Questions

It depends on where you are starting, your target and which skills or task types are holding you back. That is why we look at evidence first: your score report or the Diagnostic. After that, we can tell you honestly what the work involves.

There is no honest fixed timeline from a score alone. It depends on your current performance, your target, the areas holding you back, how much practice time you have and whether your performance becomes consistent. After seeing your score report or Diagnostic, we can give you a more useful idea of what the work involves.

The right exam is the one the organisation reading your score asks for. Always confirm the exact test, version and score with your university, professional body, employer, registration authority or immigration route before you book. As a general guide, universities and nursing boards usually ask for IELTS Academic. Canada Express Entry accepts IELTS General Training, not Academic, and PTE Core, not PTE Academic. Australia, New Zealand and many universities accept PTE Academic. Requirements change, so check their current rules. We can help you read their requirement, but we cannot guarantee any immigration, admission or registration decision.

Yes. Tell us where the score is going, for example a university, a nursing board, an employer or a visa, and we go through their English requirement with you. We cannot book the exam for you, but we make sure you book the right one.

No, it is not compulsory. A recent score report is a good starting point. If this is your first attempt, or your score has not moved, the Diagnostic shows what deserves attention first, so class time goes where it matters most.

It is not another mock test. It is a 40 minute timed test in the skills you choose, for IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training or PTE Academic, and it costs $60. You choose your exam and skills and pay, and your private link and 8 digit password arrive by email straight away. Take the test whenever you are ready in the next 14 days. Refreshing or closing the page does not add time. Teacher J reviews every answer and recording herself and sends your feedback within 48 hours, telling you what deserves attention first. It is not an official IELTS or PTE score and it does not guarantee a result.

You already know the score. The useful question is what keeps producing it. If you got 6.5 and then 6 in Writing, the report cannot tell you whether it was your ideas, your paragraphs or your grammar. The Diagnostic can, so you know what needs to change before you pay another exam fee.

A free mock can give you another score, and AI can highlight weak areas. Both are useful. The Diagnostic is for when you need someone to look at your own performance, decide what deserves attention first and connect it to what you should work on next. If this is your first attempt, the aim is to find the gaps before test day. If you are retaking, the aim is to understand what needs to change before you pay another exam fee.

No, and nobody honest can promise that. The roadmap is a plan built on the official exam format and the scores you give us. It shows what to work on and in what order. If you want us to take you through it, that is what the classes are for, and you still need to put in the work.

Live on Microsoft Teams with Teacher J. You get your Teams class link after you pay and book your class time. Classes are live, not recorded courses.

Standard Group: up to 8 students. Premium Group: up to 5 students. Duo: you and one other person you choose. 1:1 Coaching: just you.

No. Groups are split by exam, so everyone in your class is preparing for the same test.

A new group starts on the 4th of every month. The next start date is shown on the home page. Group times are set in US Eastern Time, and we also show each one in your own time zone.

Send us the days and times you are free through Ask us or WhatsApp. Duo and 1:1 students choose their own times.

Yes. Standard Group includes 4 marked Writing tasks in each 4 week block (1 a week). Premium, Duo and 1:1 include 8 (2 a week).

Yes. Where a recording is available, you can watch it back, for example to review a class or catch up on a part you missed. Class recordings are deleted every week.

Yes. Every group runs on its start date even if it starts below the maximum. Standard groups are capped at 8 students and Premium groups at 5.

Yes. A parent or guardian must agree at booking and sign our consent form, which also covers class recordings.

Tell us at least 24 hours before and we reschedule it. You can reschedule up to 2 classes in each 4 week block. If you miss a class without telling us 24 hours before, it counts as taken. Where a class recording is available, you can watch what you missed.

We tell you at least 24 hours before and reschedule the class, so you do not lose it.

Tell us as early as you can, on WhatsApp or through Ask us. With at least 24 hours of notice you can reschedule up to 2 classes in each 4 week block. Classes cannot be paused, and they do not carry over to the next block.

No. Only classes you rescheduled carry over, and they must be used within 14 days.

The class still ends at its normal time, so the time you missed cannot be given back. Where a class recording is available, you can watch the part you missed.

The NextBand Room is targeted timed practice between lessons. It focuses on the skills and task types you are currently working on, rather than giving you an unlimited bank of random questions. Class is where we work on it together. The Room is where you find out whether you can do it on your own.

It depends on your package: 20 minutes a week for Standard and Premium, 30 minutes twice a week for Duo, and 1 hour twice a week for 1:1 Coaching.

The Room comes with our packages. If you only want to check your level once, book the diagnostic test.

No. We write every question ourselves, following the layout, question types and timing of the official exam.

Each package is a 4 week block of classes: Standard Group $140, Premium Group $200, Duo $360 per person, 1:1 Coaching $480. The Diagnostic is $60. You pay for each block in advance.

All prices are in US dollars. You pay securely through Gumroad, by card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, depending on what Gumroad offers in your country. Tap the $ button at the side of the page to see today's amount in your currency. Conversion fees are handled by your bank.

Tap Book a class. Choose your package, your exam and the skills you want help with, then pick a group time or a day and time for Duo, 1:1 or the diagnostic test. Every time is shown in your own time zone and in US Eastern Time. Type your name, WhatsApp and email, tap Book now and pay on Gumroad. The payment window opens on our page. Classes must be booked at least 24 hours ahead.

Choose None of these times suit me on the booking page, then chat with Teacher J on WhatsApp and agree a time that works for you.

Within 24 hours your Microsoft Teams link is sent to your email and WhatsApp. For the diagnostic test you get your test link and password instead.

Nothing is charged for a failed payment. Open the booking page again and book, or message us on WhatsApp and we will send you the payment link.

You can ask to cancel an advance booking before the service is supplied. Whether a refund is due depends on how much notice you give, what has already been supplied and applicable consumer law, and our refund policy explains how it works. Classes that have already taken place are not refunded automatically. If you cannot make a class, tell us at least 24 hours before and we reschedule it, up to twice in each 4 week block.

Your link and 8 digit password are sent at the time you booked, and the link works for 60 minutes. If it expires before you open it, tell us before it runs out and we send one new link free of charge.

We look for consistent target level performance under timed conditions before recommending that you book or rebook. Mock results are one part of that. If you are not there yet, we will tell you, because a wasted exam fee helps nobody.

No. NextBand English is an independent tutoring service. We are not connected to IDP, the British Council, Cambridge or Pearson.