Whether you want to secure a job or plan to study abroad, giving the IELTS exam is a must. While you are preparing for IELTS, you are going to come across several online resources, ranging from prep courses to mock tests to video lectures.
However, for an exam like the IELTS, you definitely need to have authentic study material for utmost preparation. But you do not have to waste your precious time anymore!
This article will guide you about each website and how these can be effectively used for your upcoming IELTS exam.
What Should You Look For In An IELTS Online Resource?
Before we move on to the websites, let’s discuss the general key features found on almost every IELTS preparation website.
Besides the fact that candidates need authentic and proper study material, you also need to consider the type of resources and how they can be beneficial in your preparation.
1. Ample IELTS Practice Tests
We all know that the IELTS exam is not a piece of cake. It requires a lot of patience, effort, and practice.
However, there is one thing that candidates tend to misunderstand. By doing constant practice, you won’t be able to point out improvements or small mistakes that can cause you to lose marks. That makes feedback from experts necessary.
Several IELTS preparation websites offer immensely helpful practice tests.
All the mentors out there are highly trained and know the criteria set by the IELTS examiners, and the answers are checked accordingly.
2. Customized IELTS Study Plan
Trackers, planners, you name it- these tools are super helpful when it comes to studying. With the help of these tools, you can create an effective study plan that gives you ample time to practice (and relax).
However, this is a resource you will not find on many websites, but you can always create your own.
You can add your preferred study timings and breaks. An effective study plan also tracks the time and days of your classes, mentoring sessions, mock tests, and much more.
3. Explanatory Videos
Believe it or not, video lectures work wonders. This is one of the resources that almost all IELTS preparation websites offer. With the help of these video lessons, you can understand the topic clearly.
Moreover, the mentors are friendly and comprehensively explain the topics, as many candidates are new to the IELTS exam.
Alongside this, these lectures are bite-sized, which makes it easier to understand and navigate the topics. Apart from that, almost all the mentors and professionals are native speakers. This factor can help you immensely if you are a non-native speaker.
If you focus on their pronunciation and fluency, you will be able to save time by practicing two aspects at once, with equal focus on each. Sounds splendid, right?
4. IELTS Vocabulary Flashcards
Vocabulary and grammar are the fundamental aspects of the IELTS exam. From writing to listening, examiners assess your vocabulary proficiency. If your vocabulary is weak, you might end up losing marks.
But don’t fret! IELTS preparation websites are packed with vocabulary-building tips and tricks, ranging from video lessons to vocabulary courses.
Vocabulary is the base of the English language, especially when it comes to exams like IELTS.
Hence, it is advised that candidates must make full use of the vocabulary and grammar flashcards, ebooks, strategies, etc.
12 Best Websites for IELTS Preparation
Below we have added some of the best IELTS preparation websites. All the resources on these websites are authentic and are not misleading in any way.
While some offer free resources, many provide paid services for struggling candidates.
Regardless of that, all the study material will undoubtedly help you in achieving a 7+ band score.
1. E2
E2 Language is a Melbourne-based online platform that helps candidates prepare for English proficiency tests, like IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
It is a perfect website for individuals who prefer to self-study, as it provides a plethora of preparation strategies, worksheets, activities, and much more. Its key features include live classes, recorded sessions, and one-on-one sessions with mentors.
The live classes were of immense help as you have direct access to the mentors, which means you can ask questions.
Plus, these live classes are created to fit your schedule; hence, you can take your classes at preferred timings, according to your timezone.
If you happen to be absent for the live lessons, you can always have access to the recorded sessions, which is honestly a time-saver!
With the one-on-one sessions, you can clear up all your confusion and discuss your answers with the experts, which gives you a better insight into your progress.
2. IELTS With Liz
Established by Elizabeth Ferguson, a highly qualified IELTS teaching specialist, this website aims to help candidates reach their dream IELTS Band scores. At IELTS with Liz, you will come across a plethora of tips and tricks and other valuable free study material in the form of practice questions, model answers, etc.
One of the best features of IELTS Liz includes the IELTS Liz application. It is free and accessible anywhere.
Furthermore, it is completely secure. If you have difficulty studying from your PC or laptop the whole day, download this app. Packed with engaging quizzes and activities for utmost preparation, this app will help you save your time.
Apart from that, IELTS Liz is famous for her advanced essay writing course. It is a set of video lectures covering the essay writing task and all related aspects.
It is affordable and teaches you how to plan and write an impactful essay. It is suitable for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.
3. IELTS Simon Study
IELTS With Simon is a free IELTS learning blog established by an ex-IELTS examiner, Simon Corcoran. He intends to make IELTS preparation fun and engaging through his website and efforts.
To use this website effectively, you can integrate its learning resources with another prep course, as the study material created by Simon is for self-learning.
Simon is often praised for his comprehensive video lessons. The best thing about this video course is that the videos are divided into simple, bite-sized lessons, which helps you understand the topic better.
I did not regret buying the whole set of the videos. It is affordable, and Simon explained the topics in such a simple way. Besides that, buying the sets means you can have lifetime access to the videos.
Alongside this, we recommend checking out the membership course.
Simon has provided an in-depth explanation of all the aspects related to the IELTS exam. He has also included fun and interesting activities to keep your mind running!
4. IELTS Fever
IELTS Fever is a free IELTS preparation website based in India which provides candidates with General and Academic IELTS learning resources. It is a beginner-friendly website, and if you are new to IELTS, we recommend checking out this website.
This website offers preparation tips and tricks and Writing and Speaking ebooks. However, these ebooks can only be bought by individuals who are residing in India, as the payment is done using Indian Rupees.
Apart from that, IELTS Fever offers free writing correction services for struggling candidates. With the help of these simple mock tests, you can easily keep a track of your progress.
Their writing correction service certainly helped me get a better insight into your weaknesses and how to overcome them.
5. IELTS Charlie
IELTS Charlie was established by Charles Cornelius, a highly trained IELTS examiner and teacher. He has done a great job integrating his resources with all the aspects of the IELTS exam effectively. The resources vary from videos to lectures to prep courses, but despite the nature of the resource, all the study material on the website can help you immensely.
Students often praise Charlie for his writing correction service. Firstly, it is affordable, and he likes to keep in mind the financial status of his candidates.
The feedback he provides is comprehensive and extensive and covers all aspects, from vocabulary to formatting of the answer. His critique is bound to help you overcome the issues you face in the writing section.
Apart from this, Charlie deserves a lot of positive recognition for his preparation course on Udemy. You get lifetime access to lectures, practice questions, activities, a free ebook, and much more with this course! Besides this, Charlie also helps students with their Speaking tests.
6. IELTS Jacky
Jacky is a highly experienced mentor who has started her blog IELTS Jacky for IELTS candidates. She has provided many free resources, from downloadable material to practice questions for her candidates.
She has written a set of four books which are great for both beginners and previous test-takers likewise. The set is quite affordable, and the books cover the four sections of the IELTS exam. I can confidently say that all the books contain the basic information, for instance, test format, types of questions, etc.
If you have issues with essay writing, we recommend Jacky’s Opinion Essay Pack. It is a step-by-step guide that helps students plan and organize their essays properly.
7. IELTS Focus
Established by Ray, an English Language teacher, IELTS Focus is an excellent website for candidates who prefer to self-study. Ray has created a blog dedicated to preparation strategies, tips, tricks, sample answers, etc. His website works wonders for beginners.
If you are new to IELTS and do not know where to start, IELTS Focus will help you begin your preparation journey for your upcoming IELTS exam.
Ray has gotten his well-deserved praise for his writing correction service for several reasons.
Firstly, his replying service is quick, usually between 24-48 hours. He is a really friendly mentor and provides extensive feedback. His feedback on my writing task responses helped me immensely as I realized my weaknesses and got an idea of how much room I had for improvement.
8. IELTS Buddy
IELTS Buddy is a website made by highly trained mentors that offer free learning resources for IELTS candidates. IELTS Buddy has some of the most beginner-friendly ebooks, which are pretty affordable. These books are comprehensive as well.
At IELTS Buddy, you will find step-by-step guides on writing and organizing your answers for Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2.
Practice questions and model answers are also included for better understanding. To get a better idea of the grading criteria of the essays, we recommend checking out the Model Essays EBook.
It contains several essays with sample answers. All of the responses are written keeping in mind the criteria set by the examiners.
9. IELTS Compass
IELTS Compass is an IELTS preparation website established by Sam Poole, a highly trained mentor and an IELTS examiner with more than 20 years of experience. He is known for his ultimate IELTS preparation course, which includes all the sections of the IELTS exam. The lessons are in the form of videos and written lessons.
The writing section is separated into Writing Task 1, Writing Task 2, and General Training Writing Task 1.
Regardless of the sections, these video courses consist of bite-sized lessons that cover a wide range of topics, from the test format to the types of questions.
10. IELTS ETC with Fiona
IELTS with Fiona is an IELTS preparation website for all students around the globe. It was established by a highly experienced mentor and ex-IELTS examiner, Fiona Wattam. She aims to help candidates achieve a 7+ band score with the help of comprehensive and authentic study material.
A key feature that really caught my eye is her IELTS podcast. In this podcast, you will come across several lessons related to IELTS preparation, covering aspects like test format and organizing answers. For students who prefer auditory learning, this is definitely a go-to for you.
Apart from that, she has also established her online academy, known as Members Academy. Fiona herself monitors it. The courses are divided into 28-day boot camps, where you get several perks, from live lessons to practice tests and much more.
11. TED-IELTS
TED-IELTS is a fantastic online IELTS learning platform established by David S.Wills. It is pretty popular among IELTS candidates for the writing correction service.
However, that isn’t the only thing you can access on TED-IELTS. It has a wide range of free learning resources. These are bite-sized, but they will undoubtedly help you build your basic concepts, from vocabulary to planning your answer.
There are a few writing-related resources that beginners should definitely try. If you have a hard time planning your answer, try the IELTS writing template. It is a simple writing template that aims to help students write their essay responses better and clearer.
To go even further, you can check out the Paragraph structure template, which is useful for properly integrating your ideas into the paragraphs.
To all the IELTS candidates out there who face issues in the writing section, they should definitely try the ‘A Complete Guide to IELTS Writing’ ebook by David. It also includes model answers, as well as the marking criteria.
12. IELTS Online Tests
IELTS Online Tests is a vast global platform with experienced teachers, candidates, and a supportive community, providing several IELTS preparation resources. It aims to make IELTS learning fun and interesting by integrating engaging activities into the aspects of the IELTS exam.
The best feature, perhaps, is their courses. First up, we have a Reading and Listening super PDF pack, basically a collection of Academic and General IELTS tests.
These mock tests are great for beginners. However, with constant practice, I gradually get better at time management.
Additionally, IELTS Online Tests also offers a speaking mock test, where you are required to just record for 15 minutes for the provided tasks.
Aside from being affordable, the mentors provide well-explained feedback, covering aspects like fluency, coherence, pronunciation, etc.
Final Thoughts
You might wonder which website is the best for IELTS preparation from the above list. However, it all comes down to your way of studying.
If you prefer self-study, you can try IELTS Focus, IELTS Compass, etc.
Do you feel the need for professional feedback for your writing tasks? Try TED-IELTS.
In the end, only you can determine which kind of resources suit you better.
But always remember one thing: whatever prep course you plan to go for, make sure it is authentic and doesn’t have unnecessary information that can waste your time and energy.
