IELTS · Articles · October 19, 2026 · 4 min read
How to prepare for IELTS at home: a week-by-week study plan
You can prepare for IELTS on your own if your English is at least B1 and you have 6–8 weeks or more before the test. Listening and Reading can be practised fully with tests and answer keys. For Writing and Speaking you need someone, or something, to assess your answers against the criteria.
Step 0: your starting band and your target
Your plan depends on three numbers: where you are now, where you need to be, and how many weeks you have.
- Starting band. Take a mock test covering all four sections before you plan anything. Without it, it is easy to spend weeks on what you can already do.
- Target. Use the requirement of your university or programme: the overall band and the minimum for each section. Often it is not “6.5 on average” but “6.5 with no section below 6.0”.
- Gap. Work out what is missing in each section. The band score guide shows how the four sections combine.
- Date. Book the test once you know your timeline: a fixed date keeps you on track better than any plan.
How much time to allow
Learning the format brings quick gains; after that, your band only grows with your English.
| Gap to target | At one hour a day | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| up to 0.5 band | 6–8 weeks | the plan below is enough: format, task types, full tests |
| about 1 band | 3–4 months | beyond the format, you need to improve your English: vocabulary and grammar |
| 1.5 bands or more | 6 months or more | general English to the next level first, then exam preparation |
This is a guide, not a promise. Cambridge English estimates that moving up one CEFR level takes about 200 hours of study, and one level is roughly 1–1.5 IELTS bands. At two hours a day, the times roughly halve.
An 8-week plan
One hour on weekdays and one longer block at the weekend. Every day, at least one listening or reading task.
| Weeks | What to do | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mock test, the format of each section, the Writing and Speaking criteria | you know what is pulling your score down |
| 2–3 | Listening and Reading by task type: gap-fills, True/False/Not Given, headings, maps | you know every question type and log your mistakes |
| 4–5 | Writing: Task 1 and Task 2 structure, two texts a week with feedback | consistent length and paragraph plans without hesitation |
| 6 | Speaking: all three parts aloud, record and review your answers | you can talk for the right length on any topic |
| 7 | Full timed tests, exactly like the exam: no pauses, no help | a realistic band and stamina for 2 hours 45 minutes |
| 8 | Weak spots again, one more full test, documents and travel | a calm test day |
- If you only have 4 weeks: one week on format and task types, two on Writing and Speaking with feedback, one on full tests. One Listening and one Reading section every day.
- If you have 12 weeks: spend the first four on general English, such as reading, topic vocabulary and conversation practice, then follow the plan above.
What to do for each section
- Listening. One section a day, played once as in the exam. After checking, find every missed answer in the transcript. More in the Listening guide.
- Reading. Three texts in 60 minutes is 20 minutes a text. Practise by question type first, then against the clock. For every mistake, find the sentence that gave the answer. The trickiest type is covered in True / False / Not Given.
- Writing. Learn the structure of Task 1 and Task 2 and write against the clock: 20 and 40 minutes. Without feedback against the criteria there is little progress, because you cannot see your own mistakes.
- Speaking. Answer out loud, not in your head, and record yourself. Do not memorise answers: examiners notice. There are separate guides to Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
What to use
You need fewer materials than you think. What matters is using them under time limits and reviewing mistakes.
- Official samples. ielts.org has sample tasks for every section in its preparation pages. They are the reference for the format.
- Cambridge IELTS books. Real past tests with answer keys. The main material for Listening, Reading and full timed tests.
- Feedback on Writing and Speaking. Nomto scores your answer on the four IELTS criteria, marks your mistakes in the text and shows a stronger version of the same answer. It is a guide for preparation, not an official result.
Where time gets wasted
- Practising without a timer. Reading and Writing are lost to time more often than to language.
- Not reviewing mistakes. Ten tests without review teach less than three where every mistake is analysed.
- Leaving Writing and Speaking for later. They improve most slowly and need feedback, so start them in the first weeks.
- Memorising templates. Examiners recognise memorised phrases, and they do not count in your favour.
- Only practising your favourite section. Your overall band is the average of four, and many programmes set a minimum for each.
When a tutor is worth it
When your band has not moved for two or three weeks, when your target is 7.5 or higher, or when the test is less than a month away and the gap is more than one band. Otherwise, a plan, practice tests and regular feedback on Writing and Speaking are usually enough.