“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.
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:
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!
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.
This is a great starter activity before you dive into Magoosh’s in-depth guide to IELTS Listening.
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.
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:
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):
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 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.
IELTS.org has an IELTS sample test PDF for each section of IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, both full of authentic sample questions.
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, 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!)
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.)
David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles, his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, or connect with him via LinkedIn! View all posts
