About this course
The IELTS Preparation Course is built backwards from the public band descriptors. Every unit names the descriptor it targets, so you always know which part of your score you are working on.
You will sit two full mock tests under exam conditions — one in week 5, one in week 9 — and receive a written band estimate for each of the four skills, with the specific reasons for the score and what would move it up half a band.
Academic or General Training. Reading and Writing differ between the two modules; the course covers both and you follow the stream you are sitting. Listening and Speaking are shared.
The course does not teach test tricks in place of English. It teaches the language you are being tested on, then the exam technique that stops you losing marks you have already earned.
Who it is for
- Candidates who need a specific band for a visa, a university offer or professional registration
- Students who have taken IELTS before and stalled half a band below their target
- Anyone at B1+ who wants a realistic assessment before booking the test
Entry requirements
CEFR B1 or above. If you are unsure, we assess your level in the first session and will tell you honestly if a General English course would serve you better first.
Scope & sequence
Printable versionThe full teaching map — what is covered, in what order, and how each unit is assessed.
| Unit | Focus | Language | Skills | Assessment | Hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Diagnosis & the band descriptors | Full diagnostic test. How the four bands are actually awarded, and where each student is losing marks. | Assessment vocabulary; self-editing checklist | ReadingWritingListeningSpeaking | Diagnostic test + individual band report | 6 |
| 2. Listening: prediction and traps | Section types, distractors, spelling and number conventions, keeping pace when you lose your place. | Signposting language; paraphrase recognition | Listening | Timed listening set, sections 1–4 | 6 |
| 3. Reading: strategy under time pressure | Skimming vs scanning, matching headings, True/False/Not Given, and why NG is not False. | Academic lexis; discourse markers | Reading | Timed reading passage, 20 minutes | 6 |
| 4. Writing Task 1 — data and letters | Academic: describing trends, comparisons, processes and maps. General: the three letter registers. | Trend verbs and adverbs; approximation; formal and informal register | Writing | Task 1 under timed conditions, marked to descriptors | 6 |
| 5. Mock test 1 & feedback | Full test under exam conditions, then a marked debrief on where the marks went. | Error analysis from your own script | ReadingWritingListeningSpeaking | Full mock test + written band report | 6 |
| 6. Writing Task 2 — position and development | The five question types, planning in four minutes, holding one position, and paragraphs that develop rather than repeat. | Cohesion; hedging; concession structures | Writing | Task 2 essay, 40 minutes | 6 |
| 7. Speaking Parts 1 & 2 | Extending answers without padding, the one-minute plan, and keeping the long turn going for two minutes. | Fillers that buy time legitimately; narrative tenses | Speaking | Recorded Part 2 with feedback | 6 |
| 8. Speaking Part 3 & fluency repair | Abstract discussion, disagreeing politely, and recovering when you lose the thread. | Speculative language; discourse markers for opinion | Speaking | Recorded Part 3 discussion | 6 |
| 9. Mock test 2 & targeted repair | Second full test, compared against the first. The remaining gap, and the fastest way to close it. | Individual error list | ReadingWritingListeningSpeaking | Full mock test + progress comparison | 6 |
| 10. Exam day and the week before | Timing plans, what to do in the last seven days, computer-delivered vs paper, and re-sit decisions. | Final error clinic | ReadingWritingListeningSpeaking | Exit interview and band forecast | 6 |
Course hours & duration
Total learning time is about 120 hours. One-to-one students cover the same map at their own pace — most finish in 36–60 hours because the whole session is theirs. ELOQUA Certificate of Completion, plus a written band-by-band report against the public IELTS descriptors.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion you will be able to:
Pricing
Small group
Includes both mock tests, all materials and written band reports.
Applies to intakes booked more than four weeks before the start date.
One to one
Minimum block of 10 hours. Mock tests marked at no extra charge.
For candidates with a test date inside six weeks.
All prices in AUD. Payment plans are available on courses over $800 — ask us before you register.
Upcoming intakes
Questions
Do you guarantee a band score?
No, and be careful of anyone who does. What we guarantee is an honest band forecast after the first mock test, so you know whether your test date is realistic.
Academic or General Training?
Both are covered. You tell us at registration which one you are sitting and you follow that stream for Reading and Writing.
Are the mock tests marked by a real person?
Yes. Writing and Speaking are marked by your teacher against the public descriptors, with written comments — not by software.