Guides 81
Sections 5
Price Free
Know your band before the examiner does.
81 free guides for Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening, built around one habit: predict the score, then see the reasoning.
Your brain learns fastest when it guesses wrong.
When a prediction misses, your brain wants to know why. That pull is the most useful feeling in exam prep. Each card below asks you to commit to an answer before the reasoning opens.
Verdicts are written against the public IELTS band descriptors, one criterion at a time.
What is holding this introduction back?
Task: Some people think university students should pay the full cost of their studies. Others believe the government should pay. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Nowadays, education is very important in our life. Some people think students should pay for university by themselves, but others believe government should pay it. In this essay I will discuss both sides and give my opinion.
Answer: No clear position
- Task Response
- The question asks for your opinion. Saying you will give it is not the same as giving it. Band 7 needs a clear position throughout the response, starting here.
- Lexical Resource
- “Very important in our life” is a memorised opener that adds nothing. It does not lower the score on its own, but it wastes a sentence.
- Grammar
- “government should pay it” needs an article and a clearer object: “the government should pay for it”.
Stronger version
Whether tuition should be paid by students or by the state divides opinion. While there is a case for asking graduates to contribute, I believe the government should cover most of the cost, because the whole of society benefits from an educated workforce.
True, False or Not Given?
The bridge, completed in 1932, was the widest long-span bridge in the world at the time of its opening.
Statement: When it opened, the bridge was the longest bridge in the world.
Answer: Not Given
- The trap
- “Widest” is not “longest”. The passage says nothing about length, so the statement can be neither confirmed nor contradicted.
Will a strong regional accent lower your Pronunciation score?
A candidate from Lagos speaks with a clear Nigerian accent. Every word is easy to understand, stress and intonation are natural, and there are no mispronounced sounds that cause confusion.
Answer: Only if it reduces clarity
- Pronunciation
- The descriptors measure intelligibility and features like stress, rhythm and intonation. An accent is not penalised. Strain on the listener is.
Judged on grammar alone, which band does this sentence suggest?
In conclusion, technology have more advantages than disadvantages because it help people in many ways.
Answer: Band 5
- Accuracy
- Two subject and verb agreement errors in one sentence (“technology have”, “it help”). Band 5 describes frequent errors even when complex sentences are attempted.
- Range
- The because clause shows some range, which keeps it above band 4. Accuracy is what caps it.
Stronger version
Overall, I believe the benefits of technology outweigh its drawbacks, because it gives people faster access to information and services.
Complete the note: Tour departs at ______
“The tour was going to leave at quarter past nine, but because of the roadworks on the bridge we’ve moved it to quarter to ten. So please be in the lobby ten minutes before that.”
Answer: 9:45
- The trap
- The first time you hear is the old plan. Speakers in Section 1 often correct themselves. The lobby time (9:35) is a second distractor.
Every wrong guess is a question your brain wants answered. We give it the answer, then the reason, then a chance to try again.
Every section of the test, explained by the criteria it is marked on.
21 guides
Writing Task 2
Essay structures for all six question types, with annotated band 9 answers.
- IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay
- IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay
- IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem Solution
- IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantages vs Disadvantages
13 guides
Speaking
Cue cards, Part 3 questions and the habits that lift fluency.
- IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics
- IELTS Speaking Part 2: How to Answer a Cue Card
- IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions
10 guides
Reading
True, False, Not Given logic, matching headings and timing.
- IELTS Reading True False Not Given
- IELTS Reading Matching Headings Tips
- IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Tips
16 guides
Writing Task 1
Overviews, trend language and model reports for every chart type.
All Writing Task 1 guides →10 guides
Listening
Distractors, map labelling and spelling traps by section.
- IELTS Listening Tips for Band 8 and Above
- IELTS Listening Question Types: Complete Guide
- IELTS Listening Map Labelling: Strategy, Vocabulary, and Practice
From a guess to your own band score in three steps.
- 01
Make a prediction
Read a real answer and decide what band it reaches, or which option is right. Committing first is what makes the next step stick.
- 02
See the reasoning
The explanation opens, criterion by criterion, against the public band descriptors. If your guess was off, you see exactly why.
- 03
Score your own answer
Paste an essay or record a Speaking answer in Cathoven and get the same criterion by criterion breakdown for your own work.
The exact band you need, for the place you are going.
University Admission: Score Targets by CountryWhat IELTS band each top university requires — UK, US, Canada, Australia targets, Academic vs General difference, and band-7 sample answers so you know exactly what to write.Canada PR: CLB Scores & Express Entry TargetsExactly what IELTS band you need for Canada Express Entry, PNP, or family sponsorship — CLB conversion table, target scores by program, and a 60-day prep plan with AI practice.UK Visa: UKVI Scores by Visa TypeExact IELTS UKVI scores for Skilled Worker, Spouse/Partner, Student, and ILR settlement routes — band requirements per visa, plus a focused prep plan with AI practice.Australia PR: Points Test & Visa Band TargetsExact IELTS bands for Australian skilled migration — points-test scoring, 189/190/491 visa thresholds, state nomination targets, and a 60-day prep plan with AI practice.Nurses: NMC, AHPRA & Healthcare RequirementsIELTS requirements for nurses: NMC (UK) and Ahpra (Australia) need IELTS Academic with 7 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.5 in Writing, plus two-sitting rules.Beginners: Score Plan from ZeroJust starting IELTS? Test format explained, scoring breakdown, your first 30-day study plan, and AI practice — built for non-native English speakers preparing in 30–90 days.New Zealand ImmigrationIELTS score requirements for New Zealand immigration: Competent vs Proficient English tiers, SMC points system, Green List occupations, and professional registration thresholds for nurses, doctors, and teachers.Teachers: Score Requirements, Modules, and PreparationIELTS requirements for teachers seeking registration and international school positions. Covers QTS (UK), AITSL (Australia), New Zealand Teaching Council, international schools, Academic vs General Training, and a 6-week preparation plan.USA Immigration: Score Requirements by Visa and ProfessionIELTS for USA immigration: band score requirements for US visas, nursing licences, university admission, and medical licensing, plus preparation tips for the 6.5–7.5 target range.
You have guessed the band on our examples. Now find out yours.
Paste a Writing Task 2 essay and get a criterion by criterion breakdown.