Free online practice tests — IELTS, TOEFL & PTE.

IELTS is accepted by most UK, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand institutions, as well as for UK/Australian immigration. TOEFL iBT is preferred by US and Canadian universities. Both test the same four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) but with different question formats and scoring scales. If you are applying to a US university, TOEFL is usually the safer choice; for UK, Australia or immigration, choose IELTS.

IELTS Academic is required for undergraduate and postgraduate university admission and professional registration (e.g. nursing, medicine). IELTS General Training is designed for secondary education, work experience programmes, and UK/Australian/Canadian immigration. If you're unsure, check your specific institution or visa requirements — they will specify which version they accept.

Yes. Our IELTS practice tests follow the official IELTS test format: Reading has 3 passages and 40 questions in 60 minutes, Listening has 4 parts and 40 questions in 30 minutes, Writing has Task 1 (150 words minimum) and Task 2 (250 words minimum) in 60 minutes, and Speaking follows the same 3-part structure as the live test. Every question type, including True/False/Not Given, matching headings and note completion, is represented. Our TOEFL iBT practice tests follow the January 2026 format: Reading (Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage), Listening, Writing (Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion) and Speaking (Listen and Repeat, Take an Interview), scored on the new 1–6 scale. Writing and Speaking get an instant AI band score once you verify a free account; review by a human tutor is available on paid plans.

Most UK and Australian universities require an overall IELTS band of 6.0–7.0 for undergraduate entry and 6.5–7.5 for postgraduate courses. Top universities (Russell Group, Go8) often require 7.0 overall with no skill below 6.5. US universities using IELTS typically accept 6.5–7.0. Always check the specific requirement for your course, as minimum scores vary by department.

Your overall band is the average of your four skill bands (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), each scored from 0 to 9. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band, so 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0; anything lower rounds down (6.125 becomes 6.0). Our free IELTS band calculator does the sum for you.

Yes — our core practice tests, all 97 IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue cards, band 6–9 sample answers with band notes, and the free tools (band calculator, score converter, CEFR checker) are all free. Reading and Listening tests need no account; Writing, Speaking and full mock tests need a free, verified account. Premium tests and expert reviews are available on paid plans.

PTE Academic is taken on a computer and scored by AI, with human experts checking some answers; results usually arrive within 2 days. IELTS on computer gives results in 1–2 days (about 13 days on paper), and its Speaking test is a live interview with an examiner. PTE Academic is accepted for Australian visas, PTE Academic UKVI for UK visas, and many universities accept PTE Academic.

CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is the international standard for describing language ability, ranging from A1 (beginner) to C2 (proficient). Take our free English Level Test (about 25 minutes) to get an estimate of your CEFR level and a recommended target exam and score.

As a rule of thumb, moving from IELTS band 5.0–5.5 to band 7.0 takes many students 3–6 months of consistent daily practice (1–2 hours a day); it varies a lot by person. The biggest gains come from Writing Task 2 essay practice with feedback and targeted Reading question-type drills. The gap between band 6.5 and 7.0 is often the hardest to close — vocabulary range and coherence in Writing are the most common limiting factors at that level.