IELTS Retake Study Plan (Second Attempt)
Duration: 4 weeks · Daily time: 2 h · Target: close your specific gap
Who this plan is for
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.
The one principle
Your last score report is data. Half a band usually lives in ONE fixable place: a question type, timing, or an output skill. Find it before you rebook.
The route
Tick tasks as you complete them — progress is saved on this device.
Phase 1 — Autopsy (Week 1)
Re-test under exam conditions; compare with your report; name the leak.
Move on when: You can write one sentence: "Last time I lost most points to ___."
Every day
Re-read yesterday's wrong answers: for each, say out loud WHY the right answer is right before checking the explanation
15 minmust-do
Within the phase
FULL mock: listening + reading back-to-back, exam timing, no pauses. Mark after, not between→
130 minmust-do
FULL mock: listening + reading back-to-back, exam timing, no pauses. Mark after, not between→
130 minmust-do
Compare your mock results with your official score report — which skill and which section diverge?
30 minmust-do
Scan this week's new exam recalls — note any 🔥 high-frequency questions in your skills→
10 minthis week
Phase 2 — Targeted Repair (Weeks 2–3)
All firepower on the named leak; the rest goes to maintenance.
Move on when: The leak metric hits target twice in a row.
Every day
45 minutes on your named weakness (type drills, dictation, or output work — whatever the autopsy said)
45 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
Within the phase
Sit one full listening test from the newest month — exam conditions, then mark it→
40 minmust-do
Sit one full reading test — 60 minutes strict, then mark it and read the explanations for every miss→
75 minmust-do
Read TWO band-calibrated sample essays for current questions — study the structure, not the vocabulary→
25 minmust-do
Build personalized answers for this season's cue cards (your stories, not scripts)→
30 minthis week
Phase 3 — Prove It (Week 4)
Simulations must show the gap closed BEFORE you sit again.
Move on when: Two full mocks at or above your target. Then book.
Every day
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
FULL mock: listening + reading back-to-back, exam timing, no pauses. Mark after, not between→
130 minmust-do
FULL mock: listening + reading back-to-back, exam timing, no pauses. Mark after, not between→
130 minmust-do
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.