What eight weeks produce
| Output | Total over 8 weeks |
|---|---|
| Timed Listening parts with transcript review | about 40 |
| Timed Reading passages | about 30, plus 3 full Reading tests |
| Task 2 essays, graded and partly rewritten | about 12 |
| Task 1 reports or letters, graded | 10 |
| Part 2 talks recorded and reviewed | about 25 |
| Full recorded Speaking tests | 4 |
| Full-length mocks | 3 (weeks 4, 7 and 8), plus the diagnostic |
A typical week
| Day | Sessions (about 90 minutes) |
|---|---|
| Monday | Listening part, timed, plus the transcript loop (30 min); this week’s Listening lesson (30); Reading bank questions (20); flashcards (10) |
| Tuesday | One Reading passage in 20 minutes plus review (35); a Task 1 in 20 minutes plus self-check against the criteria (30); flashcards |
| Wednesday | A Task 2 in 40 minutes, graded by the AI examiner, then rewrite the weakest paragraph (75); flashcards |
| Thursday | Speaking: a Part 2 card and three Part 3 questions, recorded, reviewed and re-recorded (30); a Listening part plus the loop (30); lesson (20) |
| Friday | One Reading passage plus this week’s Reading lesson (60); a second Task 2 plan only, in 5 minutes (10); flashcards |
| Saturday | A timed block: a full Listening or Reading test, or in weeks 4, 7 and 8 a full mock (up to 3 hours) |
| Sunday | Error-log session: redo every miss from 3 days and 10 days ago without looking at explanations (45); rest |
The error log has one line per miss: the question, your answer, the right answer, and a cause. For Listening and Reading use S (spelling or format), D (distractor), L (wrong location), M (meaning misread) and P (pace). For Writing and Speaking, note the criterion and the specific fix. Your personal error list is the five most frequent grammar and vocabulary errors from your graded work. Update it every Sunday.
Week by week
| Week | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnostic. Prediction, paraphrase, form and note completion | Skimming, scanning and 17–20–23 timing | Task 2 question types and Task Response; 1 essay | Part 1 answers: direct, then extend | Baseline per skill; error log and personal error list started |
| 2 | Multiple choice, matching, maps and plans | True/False/Not Given and Yes/No/Not Given | Planning and developing ideas; 2 essays | Part 2 one-minute plan; 4 talks | TFNG and YNNG banks 85%+ |
| 3 | Part 3 discussions and Part 4 lectures | Matching headings, matching information and features | Task 1 structure (overview first) or letter essentials; 2 Task 1s and 1 essay | Part 2 full talks; first full recorded test | Listening sets 35+/40 |
| 4 | Full Listening test in the mock | Full Reading test in the mock | Full mock Writing; coherence and cohesion | Part 3 frame; full test in the mock | Mock: Listening and Reading 35+, Writing and Speaking 7+ |
| 5 | Timed parts; spelling list review | Sentence and summary completion, sentence endings, multiple choice | Every Task 1 visual type or letter tone; lexical resource; 2 Task 1s and 2 essays | Pronunciation: chunking, stress, intonation; 4 talks | Reading sets 37+/40 |
| 6 | Two full timed Listening tests | One full timed Reading test | Grammatical range and accuracy with your error list; 2 essays | Second full recorded test; Part 3 speculation and comparison | Listening 37+; Task 2 graded 7.5+ |
| 7 | Second (an official practice test works well) |
For General Training, keep the same structure but use General Training Reading sections (Section 1–2 accuracy drills in weeks 2–3) and letter practice for Task 1. Your Reading target is 39/40.
Review cycles that make it stick
- Listening and Reading misses: redo each one 3 days and 10 days later. If you get it wrong again, the gap is still open, so reread the lesson section and make a flashcard.
- Essays: after each graded essay, rewrite the weakest paragraph using the feedback. Every third week, rewrite a whole essay from week 1 or 2 to see the gain.
- Speaking: always re-record after reviewing. The second recording is the practice; the first is the diagnosis.
- Flashcards: 10 minutes a day for collocations, topic vocabulary, spelling and your error list.
Adjusting the plan
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Listening and Reading are already 37+ at the diagnostic | Halve their drills and add a second Task 2 and a second Speaking session each week |
| Writing is the lowest skill (the most common case) | Replace Saturday’s Reading test with a full Writing test in weeks 2, 3, 5 and 6 |
| The week-4 band sum is below 30 | Repeat weeks 2–3 before moving on; the plan becomes 10 weeks |
| You have 6 hours a week, not 10–12 | Use the 12-week variant |
| One skill stalls for 2 weeks | Change the method, not the amount: new question-type drills, a different feedback focus, or slower transcript review |
12-week variant (diagnostic 6.5 or below, or 6 hours a week): follow weeks 1–5, repeat weeks 2–5 with fresh material and one extra graded essay a week, then finish with weeks 6–8.
The final week
- Days 7–4: final full test under exam conditions; review it thoroughly; one essay and one Task 1.
- Days 3–2: light practice only: one Listening part, one Reading passage, one Part 2 talk a day. Reread your error log and personal error list.
- Day 1: no testing. Check your ID, the venue, and the Speaking time. Read IELTS test day: timings, rules and mindset. Sleep.
Common traps
Quick recap
- 10–12 hours a week: daily Listening and Reading drills, two essays, one Task 1 and two Speaking sessions.
- Full mocks in weeks 4, 7 and 8, each reviewed as long as it took.
- Redo misses at 3 and 10 days; rewrite and re-record after every piece of feedback.
- Adjust by skill and checkpoint, not by feel.
- Test when two consecutive results sum to 33 or more.