Listening
4 parts · 40 questions · about 30 minutes
Four recordings, played once, from an everyday conversation to an academic lecture. You answer as you listen.
Listening practiceIELTS mock test
A full IELTS mock test, online.
Sit a complete IELTS practice test in one go: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, Academic or General Training, under exam conditions. When you finish you get a band for each skill and an estimated overall band, with every answer reviewed.
Free account, no card. One full mock test each week; Listening and Reading tests are unlimited.
What the mock test covers
The same four sections as the real IELTS test, in the same format, so it works as a full IELTS sample test as well as a practice test. The whole test takes about 2 hours 45 minutes.
Reading
3 sections · 40 questions · 60 minutes
Three long passages on Academic, or shorter everyday texts plus one long passage on General Training. No extra time to transfer answers.
Reading practiceWriting
2 tasks · 60 minutes
Task 1 (150 words) and Task 2 (250 words). Each is scored on the four writing criteria, and Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.
Writing practiceSpeaking
3 parts · 11–14 minutes
Part 1 questions, a Part 2 cue card with one minute to prepare, and a Part 3 discussion, recorded and scored on the four speaking criteria.
Speaking practiceHow it works
01
Choose Academic or General Training
Pick the version you will actually sit, then a complete test. Listening and Speaking are the same on both; Reading and Writing are not.
02
Sit all four skills in one go
Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking under exam conditions. You choose whether Speaking comes first or last.
03
Get your bands and review
After the fourth skill you see a band for each skill and an estimated overall band, with a review of every answer behind them.
What your result tells you
What you get
A band for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and an estimated overall band: their average, rounded to the nearest half band. Each skill opens into a review, with the evidence for every Listening and Reading answer and criterion-level feedback on Writing and Speaking.
What it is not
An official IELTS result. Writing and Speaking bands are AI estimates, and raw-score boundaries shift slightly between test versions. Treat the mock as a way to find the skill holding your average down, then practise that skill before the next one.
To see what each band means, read IELTS levels explained. To check a single essay without sitting a whole test, use the IELTS writing checker. Not sure which version to sit? See Academic vs General Training.
Common questions
Is the IELTS mock test free?
Yes. A free account includes one full mock test each week, with no card needed. The full mock uses that week's free writing and speaking evaluations, since it cannot give an overall band without them. Listening and Reading tests on their own are unlimited on the free plan.
Is a mock test the same as an IELTS practice test or sample test?
Yes. Mock test, practice test and sample test all mean a complete test in the real IELTS format, taken to see where you stand. This one covers all four skills and gives a band for each, which a downloadable sample paper cannot do for Writing and Speaking.
How long does a full IELTS mock test take?
About 2 hours 45 minutes, the same as the real test: Listening takes about 30 minutes, Reading 60 minutes, Writing 60 minutes and Speaking 11 to 14 minutes. Set aside three hours so you can sit it without stopping.
Is the band score from a mock test accurate?
Listening and Reading are marked against the answer key and converted to a band, so those are as reliable as the conversion table. Writing and Speaking bands are AI estimates against the official criteria, not an examiner's mark. Use the result to find your weakest skill, not as a prediction of your official score.
Can I take a mock test for just one skill?
Yes. Each Listening and Reading test can be taken on its own in mock mode, timed and without help, or in practice mode. Writing and Speaking can also be practised one task or one part at a time.
Is it the Academic or General Training test?
Both. You choose the version before you start, and the Reading and Writing sections change to match. Your overall band is worked out the same way on both.
How is the overall band calculated?
It is the average of your four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. Within Writing, Task 2 counts twice and Task 1 once, as in the real test. If any skill or writing task is left unfinished, no overall band is shown.
How often should I take a full mock test?
Once a week is enough for most candidates in the last month before the test. A mock shows where you stand; the improvement comes from reviewing it and practising the weak skill before the next one.
Your target band is closer than you think.
Start today with one essay or one Cambridge test. Ten minutes is enough.