Everything you need to prepare with confidence. Learn what matters, practise with instant feedback, and walk into your test knowing you are ready.
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Four simple steps, from your first lesson to your best score.
of 4 · Learn
Watch short video lessons from experienced IELTS Academic© teachers. Learn the tips, the traps and what examiners look for.
of 4 · Practise
Write, speak and answer exam-style questions. Lume gives you a band score and shows exactly what to fix.
Writing Task 2 · your answer
Marked in 42 secondsIn my opinion I because education is very important and it can help students who have money.
“Agree with this” does not say which idea you agree with. Try: I strongly agree that university should be free, because…
Band 6.0. Make your opinion clear in the first paragraph. It is the quickest way to raise Task response.
of 4 · Test
Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, timed like test day. You get a band for every section and an overall band, so you know exactly where you are.
Mock test 1 · your result
Target 7.0
What to do next: practise Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 2. Your overall band is the average of all four.
of 4 · Improve
Use Lume Skills Lab© to improve your vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and listening with short drills. Two minutes a day adds up.
Lume Skills Lab© · Word Partners
The government plans to measures to reduce traffic.
Tell Lume your target band and where you are now. Lume will create a study plan for you.
Your scores now
Listening
7.0Reading
6.5Writing
6.0Speaking
6.5Focus: Writing and Reading · 1 h 11 min
Lesson: Task 2 essay structure
6 min
Writing Task 2 · 1 essay
40 min
Reading · True/False/Not Given set
20 min
Skills Lab: Word Partners
5 min
Four sections, each scored from 0 to 9. You can take it on a computer or on paper. The questions are the same.
4 recordings · 40 questions. You hear each recording once.
Tip: read the questions before each recording starts, and check the word limit.
Practise Listening3 long passages · 40 questions. Texts come from books, journals and magazines.
Tip: about 20 minutes for each passage. Do not spend too long on one question.
Practise Reading2 tasks. Task 2 counts for more than Task 1.
Tip: start with Task 2. It is worth more.
Practise WritingA conversation with an examiner. It can be on a different day from the other sections.
Tip: in Part 2, use your minute to write 3 or 4 key words, not full sentences.
Practise SpeakingChange the four bands. The overall band is their average, rounded to the nearest half band.
Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Overall band
6.5Download, print and keep them next to you while you study.
Videos, reviews and score cards shared by students who prepared with Lume.
Before joining Lume, I felt completely lost. Despite all those years of preparation, my IELTS scores stayed the same (always 5.5 overall). The clear structure of the course, thorough individual comments, and motivating elements brought the change. Owing to Lume, I at last got the required English test results that I wanted so desperately.
Lume played a key role in helping me achieve my required IELTS score in my very first attempt. I obtained an overall Band 5.5 and a Band 6.0 in Speaking. What helped me most was the clear guidance, well-structured lessons, and practical speaking practice.
My experience with Lume was very positive. The practice test closely resembled the actual IELTS format, which helped me become familiar with the exam structure and time management. I also found the detailed performance analysis and feedback useful for identifying my strengths.
It really helped me a lot with Writing. It generates prompts randomly and the feedback helps tremendously. Listening is the highest mark that I got and Lume helped me get it, as well as Reading. I also love the study streak that encouraged me to keep studying daily.
Lume helped me so much and all my IELTS score credits go to the Lume website. Everyone should practice here instead of wasting too much money in expensive academies and coaching centres.
It was very easy to use. At first I didn’t know anything about the IELTS exam. However, Lume guided me through and through, and helped my reading and test comprehension skills a lot.
What helped me most was how easy it made it to stay organised and focused. The clear guidance, practical tools, and step-by-step approach made it easier to make progress and build consistent study habits.
I re-sat IELTS Academic twice before. The mock test told me I was not ready yet, so I moved my date, fixed Task 2, and passed with 7.5.
Shared with each student’s permission. Got your IELTS Academic© result? Send us your Test Report Form
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Practice for every IELTS Academic© task
All video lessons and materials
Scored mock tests with a band for each section
Full Skills Lab and your daily study plan
Can’t find your answer? Ask us
IELTS Academic is designed primarily for students applying to universities, higher education institutions, or professional registration. IELTS General Training is designed primarily for people migrating to English-speaking countries, applying for certain visas, or studying and training below degree level.
IELTS announced that traditional paper-based testing would be phased out from mid-2026, with implementation dates varying by country. IELTS is transitioning to computer-based delivery, while selected locations offer an option to complete the Writing section by hand. Check your local test centre for availability.
Lume marks Writing and Speaking with the public IELTS Academic© band descriptors, and Listening and Reading by correct answers. No practice platform can give you the exact band an examiner will give, so use your Lume band as a guide.
IELTS results are generally considered valid for two years from the test date. However, organisations may have their own policies for accepting older results, so check with your chosen institution or immigration authority.
Yes. IELTS One Skill Retake allows eligible test takers to retake one section—Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking—within 60 days of their original test. Availability and acceptance vary by test centre and receiving organisation. Lume Test can help you focus your practice on the skill you need to improve.
Yes! You can prepare for IELTS Academic entirely from home using online lessons, practice questions, mock tests, and study materials. Lume Test provides an online learning platform where you can practise IELTS skills, receive AI-powered feedback, and study at your own pace.
2 hours and 45 minutes in total. Listening is about 30 minutes, Reading is 60 minutes, Writing is 60 minutes, and Speaking is 11 to 14 minutes.
Listening has 40 questions across 4 parts, with 10 questions per part. Reading has 40 questions across 3 passages totalling 2,150 to 2,750 words. Each correct answer is worth 1 mark, converted to a band score from 1 to 9 including half bands.
Task 1 requires at least 150 words and is expected to take about 20 minutes. Task 2 requires at least 250 words and is expected to take about 40 minutes. IELTS states that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
IELTS states that a C1 minimum threshold falls between the 6.5 and 7 bands on the IELTS scale, and that band scores of 8.5 and higher are recognised as C2 with band 8 borderline. IELTS also states there is not a one-to-one correspondence between IELTS scores and CEFR levels.
Band 9 is Expert, 8 is Very good, 7 is Good, 6 is Competent, 5 is Modest, 4 is Limited, 3 is Extremely limited, 2 is Intermittent and 1 is Non-user.
Part 2 is the Long Turn. It runs 3 to 4 minutes, with 1 minute of preparation followed by about 2 minutes of speaking. Part 3 then discusses the same topic in a more general and abstract way.
Behind every IELTS Academic© band is a bigger goal. We built Lume to give test takers honest, specific feedback so they know exactly where they stand and what to improve.
Our goal: to be the most trustworthy part of your preparation.
