Your 7-Day IELTS Study Plan: A Crash Course for Success

Have you just found out you need to take the IELTS test, and you only have one week to prepare? First, don’t panic. While a week is a short timeframe, you can still make significant progress and achieve a good score with a focused, strategic approach.

This 7-day study plan is an intensive crash course. It’s designed to give you the maximum return on your time, focusing on high-impact strategies to get you test-ready, fast.

The Golden Rule: Practice, Don’t Just Memorise

With only a week to go, your focus should be on active practice, not passive learning. This isn’t the time to memorise long lists of vocabulary. It’s time to take mock tests, do timed practice questions, and actively use your English skills.

Your 7-Day IELTS Study Plan

Day 1: Diagnosis and Planning

• Morning (2 hours): Your first priority is to take a full-length IELTS mock test under timed, exam-like conditions. This is non-negotiable. It will give you a baseline score and, more importantly, show you exactly where your weaknesses lie.
• Afternoon (2 hours): Carefully review your mock test results. Don’t just look at the score. Analyse every mistake. Why did you get it wrong? Was it a vocabulary issue, a misunderstanding of the question, or a time management problem?
• Evening (1 hour): Based on your analysis, create a priority list. Rank the test sections and question types from your weakest to your strongest. This will guide your focus for the rest of the week.

Day 2: Listening & Reading Intensive

• Morning (1.5 hours): Focus on the Listening test. Do a full practice test. Pay close attention to the question types you found difficult on Day 1. Learn the “distractor” trap – where an initial answer is corrected later in the audio.
• Afternoon (1.5 hours): Work on the Reading test. This is all about strategy. Practice skimming passages to understand the general idea and scanning for specific keywords to find answers quickly. Do not read every word.
• Evening (1 hour): Review key strategies for the most common question types, like “True/False/Not Given” and “Matching Headings.”

Day 3: Writing Intensive

• Morning (1.5 hours): Focus on Writing Task 2. Learn the 4-step process: Analyse the question (1-2 mins), Plan your essay structure (5 mins), Write (30 mins), and Proofread (2-3 mins).
• Afternoon (1 hour): Work on Writing Task 1. Learn the correct structure for describing graphs and charts (Academic) or writing formal/informal letters (General Training).
• Evening (1 hour): Write one full practice essay for Task 2 and one report/letter for Task 1 under timed conditions.

Day 4: Speaking Intensive

• Morning (1 hour): Familiarise yourself with the three parts of the Speaking test. Understand what the examiner is looking for in each part.
• Afternoon (1.5 hours): Practice answering common Part 1 questions out loud. For Part 2, practice using the 1-minute preparation time to make notes on the key points – don’t try to write full sentences.
• Evening (1 hour): Record yourself answering some practice questions on your phone. Listen back to check your fluency, grammar, and pronunciation. It might feel strange, but it’s incredibly effective.

Day 5: Full Mock Test and Review

• Morning (2.5 hours): Take your second full-length mock test. Apply the strategies you’ve learned throughout the week.
• Afternoon (2 hours): Compare your results to Day 1. Have you improved? Where are you still making mistakes? This is your chance to fine-tune your approach.
• Evening (1 hour): Dedicate this time to your single weakest area. Do some targeted practice questions on that specific skill.

Day 6: Final Polish

• Morning (1-2 hours): Review key vocabulary and common grammatical structures. Don’t learn anything new. Focus on reinforcing what you already know.
• Afternoon (1-2 hours): Do a final, light run-through of the Speaking test with a friend or by recording yourself. Go over your Writing checklists.
• Evening: Stop studying. Pack your bag for test day. Relax your brain, watch a movie in English, and get a good night’s sleep.

Day 7: Test Day!

• Have a good breakfast and stay hydrated.
• Arrive at the test centre with plenty of time to spare.
• Stay calm and confident. Trust the preparation you’ve done.

Your Secret Weapon for Last-Minute Prep

This 7-day plan is intensive, but it will give you the best possible chance of success. To make the most of your limited practice time, our IELTS mock test app is the perfect tool. With instant access to full-length, timed mock tests, you can get the practice you need, whenever you need it, right from your phone.