IELTS Progress Check Practice Test

Use IELTS Progress Check to get an idea of how the IELTS test works, from how to manage your time to questions you might face on test day. Progress Check can be completed under timed or untimed conditions.

What is IELTS Progress Check?

IELTS Progress Check is an official IELTS online practice test. Completed tests are marked by trained and qualified IELTS markers. You will receive an official feedback report, including an indicative overall test band score as well as a band score for each section of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), all within 5 days of completing your IELTS Progress Check practice test!

Why IELTS Progress Check?

IELTS progress check has many benefits such as:

Practise in timed or untimed conditions

IELTS Progress Check is available in both timed and untimed settings. Go for the timed practice test for a more realistic test day experience, or you can choose the untimed option for more flexibility.

Band score estimate and review

Get an official feedback report which includes an indicative band score for the overall test and for each section of the test.

Find out key areas to improve

Understand what you are doing well and, more importantly, where you need to focus your efforts to improve, thereby helping you to perform your best on test day.

IELTS Progress Check test format

The four components of the IELTS Progress Check test are structured the same as the real IELTS test; any differences will be described in the instructions that you see before each section of the test.

IELTS Listening Progress Check test

The Listening component consists of 40 questions. You will listen to four recorded texts, such as monologues and conversations, by a range of native speakers and write your answers to a series of questions. These include questions that test your ability to understand main ideas and detailed factual information, the opinions and attitudes of speakers, the purpose of an utterance and the ability to follow the development of ideas. A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used, and each part is heard only once.

Part 1

A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.

Part 2

A monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g., a speech about local facilities.

Part 3

A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g., a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.

Part 4

A monologue on an academic subject, e.g., a university lecture.

IELTS Reading Progress Check test

The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist or main ideas (skimming), reading to locate a specific piece of information (scanning) and reading for detail (intensive reading), for example to understand logical arguments and recognise writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose.

The General Training version requires test takers to read extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials you are likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English-speaking environment.

The Academic version includes three long texts that range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. The texts are adapted from authentic texts taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. These have been selected for a non-specialist audience and are appropriate for people entering university courses or seeking professional registration.

IELTS Writing Progress Check test

General Training Writing

The Writing component includes two tasks that are based on topics of general interest.

Task 1:

You will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.

Task 2:

You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.

Academic Writing

The Writing component includes two tasks. Topics are of general interest to, and suitable for, test takers entering undergraduate and postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration.

Task 1:

You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe and, summarise the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe data, the stages of a process, how something works or an object.

Task 2:

You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style.

IELTS Speaking Progress Check test

The Speaking component assesses your use of spoken English and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete.

You will hear a recording of the examiner’s voice and you will record your answers, using your microphone. The feedback you receive is personalised and focuses on the rating criteria used in the official IELTS test. The Speaking component is delivered in such a way that it does not allow people to rehearse set responses beforehand.

Part 1

You will hear the examiner’s voice, which will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.

Part 2

You will hear a question that asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. You will then hear one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test.

Part 3

You will hear further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the test lasts between four and five minutes.

IELTS Progress Check test marking and results report

Completed tests are marked by trained and qualified IELTS markers. You will receive an official feedback report, including an indicative overall test band score as well as a band score for each part of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), all within 5 days of completing your IELTS Progress Check practice test!

Every IELTS Progress Check Report comes with official feedback and indicative band scores to show you how you are progressing with your preparation, helping you to prepare better for the real IELTS test. Our expert markers use the official IELTS band score descriptors to provide feedback that is most representative of your performance. You can also show your report to your teacher, who can discuss the feedback with you. You may notice some variability in the indicative score you receive if you take more than one practice test. As with any test, several factors beyond our control can lead to this variability, including test-day issues (such as your mood, state of health or feeling nervous). Another important factor could be the fact that between taking the different practice tests, you may have improved in one or two skill areas, while not maintaining the same level in the other skill areas (i.e., improving in reading and writing, but losing some abilities in speaking and listening).

Rest assured; to ensure the reliability of IELTS, we have rigorous quality control of test content and scoring procedures. Markers who score IELTS Progress Check practice tests are trained and certified in standardised marking methods and their performance is regularly monitored.

Remember: Your IELTS Progress Check Report is not an official IELTS Test Report Form and cannot be used to apply for entry to universities, organisations or for visa purposes. It provides an indicative score based on your IELTS practice test performance to give you a good idea of your current English language proficiency.

IELTS practice and preparation materials

As the world's leading English language test, IELTS offers more free preparation material than any other test. This includes free access to sample test questions.

If you feel like you are well prepared and achieved a good score in your practice test, it means that you are ready to book a real IELTS test.