IELTS study plans

You have about one month, can study 2–3 hours a day, and want a structured route instead of random practice. This is the plan most candidates should start from.

Duration: 4 weeks · Daily time: 2–3 h · Target: 6.5–7.5

Your exam is in two weeks. There is no time to rebuild your English — this plan converts what you already have into the most points, fast. Expect 3–4 focused hours a day.

Duration: 2 weeks · Daily time: 3–4 h · Target: current +0.5

Your exam is days away. New material now costs more than it gives. This week is about exam rhythm, the current question pool, and not losing points to logistics.

Duration: 1 week · Daily time: 3+ h · Target: protect your current level

You have two months and want the thorough route: enough time to actually raise your English, not just your technique. 2 hours a day, sustainably.

Duration: 8 weeks · Daily time: 2 h · Target: 7.0+

You need a solid 6.5 — typically for admission or migration thresholds. At this target, most lost points are avoidable: timing, instructions, spelling, and 2–3 weak question types.

Duration: 3–4 weeks · Daily time: 2 h · Target: 6.5

You are already around 6.0–6.5 and need 7.0+. From here, listening/reading precision is trainable — but writing and speaking usually decide whether you cross the line. This plan weights output accordingly.

Duration: 4–6 weeks · Daily time: 2.5–3 h · Target: 7.0+

You work full-time and can honestly commit one weekday hour plus longer weekend blocks. This plan trades volume for consistency — the habit anchors matter more than any single session.

Duration: 6–8 weeks · Daily time: 1 h weekdays, 3 h weekend days · Target: 6.5–7.0

You can study most of the day — student holidays, between jobs, or a dedicated sprint. Six focused hours beat twelve distracted ones; this plan structures three 2-hour blocks.

Duration: 2 weeks · Daily time: 6 h (3 × 2 h blocks) · Target: current +0.5 to +1.0

Your listening lags your other skills. The fix is not "more tests" — it is training the ear to decode connected speech. Dictation is the engine of this plan; tests measure the progress.

Duration: 3–4 weeks · Daily time: 1.5 h · Target: listening +1.0

Reading is your bottleneck — you run out of time or bleed points on T/F/NG and headings. This plan installs a location system and a per-passage time budget.

Duration: 3–4 weeks · Daily time: 1.5 h · Target: reading +1.0

You have a score report and a gap to close. A retake without a diagnosis repeats the result — this plan spends its first week finding exactly where the points went, then attacks only that.

Duration: 4 weeks · Daily time: 2 h · Target: close your specific gap

Your input skills already clear the bar; writing and speaking decide your result. This plan keeps listening/reading warm with minimal volume and puts every spare minute into output.

Duration: 3–4 weeks · Daily time: 2 h · Target: writing/speaking +0.5 to +1.0

You are working toward 6.0 — often the visa or foundation-course threshold. At this level the plan builds comprehension first and adds exam timing only once accuracy exists.

Duration: 6 weeks · Daily time: 2 h · Target: 6.0