“Where can I practice the IELTS for free?” and “Are there any free IELTS mock tests?” are two questions I get a lot. We’re answering both of those questions by offering a free IELTS practice test PDF from Magoosh. Plus, I’ll also link to IELTS sample test PDFs from other trustworthy sources.

Table of Contents

• Free IELTS Practice Test PDF From Magoosh
• A Bonus Free IELTS Practice Test for Each of the Four Parts of the Test
• The Best Kind of Free IELTS Practice Test: Official Tests
• Final Thoughts

Free IELTS Practice Test PDF from Magoosh

Actually, Magoosh offers two IELTS sample test PDFs: one for IELTS Academic, and one for IELTS General Training. You can access either of them by clicking the buttons below:

A Bonus Free IELTS Practice Test for Each of the Four Parts of the Test

Magoosh also offers additional full individual sections of the IELTS. You can put these sections together to make your own additional free IELTS test, or you can practice them individually. Check out the various IELTS sample test PDFs, videos, and assorted web pages below!

Free IELTS Practice Test: Listening

Would you like to practice with just a standalone Listening section? Our Listening test comes in video format, with full audio, onscreen questions and the answer key on a separate video.

Click here for our full IELTS Listening practice test (video)

This is a great starter activity before you dive into Magoosh’s in-depth guide to IELTS Listening.

IELTS Sample Test PDF and Video for Reading

Next, you can practice with some free full IELTS Reading sections, both for Academic with its longer text passages, and for IELTS GT, with its mix of long and short texts.

For the IELTS Academic Reading Test, click here for an IELTS Reading test (video), with an onscreen timer. You can keep your own blank answer sheet to record answers on as you watch the video.

And for IELTS General Training Reading, click for our free General Reading practice test PDF. (This IELTS sample test PDF includes links to video explanations of all the answers!)

Finally we have a whole blog post dedicated to additional IELTS Reading practice tests and resources, with links to more IELTS Reading prep from Magoosh and from the makers of the official exam.

Writing Section: Free IELTS Sample Test PDF and Video

We have several different free IELTS sample test PDFs in our free IELTS Writing Practice Test, including free IELTS practice test PDFs for GT and the Academic Writing test. (As you may know, Writing Task 1 is different on these two writing tests and tests considerably different writing components. In GT, you’ll write a letter that addresses a specific social context, whereas in Academic, you’ll describe a graph, map, or diagram.)

Or, if you want to quickly access just one free IELTS practice test PDF for the version of the exam you’re taking, click on one of these links:

• IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test
• IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test

Speaking IELTS Practice Test (PDF and Video)

Magoosh has a video that simulates an IELTS Speaking interview. Our lead IELTS instructor Eliot asks you IELTS Speaking questions, and you can pause the video to say your answers.

But wait, there’s more! For additional IELTS Speaking test practice, you can use the following resources (and possibly assemble them into a second full Speaking section):

• IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions
• IELTS Speaking Part 2 Questions
• IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions

The Best Kind of Free IELTS Practice Test: Official Tests

Which is the best IELTS mock test online? Well, in spite of the hard work my colleagues and I put into the Magoosh free IELTS practice test PDFs, I can still only say ours are second-best. Why? Because there’s nothing quite like the real thing from the people who make the exam!

IELTS sample test PDFs from each official IELTS website (there are four) are taken from real IELTS exams that students sat for in the past, so they’ll give you the best experience. They are truly authentic and trustworthy in a way that even the best unofficial IELTS exam practice can’t reach. These resources answer another common question I get from students: “Can I take the IELTS test for free?” While the exam you’ll take on test day has fees, the tests I’m going to show you below are real IELTS exam practice online, free of charge. So you’ll definitely want to download some of the PDFs below!

The British Council’s Free IELTS Practice Tests

The British Council offers four free IELTS practice tests: two Academic tests, and two for the IELTS General Training test. Click here to access these official IELTS tests from the BC.

Free Sample IELTS Test PDFs (Academic and GT) from IELTS.org

IELTS.org has an IELTS sample test PDF for each section of IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, both full of authentic sample questions.

Click here for those official IELTS sample test PDFs.

Can you take a free IELTS practice test for IELTS on Computer?

The IELTS on Computer is a relatively new test format. But it’s becoming more and more widely available. If IELTS on Computer is an option for you, then you’ll want to practice for the computer-based exam.

There is no full official practice test for IELTS on Computer just yet. But right now, you can see some sample practice questions on IELTS.org’s IELTS on Computer practice page. And you can go through additional official IELTS on Computer practice questions on the IELTS IDP website. Between these two resources, you’ll have something that’s roughly equivalent to a full IELTS practice test.

Cambridge’s IELTS Sample Test PDF Archive (Writing)

Cambridge, one of the other official sponsors of the IELTS, offers some practice materials that are a bit different. Unlike the other official websites for the IELTS, Cambridge specializes in print books of IELTS prep, not IELTS sample test PDFs or other digital resources.

But Cambridge does offer free IELTS sample test materials, excerpted from their books. To see the links to all of that content, you’ll need to register for the Cambridge publishing website, log in, and find the IELTS content in their menu. I’ve put together detailed instructions on how to do that in my post on the four main official IELTS websites and how to use them.

While I do like many of the resources Cambridge offers, there is one problem with their free practice test PDFs: they tend not to come with answer keys. For Writing PDFs, such as this GT IELTS sample practice test PDF or this practice test for IELTS Academic Writing, that’s not a huge problem. But for Cambridge’s Reading and Listening practice, you may need to find answer keys in other online forums. (And Cambridge’s Listening PDFs don’t always have audio and may even lack transcripts, which makes some of them useless!)


 

The Importance of Full-Length IELTS Tests

Full IELTS practice tests are a key part of your IELTS exam preparation, especially if you want to get a top band score. You absolutely must do some full test practice, so you can have a realistic preview of your test day experience, and get a sense of how hard the IELTS is for you at your current skill level. Studying for the IELTS in a cost-effective way is also important. And as you can see, there are many free options to practice those language skills in full online tests.

So I would encourage you to use a free IELTS practice test PDF or two in your IELTS study plan—perhaps as part of one the IELTS study schedules Magoosh offers. (We even specifically list this article as a resource in our one week IELTS study plan.)

What if you could measure your basic IELTS Writing ability right now? With each IELTS Writing practice test in this post, you can! Here, you’ll find:

• a full IELTS Academic Writing section in video format
• a full IELTS Academic Writing practice test with answers in PDF format
• a full IELTS General Training Writing section
• links to bonus posts containing additional IELTS Academic Writing Academic and General Training Writing sections.

In other words, all of the IELTS Writing Test practice online for free that you could want!

Free IELTS Writing Test (Academic): Video

In this video, Magoosh’s expert Eliot will take you through a full-length IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test!

Once you’ve written your responses, check out the sample answers to see how you did and check your work against the model responses.

Free IELTS Writing Practice Test PDFs (Academic and General Training)

If you’ve already worked through the IELTS Writing practice test in the video, or if you just prefer a written version of a free IELTS Writing practice test with answers, no worries! Here are PDFs you can use for more IELTS writing test practice online (for free).

IELTS Academic Writing Section PDF

If you’re taking the Academic version of the IELTS, check out this IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test 1 PDF for a full writing section you can practice with.

When you’re done, follow these guidelines and answer these questions to score yourself based on the band descriptors for Task 1 and Task 2.

• Make sure Task 1 word count met the 150 word minimum, your Task 2 word count is at least 250 words long. If you haven’t reached those bench marks, your “Task Response” score will be less-than-perfect.
• Did you address each part of the task? Look at each part of the prompt. Can you match each part to a part of your essay? This also impacts your “Task Response” score.
• Do your paragraphs all have clear topic sentences and sufficient supporting details? This is necessary for full points in “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Does your essay have clear, sufficient IELTS Writing linking words to show how ideas are connected? If not, do not give yourself full points for “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Is your vocabulary free of serious errors, and varied enough that it doesn’t deem repetitive? If so, that’s a perfect score in “Lexical Resource.” If not, take away some points in this area.
• Do you use grammar with confidence and skill, with no serious mistakes? And do you use a variety of sentence structures? If the answer to any of that is “no,” give yourself a less-than-perfect score in “Grammatical Range and Accuracy.”

IELTS General Training Writing Section PDF

Taking the General Training IELTS instead of the academic test? Then use this IELTS General Training Writing Test 1 PDF!

Just like with the Academic test, you’ll use similar band scoring guidelines to grade yourself. First, look at these the band descriptors for Task 1 and Task 2. Then, review your answers using the following guidelines.

• Where are you with word count? You need at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2 to get full points for “Task Response.”
• Did you address each part of the task? Carefully read the task instructions and see if you really responded to everything that was asked of you. If you did not address one or more parts of the task, do not give yourself full points for “Task Response.”
• Does each paragraph have its own clear topic sentence and supporting details? If not, then take some points away in “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Do the tasks use adequate transitional language to tie paragraphs together and move from the paragraph to the conclusion? If not, do not give yourself full points for “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Do you use vocabulary clearly and fluently, avoiding serious errors in word choice, and varying word choice to avoid repetition? If not, your self-score in “Lexical Resource” should not be perfect.
• Similarly, does your grammar demonstrate variety, and have you avoided serious grammar problems? this will determine whether or not you have full points in “Grammatical Range and Accuracy.”

Full Magoosh IELTS Practice Tests, Writing Sections Included

Magoosh also offers to free full-length IELTS exams, one for Academic, and one for GT. Click here to take full Writing sections in the context of the whole test.

Bonus IELTS Writing Practice Tests

If you’ve worked through the above free IELTS Writing practice test with answers for your test and still want more, I’m impressed! And I can also help you out. Here’s even more IELTS Writing test practice online for free.

Bonus IELTS Writing Practice Test for Academic

In the IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test post, you’ll find a PDF practice test with two prompts: one each for Task 1 and Task 2. The PDF also contains answers and scoring rationales for these prompts so you can check your work.

Extra IELTS Writing Practice Test for General Training

Similar to the Academic PDF, the IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test post has two prompts—but these ones prepare you for the GT version of the exam! This free IELTS Writing practice test with answers also contains scoring rationale to help you see how you did.

Additional IELTS Writing Practice Questions

That may already seem like more IELTS Writing practice tests than you could ever need. But wait, there’s more! You can also practice with individual questions here on the blog, as well as polish your skills with our IELTS Writing guides. Take a look below.

Additional IELTS Writing Practice Questions

For more practice prompts similar to those you’ll find on the IELTS Writing section, check out these posts!

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Map With Model Answer — When you need practice with map questions specifically for the IELTS, this sample prompt and answer show you what a high-scoring response looks like.
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Process Diagram with Model Answer — Process diagrams on Task 1 can scare students, but they get a lot easier with practice!
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Line Graph with Model Answer (Band 9) — What does a high-scoring response on this common Academic Task 1 task type look like? Our experts show you here.
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Pie Chart with Model Answer — When the test asks you to analyze a pie graph, what should you do? This sample prompt and response will help you prepare.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Causes/Solutions Sample Essay — How can you get a high score on a causes/solution essay? Take a look at this sample prompt and response to find out.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree/Disagree — We also have a sample quesiton and model response for the common agree/disagree question type!
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantage/Disadvantage — Learn how to discuss advantages and disadvantages with a question and sample response for this variation of Task 2.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Two-Part Essays — With an example question and an example response, learn how to answer two-part IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.
• The Discussion IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Type — Learn how to discuss both sides of an issue in IELTS Writing Task 2 with a question and example response.

IELTS Writing Guides

If you’re struggling to write any (or both) of the tasks on these IELTS Writing practice tests, check out Magoosh’s experts advice for different IELTS sections in these guides!

• IELTS Writing: Everything You Need to Know
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: The Complete Guide
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Question Types
• [ACADEMIC] IELTS Writing Task 1 – Sample Questions and Practice Resources
• IELTS General Training Letter Writing Tips and Examples (Video)

Between the initial Academic IELTS Writing practice test above, the first General Training one, the bonus IELTS Writing sections and questions, and the guides above, you should have all the practice and guidance you need to get started. After that, you can get a start on assessing the rest of your IELTS skills by going through the skills checklists and linked diagnostic tests in our article “How Hard is the IELTS?”

As you continue with your IELTS prep from there, consider trying a free trial subscription to Magoosh IELTS. We offer one week free trials for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

Taking a practice test is one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for the IELTS General Training test. When it comes to writing, though, practice is especially important! In this post, we’ll share an IELTS General Training Writing practice test PDF with answers that you can use to develop your skills before test day. So take a look at the IELTS General Writing Task 1 Practice Test (with Answers) PDF, then come back when you’ve finished your essay for info about scoring!

IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test (PDF with Answers)

Ready to start practicing? In this PDF, you can read the sample questions, write your own essays, and then them to the model essays and scoring advice in the document. Here’s the IELTS General Training Writing practice test PDF for download:

How should I score this practice Writing section?

Once you’ve finished your section, it’s time to score the tasks. First things first: review the band descriptors for Task 1 and Task 2.

Then, take a closer look at your essays, rereading them to evaluate how well they meet the criteria in each of the four categories.

It can be very difficult to score your own essay objectively, so working with a scoring partner is useful here. That said, if you’re scoring your responses on your own, you can ask yourself the following questions to help determine your band level for each criterion:

• Did your Task 1 word count exceed the 150 word minimum, and did your Task 2 word count exceed the 250 word minimum? If not, do not give yourself full points for “Task Response.”
• Did you address each part of the task? Break down the prompt into different parts. Then, match each part of the prompt to part of your essay. If you did not address one or more parts of the task, do not give yourself full points for “Task Response.”
• Does each paragraph have its own clear topic sentence and supporting details? If not, then take some points away in “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Do the tasks use adequate transitional language to tie paragraphs together and move from the paragraph to the conclusion? If not, do not give yourself full points for “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Do you use vocabulary clearly and fluently, avoiding serious errors in word choice, and varying word choice to avoid repetition? If not, your self-score in “Lexical Resource” should not be perfect.
• Do you use grammar with confidence and skill, with no serious mistakes? And do you use a variety of sentence structures? If the answer to any of that is “no,” give yourself a less-than-perfect score in “Grammatical Range and Accuracy.”

Additional Practice Writing Tests for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

Sitting down to complete this IELTS General Writing Task 1 Practice Test (with Answers) PDF is a great first step. However, the key to really boosting your score on this section of the IELTS is regular practice. With that in mind, here are more resources where you can find more sample writing tasks for IELTS Writing!

In our IELTS Writing practice test post, you’ll find the full Academic Writing section in PDF form, another in video form, as well as an additional full General Training Writing section! Keep in mind that while the Task 1 question types differ between Academic and General Training tasks, Task 2 is the same in both versions. In other words, no matter which test you’re taking, all of the task 2 prompts in these links are useful practice.

Magoosh’s IELTS Academic Writing practice test is also useful for the same reason! Again, if you’re taking the General Training exam, skip the first task, replacing it with a GT prompt (such as those you’ll find on the Magoosh blog!).

Additional Practice Questions

If you prefer to go through individual questions rather than whole Writing sections, take a look at the following resources! Keep in mind that their usefulness will vary, depending on which test you’re taking. (Also, some of these questions can be found in the PDFs as well, while others are wholly unique.)

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Map With Model Answer — When you need practice with map questions specifically for the IELTS, this sample prompt and answer show you what a high-scoring response look like.




• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Process Diagram with Model Answer — Process diagrams on Task 1 can scare students, but they get a lot easier with practice!
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Line Graph with Model Answer (Band 9)— What does a high-scoring response on this common Academic Task 1 task type look like? Our experts show you here.




• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Pie Chart with Model Answer — When the test asks you to analyze a pie graph, what should you do? This sample prompt and response will help you prepare.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Causes/Solutions Sample Essay — How can you get a high score on a causes/solution essay? Take a look at this sample prompt and response to find out.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree/Disagree — We also have a sample question and model response for the common agree/disagree question type!
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantage/Disadvantage Learn how to discuss advantages and disadvantages with a question and sample response for this variation of Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Two-Part Essays — With an example question and an example response, learn how to answer two-part IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.
• The Discussion IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Type — Learn how to discuss both sides of an issue in IELTS Writing Task 2 with a question and example response.

More Resources for IELTS Writing

Finally, make sure you’re prepared for the official IELTS exam by familiarizing yourself with the IELTS, from task types to the question types you can expect to see on the exam! Once you’ve finished the IELTS General Training Writing practice test PDF with answers, take a look at the following to polish your writing even more.

• What do you need to know about IELTS Writing? Make sure you have the basics covered with this overview of the IELTS Writing tasks.
• Taking the Academic test? Here’s your complete guide to IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic).
• No matter which test you’re taking, make sure you’re prepared for the second task with the complete guide to IELTS Writing Task 2!




• What types of questions can you expect to see on IELTS Writing Task 2? Find out with our guide to Task 2 question types!
• Looking to practice with Academic Task 1? Here are sample Academic Task 1 prompts you can use for this!
• Taking the General Training test instead? Enjoy Task 1 tips for writing a great letter!

Magoosh’s IELTS Essay Scoring Service

Last but not least, you may want to consider getting your essays scored by Magoosh IELTS instructors. Subscription prices and plans can be found at this page for Magoosh IELTS Essay grading.

Before you sit down at the test center to write your essays on the official IELTS Academic exam, what’s one thing you should absolutely do? Take an IELTS Academic Writing practice test! Not only can the test serve as a diagnostic, helping you guide your study, but it can also give you a sense of how close you are to reaching your score goals. With that in mind, Magoosh is thrilled to offer this free IELTS Academic Writing practice test with answers!

Below, you’ll find this practice Academic Writing test, including a PDF version. You’ll also read our scoring advice, then get links to other practice tests and practice questions you can use to get ready for test day.

IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test (PDF with Answers)

When you go through the PDF, try to write your own essays first. That way, you can compare your work to the model essays in the document! And now, without further ado, here’s the sample IELTS Academic Writing practice test:

How can I grade my writing tasks?

So you’ve finished writing the essays—congratulations! Now, it’s time to score them.

To do this, first read through the grading bands for Academic Writing Task 1 and Task 2.

Then, look at the scoring rationales in the PDF (IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test with Answers) for both Task 1 and Task 2.

Finally, turn back to your answer. How do your responses stack up? Here are some questions to help guide your scoring:

• Did your Task 1 word count exceed the 150 word minimum, and did your Task 2 word count exceed the 250 word minimum? If not, do not give yourself full points for “Task Response.”
• Did you address each part of the task? Break down the prompt into different parts. Then, match each part of the prompt to part of your essay. If you did not address one or more parts of the task, do not give yourself full points for “Task Response.”
• Does each paragraph have its own clear topic sentence and supporting details? If there are any problems here, then don’t give yourself perfect marks in “Coherence and Cohesion.”
• Do the tasks use transitional language to tie paragraphs together and move from the paragraph to the conclusion? This also affects your “Coherence and Cohesion” score.
• Do you use vocabulary clearly and fluently, avoiding serious errors in word choice, and varying word choice to avoid repetition? If not, do not give yourself full points for “Lexical Resource.”
• Do you use grammar with great skill and no major mistakes, using varied sentence structure to so that your writing doesn’t sound repetitive? If so, give yourself full points “Grammatical Range and Accuracy.” But if the answer is “no,” take some points away in this category.

Extra Practice Tests for IELTS Writing

Looking for another IELTS Writing practice test? Magoosh can help!

First, check out our IELTS Writing Practice Tests post. Here, you’ll find more IELTS Writing practice, including a list of bonus practice tests!

Next, head over to the IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test. In this post, you’ll find a different type of Task 1, but more practice with the same Task 2 you see in IELTS Academic. Task 2 doesn’t vary between test types, so the IELTS GT practice Task 2 is comparable to what you’ll see on the Academic test on the official exam.

Bonus Practice Questions

If you’re not looking for a full IELTS Writing practice test but just want practice with individual questions, these resources are for you. Some of these questions and sample essays are in the PDFs I’ve already shown you, but some of them are completely unique and new!

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Map With Model Answer — When you need practice with map questions specifically for the IELTS, this sample prompt and answer show you what a high-scoring response looks like.
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Process Diagram with Model Answer — Process diagrams on Task 1 can scare students, but they get a lot easier with practice!
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Line Graph with Model Answer (Band 9) — What does a high-scoring response on this common Academic Task 1 task type look like? Our experts show you here.
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Pie Chart with Model Answer — When the test asks you to analyze a pie graph, what should you do? This sample prompt and response will help you prepare.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Causes/Solutions Sample Essay — How can you get a high score on a causes/solution essay? Take a look at this sample prompt and response to find out.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree/Disagree — we also have a sample quesiton and model response for the common agree/disagree question type!
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantage/Disadvantage — Learn how to discuss advantages and disadvantages with a question and sample response for this variation of Task 2.
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Two-Part Essays — With an example question and an example response, learn how to answer two-part IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.
• The Discussion IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Type — Learn how to discuss both sides of an issue in IELTS Writing Task 2 with a question and example response.

More Resources for IELTS Writing

Finally, make sure you’re prepared for the official IELTS exam by familiarizing yourself with all types of the test, from the task types to the question types you can expect to see on the exam! Once you’ve finished the IELTS General Training Writing practice test PDF with answers, take a look at the following to polish your writing even more.

• What do you need to know about IELTS Writing? Make sure you have the basics covered with this overview of the IELTS Writing tasks.
• Taking the Academic test? Here’s your complete guide to IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic).
• No matter which test you’re taking, make sure you’re prepared for the second task with the complete guide to IELTS Writing Task 2!
• What types of questions can you expect to see on IELTS Writing Task 2? Find out with our guide to Task 2 question types!
• Looking to practice with Academic Task 1? Here are sample Academic Task 1 prompts you can use for this!
• Taking the General Training test instead? Enjoy Task 1 tips for writing a great letter!

Magoosh’s IELTS Essay Scoring Service

Last but not least, you may want to consider getting your essays scored by Magoosh IELTS instructors. Subscription prices and plans can be found at this page for Magoosh IELTS Essay grading.