IELTS study strategies and preparation guides
The best free IELTS resources for self-study
A self-study roundup: official sites, free websites and YouTube channels, and a simple routine for using them.
By Stride team · Published 15 October 2026
You can prepare for IELTS without paying for a course. The free material available today covers the format, technique for every question type, and plenty of practice. What free resources rarely give you is a plan and feedback on your own work, so this guide ends with a routine that fills those gaps.
How we chose these
A roundup of free resources for self-study, grouped by type. We included the official IELTS partner sites, independent websites that offer free lessons and practice, and YouTube channels whose lessons Stride features in its own video library. Each resource's official link and self-description was checked on 15 October 2026. 'Free' means the resource offers free material; several also sell paid courses, which we didn't review. This isn't a ranking.
Stride's own free resources (model answers, grammar lessons and vocabulary) are mentioned separately and clearly marked as ours.
Figures checked on 15 October 2026.
Free resources: official sites, websites and channels
| Resource | Best for | Free or paid | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS (official site) | Checking official rules and finding official preparation material | freemium | — |
| Take IELTS — British Council | Checking official rules and finding official preparation material | freemium | — |
| IELTS by IDP | Checking official rules and finding official preparation material | freemium | — |
| IELTS Advantage | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| IELTS Liz | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| IELTS Mentor | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| IELTS Online Tests | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| IELTS for Free | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| IELTS-Blog | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| IELTSFever | Self-study alongside official material | — | — |
| Fastrack IELTS | Writing, Speaking, Reading, Listening practice through video lessons | free | writing, speaking, reading, listening |
| E2 IELTS | Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking practice through video lessons | free | writing, reading, listening, speaking |
| IELTS Advantage | Writing, Listening, Reading, Speaking practice through video lessons | free | writing, listening, reading, speaking |
| English Pro Tips - IELTS Preparation | Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing practice through video lessons | free | speaking, listening, reading, writing |
| IELTS Liz | Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing practice through video lessons | free | reading, listening, speaking, writing |
| IELTS with Ralph | Writing practice through video lessons | free | writing |
IELTS (official site)
In its own words: “Looking to work, study, or live overseas?” The official IELTS website, run by the organisations that jointly own the test.
Strengths
- Official source for the test's rules and format
- Official information to check anything you read elsewhere against
Best for: Checking official rules and finding official preparation material
Take IELTS — British Council
In its own words: “The British Council's IELTS website. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment (ielts.org).” One of the organisations that jointly own IELTS, according to ielts.org.
Strengths
- Official source for the test's rules and format
- Official information to check anything you read elsewhere against
Best for: Checking official rules and finding official preparation material
IELTS by IDP
In its own words: “IELTS is the world’s leading English-language test for work, study and migration. Learn about IELTS, find prep materials and get your results in one place.” One of the organisations that jointly own IELTS, according to ielts.org.
Strengths
- Official source for the test's rules and format
- Official information to check anything you read elsewhere against
Best for: Checking official rules and finding official preparation material
IELTS Advantage
In its own words: “IELTS Preparation for the IELTS Exam. Writing, Listening, Speaking, Vocabulary and Reading IELTS courses. Get the score you deserve.”
Strengths
- Covers all four skills, by its own description
Limitations
- Also sells courses, which we didn't review
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
IELTS Liz
In its own words: “IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2026”
Strengths
- Offers free material, by its own description
Limitations
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
IELTS Mentor
In its own words: “IELTS Sample answers and IELTS Preparation. IELTS Mentor offers you the best IELTS study and preparation resources for your success in IELTS exam.”
Strengths
- Sample answers, by its own description
Limitations
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
IELTS Online Tests
In its own words: “Free online IELTS practice tests for 2026. Prepare for real IELTS practice tests by taking mock IELTS tests based on actual IELTS tests.”
Strengths
- Offers free material, by its own description
- Practice tests, by its own description
Limitations
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
IELTS for Free
In its own words: “A complete free IELTS preparation course covering reading, writing, listening and speaking, with practice tests for Academic and General Training.”
Strengths
- Offers free material, by its own description
- Practice tests, by its own description
- Covers all four skills, by its own description
Limitations
- Also sells courses, which we didn't review
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
IELTS-Blog
In its own words: “IELTS-blog has everything you need to prepare for IELTS exam by yourself: crucial advice for the IELTS test, strategies, tips and secrets + free IELTS practice”
Strengths
- Offers free material, by its own description
Limitations
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
IELTSFever
In its own words: “Free IELTS Course Online and Learn IELTS Free , IELTS onlinestudy”
Strengths
- Offers free material, by its own description
Limitations
- Also sells courses, which we didn't review
- Independent — not affiliated with the IELTS partners
Best for: Self-study alongside official material
Fastrack IELTS
In its own words: “Prepare for your IELTS exam in less time and achieve a higher score. Hi, I’m Asiya, and welcome to FasTrack IELTS!” Stride's video library features 12 of its lessons, covering Writing, Speaking, Reading, Listening.
Strengths
- Example lesson in Stride's library: “Step-by-Step Guide to IELTS Writing Task 2”
- Lessons across several IELTS skills
- Featured lessons suit Intermediate, Beginner learners
- Free to watch on YouTube
Best for: Writing, Speaking, Reading, Listening practice through video lessons
E2 IELTS
In its own words: “Get ready to score IELTS Band 7+ with simple test techniques that actually work. By real ex-examiners and test experts.” Stride's video library features 12 of its lessons, covering Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking.
Strengths
- Example lesson in Stride's library: “How to Plan an IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay”
- Lessons across several IELTS skills
- Featured lessons suit Intermediate, Beginner learners
- Free to watch on YouTube
Best for: Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking practice through video lessons
IELTS Advantage
In its own words: “We help people get a 7 or above on the IELTS Test. My name is Christopher Pell and I made IELTSAdvantage.com for my students so that they would have a better understanding of the IELTS test.” Stride's video library features 7 of its lessons, covering Writing, Listening, Reading, Speaking.
Strengths
- Example lesson in Stride's library: “Understand IELTS Writing Task 2 in 5 Minutes”
- Lessons across several IELTS skills
- Featured lessons suit Beginner, Intermediate learners
- Free to watch on YouTube
Limitations
- Also promotes its own courses, which we didn't review
Best for: Writing, Listening, Reading, Speaking practice through video lessons
English Pro Tips - IELTS Preparation
In its own words: “Preparation for IELTS General and IELTS Academic. Here to help you with IELTS writing, IELTS reading, IELTS listening and IELTS speaking.” Stride's video library features 6 of its lessons, covering Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing.
Strengths
- Example lesson in Stride's library: “Latest Part 3 IELTS Speaking Questions + Answers”
- Lessons across several IELTS skills
- Featured lessons suit Intermediate learners
- Free to watch on YouTube
Limitations
- Also promotes its own courses, which we didn't review
Best for: Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing practice through video lessons
IELTS Liz
In its own words: “Hi, I'm Liz. I have specialised in IELTS for almost 20 years.” Stride's video library features 4 of its lessons, covering Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing.
Strengths
- Example lesson in Stride's library: “IELTS Reading Tips: True False Not Given”
- Lessons across several IELTS skills
- Featured lessons suit Intermediate, Beginner learners
- Free to watch on YouTube
Best for: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing practice through video lessons
IELTS with Ralph
In its own words: “Hey there! I’m Ralph, and I’m here to help you crack the IELTS and reach Band 7 and above.” Stride's video library features 2 of its lessons, covering Writing.
Strengths
- Example lesson in Stride's library: “How to Describe ANY Line Graph in IELTS in 20 Minutes”
- Focused lessons on Writing
- Featured lessons suit Intermediate learners
- Free to watch on YouTube
Best for: Writing practice through video lessons
Stride's free resources
To be clear about what's ours: Stride publishes free study material too — no account needed.
- IELTS Writing model answers for Academic Task 1, General Training letters and Task 2, each with notes on the marking criteria.
- Grammar lessons for Writing and Speaking, with common mistakes and a quick self-check.
- Topic vocabulary for Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 3, with definitions and example sentences.
- A free band score calculator that applies the official rounding.
A free self-study routine
- Learn the format from the official site and our exam format guide, so nothing on test day surprises you.
- Get a baseline. Take one timed practice test for each skill and note your weakest section and question types.
- Plan your weeks around that weak spot — our IELTS study plan has 30-day and 8-week timetables.
- Learn one technique at a time from the websites and channels above, then practise it immediately on real tasks.
- Review your mistakes after every practice session, and retest under time every week or two.
Related guides
Sources
- About IELTS (ielts.org) — checked 2026-10-15
Practise with real IELTS-style tests
Timed Reading, Writing and Speaking tests with an estimated band and feedback. Your first full test is free.
See the practice tests