17 Free IELTS Self-Study Resources for All Four Skills (2026)

Updated 2026/10/16

A lot of people believe you have to sign up for a prep course to do well on the IELTS. In fact, you can study at home and save tens of thousands in tuition. If you are preparing for the IELTS, these are the resources to know. Besides past exam questions, there are high-scoring model essays and video lessons, and most of it is free.

Together these resources cover listening, speaking, reading and writing. The speaking resources are especially useful because you can practice every type of question in advance, so an obscure topic on test day won’t leave you lost for words. You can also use them to prepare a structure for Speaking Part 2, so your answers come out in a clear order.

👉🏻 I’ve also shared online IELTS mock test resources and how I prepared for a band 9 in reading. Use them alongside this list to get a high IELTS score.

A reminder: in Taiwan, the IELTS switches entirely to computer-delivered testing after January 31, 2026 (IDP Taiwan announcement), so get familiar with the computer interface before your test.

All-round resources (listening, speaking, reading, writing)

IELTS Liz

IELTS Liz is the star of IELTS prep sites. Liz’s YouTube channel is very popular and works well for learning on your commute. Her blog posts are clearly organized and cover all four skills in depth. I found her speaking and writing lessons especially useful, and I’d recommend everyone take a look.

How to do IELTS: blog, extra information, writing practice

It has model essays! Each one comes with analysis and vocabulary notes. For Task 2 there are writing lessons for each question type, plus guidance on essay structure and how to write the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. The blog is packed with information.

E2 IELTS

The E2 IELTS YouTube channel is thorough, and its playlists are well organized. The e2language website covers all four sections and has many online courses, along with articles on other tests such as the TOEFL.

IELTS Material

It has a very complete set of materials: (paid) courses, prep materials, model essays, prep advice and mock questions for all four skills. I’d suggest visiting after you’ve worked through the Cambridge books. The site isn’t great for doing practice questions, since it’s not very interactive.

University of Queensland IELTS course on edX

This is a free IELTS prep course from the University of Queensland on edX, suitable for beginners. Because it’s taught entirely in English, it also trains your listening, and you can set your own pace. The instructors teach in English with subtitles, so it’s easy to follow. However, the free eight-week version is no longer available, and readers have reported that you have to pay once you reach Unit 3. Enrollment is open until December 29, 2026, and the course ends on December 31, 2026, so don’t leave it too late if you want to take it.

IELTS-WRITING.info

The name says “IELTS writing,” but the site also has listening samples, IELTS vocabulary and grammar, so it covers all four skills. There are free reading questions too, which you can answer and check directly on the site.

IDP Education

IDP Education is one of the co-founders of the IELTS. Its official website has a large set of self-study resources, including test guides, prep materials, free practice questions and mock tests. They help you understand the question types and test content and raise your level. The Taiwan prep page is in Traditional Chinese and has free practice questions for both Academic and General Training.

Road to IELTS

Road to IELTS is the British Council’s IELTS learning platform. The free Test Drive version has practice questions and video lessons from IELTS experts; the full version is paid.

British Council Taiwan: IELTS test dates, fees and locations

Don’t skip this one. With so many resources around, the official ones still come first. Before you register, check test dates, fees and locations on the British Council Taiwan website, and work through the official sample questions while you prepare. They are the most accurate information you will get:

1. Official IELTS sample questions: official sample questions and answers for Academic and General Training
2. IDP Taiwan free practice tests: in Traditional Chinese, for both Academic and General Training
3. Get familiar with computer-delivered IELTS features: IDP Taiwan’s guide to the computer test interface

Reading

Mini IELTS: free, no sign-up

Mini IELTS reading and listening tests are free and you don’t need to register. Each test lists its question types (such as T/F/NG and Matching Headings), so you can pick the types you’re weaker at. The newest reading tests stop at 2024.

Listening

ELLLO

ELLLO is an online English listening site with a huge number of lessons, sorted into seven difficulty levels under Levels. It suits IELTS candidates well. The main reason I recommend it is that each listening unit has four features: a transcript (Script), a short quiz (Quiz), vocabulary (Vocab) and grammar (Grammar).

BBC 6 Minute English: weekly listening practice

BBC Learning English publishes a new 6 Minute English episode every week. Each one runs about 6 minutes, and the web page has a transcript and vocabulary notes, which makes it good listening practice for your commute.

Writing

IELTS Simon

Simon’s site has advice for each part of the test, along with vocabulary and grammar. He is a leading authority on writing, mainly sharing IELTS questions and answering techniques, and the reading lessons are organized by question type. He has moved to a new website, so make sure you go to the new one. Some content on the new site is for paid subscribers only.

IETLS Buddy

A comprehensive set of resources: vocabulary, practice questions and model essays, including General Training writing samples, all free.

ProCon (Britannica)

ProCon.org is now part of Britannica (Encyclopaedia Britannica). It covers many controversial issues with arguments and data on both sides, which makes it ideal for IELTS Writing Task 2 prep and for practicing how to come up with arguments and counterarguments.

Speaking

English Speaking Success

“You don’t need a private tutor for IELTS speaking. Try an affordable course from a popular YouTuber.”

YouTuber Keith’s channel is a must for speaking practice. It covers pronunciation, idioms, vocabulary and even writing tips. When I was practicing speaking, I bought his Keith Speaking Academy course. It’s good value and comes with PDF handouts.

IELTS Dragon

A go-to site for high speaking and writing scores. It has a huge amount of speaking material focused on improving your spoken answers and helping you expand them.

IELTS book recommendations: 3 to start with

The free resources above are enough for most people. If you prefer practicing on paper, or want a structured way to prepare from scratch, start with books published by Cambridge. Their questions are the closest to the real test.

• The Cambridge IELTS series: past papers from Cambridge University Press. Use them for full mock tests before the exam and to get your timing right.
• The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS: the official guide, with an explanation of each question type, how to prepare for it, and practice questions.
• Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS: vocabulary grouped by common IELTS topics, useful if you want stronger word choice in writing and speaking.