Free IELTS preparation room
Understand the score.
Practise the evidence.
Start now with original MindSet mini mocks, a complete Band 9-style Writing example, vocabulary and structure guidance, self-grading tools, and direct access to the current official IELTS practice library.
Know what each section demands
Four skills.
Four different decisions.
Technique matters, but it works only when vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and communication are strong enough to support it.
Listening
Follow signposting, distinguish distractors, predict answer type, and keep moving when one answer is missed.
Focus: purpose · detail · attitudeReading
Locate relevant evidence, recognise paraphrase, and separate False from Not Given without relying on memory.
Focus: navigation · proof · timingWriting
Build a clear position or overview, develop selected ideas, and edit for precise vocabulary and controlled grammar.
Focus: response · cohesion · languageSpeaking
Answer directly, extend with reasons and examples, and remain understandable without performing a memorised script.
Focus: fluency · vocabulary · grammar · pronunciationFree practice library
Choose a paper.
Start practising now.
The MindSet PDFs below are original independent preparation materials. The official link provides current IELTS sample tasks and Listening audio.
Academic Mini Mock 01
One original Academic Reading passage with 13 questions, Writing Tasks 1 and 2, a complete Speaking mock, answer key, and review prompts.
- Suggested timing included
- Original questions and passage
- Printable answer review
General Training Mini Mock 01
Community notices, workplace guidance, a longer reading, formal letter and essay tasks, Speaking practice, and all 15 reading answers.
- General Training task types
- Letter tone guidance
- Original independent content
Band 9-Style Writing Lab
Vocabulary by function, Task 1 and Task 2 structures, a complete original model essay, annotations, and a practical four-criteria rubric.
- 9-page writing workbook
- Full model answer
- Self-grading and editing routine
Official Sample Tests & Audio
Use the official preparation library for complete sample tasks, current instructions, answer sheets, computer practice, and Listening recordings.
- Listening MP3 and transcripts
- Academic and General papers
- Official current source
The MindSet mini mocks are shorter than a full IELTS test and intentionally exclude Listening audio. Use the official practice library for complete Listening samples.
Example: what a Band 9-style response looks like
Clear thinking first.
Strong language second.
This original teaching example shows how position, paragraph purpose, evidence, vocabulary, and grammar work together. It is illustrative, not an official examiner-awarded result.
Some people believe universities should require every student to study at least one subject outside their main field. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
University education is often expected to produce both specialist expertise and adaptable graduates. Although students need sufficient time to master their principal discipline, I agree that a carefully limited requirement to study outside it can improve the quality and usefulness of their education.
The main benefit of cross-disciplinary study is that important problems rarely fit within a single academic boundary. An engineering student who understands basic economics, for instance, is better equipped to consider whether an elegant technical solution is affordable at scale. Likewise, a business student who studies environmental science may evaluate the long-term consequences of a company's decisions rather than focusing exclusively on immediate profit. In both cases, the additional subject does not replace specialist knowledge; it gives students a wider framework in which to apply it.
A second advantage is improved communication. Graduates commonly work with colleagues whose training, assumptions, and vocabulary differ from their own. Encountering another discipline forces students to explain ideas without relying on specialist shorthand and to recognise that evidence can be interpreted in different ways.
Nevertheless, the requirement should remain modest. Students in intensive programmes could find an unrelated compulsory course distracting. Universities should therefore offer a choice of relevant modules and limit the requirement to one well-designed course, preserving disciplinary depth while developing genuine intellectual breadth.
In conclusion, all students should experience at least one subject beyond their main field, provided that the choice is flexible and the workload proportionate. Such a policy would develop broader judgement and clearer communication without undermining specialist expertise.
Writing grading rubric
Review the same four
areas examiners consider.
Use these questions after every draft. Task 1 uses Task Achievement; Task 2 uses Task Response. The other three criteria apply to both.
Task Achievement / Response
Did you answer every part, maintain a clear position or overview, and support the most important ideas?
Red flag: discussing the topic without answering the exact question.Coherence & Cohesion
Does each paragraph have one purpose, and can the reader follow the progression without effort?
Red flag: repetitive linkers or examples with no clear connection.Lexical Resource
Is vocabulary precise, natural, appropriately varied, and accurate in spelling and collocation?
Red flag: forced “advanced” words that do not fit naturally.Grammar Range & Accuracy
Do varied sentence forms remain controlled, with errors rare enough not to distract the reader?
Red flag: long sentences that lose structure or meaning.This is a MindSet self-review guide based on the public IELTS assessment areas. It does not calculate or guarantee an official band.
A better weekly loop
Practise. Diagnose.
Repeat one change.
The AI and teacher-feedback features documented for the MindSet app are part of the developing product roadmap. The original PDFs and official practice links on this page are available now.
- Choose one narrow targetFor example: Task 2 idea development, not simply “Writing”.
- Complete a timed taskRehearse the real decision and time pressure.
- Mark the evidenceUse answers, the rubric, a recording, or feedback to find a pattern.
- Repeat with one changeApply the correction while the task remains familiar.
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IELTS is a registered trademark of its respective owners. MindSet English is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IELTS test owners. All MindSet practice materials on this page are original and independent.