Most of the students who are planning to give the IELTS exam, tend to opt for prep courses, which can be expensive. Little do they know, there are several resources available online that help you in your IELTS preparation. Apart from helping you in getting your target result, they provide you with authentic study material and various engaging resources. Paid or free, these websites are bound to help you achieve a 7+ band score for your IELTS exam. IELTS Buddy is one of the excellent IELTS preparation websites, which can provide you with several services for free.
In this article, we will tell you about IELTS Buddy and how its resources can be used effectively to prepare for the upcoming IELTS exam.
Overview of IELTS Buddy
IELTS Buddy is a free IELTS preparation website, established by highly trained mentors. IELTS Buddy aims to provide authentic study material for utomost preparation. Some of the key features of the website include preparation strategies, resources for Academic and General Training IELTS, free downloads, practice quizzes, and much more. We will be doing a quick review of how these resources are used with respect to each section.
This is the Homepage of the website.
IELTS Buddy Learning Resources
IELTS Buddy has established various resources for candidates planning to give the IELTS exam. The material varies from ebooks to videos to practice tests. Most of the resources are available for free and are perfect for self-learning, but some of the resources are paid.
The free resources include study material related to each section of the IELTS exam. On the other hand, the paid resources include ebooks and reading and writing courses. Regardless of the pricing and the nature of the resource, all the material will undoubtedly help you in your preparation.
IELTS Buddy Free Learning Resources
IELTS Buddy constantly updates and creates free material for the candidates. These resources do not require a mentor’s help, so these are deemed perfect for self-learning. The resources are divided according to each section, varying from video lessons to preparation strategies.
- Lessons
All the sections follow the similar format. The writing section is divided into Task 1 and Task 2, and the rest are under separate headings. In all the sections, a general overview of the section and the tasks is provided, along with an explanation of each task. This is quite helpful for beginners, as it helps in getting a better insight on the exam and the criteria of each task. Apart from the general information, IELTS Buddy has also included model answers, sample questions, and free practice material.
These short and simple lectures helped me immensely. It was easy to navigate the required resource, as all the resources are divided properly. Plus, this website has enough sample questions and practice material, hence I did not need to go for any other websites or courses.
- Youtube Channel
One of the free resources that I would like to point out is the Youtube Channel. IELTS Buddy constantly updates their Youtube channel with lectures, providing simple preparation strategies, common mistakes, etc. IELTS Buddy has divided the videos in separate playlists for different sections. Moreover, all the videos are downloadable. This option works best for me as I could download my required videos and watch them the next day without any distractions.
- External Resources
Another free resource IELTS Buddy has established is the external links/resources. It is a plethora of links and useful study material, which are completely authentic and do not contain errors or misleading information. We all know that searching for reliable study material takes up a lot of time. This, instead, helped me save my time and energy. I recommend checking this out.
IELTS Buddy Paid Learning Resources
- Task 1 Ebook
It is a step-by-step guide on how to write an effective answer for Task 1. It includes an overview of the types of questions that come in Task 1. Apart from that, there are some sample answers as well which can give you an insight on the criteria of Task 1. IELTS Buddy has also included various strategies regarding this task, for instance, planning your answer. This ebook costs $14.99, which is affordable. However, it must be noted that this book is for Academic IELTS only. You can find more about it here.
- Task 2 Ebook
Task 2 ebook is for both Academic and General IELTS. It focuses on the second task of the writing section, which is essay writing. This book is basically a step-by-step guide to build IELTS essay writing skills. Different types of skills are covered in each chapter, from analysing the question to organising your answer in a proper format. Apart from that, the book also contains model answers and practice questions.
This book costs $14.99 and you can find it here.
- Model Essays Ebook
This is an interactive ebook and can be accessed over your PC, laptop, phone, or tablet. This ebook basically contains numerous band 7,8, and 9 sample answers, alongside the tips and advice. All these essays are graded according to the criteria set by the IELTS examiners, which assess the following qualities: task response, cohesion, coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and accuracy.
This book helped me immensely, as I gave me better insight on the grading criteria of essays. It costs $14.99, which was affordable for me. You can find more about the book here.
- Reading Ebook
This is a 3-in-1 IELTS Reading ebook, as it contains three ebooks in total. The first ebook is Academic Reading ebook, which covers four academic reading tests, along with the answer key at the end of the book. The second ebook is an In-text Answers ebook. This short and simple guide consists of explanations of the right and the wrong answers. Last but not the least, we have the IELTS Academic Reading Tips booklet. It is a comprehensive guide on reading tips and preparation strategies.
All the three books helped me greatly, especially the third ebook. The total cost of three ebooks is $9.99. You can view the sample pages of the ebook here.
IELTS Buddy: Platform Experience
IELTS Buddy has a clean and hassle-free interface. Apart from the main menu bar on the homepage, there is a detailed sitemap on the left side of the website. I really liked this option as the main menu bar would be crowded and confusing with all the headings.
The resources are also divided with respect to each section, with a separate page for vocabulary, grammar, and external resources. Apart from that, you can easily find all the social media handles and the contact page on the website. This is a factor many websites do not have.
IELTS Buddy: Course Packages
IELTS Vocabulary Course
It is a comprehensive course focused on vocabulary boosting. However, there is not much information about this course, as it has not started yet. The whole course costs $29.99. You can enrol for this course here, by creating your account at the academic writing academy website.
IELTS Reading and Writing Course
This course covers Academic IELTS reading and writing sections together. The lessons consist of tips and tricks, preparation strategies, practice worksheets, and activities to improve your IELTS writing and reading skills. This course costs $19.99. To know more about this course, visit this link.
IELTS Buddy: Test Stimulation Experience
IELTS Buddy offers free practice tests for all the sections. The format of these practice test is the same as IELTS, and equally challenging. Along with the questions, IELTS Buddy has also provided an answer key for the tests, as the candidate has to check their responses by themselves.
These practice tests are great to assess and track your improvement and progress. These tests helped me immensely in improving my English skills. You can find more about the practice tests here.
IELTS Buddy: Testimonials and Ratings
IELTS Buddy has received positive feedback from the majority of the candidates, especially for the ebooks. Many test-takers said that the books helped them improve their essay writing skills. Several candidates also praised the fast replying service, which is usually 24-48 hours.
Apart from that, many of the candidates liked that the website had authentic material. Moreover, the courses and the ebooks are quite affordable.
Conclusion
The best thing about IELTS Buddy is that it is free and accessible. It doesn’t matter where you are, the website and all its resources are available. Alongside this, there is absolutely no pressure to buy the paid services, as this platform is to aid the candidates in their IELTS preparation. Likewise, the material is reliable and doesn’t contain any misleading information.
To sum it up, IELTS Buddy is an excellent tool for IELTS preparation.
FAQs about IELTS Buddy Resources and Review
How do I register for IELTS Buddy?
Most of the resources are free. However, in order to avail the paid resources, like the course packages, you need to register at the academic writing academy website. Here, you can find the courses established by IELTS Buddy. Apart from that, you do not need to create an account to access the IELTS Buddy blog.
How do I contact IELTS Buddy?
You can contact IELTS Buddy through their website. James readily replies to the comments and queries. Besides that, you can easily find the social media handles on the website. You can also contact them via their contact us page.
Is there a guide for beginners?
Newcomers and beginners can get overwhelmed with so much information and myths. IELTS Buddy has established a separate guide for beginners, which covers basic information about the IELTS exam. You can find it here.
Where can I pay for the services?
IELTS Buddy accepts payments via PayPal and Credit/Debit cards only. Make sure that you have the official IELTS Buddy account. However, PayPal is not available in all the countries/states, so for any query regarding that, you can contact IELTS Buddy.
Where can I find the FAQs page on IELTS Buddy?
On the left side of the homepage, you can find all the headings and respective sections. In the other resources section, you will find the ‘IELTS Forum’ section. It is a comprehensive forum dedicated to all the IELTS FAQs and information.
