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Free IELTS resources for Thai students
Guides to IELTS band scores, the exam and each skill, written for Thai learners. Everything here is free.
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New to IELTS preparation? These guides answer the questions most learners ask first.
Band guidesBand 718 minHow to Get IELTS Band 7: Scores Needed, What to Study and How Long It Takes
IELTS 7.0 is CEFR C1. See how many correct answers you need (about 30 out of 40), what band 7 Writing and Speaking look like, and a plan to reach it.
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Band guides12 minHow Long to Prepare for IELTS: What You Can Improve in 1 Week, 1 Month or 3 Months
How much can your IELTS score improve before your exam? What research shows, what you can change in one week, one month or three months, and a plan for each.
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Exam basics8 minIELTS Band Scores Explained: Overall Score Calculator, CEFR and Every Band
How IELTS scores work: an overall score calculator, correct answers for every band, what each band means, and how IELTS compares with CEFR and TOEIC.
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How to reach your target IELTS band
Each band guide shows the Listening and Reading scores you need, what Writing and Speaking look like at that level, and how long it usually takes to get there. Pick the band you are aiming for.
What's your target band?
- How to Get IELTS Band 5 (5.0 to 5.5): Scores Needed, What to Study and How Long It TakesIELTS 5.0 is about CEFR B1 and 5.5 is the start of B2. See how many correct answers you need, what to study first and an 8 week plan to reach band 5.
- How to Get IELTS Band 6 (6.0): Scores Needed, What to Study and How Long It TakesIELTS 6.0 is about CEFR B2. See how many correct answers you need, how far your four scores are from 6.0, data from Thai learners and a 12 week plan.
- How to Get IELTS Band 6.5: Scores Needed, What to Study and How Long It TakesIELTS 6.5 is the top of CEFR B2. See how many correct answers you need, why 6.5 means some criteria at band 7, and a 12 week plan from 6.0.
- How to Get IELTS Band 7: Scores Needed, What to Study and How Long It TakesIELTS 7.0 is CEFR C1. See how many correct answers you need (about 30 out of 40), what band 7 Writing and Speaking look like, and a plan to reach it.
IELTS exam basics: scores, costs and booking
How IELTS is scored, what the test costs in Thailand and how to book it. Read these before you choose your test date.
10 minIELTS Academic vs General Training: Which Test Do You Need, and What Is Different?
IELTS Academic is for university and professional registration; General Training is for migration and work. Listening and Speaking are the same; Reading and Writing Task 1 differ. Same fee, same band scale.
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9 minIELTS One Skill Retake: Cost in Thailand, Who Can Use It and Which Skill to Retake
IELTS One Skill Retake lets you retake one skill within 60 days of a computer based test for 5,150 baht at IDP Thailand. The rules, who accepts it, and how to decide if it is worth it.
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10 minWhat Is IELTS? The Test Explained for Thai Learners: Format, Scores, Cost and How to Start
IELTS is the International English Language Testing System: four skills, bands 0 to 9, Academic or General Training, 2 hours 45 minutes, 8,860 baht in Thailand. The format, the scores and how to start.
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IELTS Band Scores Explained: Overall Score Calculator, CEFR and Every Band
How IELTS scores work: an overall score calculator, correct answers for every band, what each band means, and how IELTS compares with CEFR and TOEIC.
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8 minIELTS Cost in Thailand (2026): Exam Fees at IDP and British Council, Booking and How to Save
The IELTS exam fee in Thailand is 8,860 baht at IDP and British Council (UKVI 9,750). Fees for every test, how to book, retake costs and how to avoid paying twice.
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IELTS skills: Writing, Speaking, Reading, Listening and vocabulary
Guides to one skill at a time: the problems that hold learners back, the techniques that fix them, and practice you can do today.
Writing
Band 516 minWhy Is My IELTS Writing Stuck at Band 5?
Stuck at 5.0 or 5.5 in IELTS Writing? See where band 5 essays lose marks in each of the four criteria, with examples, practice and a plan to reach band 6.
Read guide- 24 min
IELTS Writing Task 2 Structure: Paragraph Templates for Every Question Type (Band 6, 7 and 8)
The four paragraph structure that works for every IELTS Task 2 question type, with a band 7 model essay, sentence frames for each paragraph, a timed writing task and the mistakes that keep essays at band 6.
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22 minHow IELTS Writing Is Marked: The Four Criteria Explained with Band 5, 6 and 7 Examples
IELTS Writing is marked on four criteria worth 25% each, with Task 2 counting twice as much as Task 1. See what band 5, 6 and 7 look like in each criterion, how the bands become one score, and how to mark your own essay.
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Speaking
18 minIELTS Speaking Part 1: Common Questions and Sample Answers by Topic (Band 6 and 7)
The 12 most common IELTS Speaking Part 1 topics with typical questions, band 7 sample answers, a band 5 vs band 7 comparison, the 3 part answer method and the mistakes Thai learners make most.
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20 minIELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards: Common Topics, a 1 Minute Plan and Model Answers
The 5 families of IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue cards with 20 recurring topics, a 1 minute planning method, a band 7 model answer with notes, a band 5 vs 7 comparison and a card to record right now.
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17 minHow to Practise IELTS Speaking Alone: 7 Methods That Work Without a Partner or Tutor
Seven ways to practise IELTS Speaking by yourself: flashcard talks, recording with the four criteria, shadowing, 4-3-2 retelling, a daily question bank, one cue card a day and a weekly AI marked mock test, with a 7 day routine.
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Reading
12 minIELTS Reading Score Chart: How Many Correct Answers You Need for Each Band (Academic and General)
How many correct answers out of 40 you need for each IELTS Reading band, Academic and General Training, how raw marks become bands, where marks are lost at each band, and a short test to score yourself.
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22 minIELTS Reading Techniques: How to Finish 40 Questions in 60 Minutes and Stop Losing Easy Marks
The IELTS Reading techniques that move scores: a time budget per passage, questions first then locate, and paraphrase recognition. With a timed passage, TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN practice, a question type table and a 4 week routine.
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Listening
12 minIELTS Listening Score Chart: How Many Correct Answers You Need for Each Band
How many correct answers out of 40 you need for each IELTS Listening band, how raw marks become bands, the spelling and word limit rules that cost marks, where marks are lost at each band, and ear training you can do without audio.
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20 minIELTS Listening Techniques: Predict, Follow the Signposts and Stop Losing Marks to Spelling
The IELTS Listening techniques that raise your band: predict the answer in the reading time, listen for signposts like 'actually', keep your place, and check spelling and word limits. With quizzes, ear training and a 4 week routine.
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Free IELTS resources and practice
The best free books, websites, apps and communities for IELTS, and the practice you can do on ClayLingua.
12 minThe Best Free IELTS Resources for Thai Students (2026)
The best free IELTS resources for Thai students in 2026, by skill: official practice tests, vocabulary, writing feedback, speaking and Thai YouTube.
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9 minFree IELTS Practice Tests with Answers (2026): Official Samples, Cambridge Books and Online Mock Tests
Where to get free IELTS practice tests with answer keys in 2026: official IDP and British Council tests, Cambridge IELTS books, and free timed mock tests with band scores.
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