IELTS Intensive Study Plan (Full-Time, 2 Weeks)
Duration: 2 weeks · Daily time: 6 h (3 × 2 h blocks) · Target: current +0.5 to +1.0
Who this plan is for
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.
The one principle
Input alone (memorizing words, watching lessons) stores knowledge; only OUTPUT (dictation, timed tests, speaking aloud, outlining) turns it into a band score. Every day below mixes both — never skip the output half.
The route
Tick tasks as you complete them — progress is saved on this device.
Week 1 — Blocks: Test / Review / Output
Morning: full test. Afternoon: deep review of every miss. Evening: dictation + speaking.
Move on when: Every wrong answer this week has a one-line "why" note.
Every day
Morning block: one full listening OR reading test, exam timing→
75 minmust-do
Afternoon block: deep-mark the morning test — read every explanation, collect words
60 minmust-do
Dictation drill: replay ONE section of a listening test you already sat, write down every word, then check yourself against the transcript. This trains the ear, not the memory→
20 minmust-do
Practice answering 3 current speaking topics out loud — record yourself once→
20 minmust-do
Within the phase
Scan this week's new exam recalls — note any 🔥 high-frequency questions in your skills→
10 minthis week
Read TWO band-calibrated sample essays for current questions — study the structure, not the vocabulary→
25 minmust-do
Read TWO band-calibrated sample essays for current questions — study the structure, not the vocabulary→
25 minmust-do
Week 2 — Simulate & Sharpen
Full L+R mocks daily; afternoons rotate weak question types; evenings stay output.
Move on when: Exam day.
Every day
FULL mock: listening + reading back-to-back, exam timing, no pauses. Mark after, not between→
130 minmust-do
Re-read yesterday's wrong answers: for each, say out loud WHY the right answer is right before checking the explanation
15 minmust-do
Practice answering 3 current speaking topics out loud — record yourself once→
20 minmust-do
Within the phase
Build personalized answers for this season's cue cards (your stories, not scripts)→
30 minthis week
Check this season's reported writing questions and outline one answer (position + 2 main ideas only)→
20 minthis week
Scan this week's new exam recalls — note any 🔥 high-frequency questions in your skills→
10 minthis week
Daily anchors
Morning: Read one passage or transcript aloud for 10 minutes before anything else — mouth and ear before eyes.
Before bed: Before bed, review the words you collected today from wrong answers (5–10 minutes, no new material).
Weekly self-review
- Listening: is your score stable or rising? Which section loses the most points?
- Reading: are you finishing in 60 minutes? Which question type costs you most?
- Did you do the OUTPUT work (dictation, outlines, speaking aloud) — or only input?
- Write one sentence: what will you do differently next week?
A plan is a route, not a promise — no schedule can guarantee a band score. Adjust volumes to your reality and keep the output work.