- markedly — clearly and noticeably
- dominant — most important or largest
- account for — make up a part of the total
- more than halved — fell to less than half
- draw level with — become equal to
- fourfold — four times as much
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: A clear overview and accurate selection of the key comparisons.
- Coherence & cohesion: Organized by year, with signposts that make the comparisons easy to follow.
- Lexical resource: Varied, precise vocabulary for shares and trends.
- Grammar: A range of structures, including parallel clauses, with no errors.
Your turn: Compare with your answer: did you mention that renewables reached half the total? That's the kind of comparison examiners reward.
Writing Task 1
You have noticed that the streetlights in your neighbourhood have not been working for several weeks. Write a letter to your local council. In your letter: describe the problem; explain why it is a concern; say what you would like the council to do. Begin "Dear ___," and write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
The lights along the streets near your home have been broken for several weeks, so the streets are dark at night.
local council = the government office that looks after your town or city
Your job: write to the council. Describe the problem, explain why it worries you, and say what you want the council to do. You don't know who will read it, so the letter is formal.
Words to try in your letter
Using a few of these accurately lifts your Lexical Resource score and sets the right formal tone. Don't force them all in. Pick 3–4 that fit. Each one ticks itself off as you use it below.
- I am writing to draw your attention to…a formal way to introduce a probleme.g. I am writing to draw your attention to the broken lift in our building.
- residentspeople who live in an areae.g. Residents have complained about the noise.
- hazard / hazardous(a) danger / dangerouse.g. The loose paving is a serious hazard.
- pose a risk tocreate a danger fore.g. The fallen tree poses a risk to drivers.
- vulnerableeasily harmed (e.g. older people, children)e.g. Vulnerable residents are afraid to go out.
- on several occasionsmore than once (shows the problem is ongoing)e.g. I have reported this on several occasions.
- ongoing / persistentcontinuing for a long timee.g. This persistent problem needs a solution.
- rectify / resolvefix a problem (formal)e.g. Please rectify the fault as soon as possible.
- I would be grateful if…a polite, formal requeste.g. I would be grateful if you could send an engineer.
- at your earliest convenience / as a matter of urgencyas soon as possible (formal)e.g. Please reply at your earliest convenience.
A letter to your local council about broken streetlights.
A model Band 8 letter (about 180 words). Formal: an unknown reader at the council. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to draw your attention to the streetlights on Maple Road, which have been out of order for almost a month. Although I reported the fault online on two occasions, I have not yet received a response.
This is a matter of serious concern for residents. After dark, the road is pitch black, and several elderly neighbours have told me they no longer feel safe walking home. Last week, a cyclist narrowly avoided being hit by a car near the junction with Park Lane, and I fear that a serious accident is only a matter of time.
I would therefore be grateful if you could arrange for the lights to be repaired as a matter of urgency. In the meantime, it would be helpful if temporary lighting could be installed at the junction.
I look forward to your prompt reply.
Yours faithfully,
Sam Lee
- Formal greeting. Name unknown → “Dear Sir or Madam,”.
- Purpose + problem in one sentence. Covers the first bullet point immediately, paraphrasing the task.
- Contrast clause. “Although I reported…, I have not yet received…” — complex and accurate.
- Clear topic sentence. Signals that this paragraph explains why it matters.
- Vivid collocation. “Pitch black” = completely dark.
- Specific example. “Narrowly avoided being hit” — a passive gerund, used correctly.
- Idiom. “Only a matter of time” = sure to happen eventually.
- Clear request. Covers the third bullet point politely and formally.
- Passive + polite form. “It would be helpful if temporary lighting could be installed.”
- Correct sign-off. “Dear Sir or Madam” → “Yours faithfully,”.
Words worth borrowing
- draw your attention to — make someone notice
- out of order — not working
- pitch black — completely dark
- narrowly avoid — only just avoid
- only a matter of time — certain to happen soon
- as a matter of urgency — very quickly, because it's important
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: All three bullet points covered, with a formal tone throughout.
- Coherence & cohesion: A paragraph for each purpose, with clear topic sentences.
- Lexical resource: Vivid and formal vocabulary (“pitch black”, “as a matter of urgency”).
- Grammar: Contrast clauses, passives and polite requests, all accurate.
Your turn: Compare the sign-off with yours. Did you match “Dear Sir or Madam” with “Yours faithfully”?
Read your answer again honestly
Rate your answer using the 4 Writing criteria you have used all through the course.
Three quick questions
- I completed a full 20-minute Task 1 response for my pathway.
- I checked it using all 4 Writing criteria.
- I can explain how today's letter is different from a letter to a manager or a friend.
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You are halfway through. Let's look honestly at your progress.
There is no new skill today. Instead, you look back at your Week 1 starting point (your real goal-setting answers and your Listening and Reading scores) and compare it with how you feel about each skill now. Your weekly reports do this for you automatically; today you do it yourself, so you can plan your last four weeks.
Quick tip
Be honest about your progress, but not too hard on yourself. "A little better" is still real progress. The goal today is to plan your last 4 weeks, not to give yourself a grade.
The numbers above are your real results
The recap at the top of this page shows your real Week 1 goal-setting answers and your real Listening and Reading scores from Week 1. Nothing is made up or rounded up. If a score shows 0, you haven't finished that section yet.
Compared with Week 1, how do you feel about each skill?
This time, don't compare yourself with your target. Compare yourself with where YOU started.
Write it down honestly
Four questions about the course so far
- I looked honestly at my real Week 1 results.
- I rated my progress in all 4 skills.
- I wrote down what has changed since Week 1 and what still needs work.
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One more Task 1 — treat this one like the real test.
Today you write one more Task 1 under real test conditions. Academic students describe a new graph. General Training students write an informal letter to a friend, the third letter style this week. When you submit, this becomes your final Week 5 answer.
Quick tip
General Training letters use three styles: formal (to a person you don't know), semi-formal (to an organization or someone at work) and informal (to a friend or family member). You need to see quickly which style a task needs, because this is part of what is tested.
What you did this week
The recap above shows your pathway and what you wrote on Day 3. Read it honestly.
The same time, instructions and word count as the real test
Do only the ONE task below that matches your test (Academic or General Training). When you submit, it becomes your final answer for the week.
Writing Task 1
The graph below shows the number of visitors, in thousands, to three museums in a city between 2015 and 2023. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
The graph shows how many people visited three museums in one city in 2015, 2019 and 2023. Each line is one museum.
in thousands = the numbers on the graph are thousands, so 120 means 120,000 visitors
Your job: describe how the number of visitors changed for each museum, and compare the museums. Don't give your opinion.
Visitors to three museums in a city, 2015–2023
Number of visitors (thousands)
Show the exact numbers in a table
| Museum | 2015 | 2019 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| History Museum | 120,000 | 100,000 | 80,000 |
| Science Museum | 60,000 | 110,000 | 150,000 |
| Art Gallery | 90,000 | 95,000 | 90,000 |
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- an upward / downward trenda general rise / fall over timee.g. House prices show an upward trend.
- recover / reboundgo back up after a falle.g. Tourism rebounded after the pandemic.
- hit a low point / bottom outreach the lowest pointe.g. House prices bottomed out in 2009.
- peak (at)reach the highest pointe.g. Traffic peaks at 5 p.m.
- attendancethe number of people who comee.g. Attendance at matches fell last season.
- throughoutduring the whole timee.g. It rained throughout the day.
- thereafterafter that timee.g. He moved in 2010 and lived there thereafter.
- approximately / just underaccurate roundinge.g. Just under half the class passed.
Visitors to three museums in a city, 2015–2023.
A model Band 8 report (about 175 words). Figures match the graph exactly. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
The line graph shows how many people visited a history museum, a science museum and an art gallery in one city between 2015 and 2023.
Overall, the science museum saw a remarkable rise in popularity, while visitor numbers at the history museum fell steadily and the art gallery remained broadly unchanged.
At the start of the period, the history museum was the most visited attraction, receiving 120,000 visitors, compared with 90,000 at the art gallery and just half that figure at the science museum (60,000).
Over the following eight years, attendance at the science museum soared, reaching 110,000 in 2019 and 150,000 by 2023 — two and a half times its original level. Meanwhile, the history museum lost around 20,000 visitors every four years, falling to 80,000. The art gallery's figures fluctuated only slightly, rising to 95,000 in 2019 before returning to 90,000. As a result, the science museum overtook both rivals to become the city's leading museum.
- Paraphrased introduction. “How many people visited” instead of copying “the number of visitors”.
- Overview of all three trends. Rise, fall, stable — the big picture in one sentence.
- Clear time signpost. Starts at the beginning of the period.
- Participle clause. “…receiving 120,000 visitors” — concise and advanced.
- Varied figure language. “Just half that figure” instead of repeating a number.
- Moves through time. “Over the following eight years.”
- Strong trend verb. “Soared” = rose very quickly.
- Precise multiple. “Two and a half times” (60,000 → 150,000) — an accurate comparison.
- Links contrasting trends. “Meanwhile” shows things happening at the same time.
- Describing a steady rate. “Lost around 20,000 every four years.”
- Describing small change. “Fluctuated only slightly.”
- Summarizing result. “Overtook both rivals to become…” — a clear final comparison.
Words worth borrowing
- remarkable — surprising and impressive
- broadly unchanged — mostly the same
- soar — rise very quickly
- two and a half times — 2.5 × the amount
- fluctuate — go up and down
- overtake — become bigger than something that was bigger
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: All three trends described accurately, with a clear overview.
- Coherence & cohesion: Moves logically through time, with linking words that show relationships.
- Lexical resource: Varied, precise trend vocabulary and ways of describing numbers.
- Grammar: Participle clauses and complex sentences, error-free.
Your turn: Find two ways this report avoids repeating a number (e.g. “half that figure”). Try one in your next Task 1.
Writing Task 1
You are moving to a new city for work. Write a letter to a friend. In your letter: tell them about your move; explain why you are moving; invite them to visit you. Begin "Dear [Name]," and write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
You are moving to another city because of your job. Write to a friend about it.
Your job: tell your friend about the move, explain why you are moving, and invite them to come and see you. This letter is to a friend, so it is informal: friendly and relaxed, like you are talking to them.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- feel at homefeel comfortable somewhere newe.g. The friendly staff made us feel at home.
- Guess what!a friendly way to share newse.g. Guess what — I passed my driving test!
- I can't wait to …you're excited about somethinge.g. I can't wait to see the new film.
- pop over / drop byvisit casuallye.g. Drop by any time this weekend.
- cosywarm and comfortablee.g. The café is small but cosy.
- the neighbourhoodthe area around your homee.g. Our neighbourhood has great parks.
- I really miss …shows your feelingse.g. I really miss my mum's cooking.
- Take care / Best wishesfriendly sign-offse.g. Take care, Sam
A letter to a friend about your move to a new city.
A model Band 8 informal letter (about 175 words). Friendly tone — contractions are fine here. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Dear Alex,
I hope you're well! I've got some big news — I'm moving to Edinburgh next month. It all happened out of the blue: my company is opening a new office there, and they've asked me to help run it.
To be honest, I didn't have to think about it for long. It's a promotion, so I'll be managing a small team for the first time, which is exactly the kind of challenge I've been looking for. I'm also ready for a change of scene — I love our town, but I've lived here my whole life, and I've always wanted to experience living in a bigger city.
Anyway, the main reason I'm writing is to invite you to come and stay once I've settled in. My new flat has a spare room, so you'd be very welcome whenever you like — maybe in August, when the festival is on? We could explore the old town and catch up properly.
Let me know what you think!
Best wishes,
Sam
- Informal greeting. A friend → their first name.
- Friendly opening + news. Gets to the first bullet point quickly, in a warm tone.
- Informal idiom. “Out of the blue” = unexpectedly. Perfect for a friendly letter.
- Natural spoken-style link. “To be honest” suits the informal register.
- Future continuous. “I'll be managing” — a flexible future form.
- Idiom. “A change of scene” = a new place, for a fresh start.
- Present perfect. “I've always wanted to…” — accurate and natural.
- The invitation. Covers the third bullet point clearly.
- Conditional-style offer. “You'd be very welcome whenever you like.”
- Phrasal verb. “Catch up” = talk about what's happened since you last met.
- Informal sign-off. “Best wishes,” and your first name only.
Words worth borrowing
- out of the blue — unexpectedly
- a change of scene — a move to a new place
- settle in — become comfortable in a new home
- catch up — talk about recent news with someone
- whenever you like — at any time you want
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: All three bullet points covered, with a consistently friendly tone.
- Coherence & cohesion: A clear paragraph for each point, linked naturally.
- Lexical resource: Informal idioms and phrasal verbs, used appropriately.
- Grammar: A range of tenses, including future continuous and present perfect.
Your turn: Compare the tone with your letter: would your friend feel you were writing to them, not to a company?
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
There is no answer key, so rate your answer honestly using the same 4 Writing criteria.
Four questions about this week
- I looked back at my week and chose a focus for Week 6.
- I wrote a full Task 1 answer in 20 minutes, like the real test.
- I rated my answer honestly with all 4 Writing criteria.
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Your first steps in Task 2 — and the hardest part of Speaking.
Five days: understanding a Task 2 question and choosing your position, the 5 types of Task 2 question, following an argument (not just a fact) in Reading, and Speaking Part 3, the discussion part that is hard even for confident speakers. Choose a day to start.
Before you start writing, know exactly what the question asks.
Every Task 2 question has two parts: the TOPIC (what it is about) and the TASK (what you must do with that topic). Many essays lose marks here, before the student writes a single word. Today you learn to separate the two and choose a position you can keep for the whole essay.
Quick tip
As soon as you read the question, underline the instruction words, such as "to what extent do you agree", "discuss both views" or "advantages and disadvantages". Do this before you think about ideas, because the instruction decides the shape of your whole essay.
One question, two different parts
Tap each card, then match each instruction to what it asks you to do.
The general subject of the question, such as technology, education or the environment. The topic alone does not tell you what to write.
The instruction, usually in the last sentence of the question. It tells you exactly what to do: give your opinion, discuss two views, write about advantages and disadvantages, or something else.
Your answer to the task. Say it clearly, say it early, and keep the same position all through the essay. If your position changes or is unclear, you lose marks.
Spend two minutes finding the topic, the task and your position. This saves time later, because an essay without a plan usually moves away from the question by the second paragraph.
Find the topic and the exact instruction in each question
A clear position is better than a clever but unclear one
Match each position sentence to what is wrong — or right — with it.
Compare it with this example: "Although parents can offer everyday guidance, I believe schools should take primary responsibility for financial education, since only schools can guarantee every student receives it." Does your sentence choose a clear side, like this one?
Four quick questions
- I can explain the difference between a question's topic and its task.
- I found the topic and the instruction in three real questions.
- I wrote my own clear position in one sentence.
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Five kinds of question, five essay plans.
Yesterday you learned to find the instruction. Today you learn what to do with it. There are 5 kinds of Task 2 question, and each one needs different body paragraphs. If you use the wrong plan, you lose Task Response marks, even if your English is very good.
Quick tip
If a question joins two instructions with "and" (like "what are the causes… and what solutions…"), you usually need one body paragraph for each instruction. Don't put them together in one paragraph.
Tap each card, then match each type to an example
"To what extent do you agree or disagree?" Give your position in the introduction. Then every body paragraph supports it.
"Discuss both views and give your own opinion." Write one fair body paragraph for each view. Give your own opinion inside them or in its own paragraph.
"What are the advantages and disadvantages?" Write one body paragraph about the good points and one about the bad points. Check the wording to see if you also need to give your opinion.
"What are the causes/problems, and what solutions can be suggested?" Write one body paragraph about the causes or problems and one about the solutions.
Two direct questions, one after the other. Answer BOTH. A common mistake is to write a lot about the first question and have nothing left for the second.
What type is each question?
The same length, but a different plan inside
Opinion: Intro (position stated) → Body 1 (reason 1) → Body 2 (reason 2) → Conclusion (restate position).
Discussion: Intro (both views previewed) → Body 1 (view A) → Body 2 (view B + your opinion) → Conclusion.
Advantages/Disadvantages: Intro → Body 1 (advantages) → Body 2 (disadvantages) → Conclusion (opinion only if the prompt asks for one).
Problem/Solution: Intro → Body 1 (causes/problems) → Body 2 (solutions) → Conclusion.
Two-Part: Intro (both questions previewed) → Body 1 (answers Q1) → Body 2 (answers Q2) → Conclusion.
Four quick questions
- I can name all 5 Task 2 question types.
- I named the type of all 5 diagnostic questions.
- I understand how each type changes the body paragraphs.
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Whose opinion is this?
In Week 3 you learned the difference between facts (True/False/Not Given) and opinions (Yes/No/Not Given). Today goes one step further. In a passage that argues a point, the writer often describes OTHER people's opinions before giving their own. Yes/No/Not Given questions check if you can tell the two apart.
Quick tip
Look for words that say whose opinion it is, like "supporters argue", "critics claim" or "some believe". These show someone else's view. "In my view", "it is clear that", or an opinion with no name attached usually shows the writer's own view.
Tap each card, then match each sentence to whose view it is
A fact can be checked. A claim is someone's opinion about it. A passage can give a fact and then, in the next sentence, give a claim about what it means that people might disagree with.
"Supporters argue", "critics claim", "some believe": these words tell you the view belongs to a particular group, and not always to the writer.
"In my view", "it is clear that", "this claim ignores…": words like "I" and "my", or a confident opinion with no name attached, usually show the writer speaking.
"However", "yet" and "but this ignores…" often show that the writer is about to answer the other side. Read what comes next very carefully.
Three quick checks
Yes / No / Not Given — 22 minutes
Read the passage once. Then decide: does each statement agree with the WRITER'S view (Yes), disagree with it (No), or does the writer not say (Not Given)?
Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely promoted as a solution to transport-related carbon emissions, and government incentives across many countries now favour their purchase over conventional cars. Manufacturers argue that EVs produce zero emissions at the point of use, making them an obvious choice for environmentally conscious consumers. However, this claim overlooks the significant emissions generated during battery production, which some studies suggest can exceed the total lifetime emissions saved by switching from a fuel-efficient petrol car. Industry critics further point out that the mining of lithium and cobalt for batteries causes serious environmental damage in producing countries, alongside documented labour concerns. In my view, EVs remain a necessary part of reducing transport emissions overall, but current government messaging drastically oversimplifies their environmental credentials, and a genuinely honest public conversation about their true lifecycle impact is long overdue. Until battery production becomes cleaner, framing EVs as an unambiguous environmental good does the public a disservice.
Four quick questions
- I can name two ways to tell someone else's view from the writer's view.
- I did the short practice and the full timed passage.
- I understand that Yes/No/Not Given always asks about the writer's own view.
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Part 3 is about ideas, not about you.
Parts 1 and 2 asked about your own life. Part 3 asks bigger, more general questions about society, changes over time and "what if" situations. The examiner asks more questions based on what you say. You get good marks here when you can guess sensibly, compare, and explain your opinion without preparing.
Quick tip
It is fine to say "That's a hard question, but I'd guess it's because…" before you give an idea. It also sounds more natural. The examiner wants to hear how you deal with a question you're not sure about, not a perfect answer you learned by heart.
Your own life and the wider world
Parts 1 & 2
About YOU: your habits, your experiences, a place or an object from your own life. In Part 2 there are no extra questions; the examiner just listens.
Part 3
About PEOPLE and SOCIETY in general: changes, comparisons with the past, "what if" situations, causes and effects. The examiner asks more questions based on your answers, so it feels like a real conversation.
"It's hard to say for certain, but I'd guess…" Part 3 often asks about things nobody knows for sure. Showing that you can think it through matters more than being right.
"Compared with the past, I'd say…" Many Part 3 questions ask how something has changed. Have a few ideas ready about older and younger people, or about new technology, that you can use for many topics.
"I think this is mainly because…" An opinion without a reason sounds weak. Part 3 rewards the same "opinion + because" habit as Writing Task 2.
In Part 3, the examiner answers what you say. Expect questions like "Why do you think that is?" or "Do you think that will change?"
Give an opinion AND a reason for each question
These questions are about the same subjects as earlier cue cards (travel and places, and objects that matter to people), but now they ask about people and society in general, not your own story. Don't prepare — just answer, like in the real test.
- 🗣️ How has tourism changed in your country over the past few decades?
- 🗣️ What are the benefits and drawbacks of tourism for local communities?
- 🗣️ Do you think people should travel more within their own country, or abroad? Why?
- 🗣️ How do you think travel might change in the future?
- 🗣️ Why do you think people often develop strong emotional attachments to certain objects?
Phrases to try in your answer
Natural phrases like these can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 2–3 that fit what you want to say. Each phrase gets a tick when it appears in your typed answer below.
- boost the economyhelp the economy growe.g. The new factory boosted the local economy.
- mass tourism / overtourismtoo many tourists in one placee.g. Overtourism has pushed up rents in Venice.
- authenticreal, not made for touristse.g. We ate authentic street food.
- a mixed blessingsomething with good and bad sidese.g. Living near the airport is a mixed blessing.
- the downside is …the negative sidee.g. The downside of city life is the noise.
- possessions / materialisticthings you own / caring too much about thingse.g. Many people own more possessions than they need.
- Chances are … / It's likely that …predict the futuree.g. Chances are, it'll rain tomorrow.
- be attached tolove something and want to keep ite.g. Children get very attached to their toys.
Four quick questions
- I can explain what makes Part 3 different from Parts 1 and 2.
- I answered all 5 discussion questions with an opinion and a reason.
- I practised giving my best guess instead of staying silent when I wasn't sure.
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One more set of Part 3 questions — your Part 3 check.
This time the topic is technology and communication. The conditions are the same as the real test: no preparation, questions like the examiner's, and an opinion plus a reason every time.
Quick tip
Before you start, think of one opinion and one reason for each question, even a rough one. This one habit is the biggest difference between a weak Part 3 answer and a strong one.
What you did this week
The recap above shows what you said on Day 4. Read it honestly.
Technology and communication — no preparation, answer like in the real test
- 🗣️ How has technology changed the way people communicate with friends and family?
- 🗣️ Do you think face-to-face communication is becoming less common? Why or why not?
- 🗣️ What are the advantages and disadvantages of young people using smartphones from an early age?
- 🗣️ How might communication technology change over the next 20 years?
- 🗣️ Some people say technology makes people less social. Do you agree?
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
Rate your answers honestly using the 4 Speaking criteria you have used all through the course.
Four questions about this week
- I looked back at my week and chose a focus for Week 7.
- I did the Part 3 check like the real test, without preparing.
- I rated my answers honestly using all 4 Speaking criteria.
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Structure, timing and an honest look at your weakest skill.
Five days: building Task 2 body paragraphs one part at a time, your first full Task 2 essay, a two-section Listening practice test where you hear each recording once, a review of all four skills, and a final essay for the week. Choose a day to start.
A good first sentence is not enough — every body paragraph needs four parts.
You already know how to choose a position (Week 6, Day 1) and how to recognize question types (Week 6, Day 2). Today you learn how to build ONE body paragraph that gets full marks. If a Point is not explained, or an Example is not linked back to your argument, the paragraph is not developed enough, even if your English is good.
Quick tip
Examiners check that every idea in a body paragraph is explained, shown with a real example, and linked back to your position. If one of these four parts is missing, the paragraph is not developed enough, even if your English is very fluent.
Tap each card, then match the parts of an example paragraph
One sentence with one clear idea. It gives the main idea of the paragraph and nothing more.
Says "why" or "how" the Point is true. This is a reason, not another example.
A real case, such as a place, a number or an event. It is not another general reason.
Connects the paragraph back to your position, or leads into the next idea. Never just repeat the Point.
Here is a full example paragraph, with one sentence for each part. Match each sentence to its part.
The Point is given. Choose the right sentence for each other part.
For each gap, only one option is right for that part. The other two are good sentences, but they belong in a different part of the paragraph. Read carefully: the most common mistake is using an Example where an Explain should be.
Each paragraph below is missing one part. Which one?
One more paragraph — this time you write the rest
Compare it with this example: "This is because fossil fuel dependency leaves both energy prices and supply vulnerable to global market shocks, while renewable sources can be generated domestically. For example, countries like Denmark now generate over half their electricity from wind, insulating them from the price spikes that hit fossil-fuel-reliant economies during recent global energy crises. As a result, national investment in renewables is as much an economic safeguard as an environmental one." Does your paragraph have all three parts, in this order?
Four quick questions
- I can name the four parts of a well-developed body paragraph.
- I did the guided practice and found the missing parts.
- I wrote my own Explain, Example and Link sentences for a new Point.
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Everything you have learned, in one 40-minute essay.
You have learned how to choose a position (Week 6, Day 1), how to recognize question types (Week 6, Day 2) and how to build a paragraph (yesterday). Today you use all three together for the first time, in a full Task 2 essay on a new Opinion question.
Quick tip
Before you write: underline the instruction, choose your position, and write one Point for each body paragraph. This plan takes less than a minute. It stops a common problem: finding out in the middle of paragraph 2 that you don't know what paragraph 3 will be about.
A 60-second plan before the timer starts
This is an Opinion question, the first type from Week 6, Day 2. Your whole essay argues for one side, and every body paragraph supports it. You don't need an "on the other hand" paragraph. Write your position and the Point for each paragraph below. This plan is not marked, but if you skip it, you will probably lose more time later.
The same time, instructions and word count as the real test
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people think that the government should provide free public transportation for all citizens. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
Some people think the government should pay for buses and trains, so that everyone can use them for free.
citizens = the people who live in a country · to what extent = how much
Your job: say how much you agree with this idea. You can agree, disagree, or agree only partly. Explain your reasons and give examples.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- taxpayers / public fundsmoney that comes from taxese.g. The bridge was paid for with public funds.
- affordablecheap enough for most peoplee.g. Budget airlines made flying affordable.
- subsidise / subsidywhen the government pays part of the coste.g. Some countries subsidise school meals.
- low-incomeearning little moneye.g. Low-income families spend more of their wages on food.
- farethe price of a journeye.g. Train fares rose by 5% this year.
- sustainablecan continue without harming the planet or the budgete.g. Is this level of spending sustainable?
- accessibleeasy to reach or usee.g. The museum is fully accessible by wheelchair.
- to a large / certain extenthow far you agreee.g. To some extent, money does bring happiness.
Should the government provide free public transport for all citizens? To what extent do you agree or disagree?
A model Band 8 opinion essay (about 285 words). One side, argued consistently. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Some argue that public transport should be made free for everyone, funded entirely by the state. I largely agree with this proposal, as its environmental and social benefits would outweigh its considerable cost.
The most compelling reason is environmental. Private cars are a major source of carbon emissions and air pollution in cities, and removing fares would give drivers a strong incentive to leave their cars at home. When Tallinn in Estonia made public transport free for residents, for example, the number of passengers rose. Fewer cars would also mean less congestion, making journeys faster for everyone, including businesses that depend on road deliveries.
A second advantage is social fairness. For low-income families, transport costs can consume a significant proportion of their budget, limiting their access to jobs, education and healthcare. Free travel would remove this barrier, allowing people to take up opportunities that are currently out of reach.
Admittedly, the scheme would be expensive, and critics rightly question how it would be funded. However, this cost could be partly offset by savings in road maintenance and healthcare, as well as by taxes on congestion or parking.
In conclusion, although free public transport requires substantial investment, I believe it is a worthwhile policy because it would create cleaner cities and a fairer society.
- Paraphrased question. “Funded entirely by the state” — no copying.
- Clear position + reason. “I largely agree… as…” — your view and why, in one sentence.
- Topic sentence. The paragraph's main idea is clear from the first sentence.
- Topic collocations. “Major source of carbon emissions” — precise and academic.
- Gerund subject. “Removing fares would give drivers…” — a Band 8 structure.
- Result clause. “…making journeys faster for everyone” extends the idea smoothly.
- Second main reason. A new paragraph for each supporting argument.
- Formal collocation. “Consume a significant proportion of their budget.”
- Participle clause. “…allowing people to take up opportunities.”
- Concession. “Admittedly” acknowledges the other side without switching position.
- Precise verb. “Funded” — the right word for money from government.
- Passive + hedging. “Could be partly offset by” — cautious, precise language.
- Conclusion signal. Clear and conventional.
- Position restated. Consistent with the introduction — examiners check this.
Words worth borrowing
- compelling — very convincing
- carbon emissions — gases released that cause climate change
- incentive — something that encourages you to do something
- abolish — officially end
- offset — balance or reduce a cost
- worthwhile — worth the cost or effort
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: A clear, consistent position, fully supported with relevant examples.
- Coherence & cohesion: One main idea per paragraph, a concession, and a conclusion that matches the introduction.
- Lexical resource: Precise, academic collocations throughout.
- Grammar: Gerund subjects, participle clauses and passives, used accurately.
Your turn: Check your essay: does your conclusion say the same thing as your introduction?
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
Rate your essay honestly. This time, look closely at Coherence & Cohesion: does every body paragraph have all four PEEL parts (Point, Explain, Example, Link), in order?
Four quick questions
- I made a quick plan (my position and one Point for each paragraph) before writing.
- I wrote a full Opinion essay of at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
- I checked at least one paragraph for all four PEEL parts.
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Two sections, one listen each — then find out what went wrong.
There is no new skill today. You listen to two sections, one after the other, and hear each one only once, like the real test. Then, instead of only checking your score, you find the reason for each mistake, so you know what to watch for next time.
Quick tip
From now on, listen to every Listening task only once, like on test day. If you miss an answer, forget it straight away and listen for the next one. If you stop to think about the one you missed, you can miss two more.
Listen once. Fill in the notes as you listen.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Listen once. This one is harder and faster, and has a correction to catch.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Look at your scores above. Be honest about why you lost marks.
For each wrong answer, write the real reason. A general answer like "I wasn't paying attention" won't help you fix it next time.
Four quick questions
- I did both sections, listening only once.
- I found the real reasons for my mistakes, not just my score.
- I wrote a clear plan for next time.
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A short review of all four skills.
There is no new skill today. You do a quick review of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, all at once. Every skill gets real practice, but pay extra attention to the skill your Week 1 results showed was weakest.
The correction trap again
Someone else's view or the writer's view?
"Some nutritionists claim that skipping breakfast is harmful for everyone. In my view, however, the effect varies significantly from person to person, and blanket advice rarely helps."
Question type and instruction words
One quick question from Part 1 and one from Part 3
Don't prepare — just answer, like in the real test.
- 🗣️ (Part 1 style) What's one thing you do to relax after a busy day?
- 🗣️ (Part 3 style) Do you think work-life balance has become better or worse in recent years? Why?
Phrases to try in your answer
Natural phrases like these can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 2–3 that fit what you want to say. Each phrase gets a tick when it appears in your typed answer below.
- put my feet upsit down and relaxe.g. After dinner I just put my feet up and read.
- recharge (my batteries)get your energy backe.g. A weekend away helps me recharge.
- log offstop using work apps or the computere.g. I log off at six every evening.
- burnoutexhaustion from too much worke.g. Long shifts can lead to burnout.
- flexible workingchoosing your own hourse.g. Flexible working lets parents do the school run.
- blur the line betweenmake two things hard to separatee.g. Phones blur the line between home and office.
- these days / nowadaysnow, compared with the paste.g. These days, most people pay by card.
- used totrue in the past but not nowe.g. People used to write letters by hand.
Which part was hardest today?
Four quick questions — one for each skill
- I practised all four skills today, not just my weakest one.
- I said honestly which skill was hardest.
- I know which skill needs the most work in Week 8.
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One more full essay — this is your final one for the week.
First, a quick look back at your week. Then you write a full Task 2 essay in 40 minutes, like the real test, on a new Problem/Solution question. Day 2 was your practice; this essay is your final answer for the week.
Quick tip
A Problem/Solution question needs two separate body paragraphs: one that names and explains the causes, and one that suggests and explains solutions. Don't mix them in one paragraph. This is the most common mistake with this type of question.
Structure, timing and your weakest skill
This week you built a body paragraph one part at a time, wrote a full essay in real time, did a practice Listening test, and thought honestly about which skill needs the most work. Today's essay puts all of this together.
The same time, instructions and word count as the real test
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: In many cities around the world, traffic congestion has become a serious problem. What are the causes of this problem, and what solutions can be suggested? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
In many cities, there are too many cars on the roads, so traffic moves very slowly.
traffic congestion = roads that are full of slow-moving cars
Your job: explain why this happens (the causes) and suggest ways to fix it (the solutions).
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- gridlocktraffic so heavy it can't movee.g. The accident caused gridlock across the city.
- car ownershiphow many people own carse.g. Car ownership has risen in rural areas.
- urban sprawlcities spreading outwardse.g. Urban sprawl means longer journeys to work.
- a toll / road pricinga fee for driving in a busy area or on a roade.g. Drivers pay a toll to cross the bridge.
- infrastructureroads, railways and other basic systemse.g. The country invested in its water infrastructure.
- alleviate / easemake a problem less severee.g. A short walk can ease a headache.
- contribute to / a contributing factorbe one of the causese.g. Stress contributes to poor sleep.
- staggered hoursstarting at different timese.g. Staggered lunch breaks keep the canteen quiet.
Traffic congestion in cities: what are the causes, and what solutions can be suggested?
A model Band 8 problem–solution essay (about 280 words). The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
Traffic congestion has become a daily reality in cities across the world, costing commuters time and damaging the environment. This essay will examine the main causes of the problem and suggest two practical solutions.
The primary cause is the sheer number of private vehicles. As living standards rise, car ownership tends to increase, and in many cities road networks have not expanded at the same rate. A further cause is poor urban planning: when homes are built far from workplaces and public transport is limited, residents have little choice but to drive. This problem is compounded by the fact that most people commute at the same times, creating severe bottlenecks.
To address these issues, governments should first invest in fast, affordable public transport. If trains and buses were more frequent and reliable, many drivers would willingly switch, as has happened in cities such as Singapore. Secondly, authorities could introduce congestion charges, requiring drivers to pay to enter the busiest areas at peak times. London's charge, introduced in 2003, reduced traffic in the city centre significantly, and the revenue can be reinvested in transport.
In conclusion, congestion results mainly from rising car ownership and poor planning, but it can be reduced through better public transport and charges that discourage unnecessary driving.
- Paraphrased context. Introduces the topic in new words.
- Outline of the essay. Tells the examiner the structure: causes, then solutions.
- Topic sentence. “The primary cause is…” — clear paragraph focus.
- Collocation. “Living standards rise” — academic and precise.
- Complex condition. “When homes are built far from… and… is limited” — a well-controlled long sentence.
- Advanced verb. “Compounded” = made worse.
- Signals the solutions. “To address these issues” links causes to solutions.
- Second conditional. “If trains… were…, many drivers would…”.
- Sequencing. “Secondly” organizes the solutions.
- Topic vocabulary. “Introduce congestion charges.”
- Reduced relative clause. “…introduced in 2003, reduced traffic…” — concise and advanced.
- Conclusion signal. Clear and conventional.
- Summarizes both parts. Answers both questions — causes AND solutions.
Words worth borrowing
- sheer number — a very large number
- living standards — the level of wealth and comfort people have
- compound — make a problem worse
- bottleneck — a place where traffic is forced to slow down
- congestion charge — a fee for driving into a busy area
- revenue — money received
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: Both parts of the question are answered fully, with real-world examples.
- Coherence & cohesion: Clear paragraphs for causes and solutions, with logical sequencing.
- Lexical resource: Precise, topic-specific vocabulary (“congestion charge”, “bottleneck”).
- Grammar: Conditionals, reduced relative clauses and long, well-controlled sentences.
Your turn: Check that your essay answered BOTH questions (causes and solutions) — missing one lowers Task Response.
Read your answer again — there is no answer key this time
Rate your essay honestly. Check: is your causes paragraph separate from your solutions paragraph, and does each one have all four PEEL parts?
Three questions about this week
- I looked back at my week and chose a focus for Week 8.
- I wrote a full Problem/Solution essay of at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
- I rated my essay honestly with all 4 Writing criteria.
You've completed 0% of today's work so far. Finish everything to unlock the button above, or move on now and come back to finish later.
The last week. Let's finish strong.
This week is your final practice test, in three parts — like the real IELTS, where Speaking is often on a different day. Day 1: Listening, then Reading. Day 2: Writing, both tasks in 60 minutes. Day 3: Speaking, all three parts together. Day 4 compares your results with Week 1, and Day 5 helps you make a study plan for the days before your test. (The two Listening parts on Day 1 and the two in Week 7, Day 3 make a full four-part Listening test.) Choose a day to start.
Course complete 🎓
You've finished all 8 weeks of GetBandReady. You can download your course summary again from Day 5 at any time.
Listening first, then Reading — like test day.
Your final practice test starts like the real test: Listening first, with each recording played once, then Reading. Today you do two Listening parts, a talk about an everyday topic and a university lecture. Together with the two sections from Week 7, they make a full Listening test. Then you read two passages with one 40-minute timer for both.
Quick tip
In the real test, you get 60 minutes for three Reading passages, and the time does not stop between them. Today you have 40 minutes for two passages, so plan about 18–20 minutes for each. If one passage takes too long, move on, and come back only if you have time at the end.
Listen once. Multiple choice, then matching.
Real test conditions
On test day, Listening comes before Reading. You hear each recording only once, and you get a short time to read the questions before it starts. Do the same here: read questions 1–10 now, then press play and answer as you listen. If you miss an answer, forget it and listen for the next one.
Questions 1–5. Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 6–10. Which feature does the speaker mention for each station? Choose five answers from the list and write the correct letter, A–G, next to each station. Two letters are not used.
| A | open 24 hours a day |
| B | electric bikes only |
| C | bikes with child seats |
| D | closed on Sundays |
| E | first 30 minutes free |
| F | not open until the end of next month |
| G | the largest number of bikes |
Listen once. A university lecture — note completion.
Part 4 is the hardest section: one speaker, a university topic, and no break in the middle. Read the notes first, so you know what kind of word each gap needs. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer, like in the real test.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Questions 11–20. Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Size of the effect
Causes
Consequences
Solutions
One timer for both passages
Full mock conditions
Start the timer below once, and answer the questions for both passages before it ends. There is no separate timer for each passage, and you only see the answers when you check your work after each passage. Treat it like test day.
Matching headings, then True/False/Not Given
Read the list of headings first. There are more headings than paragraphs, and two of them are traps.
| i | Obstacles cities must still overcome |
| ii | Comparing rural and urban bee species |
| iii | The ecological and food-security benefits |
| iv | Profitability of urban honey sales |
| v | A brief history of the practice's return |
A. Once associated almost exclusively with rural farms, beekeeping has enjoyed a striking revival in cities over the past two decades. Rooftop hives now sit atop hotels, museums, and even government buildings in many major cities, a trend that traces back to a handful of hobbyist beekeepers who began experimenting with urban hives in the early 2000s, long before local governments had any policy in place to address it.
B. This resurgence is not merely sentimental. Urban bee colonies play a measurable role in pollinating the trees, gardens, and green roofs that make up a city's often-overlooked ecosystem, and some researchers argue that a dense, well-managed network of urban hives can produce more consistent honey yields than struggling rural colonies exposed to large-scale pesticide use. Supporters further point out that visible hives raise public awareness of pollinator decline in a way that rural apiaries, hidden from most people's daily lives, cannot.
C. Yet the practice is not without friction. Many cities still lack clear regulations governing hive placement, leaving beekeepers and neighbours in occasional disputes over safety and noise. Public fear of bee stings, often based on confusing bees with more aggressive wasps, remains a real barrier to wider acceptance, and hobbyist hives are frequently more vulnerable to disease and colony collapse than colonies managed by trained apiarists with regular oversight.
Yes/No/Not Given, then sentence completion
In this passage, the writer argues a point. Pay close attention to what the writer believes, and don't confuse it with other people's views that the writer describes.
Proponents of a four-day working week argue that reduced hours can be achieved without any loss in output, pointing to several company trials in which productivity per employee actually rose once weekly hours were cut. Critics counter that such trials are typically conducted by companies already primed for the change, and that the results may not generalize to sectors like healthcare or manufacturing, where a fixed number of hours is often tied directly to output. In my view, the evidence so far is genuinely promising for knowledge-based industries, but treating it as a universal solution overstates what the data currently shows. A cautious, sector-by-sector rollout, rather than a single nationwide mandate, seems the more defensible path forward, at least until further trials cover a wider range of industries.
Complete the sentence with words from the passage.
Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Copy the words exactly from the passage — spelling counts.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Two quick questions
- I answered the matching headings and True/False/Not Given questions for the beekeeping passage.
- I answered the Yes/No/Not Given and sentence completion questions for the work-week passage.
- I did both passages in one 40-minute time limit, like the real test.
- I listened to each Listening part only once.
You've completed 0% of today's work so far. Finish everything to unlock the button above, or move on now and come back to finish later.
Both Writing tasks, one after the other, in 60 minutes.
Until now, you wrote Task 1 and Task 2 on different days, each with its own timer. Today you write both together in 60 minutes, like on test day. You also practise deciding how much time to give each task.
Quick tip
Task 2 counts about twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band, but Task 1 still needs at least 150 words. A common mistake is spending too long on Task 1 and then rushing Task 2. Plan about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2.
Read both questions, make a quick plan, then start the timer
Here are both of today's questions. Read both quickly before you plan, so there are no surprises in the middle of your 60 minutes.
Your test type (Academic or General Training) from Day 1 is chosen below
If it is wrong, you can change it here.
Writing Task 1 — Process Diagram
The diagram below shows the process of recycling plastic bottles. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features. Write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
The diagram shows the steps for recycling plastic bottles, from collecting them at people's homes to making new plastic products.
process = a series of steps, one after another
Your job: describe each step in order, from the first to the last. There are no numbers to compare here.
| Step 1 | Plastic bottles are collected from household recycling bins. |
| Step 2 | Bottles are transported to a sorting facility and separated by plastic type and colour. |
| Step 3 | Sorted bottles are shredded into small plastic flakes. |
| Step 4 | Flakes are washed, then melted into raw plastic pellets. |
| Step 5 | Pellets are sold to manufacturers, who use them to produce new plastic products. |
A process diagram is a new kind of chart. It needs order words ("first", "next", "once… have been…", "finally"), not the words for changes over time that you used for line and bar charts.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- To begin with / Initiallythe first stagee.g. Initially, the seeds are soaked in water.
- Following this / Subsequentlythe next stagee.g. Following this, the dough is left to rise.
- is / are collectedthe passive suits processese.g. Rubbish is collected every Tuesday.
- be sorteddivided into groupse.g. Letters are sorted by postcode.
- be crushed / shredded / compressedbroken or pressed into small piecese.g. The cans are crushed into blocks.
- be meltedturned into liquid with heate.g. The chocolate is melted slowly.
- In the final stage, …the last stepe.g. In the final stage, the jars are labelled.
- consists of N stagessays how many steps the process hase.g. A butterfly's life cycle consists of four stages.
The process of recycling plastic bottles.
A model Band 9 process description (about 165 words). The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score. This is the final week, so this sample shows the top score, Band 9. Band 9 doesn't mean fancy words: it means every point is fully developed, the language is precise and natural, and there are almost no mistakes.
The diagram outlines the stages by which discarded plastic bottles are recycled into new plastic products, from collection at people's homes to the point where manufacturers reuse the material.
Overall, the process has five stages, beginning with collection from households and ending with manufacturers, and the plastic changes form twice along the way: from whole bottles to flakes, and from flakes to pellets.
The cycle starts when used bottles are collected from household recycling bins and transported to a sorting facility, where they are separated by both plastic type and colour. Once sorted, the bottles are shredded into small flakes, which marks the first change in the plastic's form.
These flakes then undergo thorough washing to remove any residue, before being melted down and formed into raw plastic pellets. In the final stage, the pellets are sold on to manufacturers, who use them to produce new plastic goods, thereby closing the loop between waste and production.
- Paraphrased introduction. “The stages by which… are recycled” says the same as the task, in new words.
- Overview with real insight. It gives the number of stages, the start and the end, and the key change (bottles → flakes → pellets). This is what lifts a process overview to Band 9.
- Natural sequencing. “The cycle starts when…” instead of a plain “First”.
- Passive voice in a time clause. Processes focus on what happens, not on who does it.
- Relative clause with “where”. “Where they are separated by both plastic type and colour” adds the detail in one smooth step.
- Reduced clause. “Once sorted,” is a short, natural link (it means “once they have been sorted”).
- Passive voice. “They are shredded into small flakes.”
- Precise, formal verbs and nouns. “Undergo washing” and “residue” are exactly right for a process.
- Passive after a preposition. “Before being melted down and formed…” is advanced and accurate.
- Signals the end. “In the final stage” tells the reader the process is finishing.
- Non-defining relative clause. “…manufacturers, who use them to…” adds information about the manufacturers.
- An elegant finish. “Thereby closing the loop” sums up the whole process without adding new information.
Words worth borrowing
- discarded — thrown away
- undergo — go through a process
- residue — a small amount of something left behind
- sell on — sell something you bought or made to someone else
- close the loop — complete a cycle so nothing is wasted
- by which — used to say how something happens
Why this reaches Band 9
- Task achievement: Every stage is covered accurately, with an overview that shows real understanding of the whole process. Nothing is missing and nothing is added.
- Coherence & cohesion: The sequencing is so natural that the reader hardly notices it.
- Lexical resource: Precise, natural process vocabulary, with no errors.
- Grammar: A wide range of passive forms, used flexibly and with full accuracy.
Your turn: Find three ways this sample shows order without using “First, Second, Third”. Could you use one of them in your own answer?
Writing Task 1 — Formal Letter
The sports centre in your town is planning to close its swimming pool at the end of this year. Write a letter to the manager of the sports centre. In your letter: explain how you use the swimming pool; describe how closing it would affect you and other people; suggest what the centre could do instead of closing it. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own addresses. Begin your letter "Dear Sir/Madam,".
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
The sports centre in your town wants to close its swimming pool at the end of the year. You use the pool, and you don't want it to close.
affect = change someone's life, often in a bad way · instead of = in place of
Your job: write to the manager and do all three things in the list: say how you use the pool, explain how closing it would change things for you and other people, and suggest other ideas so the centre can keep it open. You don't know the manager's name, so the letter is formal. This letter asks the reader to change a decision, so be polite but clear.
This is the formal letter style from Week 5. You don't know the reader or their department, so start with "Dear Sir/Madam" and end with "Yours faithfully", not with a name.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- invaluableextremely usefule.g. Her advice was invaluable when I started my first job.
- low-costcheap enough for most peoplee.g. The library runs low-cost computer classes.
- senior citizensolder people, usually over 65 (polite)e.g. Buses are free for senior citizens in our city.
- I would urge you to …ask someone strongly and formallye.g. I would urge you to read the report carefully.
- reconsiderthink again about a decisione.g. The school reconsidered its rule about phones.
- fundraisingcollecting money for a good causee.g. The club held a fundraising concert for new uniforms.
- wellbeinghealth and happinesse.g. Walking in nature is good for our wellbeing.
- an asset to …something useful and valuable that a place hase.g. The new park is a real asset to the neighbourhood.
A letter to a sports centre manager about closing the swimming pool.
A model Band 9 formal letter (about 215 words). The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score. This is the final week, so this sample shows the top score, Band 9. Band 9 doesn't mean fancy words: it means every point is fully developed, the language is precise and natural, and there are almost no mistakes.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in response to the recent announcement that the swimming pool at Riverside Sports Centre is to close at the end of this year, a decision which I sincerely hope can be reversed.
Having swum at the centre three mornings a week for the past six years, I have come to regard the pool as an essential part of my routine. It is also where my two children are learning to swim, and their Saturday lessons have become the highlight of their week.
However, my concern goes well beyond my own family. The water exercise classes are something of a lifeline for older residents, many of whom have joint problems and find most other forms of exercise painful. Were the pool to close, the nearest alternative would be a forty-minute bus journey away, which would, in effect, put swimming lessons out of reach for many local families.
If the closure is a question of cost, there may be ways to keep the pool open. Entry fees could be raised slightly at the busiest times, local businesses could be approached about sponsorship, and the pool could be hired out to schools during quieter hours. I would be glad to discuss these ideas further and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Ana Silva
- Formal greeting, as instructed. Unknown reader → “Dear Sir/Madam,”.
- Purpose and goal in one sentence. The reader knows at once what the letter is about and what the writer wants.
- Participle clause. “Having swum at the centre… for the past six years” is an advanced way to start a sentence. It covers the first bullet point.
- Specific, personal detail. The children's lessons make the writer's use of the pool real and believable.
- Topic sentence that widens the point. It moves from the writer's family to the whole community (the second bullet point).
- Precise, natural phrases. “Something of a lifeline” and “many of whom” are exactly what a fluent writer would use.
- Inverted conditional. “Were the pool to close…” is a formal way to say “If the pool closed…”.
- Tactful suggestion. “If the closure is a question of cost…” is polite and shows the writer understands the manager's problem.
- Three ideas in a parallel structure. Three passive clauses in a row (could be raised / approached / hired out) cover the third bullet point clearly.
- Confident, polite close. It offers help and links back to the purpose of the letter.
- Correct sign-off. “Dear Sir/Madam” → “Yours faithfully,”.
Words worth borrowing
- something of a lifeline — something that people depend on a lot
- many of whom — a formal way to say “and many of them”
- out of reach — too far, too expensive or too difficult to get
- hire out — let people pay to use something for a short time
- regard … as — think of something in a particular way
- sincerely hope — hope very much (formal)
Why this reaches Band 9
- Task achievement: All three bullet points are fully covered with relevant, well-developed detail, and the tone is formal and persuasive from start to finish.
- Coherence & cohesion: Each paragraph has one clear job, and the linking is natural, never mechanical.
- Lexical resource: A wide range of precise, natural vocabulary, with no errors.
- Grammar: A participle clause, an inverted conditional, “many of whom” and parallel passives, all fully accurate.
Your turn: Find the sentence that covers each bullet point. Then rewrite one of your own sentences so it starts with “Having…”.
A question type you haven't written yet: Advantages / Disadvantages
Writing Task 2
Nowadays, many people work from home instead of commuting to an office. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this way of working? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
Many people now do their job at home instead of travelling to an office every day.
commuting = travelling to work and back · advantages / disadvantages = good points / bad points
Your job: write about the good points and the bad points of working from home. You don't need to choose a side.
This type is different from an Opinion or Problem/Solution essay. You don't argue for one side. You write fairly about both sides: usually one body paragraph about advantages and one about disadvantages, each with the Point–Explain–Example–Link shape from Week 7.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- On the plus side, …introduces an advantagee.g. On the plus side, the flat is near the station.
- hybrid workinga mix of working from home and the officee.g. Many banks now offer hybrid working.
- interruptionsthings that stop you in the middle of a taske.g. I work better with no interruptions.
- autonomyfreedom to make your own decisionse.g. Senior staff usually have more autonomy.
- collaborationworking togethere.g. The project needed close collaboration between teams.
- overheads / running costsa business's regular costs, like rent and billse.g. Moving online cut the shop's overheads.
- self-disciplinemaking yourself work without being tolde.g. Studying alone takes self-discipline.
- drawbacka disadvantagee.g. The main drawback of the flat is its size.
Many people now work from home. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
A model Band 9 advantages–disadvantages essay (about 280 words). The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score. This is the final week, so this sample shows the top score, Band 9. Band 9 doesn't mean fancy words: it means every point is fully developed, the language is precise and natural, and there are almost no mistakes.
Over the past decade, working from home has changed from an occasional perk into a normal arrangement for millions of employees. While this shift has brought clear benefits for both workers and employers, it has also created problems that are easy to overlook.
For employees, the most immediate gain is the time no longer lost to commuting. Someone who once spent two hours a day on crowded trains can now reinvest that time in sleep, exercise or family life, and this often translates into a healthier work-life balance. Many people also find they are more productive at home, where they are spared the constant interruptions of an open-plan office. Employers benefit too: by renting less office space, companies can cut their costs considerably, while also recruiting from a much wider area.
The disadvantages, however, are less visible but no less real. Working from home for long periods can leave people feeling isolated, deprived of the casual conversations that make a workplace sociable. This matters most for junior staff, who learn a great deal simply by watching how experienced colleagues handle problems — knowledge that is rarely written down and is hard to pass on over video calls. A further concern is that when the office is also the living room, the working day can quietly stretch into the evening, damaging the very balance that remote work promised.
In conclusion, working from home offers real savings in time, money and stress, yet it can also weaken social ties, slow down professional development and make it harder to stop working. For many people, a mix of home and office work is likely to keep most of the benefits while limiting the costs.
- Paraphrased introduction. “Changed from an occasional perk into a normal arrangement” shows the trend without copying the question.
- Clear outline. The introduction tells the reader that both sides will be discussed. This question type doesn't ask for your opinion.
- Topic sentence. The paragraph's focus is clear at once.
- Long, controlled sentence. A relative clause (“Someone who once spent…”) inside a sentence that stays easy to follow.
- Natural collocation. “Translates into a healthier work-life balance.”
- Precise verb. “Spared the constant interruptions” = not having to suffer them.
- Short link with a colon. “Employers benefit too:” moves to a second group in a few words.
- “By + -ing” for method. “By renting less office space, companies can…” explains how.
- Clear switch, with nuance. “Less visible but no less real” moves to the other side and shows a careful judgement.
- Precise vocabulary. “Deprived of the casual conversations” is more exact than “they don't have chats”.
- Extended explanation. A relative clause and a dash add a reason and an example in one well-controlled sentence.
- Adds a point. “A further concern is that…” — varied linking, not just “Also”.
- Vivid, accurate phrasing. “The working day can quietly stretch into the evening” and “the very balance” link back to the first body paragraph.
- Conclusion signal. Clear and conventional.
- Summarizes both sides. Balanced, as the question requires, with a sensible final thought.
Words worth borrowing
- perk — an extra benefit that comes with a job
- reinvest — put time or money back into something useful
- translate into — lead to; result in
- spared — not made to suffer something unpleasant
- deprived of — without something you need or would like
Why this reaches Band 9
- Task achievement: Both sides are fully developed, with specific, well-explained support, and the conclusion follows logically.
- Coherence & cohesion: Clear paragraphs and reference words (“the very balance”) make the argument easy to follow.
- Lexical resource: A wide range of precise, natural vocabulary and collocations, with no errors.
- Grammar: Complex sentences used flexibly and with full accuracy.
Your turn: Find the sentence in the disadvantages paragraph that links back to the advantages paragraph. Could you link your own paragraphs like this?
Rate your writing in both tasks together
There is no answer key. Read the answers you submitted and rate yourself honestly, thinking about both tasks together.
Four quick questions
- I wrote Task 1 (for my test type) with at least 150 words.
- I wrote Task 2 with at least 250 words.
- I wrote both tasks in 60 minutes and checked my answers honestly.
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Parts 1, 2 and 3 — without stopping.
The real Speaking test does not stop between parts. It is one interview of 11–14 minutes. Today you go straight from Part 1 to the Part 2 long turn and then to the Part 3 discussion, like with a real examiner.
Quick tip
In the real test there is no break between parts. After your last Part 1 answer, the examiner gives you the Part 2 cue card straight away. Today, try to keep the same energy and speed through all three parts, without stopping to plan.
Full mock conditions
Do Parts 1, 2 and 3 below in one go, without long pauses between them. Each part has its own recording box, but treat it all as one interview.
Everyday questions, real test conditions
Answer each question like in the real test: natural answers of a few sentences each, not one-word answers.
- What's the weather usually like where you live?
- What kind of food do you enjoy cooking or eating at home?
- Do you prefer living in a busy area or a quiet one? Why?
- How do you usually spend time with your family?
1 minute to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
Cue card
Describe a piece of technology that has made your daily life easier. You should say: what it is; how you use it; when you started using it; and explain why it's useful to you.
When you press Start on "Speaking time", recording starts by itself. It stops when the time is up, like in the real test.
Bigger, more general questions about your cue card topic
These questions are about the same topic as the technology cue card above. A real examiner would ask questions like these next. Think aloud for each one, even if you're not sure.
- How has technology changed the way people spend their free time?
- Do you think people rely too much on technology nowadays? Why or why not?
- What impact has technology had on how families communicate?
- Do you think older and younger generations use technology differently? How?
- What kind of technology do you think will be most important in the future?
Rate your speaking in all three parts together
Three quick questions
- I recorded or typed all three parts, one after the other, without long pauses.
- I used my 1 minute in Part 2 to write short notes, not full sentences.
- I rated my speaking honestly using all 4 Speaking criteria.
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Week 1 and now — every skill, side by side.
Seven weeks ago, you didn't know what to expect from this test. Today we use your own real answers to compare your Week 1 results with your Week 7 and Week 8 practice tests, in all four skills. Nothing is guessed — it is all your own work.
Quick tip
Every number below comes from work you really did. If a "now" number looks unfinished, it means you haven't finished that practice test yet. It is not a scoring mistake.
Your Week 1 test and your Week 7–8 practice tests
Your Week 1 test and your Week 8 practice test
Your Week 1 Task 1 and this week's practice test
Your Week 1 answers and this week's practice test
Looking at all four skills together
Four quick questions
- I looked honestly at my "then and now" results for all four skills.
- I wrote a short reflection for each skill.
- I named the biggest change since Week 1.
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The last day. Let's get you ready for test day.
Eight weeks ago, you didn't know what to expect from this test. Today you look back at the whole course, make a real plan for the days before your test, and download a course summary to keep, share with a teacher, or look back on.
Quick tip
A clear, exact plan works better than a general one. "I'll do more Reading practice" is easy to skip. "I'll do one Reading passage every morning until my test" is easy to follow.
From your first day to full practice tests
When you started, you didn't know what to expect from IELTS. Since then, you have set a goal, built every skill step by step, taken full practice tests in real time, and compared your Week 1 results with where you are now.
What do you still need to practise, and how much?
Be honest with yourself. This is for you, not for a mark.
Eight questions from across the course
Your full 8-week course summary
This makes one file with your first goals, your Week 1 results, your Week 8 practice test results, your study plan above, and how much of each week you finished. It downloads as your final Summary Report (PDF).
Copy this instead
Downloading doesn't work here. Instead, select all the text below, copy it, and paste it somewhere safe, like a note or an email to yourself.
- I thought honestly about my progress over all 8 weeks.
- I made a clear study plan for the days before my test.
- I downloaded my final course summary.
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Catch the final answer
Quick tip · the three Week 1 traps
1. The answer changes. Speakers often correct themselves. Listen for sorry, no, actually, instead, it's been moved, it's now — the answer is what comes after them.
2. Spelling counts. A name spelled out letter by letter must be written exactly. "Double-s" means ss.
3. Word limits. In "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER", little words like a and the count as words. Go over the limit and the mark is lost, even if the idea is right.
① Which is the final answer?
Read what each speaker says. Pick the answer you would write down.
② Would this answer get the mark?
The instruction is: Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. Decide if each student answer would be marked right.
③ Put it together · a short phone call
Below is the script of a phone call. Don't read it yet. Practise it as a listening task on your own:
- Read questions 10–16 first, so you know what to listen for.
- Open Google Translate (translate.google.com or the app) and set the left-hand language to English.
- Open the script, copy one section at a time, paste it into Google Translate, then press the speaker button 🔊 to hear it read aloud. Look away from the words while it plays.
- Answer the questions as you listen. Play each section no more than twice — that's closer to the real test.
- Only then read the script to check what you missed.
Google Translate is a free outside tool, not part of GetBandReady — the voice may sound robotic, and we can't control how it works. Any text-to-speech app will do the same job.
Show the script — Phone call: reporting a lost backpack
Section 1
Staff: Good morning, Central Station lost property. How can I help?
Caller: Hi. I left my backpack on a train yesterday evening.
Staff: I'm sorry to hear that. Can I take your name?
Caller: It's Daniela Okafor. That's O, K, A, F, O, R.
Staff: Thank you. And which train were you on?
Caller: The six forty — sorry, no, it was the seven ten. I missed the earlier one.
Section 2
Staff: The seven ten. Can you describe the backpack?
Caller: It's grey, with a red zip on the front pocket.
Staff: And what was inside it?
Caller: My laptop charger, a blue notebook and a library book. Oh, and my umbrella — actually, no. I had the umbrella with me this morning, so it wasn't in the bag.
Section 3
Staff: All right. If it's handed in, you can collect it from our office. We used to be on platform two, but we've moved. We're now beside the ticket hall.
Caller: Is there a charge?
Staff: There's a small fee of four pounds fifty, which you pay when you collect it.
For your notebook
Write down the signal words that caught you out today (sorry, no, actually, used to be, now…). Next time you hear one, get ready to change your answer.
Proof before you answer
Quick tip · watch the strength words
Before you search the passage, circle any "strength word" in the statement: all, only, always, never, most, some, usually. If the statement is stronger than the passage ("all" when the passage says "usually"), the answer is not TRUE.
TRUE = the passage says the same thing. FALSE = the passage says the opposite. NOT GIVEN = the passage doesn't say either way.
Borrowing a drill, not a book
A In a number of cities, residents can now borrow a drill, a ladder or a sewing machine in the same way they would borrow a book. These tool libraries are usually run by volunteers and funded through small yearly memberships, which in many schemes cost less than a single new power tool. Supporters argue that most household tools are used for only a few minutes in their entire lives, so sharing them makes more sense than owning them.
B Running a tool library is not as simple as lending books. Tools break, need regular servicing, and can be dangerous if they are used incorrectly. Several libraries therefore ask new members to attend a short safety session before borrowing power tools, and some keep the most hazardous equipment for members who have completed extra training. Late returns are also a common problem, because a missing ladder may leave another member waiting for weeks.
C Researchers who have studied these schemes suggest that the greatest benefit may not be financial. Members often ask volunteers for advice about repairs, and many libraries now hold evening workshops where people learn to fix furniture and small appliances. As a result, some members report feeling more confident about repairing items they would once have thrown away.
① True, False or Not Given?
② Choose a heading for each paragraph
There are two extra headings you won't need. Look for the paragraph's main job, not one word that matches.
③ Complete the sentences
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.
For your notebook
Copy one statement you got wrong, then underline the exact words in the passage that prove the right answer. Proof first, answer second.
Start strong, then compare
Quick tip · the first paragraph does the most work
Academic: after one sentence saying what the chart shows, write an overview: one or two sentences about the biggest patterns, with no numbers. Details and numbers come after.
General Training: your opening says why you're writing in one clear sentence. Then give each bullet point its own paragraph.
| Route | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| North route | 40 | 65 |
| Island route | 90 | 85 |
| Harbour route | 25 | 60 |
① Pick the best opening
② Comparison language
Use the ferry table. Fill each gap with one of these: rose, slightly, than, the most, whereas.
③ Now write your own
Do the one that matches your test. Academic: write the first two sentences for the ferry table (what it shows + an overview). General Training: write the opening paragraph of the tent letter. Two or three sentences is enough.
Academic: "The table compares the number of ferry passengers on three routes in 2020 and 2024. Overall, two routes became much busier over the period, while the Island route, although still the most popular, saw a small decline."
General Training: "Dear Sam, I'm writing to apologize because I accidentally damaged the tent you kindly lent me last weekend. I feel terrible about it, and I'd like to explain what happened and how I plan to put it right."
Check yours: Academic — did your overview avoid numbers and mention the biggest pattern? General Training — would your reader know why you're writing after one sentence?
Say a little more
Quick tip · Answer + Reason + Example
In Part 1, a strong answer is usually 2–3 sentences: answer the question, give a reason, then add an example or detail. No memorized speeches — just natural, extended answers.
If you need thinking time, use a natural phrase instead of silence: "That's a good question — let me think…", "Well, it depends…", "What I mean is…"
① Which answer would score best?
② Build a Part 3 answer
Question: "Should people learn to repair things themselves?" Match each sentence to its job in a strong answer.
③ Your turn · three Part 1 questions
- 🗣️ Do you prefer to shop in stores or online? Why?
- 🗣️ What kind of weather do you enjoy most?
- 🗣️ Do you like spending free time indoors or outdoors?
Say your answers out loud — use Answer + Reason + Example each time. If you can, record yourself on your phone and listen back.
- Every answer had a reason, not just "yes" or "no".
- I added at least one real example or detail.
- When I needed time, I used a phrase instead of a long silence.
Make every paragraph earn its marks
Quick tip · one paragraph, one job
In Task 2, a strong body paragraph has one central idea: a topic sentence that states it, an explanation, a specific example, and a final sentence that links back to your position.
To connect sentences, use reference words (this, these, such, it) instead of stacking moreover / in addition / furthermore. "This cleaner air…" links more naturally than "Moreover, …".
All questions below use this Task 2 question: "Some people believe that cars should be banned from city centres. To what extent do you agree or disagree?"
① Choose the strongest sentence
② Put the paragraph in order
Number these sentences 1–4 to make one well-built body paragraph.
③ Write your own paragraph
Write one body paragraph (80–100 words) for the same question, about safety or noise. Use the four parts: topic sentence, explanation, example, link back. Try to use at least one reference word (this, these, such).
Model paragraph (safety): "Another important benefit of car-free centres is greater safety for pedestrians. Without heavy traffic, people can cross streets freely, and children are far less likely to be involved in accidents. For instance, a city that closes its main shopping street to cars no longer needs busy crossings where most injuries happen. Such improvements make city centres more welcoming places to live and visit, which is why I believe the benefits outweigh the inconvenience to drivers."
- My paragraph has only one central idea.
- My topic sentence states that idea clearly.
- I gave a specific example, not a general statement.
- My last sentence links back to my position.
Four criteria, one long turn
Quick tip · a small fix for each criterion
Fluency & Coherence: fill thinking time with a phrase ("let me think about that for a second") instead of silence. Lexical Resource: swap general words (nice, good, bad) for precise ones. Grammar: use the right tense for your timeline ("I've lived here since 2019"). Pronunciation: stress the word that carries the new information.
① Which criterion does each fix help most?
② Stress the new information
In English, we stress the word that answers the question or corrects it. Which word should be stressed in each answer?
③ Your long turn
Cue card: Describe a piece of advice someone gave you that turned out to be useful. You should say: who gave you the advice; what the advice was; when you used it; and explain why it was useful.
- Take 1 minute to make short notes (key words only, not sentences).
- Speak for up to 2 minutes without stopping. Record yourself on your phone if you can.
- Listen back and tick what you did.
- Fluency: I kept going, and filled pauses with a phrase instead of silence.
- Lexical Resource: I used at least three precise words instead of nice / good / bad.
- Grammar: my past events were in the past tense, and I used at least one longer sentence with "because", "when" or "which".
- Pronunciation: I stressed the important words, and my voice didn't stay flat.
Same meaning, new words
Quick tip · the three safe techniques
Synonym ("rose" → "increased"), word form ("a sharp rise" → "rose sharply"), and structure ("The council built the library" → "The library was built by the council"). Keep names, numbers and dates exactly the same — and watch for words that quietly change the amount or strength (many → all, difficult → impossible).
① Which technique was used?
② Safe or unsafe?
③ Paraphrase a Task 2 question
Your introduction should say the question in your own words. Paraphrase each one using at least two techniques. Then compare with the models in the answer key.
Model 1: "An increasing number of employees now prefer to do their jobs from home."
Model 2: "Some argue that public transport, rather than road building, should receive a larger share of government funding."
Model 3: "Young people nowadays devote an excessive amount of time to phones, tablets and computers."
Four errors, fixed for good
Quick tip · the four patterns
Articles: use "the" for a specific thing ("the government", "the internet"). Agreement: "the number of + plural noun" takes a singular verb. Tense: keep one tense for one timeline. Joining sentences: two full sentences need a full stop, a semicolon, or a linking word — never just a comma.
① What's wrong with it?
② Choose the right verb form
③ Proofread a paragraph
This paragraph has four errors, one of each pattern. Rewrite it correctly, then check the answer key.
"In recent years, number of people who work from home have grown quickly. Many companies saved money on offices, they also find that staff are happier. However, some workers said that they feel lonely."
Corrected: "In recent years, the number of people who work from home has grown quickly. Many companies save money on offices, and they also find that staff are happier. However, some workers say that they feel lonely."
The four errors: missing article (the number); agreement (has grown); comma splice (add "and"); mixed tenses (keep the present: save, say).
Read the headings, then listen
Quick tip · predict before you listen
In a table, read the row and the column heading for every gap — together they tell you exactly what kind of answer fits (a price, a time, a place). In notes, the gaps come in the same order as the audio, so if you miss one, move straight on to the next.
Harbourside Fun Run — information talk. Complete the table and notes. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
| Distance | Start time | Entry fee |
|---|---|---|
| 2 km family walk | 9:30 | £ (1) ______ per family |
| 5 km run | (2) ______ | £12 |
| 10 km run | 11:00 | £ (3) ______ |
- Discount of £ (4) ______ for anyone who registers before (5) ______
- Collect race number from the tent beside the (6) ______
- Bring some photo (7) ______
- 10 km runners must wear a timing (8) ______ on their shoe
- This year's money will pay for a new (9) ______ at the Children's Hospital
① Predict the answer type
Before you listen, decide what kind of answer each gap needs.
② Listen and complete gaps 1–9
- Open Google Translate (translate.google.com or the app) and set the left-hand language to English.
- Copy one section of the script at a time, paste it in, and press the speaker button to hear it. Look away from the words while it plays.
- Fill the gaps as you listen. Play each section no more than twice.
- Only then read the script to check what you missed.
Google Translate is a free outside tool, not part of GetBandReady — the voice may sound robotic, and we can't control how it works. Any text-to-speech app will do the same job.
Script — Harbourside Fun Run information talk
Section 1
Organizer: Good evening, everyone, and thanks for coming to this information session about the Harbourside Fun Run. The run takes place on Sunday the ninth of June. There are three distances. The shortest is the two-kilometre family walk, which starts at nine thirty. The five-kilometre run starts at ten o'clock — not half past ten, as it says on the old poster. And the ten-kilometre run starts at eleven.
Section 2
Organizer: Entry fees are different for each distance. The family walk costs eight pounds per family. The five-kilometre run is twelve pounds, and the ten-kilometre run is fifteen. If you register before the first of May, you get two pounds off any distance.
Section 3
Organizer: On the day, please collect your race number from the tent beside the lighthouse, and bring some photo ID. Runners in the ten-kilometre race must also wear a timing chip, which is attached to your shoe. And finally, all the money raised this year goes to the Children's Hospital, which needs a new playroom.
(1) 8 · (2) 10:00 / 10 am — not 10:30, which was the old poster · (3) 15 · (4) 2 · (5) 1 May · (6) lighthouse · (7) ID · (8) chip · (9) playroom
Follow the process, catch the branch
Quick tip · three kinds of signal
Sequence words move you to the next box (first, next, once you've…, after that). Condition words mark a branch (if, provided that, unless). Correction words change what was just said (sorry, I mean, actually) — write what comes after them.
① What kind of signal is it?
② Listen and complete the flow-chart
How to return an online order. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Practise with Google Translate, one section at a time, exactly as in the other listening practice.
- Step 1 — Log into your account and open the (1) ______
- Step 2 — Choose the item and select a (2) ______ for the return. Deadline: (3) ______ days from delivery
- Step 3 — If the item weighs less than 5 kg → take it to a (4) ______. If heavier → a (5) ______ collects it from your home
- Step 4 — Print the return (6) ______ and attach it to the outside of the box
- Step 5 — If the item arrives undamaged → refund within (7) ______ working days, paid to your original (8) ______ (except gift cards)
Script — Brightline Home returns line
Section 1
Recorded message: Thank you for calling Brightline Home. Here's how to return an item. First, log into your account and open the order you want to return. Next, choose the item and select a reason for the return. You have thirty days — sorry, I should say twenty-eight days — from delivery to do this.
Section 2
Recorded message: Once you've chosen a reason, you'll be asked how you want to send the item back. If it weighs less than five kilograms, you can drop it at any post office. If it's heavier, we'll arrange for a courier to collect it from your home.
Section 3
Recorded message: After that, print the return label and attach it to the outside of the box. Provided that the item arrives undamaged, your refund will be paid within five working days. Unless you paid with a gift card, the money goes back to your original payment method.
(1) order · (2) reason · (3) 28 — thirty is corrected · (4) post office · (5) courier · (6) label · (7) 5 / five · (8) payment method
Facts or views? Check the right thing
Quick tip · two different checks
True/False/Not Given checks facts the passage states. Yes/No/Not Given checks what the writer thinks. For Yes/No, look for opinion signals (I think, I disagree, in my experience, should) and for how strong the writer's claim is (may and usually are weaker than always).
Passage 1 · Never too late for the piano
Many adults believe that learning a musical instrument is something best done in childhood. I think this belief is mistaken. Adults may learn more slowly at first, but they usually bring something children lack: a clear reason for wanting to play. In my experience, that motivation matters far more than age.
That said, I would not pretend it is easy. Adult learners have jobs and families, and finding thirty minutes a day to practise is a real challenge. Yet short, regular practice is more effective than occasional long sessions, and it is this habit, not talent, that I believe separates those who improve from those who give up.
Some teachers insist that adults should begin with classical music. I disagree. Beginners should play the music they love, because enjoyment is what keeps them practising.
① Yes, No or Not Given? (the writer's views)
Passage 2 · The modern paperback
Cheap books with paper covers were already on sale in the nineteenth century, but the modern paperback is usually traced to 1935, when a British publisher released ten titles that had first been published in hardback. They were priced at sixpence each, about the same as a packet of cigarettes, and were sold not only in bookshops but also in railway stations and department stores. Within a year, the series had sold millions of copies.
② True, False or Not Given? (the facts)
Group the data, describe it precisely
Quick tip · the body paragraphs
Academic: don't go year by year or number by number. Group the data — for example, what rose in one paragraph and what fell in another — and describe it with precise, honest approximations: roughly double, just over half, a quarter.
General Training: match your tone to the reader, and close correctly: Best wishes (a friend), Yours sincerely (you used their name), Yours faithfully (you wrote "Dear Sir or Madam").
| Format | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 120 | 110 | 100 | 90 |
| 3D | 40 | 45 | 35 | 30 |
| IMAX | 10 | 20 | 35 | 50 |
① How would you group the body paragraphs?
② Choose the accurate description
③ General Training: the right closing
④ Write it
Academic: write one body paragraph (about 60 words) about IMAX and 3D, using at least two approximations. General Training: write a short, friendly final paragraph and closing for a letter thanking a friend for helping you move house.
Academic model: "IMAX was the only format to grow, with sales rising steadily from 10,000 in 2021 to 50,000 in 2024 — five times the original figure. 3D sales, by contrast, rose slightly to a peak of 45,000 in 2022 before falling to 30,000, roughly a quarter below their 2021 level."
General Training model: "Thanks again for giving up your whole Saturday — I really couldn't have done it without you. Come round for dinner once I've unpacked the kitchen! Best wishes, Sam"
Find your way on the plan
Quick tip · start point and direction
Before you listen, find where the speaker starts (usually the entrance) and which way they're facing. "On your left" only makes sense from that position. Places are usually described in order, moving away from the start.
① What does the phrase mean?
② Label the plan
Bayside Aquarium — ground floor. You are at the main entrance, facing the central pool. Six rooms are marked A–F. Listen, and write the correct letter for questions 5–10. Then answer question 11.
| Left side | Centre | Right side | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back | A | Shark tunnel | B |
| Middle | C | Central pool | D |
| Front | E | Main entrance | F |
- Open Google Translate (translate.google.com or the app) and set the left-hand language to English.
- Copy one section of the script at a time, paste it in, and press the speaker button to hear it. Keep your eyes on the plan, not the words.
- Write the letters as you listen. Play each section no more than twice, then check with the script.
Google Translate is a free outside tool, not part of GetBandReady — the voice may sound robotic, and we can't control how it works. Any text-to-speech app will do the same job.
Script — Bayside Aquarium welcome talk
Section 1
Guide: Welcome to Bayside Aquarium. We're standing at the main entrance, and straight ahead of you is our central pool. The gift shop is immediately on your right as you come in, so you can visit it on your way out. The room on your left, opposite the gift shop, used to be our café — but the café has moved upstairs, and that room is now the first-aid room.
Section 2
Guide: If you walk past the central pool on its left-hand side, you'll come to the jellyfish room, which is kept quite dark. On the other side of the pool, opposite the jellyfish room, is the penguin enclosure. Feeding time there is at two o'clock.
Section 3
Guide: At the far end of the building is the shark tunnel. To the left of the tunnel you'll find the touch pool, where children can hold a starfish. And the lecture theatre is at the far end on the right, where our marine biologist gives a short talk every hour.
Main idea, not matching words
Quick tip · test the heading against the whole paragraph
Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph first. Then check each heading against the whole paragraph. Wrong headings usually fall into three traps: a keyword trap (same word, different idea), too narrow (only one detail), or too broad (bigger than this paragraph).
From crime to attraction: the story of street art
A For much of the twentieth century, painting on walls without permission was treated simply as vandalism. City councils spent large sums removing it, and those responsible could face heavy fines. Few people imagined that the same images might one day be protected.
B Attitudes began to change when some artists started producing large, carefully planned works that residents actually liked. In several cities, neighbourhoods that had once complained about graffiti began asking artists to decorate empty walls, and councils introduced "legal walls" where painting was allowed.
C Today, street art draws visitors. Guided walking tours take tourists through districts known for their murals, and nearby cafés and shops report more customers on tour days. One small coastal town even paid for a series of murals to attract visitors during its quiet winter months.
D Not everyone welcomes this success. Some long-term residents complain that the areas' popularity has pushed up rents, while certain artists argue that paid murals have lost the rebellious spirit that made street art meaningful in the first place.
① Choose a heading for each paragraph
② Why are the other two headings wrong?
Know what you're hunting for
Quick tip · name the type first
Before you scan, decide what the statement wants: an example, a comparison, a reason, or a number or date. Then look for that kind of language (for instance · more than, unlike · because, as a result · digits) — not the statement's exact words.
Saving seeds for the future
A Seed banks store the seeds of plants so that species can be recovered if they disappear from the wild or from farms. Most keep seeds dried and frozen at around minus twenty degrees Celsius, conditions in which many seeds can survive for decades, and some for centuries.
B The largest collections are enormous. One vault built deep inside a mountain in the Arctic can hold several million seed samples — far more than a typical national seed bank, which may store tens of thousands.
C Seed banks were not created only for emergencies. Many traditional crop varieties began to disappear in the twentieth century because farmers switched to a small number of high-yield crops, and scientists feared that useful traits, such as resistance to drought, would be lost for good.
D Their value has already been proven. When a research centre lost access to its collection during a war, it was able to request copies of its own seeds from the Arctic vault and begin replanting them in another country.
① What type of information does each statement want?
② Which paragraph (A–D) contains…
Short for Part 1, long for Part 2
Quick tip · two different jobs
Part 1: 2–4 natural sentences per question. Part 2: use the 1 minute to write key words for each bullet point — not sentences — plus one extra idea (a short story, how it has changed, how it makes you feel). That extra idea is what carries you from 1 minute to the full 2.
① Make the right choice
② Part 1 practice
Answer each question out loud in 2–4 sentences. Record yourself on your phone if you can.
- 🗣️ How often do you eat out? Why?
- 🗣️ What do you usually do on public holidays?
- 🗣️ Do you enjoy visiting museums?
③ Part 2 long turn
Cue card: Describe a market you enjoy visiting. You should say: where the market is; what is sold there; how often you go; and explain why you enjoy visiting it.
Extra ideas to keep you going: what you can see, hear and smell there · a specific visit you remember · how the market has changed · who you go with.
- I spoke for close to 2 minutes without stopping.
- I covered every bullet point, then used at least one extra idea.
- My notes were key words, not sentences.
- I used linking phrases to move between points ("As for…", "What I love most is…").
Catch the answer after the change
Quick tip · the first answer is often the trap
In multiple choice, speakers usually mention two or three of the options. Listen for change words (actually, sorry, in that case, it's been moved to) and ruled-out words (that's full, not any more, it used to be). The answer is what is still true at the end.
① Which one is the final answer?
Read what the speaker says. Choose the answer you would write down.
② Listen: a group booking at Harbourview Hostel
Read questions 4–12 first. Then listen to the call (see "How to listen" below).
Questions 9–12. What does the receptionist say about each place? Choose from A–E. There is one letter you will not use.
- Open Google Translate (translate.google.com or the app) and set the left-hand language to English.
- Copy one section of the script at a time, paste it in, and press the speaker button to hear it. Look at the questions, not the words.
- Answer as you listen. Play each section no more than twice, then check with the script.
Google Translate is a free outside tool, not part of GetBandReady — the voice may sound robotic, and we can't control how it works. Any text-to-speech app will do the same job.
Script — Harbourview Hostel group booking
Section 1
Receptionist: Harbourview Hostel, how can I help?
Caller: Hi, I'd like to book beds for a group. We're arriving on Thursday… no, sorry, our train got moved, so it'll be Friday.
Receptionist: Friday, fine. And how many of you?
Caller: It was going to be twelve, but two people have dropped out, so ten.
Receptionist: Ten. Normally we'd take a deposit now, but for groups of more than eight we ask you to pay the full amount when you arrive.
Section 2
Caller: What's included in the price?
Receptionist: Towels are free, and so is our walking tour — it leaves every morning at nine. Bike hire used to be free, but it's ten dollars a day now. The lockers are free too, but you'll need your own padlock, or you can buy one here for three dollars. And there's an airport bus for twelve dollars each.
Section 3
Receptionist: A few things about the building. The laundry room is in the basement — we share it with the hostel next door, so it can get busy. The games room is being repainted this week, so it's closed until Monday. People sometimes think it closes early on Sundays, but that's actually the café. Up on the rooftop terrace there's a free drink for everyone at six every evening. And if you bring bikes, you'll need to book a slot in the bike store at reception.
Exact words, inside the limit
Quick tip · decide the word type, then copy it exactly
Before you look in the passage, read the words around the gap and decide what is missing: a noun, a number, an adjective? Then find the place in the passage and copy the word exactly. Your own synonym is always wrong, and one word over the limit loses the mark.
Bringing back the night sky
Two hundred years ago, almost everyone on Earth could see the Milky Way on a clear night. Today, around eighty percent of people live under light-polluted skies, and for about a third of humanity the Milky Way is no longer visible at all. The main cause is outdoor lighting that shines upwards or sideways instead of down where it is needed.
The effects reach beyond astronomy. Many birds migrate at night and use the stars to find their way; bright cities can pull them off course, and large numbers die each year by flying into lit buildings. Young sea turtles, which head towards the brightest horizon after hatching, may crawl inland towards roads instead of out to sea.
The good news is that light pollution is one of the easiest environmental problems to reverse. Unlike chemical pollution, it disappears the moment a light is switched off or shielded. In 2001, the town of Flagstaff in Arizona became the world's first International Dark Sky City, after decades of rules requiring shielded lamps. Since then, many other places have earned similar recognition.
Some towns have gone further. In one small village, streetlights now switch on only when a sensor detects a person or car nearby, which has cut the village's lighting costs by almost half. Residents were worried about safety at first, but a survey two years later found that most felt no less safe than before. Tourism has also benefited: astro-tourism, in which visitors travel to see truly dark skies, is now a growing business in remote areas.
① Would this answer get the mark?
Gap: "Light pollution is mainly caused by ______ lighting." Limit: NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
② Summary completion — NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
Light pollution mostly comes from outdoor lights that point upwards or (5) ______. It also harms wildlife: (6) ______ that travel at night can lose their way, and baby sea turtles may move towards (7) ______ instead of the sea. But it is easy to reverse, because it ends as soon as a light is switched off or (8) ______.
③ Sentences and short answers — NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER
Twenty minutes, used well
Quick tip · plan 3, write 15, check 2
Spend 3 minutes finding the two or three biggest patterns and grouping the data. Spend 15 minutes writing: an introduction, an overview with no numbers, and two body paragraphs with figures. Keep 2 minutes to check numbers, verb tenses and your word count (at least 150).
| Age group | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–29 | 4 | 9 | 15 |
| 30–44 | 6 | 8 | 11 |
| 45–59 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 60 and over | 1 | 1 | 2 |
① Choose the best sentence
② Write it in 20 minutes
Set a timer for 20 minutes. Write a full answer (at least 150 words): "The table shows the number of coworking-space members in Harbour City, by age group, in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant."
Model overview: "Overall, the number of members rose in every age group, but the increase was far greater among younger people, especially those aged 18 to 29, who became the largest group by 2024. By contrast, membership among people aged 45 and over remained low throughout."
Check yours: overview with no numbers? Two body paragraphs that group the young and the older age groups? Every figure correct? At least 150 words?
Right tone, every bullet point
Quick tip · who is the reader?
Before you write, decide how well you know the reader. A friend = informal ("Hi Sam", "Love,"). Someone you know a little, like a neighbour = semi-formal ("Dear Mr Patel", "Kind regards,"). A company or official you don't know = formal ("Dear Sir or Madam", "Yours faithfully,"). Then give each bullet point its own paragraph.
The task: You are going to have building work done in your flat next month. Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter: explain what work you are having done; say how it might affect them; tell them what you will do to reduce the disruption.
① Choose the best option
② Write the letter in 20 minutes
Set a timer for 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words. Begin "Dear Mr Patel,". Use one paragraph for each bullet point.
Model opening: "Dear Mr Patel, I'm writing to let you know that I'm having my kitchen replaced next month, and I wanted to tell you about it before the work begins."
Check yours: purpose in the first sentence? All three bullet points answered, one paragraph each? Semi-formal from start to finish, ending "Kind regards," and your full name? At least 150 words?
Answer the question they actually asked
Quick tip · topic first, then the task, then your position
The topic is what the prompt is about. The task is the instruction, usually in the last sentence ("To what extent do you agree?", "Is this positive or negative?"). Your position is your answer to that task in one clear sentence, with a reason. Say it in the introduction and keep it the same until the end.
① Find the topic and the task
Prompt A: "Some people think every university student should study at least one subject that is not related to their main degree. To what extent do you agree or disagree?"
Prompt B: "In many cities, old buildings are being knocked down and replaced with modern ones. Is this a positive or negative development?"
② Spot the strong position
③ Your turn: one clear sentence
Prompt: "Some people believe museums and art galleries should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?" Write your position in ONE sentence, with a reason.
Model: "I largely agree, because free entry allows people of every income to enjoy culture, although a small charge for special exhibitions seems fair."
Check yours: does it answer "how much do you agree"? Is there a reason? Would you be happy to keep the same position for the whole essay?
Know the type, choose the shape
Quick tip · the last sentence tells you the type
Opinion: "To what extent do you agree?" · Discussion: "Discuss both views and give your opinion." · Advantages & disadvantages: "What are the advantages and disadvantages?" · Problem & solution: "What problems… how can they be solved?" · Two-part: two separate questions. Each type needs a different plan for your two body paragraphs.
① Name the question type
② Choose the right plan
③ Your turn: plan Question 2 in 5 minutes
Write a short plan for the space exploration question: your position, what Body 1 and Body 2 will say, and one example for each.
Model plan: Position: space exploration is worth funding, but at a sensible level. Body 1: the "waste of money" view — the money could pay for hospitals or clean water. Body 2: the other view and my opinion — space research gave us useful inventions such as weather satellites, and it inspires young people to study science. Conclusion: both matter, so governments should fund both.
Whose opinion is this?
Quick tip · separate the writer from everyone else
Phrases like some people argue, researchers have found, critics claim report other people's views. Phrases like in my view, it is clear that, it would be wrong to show the writer's own view. Yes / No / Not Given questions are only about the writer's view.
Why children need to be bored
Many parents today treat boredom as a problem to be solved. At the first sign of a restless child, a tablet appears or another after-school activity is booked. Surveys in several countries suggest that children's free, unplanned time has fallen steadily over recent decades.
Some child psychologists argue that this is harmless, since structured activities teach discipline and new skills. That is true as far as it goes, but it misses something important. In my view, boredom is not wasted time: it is the space in which children learn to entertain themselves, and that is a skill no class can teach.
When nothing is provided, a child must decide what to do. Researchers who study creativity have found that people often produce more original ideas after a dull task than after an interesting one. It would be wrong, however, to claim that boredom always leads somewhere useful; a child left alone for hours with nothing at all may simply become frustrated.
The answer, then, is not to remove every activity, but to leave some time unplanned. Parents need not feel guilty when their child complains of having nothing to do. It is clear that a little boredom, offered regularly, does far more good than harm.
① Whose view is it?
② Yes / No / Not Given
Does the statement agree with the writer's view (YES), disagree with it (NO), or is it impossible to say what the writer thinks (NOT GIVEN)?
From your life to the bigger picture
Quick tip · opinion, reason, example, "but"
Part 3 questions are about people and society, not just you. Give your opinion, a reason, a short example, and if you can, a contrast ("That said…", "On the other hand…"). For questions about the future, use careful language: I suspect…, It's likely that…, It's hard to say, but…
① Which answer sounds like Part 3?
② Build the answer in the right order
Question: "Should children learn about other countries' festivals at school?" Match each job to the sentence that does it.
③ Your turn: answer out loud
Set a timer for about 1 minute per question. Record yourself if you can, then listen back.
- How have celebrations in your country changed since your grandparents were young?
- Is it better to celebrate special occasions with family or with friends? Why?
- Do you think big public festivals are worth the money cities spend on them?
- How might people celebrate special occasions in 20 years' time?
Check each answer:
- I gave a clear opinion in my first sentence.
- I gave a reason and a short example.
- I talked about people in general, not only about myself.
- I used at least one contrast ("That said…") or future phrase ("I suspect…").
Point, Explain, Example, Link
Quick tip · each sentence has one job
Point: the main idea. Explain: why or how it's true ("This is because…"). Example: one real, specific case ("For instance…"). Link: connect back to your position ("As a result…"). The most common mistake is an example where the explanation should be.
① Choose the sentence for each job
Point: "Cities should turn more unused land into public parks and gardens."
② Which part is missing?
③ Your turn: finish the paragraph
Point: "Children should spend more time playing outside." Write the Explain, Example and Link sentences.
Model: "This is because outdoor play builds physical fitness and teaches children to solve problems and take small, healthy risks. For example, my local primary school added a 20-minute outdoor break every afternoon, and teachers say pupils now concentrate better in class. As a result, more time outside benefits children's learning as well as their health."
Check yours: does each sentence do one job? Is your example specific, not general? Does the last sentence link back to the Point without repeating it?
A full essay in 40 minutes
Quick tip · plan 5, write 30, check 5
Spend 5 minutes planning: question type, your position, one Point for each body paragraph. Spend 30 minutes writing at least 250 words. Keep 5 minutes to check. The introduction paraphrases the question and gives your position. The conclusion sums up — no new ideas.
The prompt: "In some countries, young people take a year off between school and university to work or travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?"
① Introduction and conclusion
② Timing and length
③ Your turn: a full essay in 40 minutes
Set a timer for 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words: "Many people today do not get enough sleep. What are the causes of this, and what can be done about it?" (This is a Problem & solution question: Body 1 = causes, Body 2 = solutions.)
Model introduction: "A growing number of people now sleep less than they need. In my view, this is mainly caused by long working hours and the use of phones late at night, and it can best be tackled through a combination of personal habits and changes at work."
Check yours: question paraphrased, not copied? Causes in Body 1 and solutions in Body 2, each with a Point, Explain, Example and Link? A conclusion with no new ideas? At least 250 words?
One play only — catch it first time
Quick tip · three traps to expect
In the real test you hear everything once. Expect three traps: a correction ("Tuesday — sorry, Wednesday"), a word that is spelled out letter by letter, and a word limit you must not go over. Read the notes before you listen and guess what kind of word each gap needs.
① Complete the notes — ONE play only
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Use the "How to listen" steps below, and play each section only once.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Rehearsal day | (1) ______ |
| Start time | (2) ______ pm |
| Place | the hall behind the (3) ______ |
| New member's surname | Marco (4) ______ |
| Fee per term | £ (5) ______ |
| Bring | a (6) ______ folder and a bottle of water |
| First concert | December, at the (7) ______ |
- Open Google Translate (translate.google.com or the app) and set the left-hand language to English.
- Copy one section of the script at a time, paste it in, and press the speaker button. Keep your eyes on the notes, not the script.
- Play each section only once, like the real test. Then check with the script.
Google Translate is a free outside tool, not part of GetBandReady — the voice may sound robotic, and we can't control how it works. Any text-to-speech app will do the same job.
Script — joining a community choir
Section 1
Ruth: Elmwood Community Choir, Ruth speaking.
Marco: Hi, I'd like to join the choir. Do I need to do an audition?
Ruth: No auditions — anyone can join. Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings… oh, sorry, we've just moved them to Wednesdays. They start at half past seven.
Marco: And where are they?
Ruth: In the hall behind the library. Not the church — people often get that wrong.
Section 2
Ruth: Can I take your name?
Marco: Marco Feeney. That's F-E-E-N-E-Y.
Ruth: Thanks. The fee is twenty-five pounds a term. It used to be thirty, but we've lowered it this year.
Section 3
Ruth: You'll need to bring a folder for your music — a black one, please, so we all look the same on stage — and a bottle of water. Our first concert is in December at the town hall… actually, no, this year it's at the arts centre.
Marco: Great. I used to sing at school, and I've just moved to the area, so I'm hoping to meet some new people.
② Name the trap
Each student below lost a mark. Which trap caught them?
Thank you for learning with GetBandReady
You did it. Eight weeks, forty days, and every skill built one step at a time. That takes real commitment, and I'm so proud of you.
This toolkit is my thank-you gift. It holds the things students say helped them most on test day: the small, practical tips that many courses never mention. Keep it on your phone, print it, and read it again the week before your test.
How to use this toolkit
Now: read your study plan and the tips for each section.
Every day until your test: pick one 5-minute drill from the end of this toolkit.
The night before: read the Hot tips and the Emergency toolkit one more time. Then put it away and rest.
A plan you can actually follow
Quick tip · little and often wins
Twenty focused minutes every day does more than one long, tiring session on Sunday. Your brain keeps what it uses again and again, so short, regular practice is what makes skills stick.
① Three to four weeks before your test
- Do one full practice test a week, at the same time of day as your real test, so your brain gets used to working hard at that hour.
- Spend most of your time on your weakest skill (your plan above shows which), but touch every skill at least twice a week.
- Keep an "error list": every mistake you make more than once (articles, plurals, spelling, a word you always misuse). Read it before each practice.
② The last week
- No more than two full practice tests. Use the other days for short drills and for reading your error list and your Band 8 sample answers.
- Check your booking: the test centre address, start time, and whether your Speaking test is on the same day or a different day.
- Travel the route to the test centre once at the same time of day, so there are no surprises.
③ The day before
- Light review only: 30 minutes at most. Learning new things now adds stress, not marks.
- Pack your bag: the same ID you used to register, your confirmation, a clear bottle of water, and a layer of clothing in case the room is cold.
- Do something relaxing, eat a normal dinner, and go to bed at your usual time.
④ The morning of the test
- Eat the breakfast you normally eat (see Food and focus).
- Warm up your English for 10 minutes: read a news article out loud, or talk to yourself about your plans for the day. Arriving "warm" makes Speaking Part 1 much easier.
- Arrive early. Many centres won't let you in once the test has started.
The Listening tips students wish they'd known
The big one · never chase a missed answer
The answers come in order. If you miss one, let it go at once and listen for the next question. Students who keep thinking about the missed answer often lose the next two or three as well. Guess it at the end.
- Use every second of reading time. Before each part, underline the key words and guess the type of answer: a number, a name, a place, a plural noun?
- Wait for the final answer. Speakers often change their minds ("Tuesday… oh no, sorry, make that Thursday"). The first thing you hear is often the trap.
- Check plurals and spelling. A missing "s" or a misspelled word is marked wrong. Names that are spelled out letter by letter must be exact.
- Obey the word limit. "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" means three words is wrong, even if the meaning is right.
- Write in capital letters on paper. Answers aren't case-sensitive, and capitals stop the marker from misreading your handwriting.
- Know your format. On paper you get extra time at the end to copy answers onto the answer sheet. On computer you type as you go and get only a short check time, so type your answers straight away.
- Train your ear on different accents. The test uses British, Australian, New Zealand, North American and other accents. Listen to podcasts or radio from different countries.
Read less, find more
The big one · there's no extra time to copy answers in Reading
On the paper test, Listening gives you time to transfer answers, but Reading does not. Write your answers on the answer sheet as you go, inside the 60 minutes. Many students only find this out on test day.
- Give each passage about 20 minutes. Passage 3 is usually the hardest, so don't spend extra time on Passage 1.
- Never leave a blank. A wrong answer costs nothing, so guess every question you can't answer.
- Read the questions first, then search the passage for them. You don't need to understand every word.
- Map the passage in one minute: read the title and the first sentence of each paragraph so you know where things are.
- Know which questions are in order. Most question types follow the passage order. Matching headings and matching information usually don't.
- Use only the passage. For True/False/Not Given, forget what you know about the topic. If the passage doesn't say it, it's Not Given.
- Copy spelling exactly. If your answer comes from the passage, copy the word letter by letter.
- Stuck for 90 seconds? Guess, mark the question, and move on. Come back only if there's time.
Protect the marks you've earned
The big one · Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1
Task 2 counts for about two-thirds of your Writing band. Many high scorers write Task 2 first, so a slow start on Task 1 can't steal time from the task that matters most. Whatever order you choose, stop Task 1 at 20 minutes.
- Don't memorize whole paragraphs. Examiners are trained to spot memorized language, and it doesn't count towards your band. Learn phrases, not paragraphs.
- Simple and correct beats complex and wrong. One clear complex sentence that's correct is worth more than three long ones full of errors.
- Know what 250 words looks like. On paper, count how many lines your handwriting needs for 150 and 250 words, so you don't waste time counting on the day. On computer, use the word counter.
- Always write a conclusion. If time is running out, write two sentences that sum up your view. An essay without a conclusion loses marks.
- Answer every part of the question. If it asks "why" and "what can be done", you need both.
- Keep 3 minutes to check your error list: articles, plurals, subject-verb agreement, and your own repeat mistakes.
- No titles, no bullet points, no slang. Write in full paragraphs with a clear space between them.
It's a conversation, not an interrogation
The big one · the examiner marks your English, not your ideas
Nobody checks whether your story is true. If you can't think of a real example, invent one. A simple made-up story told fluently scores better than a true one full of long pauses.
- Keep talking in Part 2 until you're stopped. Being stopped by the examiner is a good sign. It means you spoke for the full time.
- Write key words, not sentences, in your 1 minute of Part 2 notes: one or two words for each point on the card.
- Correcting yourself is fine. "She go… sorry, she went" sounds natural and shows control of your grammar.
- You can ask the examiner to repeat a question. In Part 3 you can also ask what something means. It's much better than answering the wrong question.
- Use idioms only if you're sure. A natural, everyday phrase used correctly beats a fancy idiom used wrongly.
- Give a reason with every answer: answer, then "because…", then an example. That's the whole Part 3 formula.
- Smile and look at the examiner. It relaxes you, and a relaxed voice sounds more fluent.
Things most teachers forget to tell you
Your ID must match your booking
Bring the exact ID you used to register (usually your passport or national ID card), and make sure it hasn't expired. A different or expired ID can mean you aren't allowed to take the test.
- Your overall band is an average, rounded. Your four scores are averaged and rounded to the nearest half band, with .25 rounding up to .5 and .75 rounding up to the next whole band. So one extra half band in your strongest skill can lift your overall score.
- Taking the test on computer? Try the free official familiarisation test online first, so the screen, the highlighting tool and the timer feel normal.
- Speaking may be on a different day. At many centres it's a few days before or after the written tests. Check your confirmation email.
- Go to the toilet before each part. You can usually leave during the test, but the clock doesn't stop.
- Leave your watch and phone outside. Most centres collect them. Use the clock in the room or on the screen.
- Results are faster on computer: usually a few days, compared with about two weeks for the paper test.
- Think a score is wrong? You can ask for a remark (an "Enquiry on Results") within a set time after your test. There's a fee, and it's refunded if your score goes up.
- Just missed your target in one skill? Many centres now offer a "One Skill Retake": you retake only that one skill instead of the whole test. Ask your centre.
- Rules change. Always check your test centre's own instructions before test day.
A calm mind gets a higher band
Name it: "I'm excited"
A racing heart before a test is your body getting ready to perform. Studies have found that telling yourself "I'm excited" works better than trying to calm down. The feeling is the same; the label changes how you use it.
- Protect your sleep all week, not just the night before. If you sleep badly the night before the test, don't panic: one restless night is very common, and a week of good sleep carries you through it.
- Breathe out longer than you breathe in. Breathe in for 4 counts and out for 6, five times. A long out-breath tells your body to slow down. Practise it now so it works on the day.
- Move every day. A 15-minute walk helps you sleep, lowers stress and clears your head.
- Stop comparing. Other people's scores in online groups say nothing about yours. Compare yourself only with your own Week 1.
- Celebrate small wins. Write down one thing you did well after every practice session.
- Plan a reward for after the test, whatever happens: a meal, a film, a day out. It gives your brain something good to look forward to.
Fuel for a long morning
These are general tips, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or a diet your doctor has given you, follow that.
Rule number one · nothing new on test day
Test day is not the day to try a new food, a new energy drink or twice your usual coffee. Eat and drink what you know works for you.
- Eat breakfast with protein and slow energy: eggs, yoghurt, oats, wholegrain toast, nuts or fruit. They keep you going through a long test better than sugary cereal or pastries.
- Drink water, but sip it. Being thirsty hurts concentration, but too much water means toilet trips during the test.
- Keep to your usual caffeine. A little helps you focus; a lot can make you shaky and anxious.
- Bring a snack for the break: a banana, nuts or a cereal bar, especially if Speaking is later in the day.
- Avoid a heavy, greasy meal right before the test. It can make you feel sleepy just when you need to be sharp.
» Ways to stay focused while you study
- 25 on, 5 off: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break away from the screen.
- Phone in another room. Even a silent phone on the desk pulls at your attention.
- One task at a time. The Reading test is 60 minutes of non-stop focus. Practise sitting for 60 minutes with one task and no breaks.
- Mind wandering in the test? Put your finger on the question number and read it again. Your finger brings your eyes and your mind back.
If you freeze, or can't think what to do
First, in any section · STOP, BREATHE, NEXT
Stop: put your pencil down or take your hands off the keyboard. Breathe: two slow breaths, longer out than in, feet flat on the floor. Next: do the next small thing only: the next question, the next sentence. You don't have to fix everything, just the next step.
» Listening
- Lost your place? Look at the next question's key word and listen only for that. Guess the missed answers at the end.
- Heard two possible answers? Write the last one you heard. Speakers often correct themselves.
» Reading
- A passage feels impossible? Do the question types you're best at first, then come back.
- 10 minutes left and lots of questions still empty? Guess every one. A blank is always wrong; a guess might be right.
» Writing
- No ideas? Ask: Who does this affect (people, families, businesses, the government)? Is it about money, health, time, the environment or society? Pick two and you have two body paragraphs.
- Stuck in the middle of a paragraph? Ask "Why?", then "For example?", then "So what?"
- Running out of time? Stop and write a two-sentence conclusion now. Then go back if there's time.
» Speaking
- Mind goes blank? Buy time out loud: "That's an interesting question, let me think…" or "I've never really thought about that before, but…"
- Don't know a word? Describe it: "the thing you use to…", "a kind of…", "it's like a… but smaller."
- Don't know anything about the topic? Say so honestly, then connect it to something you do know: "I don't know much about farming, but my uncle grows vegetables, and…"
- Ran out of things to say in Part 2? Go through who, where, when, how you felt, and what you'd do differently.
- Made a mistake? Fix it and keep going. Examiners care about the whole answer, not one slip.
How to avoid freezing in the first place
Quick tip · decide now, not in the moment
Research on habits shows that "if–then" plans work: when you decide in advance exactly what you'll do in a hard moment, you do it almost automatically. "If I lose my place in Listening, then I jump to the next question."
- Remove surprises. Know the exact order, timing and instructions of every part. You've practised all of them in this course, so read your Week 8 mock results once more.
- Expect one hard question in every section. It's normal, and everyone gets them. When it comes, you'll think "there it is" instead of "oh no".
- Practise in imperfect conditions. Do one practice test in a noisy café or when you're a little tired. The quiet test room will then feel easy.
- Have a starter line ready for each section: your first Speaking sentence, your Task 2 introduction pattern, your Reading plan. Starting is the hardest part.
- Plan your morning. Wake-up time, breakfast, travel and arrival time, written down the night before.
Small drills that keep your skills sharp
Quick tip · one drill a day
Pick one drill each day until your test. Five minutes is enough. Doing it every day matters more than doing a lot at once.
» Your daily drill menu
- Shadowing (Listening + Speaking): play 1 minute of an English podcast and repeat each sentence straight after the speaker, copying their rhythm.
- One-sentence summary (Reading): read one short news article and sum it up in one sentence of your own words.
- Intro sprint (Writing): choose any Task 2 question from your course and write only the introduction in 5 minutes.
- Two-minute talk (Speaking): pick an object in the room and talk about it for 2 minutes without stopping. Record it.
- Error-list check (all skills): read your error list, then write three sentences that use each error correctly.
① Spelling drill: which one is correct?
② Paraphrase drill: same meaning?
③ Grammar drill: find the error
④ Speaking drill: 1 minute to plan, 2 minutes to talk
Describe a teacher or mentor who helped you. You should say: who they are; how you know them; what they taught you; and explain why they were important to you.
Share GetBandReady, and join our community
If GetBandReady helped you, the best thank-you is to pass it on. Most of our students find us because a friend told them about it.
» How to recommend us
- Tell a friend who is preparing for IELTS, or anyone thinking about studying, working or living abroad.
- Share the link in your class, study or community group chats: getbandready.com
- Let them know they can try it free before they pay: the first three days of the course are free, with no card needed.
- Tell us your result. Reply to my welcome email with your band score. It means the world to us, and with your permission it helps other students believe they can do it too.
Join our Facebook community
Our free Facebook group is where students share tips, ask questions, celebrate results and chat with the creators.
Join us here: facebook.com/groups/1749654752990110
Thank you for trusting us with your preparation. Go and get the band you deserve. You're ready.
With love, Jess and the GetBandReady team
Meet the test. Set your target.
Before you start practising, it helps to know what IELTS asks you to do and what score you are aiming for. Today is an easy start: you will learn how the test works and set your goal.
Quick tip
Don't worry about your English level yet. Practice starts tomorrow. Today, just learn how the test is organized and decide what score you want.
What actually is IELTS?
IELTS tests four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. You usually take them on the same day. The test does not check what you know about a topic. It checks how well you can understand and use English when you have a time limit. This course trains you to do exactly that.
IELTS Academic is for people who want to study at a university, or to register for a profession (for example, nursing) in an English-speaking country. In Writing Task 1, you describe a chart, graph, table, process or map.
IELTS General Training is for people who want to move to another country, work there, or do training that is not a university degree. In Writing Task 1, you write a letter. It can be friendly, semi-formal or formal, depending on who you are writing to.
Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions. Reading and Writing are different, so this course gives you the right practice for your version.
| Section | Length | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | ~30 min | 4 recordings, increasing in difficulty, 40 questions total |
| Reading | 60 min | 3 passages, 40 questions, no extra transfer time |
| Writing | 60 min | Task 1 (≥150 words, ~20 min) + Task 2 (≥250 words, ~40 min) |
| Speaking | 11–14 min | 3 parts: personal questions, a long turn, a discussion |
Each skill gets its own band score from 1 to 9. Your Overall Band Score is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band (for example, 6.5). Trained examiners mark Writing and Speaking using four criteria each. You will learn all eight criteria this week and next week.
Tell us why you're taking IELTS
Choose the answer that is closest to your situation. It tells the course which Writing and Reading practice to give you.
This is exactly the choice the real test calls Academic vs. General Training — university/professional body = Academic, migrating/working/training = General Training. Pick one above and we'll automatically load the right Writing and Reading materials for you from Day 4 onward, so you won't need to choose again.
Rule of thumb
If you are not sure, ask the university, employer or immigration office you are applying to. They will tell you which test they need. A score from the wrong test will not be accepted.
Flip each card
Tap each card to see what each part of the test asks you to do.
About 30 minutes, 40 questions. You hear four recordings, and each one is a little harder: an everyday conversation, one person talking about an everyday topic, a study discussion, and a short lecture. Everyone takes the same Listening test.
60 minutes, 40 questions, 3 texts. There is no extra time to copy your answers onto the answer sheet. Academic texts are longer and more difficult. General Training texts are about everyday life and work.
60 minutes, 2 tasks. In Task 1 (at least 150 words), you describe information or write a letter. Task 2 (at least 250 words) is an essay. Task 2 is worth twice as much, so give it more time.
11–14 minutes, with an examiner. First, questions about your life. Then you talk for up to 2 minutes about a topic on a card. Last, a discussion of bigger ideas linked to that topic.
Did it stick?
Five quick questions. They are not a test. They show you what to read again.
Your IELTS profile
Fill this in honestly. Later in the course, we compare your progress with these answers.
- I know which test I'm taking — Academic or General Training.
- I've set a target overall band and a test date.
- I understand the four skills, their timing, and how scoring works.
You've completed 0% of today's work so far. Finish everything to unlock the button above, or move on now and come back to finish later.
Listening Baseline
Today you practise word limits, numbers, spelling and changes of information. You will see where you get marks, and where you lose them, in real test conditions.
Quick tip
Read the instructions before the audio starts. For each gap, guess what kind of answer you need: a name, a number or a place. If a speaker changes a detail, write the last answer they give, not the first one you hear.
Watch out
A correct idea can still lose the mark if you use too many words or spell a word wrong. All the practice below is marked with the real IELTS rules.
Listen twice, fill the gaps
Read questions 1–6 first. Then press play. You can listen to this recording twice.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Ask yourself
Which word told you that the speaker was changing the information? Listen for words like actually, sorry, instead, moved to and now. You hear them just before the answers to questions 3 and 5.
One listen only.
Test condition
You can play this recording once, at normal speed, like in the real test. If you miss an answer, don't stop. Go to the next question and keep listening.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Last one for today
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Write your answers as you listen.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Numbers: digits (15) or words (fifteen) are both accepted. Digits are faster and can't be misspelled. Dates: 14 September, September 14 or 14th September. Times: 3:15 or 3.15 pm. Money: 5 or £5. A number is not a word: "15 minutes" is one word and a number.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Name your pattern
Look at the answers you got wrong in all three tasks above. Choose the reason that happened most often. This is the most useful thing you learned today.
- I read the questions before each recording started.
- I noticed when a speaker corrected information.
- I know my one repeated Listening error pattern.
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Reading Baseline
Today you practise finding proof in the text instead of guessing. You will match headings to paragraphs, answer True/False/Not Given questions and complete sentences, all with a time limit.
Quick tip
Reading questions test meaning, not matching words. Underline the main idea of the question, then find the part of the text about it. TRUE = the text says the same. FALSE = the text says something different. NOT GIVEN = the text does not say.
Evidence, not guesses
Short text: A recent survey of 300 college students found that most used the library at least once a week. Students studying science visited slightly more often than students in business programs. The survey did not ask whether students preferred printed or digital books.
Remember
NOT GIVEN does not mean "I can't find it quickly." It means the text really does not give enough information to decide.
22 minutes. Questions 1–15.
Test condition
Don't use a dictionary. If you are not sure, choose your best guess and keep going. You can come back later if you have time.
A Community gardens are often presented as a recent response to crowded urban life, but the basic idea is much older. During the rapid growth of industrial cities in the nineteenth century, local authorities and charitable groups in several countries set aside small plots where working families could grow vegetables. These early allotments were intended partly to improve diets and partly to provide healthier recreation than crowded streets or public houses. Although the size and rules of the plots varied, the underlying principle was the same: residents were given access to land that they did not personally own.
B Today, food production remains important, but many participants describe social benefits as equally valuable. New residents can meet neighbours without the pressure of a formal event, while older gardeners may share practical knowledge with younger volunteers. In districts with many recent immigrants, a garden may become a place where people exchange seeds, recipes and growing methods from different countries. Researchers have also observed that conversations arise naturally when people work beside one another, which can make the garden more welcoming than a meeting arranged specifically for strangers.
C It is easy, however, to exaggerate what these spaces can achieve. A small urban plot cannot normally provide all the food a household needs, and the amount harvested varies with weather, experience and available time. Some gardeners do save money, especially when they grow expensive herbs or vegetables, but others spend more on tools, compost and transport than the produce would cost in a shop. Community gardens should therefore be understood as a supplement to the food system rather than a replacement for supermarkets or farms.
D Environmental benefits are also real, though they are not automatic. Flowering plants can support insects, composting can reduce household waste, and unpaved soil can absorb rainwater. Yet older urban sites may contain contaminated soil from previous industrial use. Many projects respond by testing the ground and using raised beds filled with clean soil. Water use can also become a concern during dry periods, so some gardens install rainwater tanks and choose plants that require less frequent watering.
E The most difficult problems are often organizational rather than agricultural. Popular gardens may have long waiting lists, and members do not always agree about how plots should be used. One person may want a quiet place to grow food, while another may expect regular social events. Projects also need clear rules about shared tools, neglected plots and decision-making. Without a fair system, a small group of highly active members can end up making choices for everyone else, which may discourage newer participants.
F Future projects are beginning to use spaces that were previously ignored. Rooftops, school grounds and the edges of parking areas can all be adapted, although each site creates technical challenges. Some gardens now use simple sensors to measure soil moisture so that water is applied only when necessary. Others collect information about harvests, attendance and local wildlife. This data does not remove the need for experienced gardeners, but it can help organizers decide which methods are effective and where limited funding should be spent.
Fast check before questions
Can you say what each paragraph is mostly about in 3–5 words? If you can, you are ready for the headings below.
Questions 1–6 · Matching Headings
Choose the best heading for each paragraph. There are two extra headings that you will not use.
| i. More than food | v. Why supermarkets are becoming less important |
| ii. Technology and evidence for future projects | vi. Environmental advantages and necessary precautions |
| iii. Difficulties in sharing a limited resource | vii. Expectations that are too ambitious |
| iv. An older solution to urban living | viii. A single reason why people participate |
Questions 7–11 · True / False / Not Given
Questions 12–15 · Sentence Completion
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Copy the words exactly from the passage — spelling counts.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Copy the words exactly from the passage — spelling counts.
Quick check: tap the answer that would be marked wrong under this instruction.
Every word counts, even a, an and the. A hyphenated word (part-time) is one word. Spelling must be right, and plurals matter: "ticket" and "tickets" are different answers. Capital letters don't matter.
Name your pattern
- I used evidence from the passage instead of guessing.
- I kept moving when I was unsure of an answer.
- I know my one repeated Reading error pattern.
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Writing Foundations
First, learn what examiners look for. Then write your first timed Task 1 answer. Don't worry about using perfect phrases yet. We just want to see your starting level.
Quick tip
Clear, simple English scores better than fancy English. Answer every part of the task, explain your ideas, and use words and grammar that you can use correctly.
Four criteria, in plain English
Did you answer every part of the task?
Can the reader follow your ideas easily from one paragraph to the next?
Do you use the right words, and enough different words, for the topic?
Do you use different kinds of sentences, and is your grammar correct?
Academic or General Training?
Do only ONE of the two tasks below. Which one depends on why you are taking IELTS: for a university or a profession → Academic; to move, work or train in another country → General Training. We have chosen it for you from your Day 1 answer. If it's wrong, you can change it here at any time.
We don't have your Day 1 answer yet. Press the button above for the test you are registered for. Academic = for a university or a profession. General Training = to work, move to another country, or train.
Task
The bar chart below shows the number of international students at one university who took part in four campus services (activities and support that the university offers its students) in 2023 and 2025. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
A university offers its students some extra activities and help outside their classes. These are the "campus services" (the campus is the university's land and buildings).
The chart shows how many international students (students from other countries) used each service in 2023, and again in 2025.
- Sports Society: a sports club for students
- Writing Centre: a place where students get help with their essays
- Conversation Club: a group where students practise speaking English
- Volunteer Program: unpaid work that helps the local community
Your job: describe the biggest changes and compare the four services. Don't give your opinion, and don't guess why the numbers changed.
International students using four campus services, 2023 and 2025
Number of students
Show the exact numbers in a table
| Service | 2023 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Society | 120 | 105 |
| Writing Centre | 95 | 140 |
| Conversation Club | 80 | 125 |
| Volunteer Program | 50 | 90 |
Need help starting? Sentence starters (optional)
Use these as a frame and fill the gaps with what you see in the chart. Change them as much as you like.
1 · Introduction: say what the chart shows, in your own words
The bar chart compares how many international students at a university used ___ in ___ and ___.
2 · Overview: the big picture (no numbers)
Overall, ___ services became more popular, while ___ .
The biggest increase was in ___ .
3 · Details: the important numbers and comparisons
In 2023, the most popular service was ___, with ___ students.
By 2025, the number of students using ___ had risen to ___ .
___ fell slightly, from ___ to ___ .
___ almost doubled, from ___ to ___ .
In contrast, ___ .
Tip: write the overview as its own short paragraph. It is the part examiners look for first.
Task
You recently attended a weekend career-planning course at a training centre. The course content was useful, but there were several problems with the facilities. Write a letter to the manager. In your letter: explain what you found useful; describe the problems with the facilities; suggest how the centre could improve future courses. Begin "Dear Sir or Madam," and write at least 150 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
You went to a short course on a Saturday and Sunday. It helped people plan their jobs and careers. The lessons were good, but the facilities had problems.
facilities = the rooms, equipment and services in a building (for example, the classroom, chairs, heating, Wi-Fi, parking or café). You can choose which problems to write about.
Your job: write to the manager of the centre and do all three things in the list: say what was useful, describe the problems, and suggest how to make the next course better. You don't know the manager's name, so the letter is formal.
Need help starting? Sentence starters (optional)
Use these as a frame and fill the gaps with your own ideas. Change them as much as you like.
Start
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing about the career-planning course I attended at your centre on ___ .
Bullet 1 · What was useful
I found the session on ___ particularly useful because ___ .
Bullet 2 · The problems
However, I was disappointed with ___ . For example, ___ .
Another problem was that ___ .
Bullet 3 · Your suggestions
For future courses, I would suggest ___ .
It would also help if ___ .
Finish
I hope you will consider these suggestions.
Yours faithfully,
(your full name)
18 minutes on the clock
Words to try in your answer
Using a few of these words correctly can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 3–4 that fit. Each word gets a tick when you use it below.
- I wish to express …a formal way to give your feelings or thankse.g. I wish to express my thanks to the organizers.
- informativefull of useful informatione.g. The museum tour was very informative.
- well-organizedplanned carefullye.g. The school trip was well-organized from start to finish.
- inadequate / insufficientnot good enough / not enoughe.g. The parking at the hospital is inadequate.
- cramped / overcrowdedtoo small for the number of peoplee.g. The waiting room was cramped and hot.
- I would suggest / you might considermake a polite suggestione.g. You might consider adding an evening class.
- particularly / in particularpoint out the best or most important examplee.g. I particularly enjoyed the final talk.
- Yours faithfullythe sign-off when you began "Dear Sir or Madam"e.g. Yours faithfully, Ana Lopez
Words to try in your answer
Using a few of these words correctly can raise your vocabulary score (Lexical Resource). You don't need to use them all. Choose 3–4 that fit. Each word gets a tick when you use it below.
- Overall, …starts your overview: the big picturee.g. Overall, sales were higher in summer than in winter.
- climbrise steadilye.g. Rents climbed every year after 2015.
- dipfall a littlee.g. Visitor numbers dipped slightly in January.
- the most / least popularranked first / laste.g. Football was the most popular sport at the school.
- a rise / a fall of + numbersay exactly how much something changede.g. There was a rise of 30 members in a year.
- attractmake people want to come or joine.g. The festival attracted 5,000 visitors.
- compared with / by comparisonlink two things you are comparinge.g. Compared with buses, trains were much faster.
- gainget more (members, users, points)e.g. The app gained 2,000 users in a month.
Before you look at the model
- I wrote at least 150 words.
- I included a clear overview (Academic) or a clear purpose (General Training).
- I organized my response into paragraphs.
- I made at least one comparison (Academic) or covered all three bullet points (General Training).
Compare how the answer is organized and what it covers, not just the vocabulary. This is what a strong answer looks like at this stage.
The bar chart compares the numbers of international students who used four campus services in 2023 and 2025.
Overall, participation increased in three of the four services, with the Writing Centre attracting the largest number of students by 2025. The Sports Society was the only service to experience a decline.
In 2023, the Sports Society was the most popular option, with 120 international students, followed by the Writing Centre at 95. The Conversation Club was used by 80 students, whereas only 50 joined the Volunteer Program.
By 2025, attendance at the Writing Centre had risen substantially to 140, making it the leading service. Participation in the Conversation Club also grew markedly, from 80 to 125. The Volunteer Program reached 90 students. In contrast, membership of the Sports Society fell from 120 to 105.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing about the career-planning course that I attended at Westfield Training Centre last weekend. The instructor was knowledgeable, and the activities on interview preparation and résumé writing were especially useful.
Unfortunately, several problems with the facilities made it difficult to concentrate. The classroom was extremely warm because the ventilation system was not working, and the projector repeatedly switched off during the presentations. In addition, there were not enough chairs for all participants.
I suggest that the centre test the equipment and ventilation before each course begins. It would also be helpful to confirm the number of registered participants and prepare the room accordingly. Providing a contact person during weekend courses would allow technical problems to be addressed more quickly.
I appreciated the course content and would consider attending another program if these practical issues were resolved.
Yours faithfully,
A Student
- I completed only my required pathway (Academic or General Training).
- I compared my answer with the model in a fair and kind way.
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Speaking Baseline & Week 1 Wrap-Up
Today you finish your starting test with Speaking, the fourth skill. Then you look back at the week. If you want more practice, there is also an optional bonus task.
Quick tip
In Speaking, examiners check four things: how smoothly you speak and connect ideas, your vocabulary, your grammar, and your pronunciation. Clear answers with reasons and examples matter much more than memorized phrases or very difficult words.
Can you keep talking and connect your ideas naturally?
Do you know the words to say what you really mean?
Can you use different kinds of sentences correctly?
Can the listener understand you easily?
How Speaking practice works here
For each part below, speak first, like in the real test. Parts 1 and 3 have no time to prepare. In Part 2, the timer controls your recording: press Start on "Speaking time" and recording begins. It stops by itself when the time is up, just as an examiner would stop you. When you finish speaking, a box appears. Type what you said as closely as you can remember, then submit it. If you don't want to record, use the "I'd rather just type my answer" link. When all three parts are submitted, you can download them together as one PDF.
Answer directly, then add one more sentence
Give 2–4 sentences for each question: a direct answer, then a reason or a detail. Answer all five questions in one recording, like in the real test.
- 🗣️ Do you work or are you a student?
- 🗣️ What part of your studies or work do you enjoy most?
- 🗣️ How often do you use English outside class?
- 🗣️ What is one thing visitors should know about your hometown?
- 🗣️ What do you usually do when you need to relax?
1 minute to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
Cue card
Describe a useful skill that you learned. Say: what the skill is; when and how you learned it; how often you use it; and explain why it has been useful to you.
When you press Start on "Speaking time", recording starts by itself. It stops when the time is up, like in the real test.
A discussion of bigger ideas
Question
Do schools spend enough time teaching practical skills? Why or why not?
Try this order: give your opinion → explain why → give an example → add "but" (when it may not be true). Speak for 45–60 seconds.
Download your Speaking responses
When all three parts above are submitted, you can download them together as one PDF.
Submit Parts 1, 2, and 3 above to unlock this download.
Copy this instead
Downloading doesn't work here. Instead, select all the text below, copy it, and paste it somewhere safe, like a note or an email to yourself.
How did that feel?
- I kept going without long silent pauses.
- I extended answers with a reason or example, not just one word.
- I noticed that I made the same grammar mistake more than once.
- I think a listener could understand me easily.
Look back before you look forward
- I followed word limits carefully in Listening.
- I noticed when a speaker corrected information.
- I used evidence instead of guessing in Reading.
- I kept moving when I was unsure.
- I answered every part of my Writing task.
- I organized my Writing into clear paragraphs.
- I extended my Speaking answers with reasons or details.
- People could understand my speaking easily.
My Week 1 priority
Choose one skill to improve and one clear first step. That is all you need to start Week 2.
Bonus: a timed Task 2 essay
This is extra practice. It is not part of your normal Week 1 work. Write a full essay with a time limit, like in the real test, and then download it as a PDF.
Task 2 prompt
Some people think that technology has made it easier for people to communicate with each other. Others believe that technology has actually made real communication more difficult. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write at least 250 words.
What is this question asking? (in simple words)
Some people think technology (phones, the internet, apps) makes it easier for people to talk to each other. Other people think it makes real communication, like talking face to face, more difficult.
Your job: explain both opinions, then give your own opinion.
Words that would lift this answer
The real test does not give you a word list, so this box only appears after you submit. A tick means you already used that word — well done. Choose 2–3 of the other words to try the next time you write about a topic like this.
- proponents / advocatespeople who support an ideae.g. Advocates of cycling point to its health benefits.
- critics / opponentspeople who disagree with an ideae.g. Critics say the new law goes too far.
- interpersonal skillsskills for dealing with peoplee.g. Nurses need strong interpersonal skills.
- isolatekeep someone apart from otherse.g. Long working hours can isolate people from their friends.
- fosterhelp something develope.g. Team sports foster cooperation.
- regardless ofnot affected bye.g. The library is free regardless of age.
- In my view / I would argue thatgives your own opinion in Task 2e.g. In my view, homework should be shorter.
- virtualhappening online, not in persone.g. The conference was held as a virtual event.
Technology has made communication easier — or more difficult. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
A model Band 8 essay (about 280 words). Notice how each paragraph has one job. The numbered arrows show what examiners reward; bold words are vocabulary that lifts the score.
It is often argued that digital technology has transformed communication for the better, while others feel it has made genuine connection harder. In my view, technology has made communication easier but not necessarily deeper.
On the one hand, the benefits are undeniable. Messaging apps and video calls allow people to stay in touch instantly and cheaply, regardless of the distance between them. For example, families separated by migration can now see each other every day, something that would have been unimaginable thirty years ago. Technology also gives a voice to people who find face-to-face conversation difficult, such as those with social anxiety.
On the other hand, critics point out that online exchanges are often superficial. A string of short messages and emojis cannot convey tone and emotion in the way a conversation can, which frequently leads to misunderstandings. Moreover, the constant presence of phones can undermine real-life interaction: many people are physically present but mentally elsewhere during meals or meetings.
Having considered both sides, I believe that technology is a tool whose effect depends on how it is used. If people use it to arrange meetings rather than replace them, it strengthens relationships. In conclusion, technology has undoubtedly made communication easier, but meaningful communication still requires attention and effort that no device can provide.
- Paraphrases the question. Restates both views in new words — no copying from the prompt.
- Clear position in the introduction. The examiner knows your opinion from the start.
- Signposts the first view. Each body paragraph opens with a clear topic signal.
- Prepositional phrase. “Regardless of the distance” — concise and formal.
- Noun phrase in apposition + third conditional. “Something that would have been unimaginable…” — advanced grammar.
- Balanced structure. The second view gets its own paragraph, as the question requires.
- Precise academic word. “Superficial” = shallow. Better than “not deep”.
- Adds a second point. “Moreover” develops the paragraph.
- Collocation + contrast. “Physically present but mentally elsewhere” — vivid and precise.
- Opinion restated. Shows the view was considered, not just stated.
- Conditional. “If people use it to… rather than…” — a nuanced condition.
- Clear conclusion. Sums up both views and the opinion without adding new ideas.
Words worth borrowing
- stay in touch — keep in contact
- undeniable — certainly true
- superficial — shallow, not deep
- convey — communicate or express
- undermine — gradually weaken
- meaningful — having real value or importance
Why this reaches Band 8
- Task achievement / response: Discusses both views fully and gives a clear opinion throughout.
- Coherence & cohesion: Four clear paragraphs, each with one purpose and a clear signpost.
- Lexical resource: Precise, formal vocabulary (“superficial”, “undermine”, “convey”).
- Grammar: A wide range of complex structures, almost error-free.
Your turn: Underline the first sentence of each body paragraph. Can you tell what the paragraph is about from that sentence alone?
Submit your response above to unlock the download.
Copy this instead
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Your mistakes show you what to practise.
Each mistake you noted this week shows what to work on in Week 2. This is not a bad thing. It is how the course helps you improve.
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Test-Taking Tips & Strategies
Short lessons with tips for test day. Each one teaches one tip and shows you how to use it, step by step. Do them any time, in any order. They are optional.
Is something about the test tricky for you?
We add new mini-lessons as students tell us what they need. Tell us with the "Having an issue? Speak up!" button at the bottom of the page.
True, False or Not Given? How to choose.
Many students lose marks on Not Given. Learn a simple way to choose the right answer.
What do the three answers mean?
You read a sentence (a statement). Then you decide what the text says about it.
3 steps for every statement
- Find the part of the text about the same idea.
- Compare every part of the statement with the text.
- Decide. Same → TRUE. Different → FALSE. The text does not say → NOT GIVEN.
3 traps make NOT GIVEN look like FALSE. Tap each card.
The statement adds a detail, like every, most or only. If the text does not say it → NOT GIVEN.
It is true in real life, but the text does not say it → NOT GIVEN. Only the text counts.
The statement uses words from the text, but says something new → NOT GIVEN.
Click to see each step
Here is a very short text and one statement. Watch the 3 steps.
Text
The city library opens at 9 a.m. It has a café on the first floor.
Statement
The library opens at 9 a.m. every day.
- Step 1Find. The statement is about opening time. In the text, find: "opens at 9 a.m."
- Step 2Compare. 9 a.m. and 9 a.m. are the same. ✓ But the statement also says "every day".
- Step 3Decide. Does the text say "every day"? No. The text does not talk about days. This is Trap 1: an extra detail.
- AnswerNOT GIVEN — the text does not say the library opens every day.
Now you know the tip. Use it the next time you see this kind of question in the course.
Writing: how to use your 60 minutes.
You have 60 minutes for two writing tasks. Learn how to plan your time, and what to do when time is almost finished.
Plan your time
Task 2 gives you twice as many points as Task 1. So give Task 2 more time.
Time is almost finished? Do this, in order
- Finish the sentence you are writing.
- Write a short conclusion for Task 2. Two sentences are enough.
- Task 1 has no overview? Write one sentence about the main change.
Tap each card.
Some students write Task 2 first. Then a slow Task 1 cannot take time from Task 2.
An essay with no conclusion loses points. A short one is much better than none.
Click to see each step
Here is a student with only 8 minutes left. Watch what they do.
The situation
It is 10:52. The test ends at 11:00. Task 1 is finished, with an overview.
Task 2 so far
Introduction ✓ · Body paragraph 1 ✓ · Body paragraph 2: half a sentence · Conclusion ✗
- Step 1Finish the sentence. The student finishes the half sentence in paragraph 2. (1 minute)
- Step 2Write a short conclusion. "In conclusion, both views have good points. However, I believe …." (3 minutes)
- Step 3Check Task 1. It already has an overview, so there is nothing to add.
- Step 4Use the last minutes to check for small mistakes, like a / the and plural -s. (4 minutes)
- AnswerBoth tasks are complete, and Task 2 has a conclusion. No points are lost for a missing part.
Now you know the tip. Use it the next time you see this kind of question in the course.
Reading: when to stop and go to the next question.
If you stay too long on one hard question, you lose time for easy questions. Learn two simple time rules.
Two time rules
Reading has 3 texts and 40 questions. You have 60 minutes.
Never leave an answer empty
A wrong answer does not take points away. An empty answer is always wrong. So always write a guess.
Tap each card.
Look in the paragraph you were reading. Choose a word from there that fits the gap.
Every question gives 1 point. The next question may be easy. You can come back at the end.
Click to see each step
Here is a student who is stuck. Watch what they do.
The situation
Question 9: Cities spend money every year on ______ . (ONE WORD)
The student has read paragraph C three times. 2 minutes have passed.
Paragraph C (part)
… Each year, cities pay for repairs to old buildings and roads …
- Step 1Check the time. 2 minutes is more than 90 seconds. Time to stop.
- Step 2Guess. Look in paragraph C for one word that fits the gap: "repairs". Write it.
- Step 3Mark it. Draw a small circle next to question 9, so you can come back later.
- Step 4Go on. Start question 10 now.
- AnswerThe student wrote "repairs" and kept their time for the other questions. A guess can be right — an empty answer never is.
Now you know the tip. Use it the next time you see this kind of question in the course.
From Band 8 to Band 9: stop the small mistakes.
At Band 8 your English is already very good. For Band 9, stop the small mistakes.
What is different at Band 9?
Tap each card.
Band 9 needs about 39 or 40 correct answers out of 40. Small mistakes matter.
Every idea is explained well. Words and grammar are exact, with almost no mistakes.
You talk easily about any topic. You stop only to think about ideas, not to find words.
The 3-check habit (Listening and Reading)
- Word limit: is my answer short enough?
- Spelling: is every letter right?
- Plural: did I hear one thing, or more than one (-s)?
Click to see each step
Here is one answer from a Listening test. Watch the 3 checks.
Instruction
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
You hear
"Please bring two passports to the meeting."
Your answer
passport
- Step 1Word limit. "passport" is 1 word. The limit is 2. ✓
- Step 2Spelling. p-a-s-s-p-o-r-t. ✓
- Step 3Plural. You heard "two passports". That is more than one, so it needs -s. ✗
- Answerpassports — the first answer lost the mark because of one letter.
Now you know the tip. Use it the next time you see this kind of question in the course.