IELTS Academic classes online
For university and professional registration. We find out which skill is costing you marks, then we work on it with you in live classes, with practice between classes in the NextBand Room.
Who IELTS Academic is for
Take IELTS Academic if you are applying to a university, at undergraduate or postgraduate level, or if you need it for professional registration, for example as a nurse, midwife or doctor. If you need IELTS for a work or migration visa, you usually need IELTS General Training instead. Always check with the organisation you are applying to before you book.
The test, part by part
The whole test takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Listening, Reading and Writing are done in one sitting. Speaking is a face to face conversation with an examiner, sometimes on a different day. From mid 2026 IELTS is moving to computer delivery everywhere. The date depends on your country. In some countries you can choose to handwrite the Writing test (Writing on Paper). The questions, timing and scoring stay the same.
| Skill | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 30 minutes | 4 recordings, 40 questions. You hear each recording once. |
| Reading | 60 minutes | 3 long passages from books, journals and newspapers, 40 questions. |
| Writing | 60 minutes | Task 1: describe a chart, table, map or process in at least 150 words. Task 2: an essay of at least 250 words. |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes | Part 1 questions about you, a 2 minute talk from a cue card, then a discussion. |
How your band score is worked out
Each skill gets a band from 0 to 9, in steps of 0.5. Your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. An average of 6.25 becomes 6.5, and 6.75 becomes 7.0.
In Writing, Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1. That is why a weak essay pulls your Writing band down more than a weak chart description.
Where most people lose marks
After years of reading IELTS Academic work, the same few problems come up again and again. Here are four of them, one from each skill.
Writing the first answer you hear in Listening
Question: Day of the tour: ______. You hear: Shall we say Tuesday? Oh, wait, the guide is not free on Tuesdays. Let's make it Thursday.
Writing Task 1 without an overview
The chart shows the number of visitors to three museums from 2010 to 2020.
True, False, Not Given in Reading
Passage: The bridge was completed in 1932, two years later than planned. Statement: The bridge cost more than expected.
Memorised phrases in Speaking
Examiner: Do you enjoy cooking?
How we prepare you for IELTS Academic
We diagnose first
From your last score report or our 40 minute diagnostic test, we find which skill is costing you the most.
Live classes
Small groups or 1:1, split by exam. Your writing is marked every week.
NextBand Room
Practice between classes in the official format, so the exam feels familiar by the day.
Your roadmap
A week by week plan from your scores and exam date.
Want more detail on a skill? Read our knowledge base, where we go through common problems with real answers and fixes.
A finished score looks like this
This is an example in our own design, with the name hidden. Your result depends on where you start and the work you put in. What we promise is a clear plan and a teacher who reads your work properly.
CEFR C1
Our own design, for illustration. Not an official report.
IELTS Academic classes: prices
All classes are live on Microsoft Teams with Teacher J. Prices in US dollars, for 4 weeks. Every class package includes NextBand Room practice.
Other ways to prepare
Learn the method at your own pace, with tap-to-check answers.
Daily timed practice in the real exam format, with guided feedback.
Not sure which is right for you? Book a free 15-minute call or see all prices and class times.
Questions
How long does it take to go up half a band in IELTS Academic?
There is no honest fixed timeline from a score alone. It depends on your current performance, your target, which skills or task types are holding you back, how much practice time you have and whether your improvement becomes consistent. After seeing your score report or Diagnostic, we can give you a more useful idea of what the work involves.
Is IELTS Academic harder than General Training?
Listening and Speaking are the same test. Academic Reading uses longer, more academic passages, and Academic Writing Task 1 is a chart or diagram instead of a letter. Neither is easier overall. The right one is the one your university, board or visa asks for.
Is IELTS Academic on paper or on a computer?
From mid 2026 IELTS is delivered on computer, with the timing depending on your country. In some countries you can choose Writing on Paper, where you handwrite only the Writing test. The questions and scoring are the same either way, and Speaking is still face to face with an examiner.
What score do nurses need?
It depends on the board and the country. Many nursing boards ask for a minimum in each skill, not only an overall band, so check your board's current rules before you book.
Start with the skill that is holding you back
Join a class, build your free roadmap first, or ask us anything.