The Best IELTS Books: Official Practice Tests, Skills Books and How to Use Them

There are hundreds of IELTS books, and most candidates only need two or three of them. This page lists a small set of the best IELTS books we could check on the publishers' own websites, then explains which type of book suits which candidate, how to pick the right edition, and how to use a practice-test book so it actually tells you something.

How we chose these books

Which kind of book suits you

IELTS books fall into four broad groups. Most people do best with one book from the first group and one from whichever other group matches their weakest area.

If you are below band 5

Full practice tests will mostly tell you what you already know: the test is hard. A lower-level skills book, such as the Collins Get Ready for IELTS titles aimed at roughly band 3 to 4, or a vocabulary book for up to band 6.0, will usually give you more for your time. Add practice tests later.

If you are around band 6 and need 7

This is where most candidates sit. A practice-test book shows you which paper is holding you back, and a targeted skills book fills that gap. For Writing, the jump from 6 to 7 is mostly about developing ideas and controlling complex grammar; our guide to getting band 7 explains what changes. Pair that with the grammar guides and topic vocabulary on this site.

If you are aiming at band 8

Books for band 6.5 and above help with precision, but at this level feedback on your own Writing and Speaking matters more than more reading. See how to get band 8 for what the higher bands reward.

Official vs commercial IELTS books

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. In the list above, official means the book is published by one of those partners. Every official book in our list comes from Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Within Cambridge's range there is still a difference. The numbered practice-test books and The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS contain complete tests produced by the test owners, so they are the closest thing to the real papers you can buy. Cambridge's grammar, vocabulary and Trainer books are written for IELTS but are teaching materials, not test papers.

Commercial books from other publishers and independent authors can still be very useful, particularly for strategy or for lower levels. Their practice questions are written by the author, though, so treat their difficulty and their predicted bands with some caution. Whatever you use, compare it now and then with the official sample questions on ielts.org.

Academic vs General Training editions

Listening and Speaking are the same in the Academic and General Training tests; Reading and Writing differ. General Training Reading uses everyday and workplace texts, and General Training Writing Task 1 is a letter rather than a description of a chart or diagram. That is why practice-test books, and some trainers, come in two editions.

• Buy the edition that matches the test you are booked on. Practising the wrong Reading and Writing papers wastes your best study time.
• Skills books (grammar, vocabulary, Speaking) usually cover both tests in one volume, so there is no edition to choose.
• Not sure which test you need? Check with the organisation you are applying to, and read our Academic vs General Training guide.

How to use a practice-test book properly

A practice-test book holds only a handful of complete tests, and each one can be used properly only once. Spending them all in the first week is the most common way to waste a good book. A better pattern looks like this:

1. Take one full test early, under real timing, to find your starting point. Do Listening in one go without pausing the audio.
2. Mark it and convert your scores. IELTS publishes how raw scores map to bands: for example, 30 correct out of 40 is band 7 in Listening and in Academic Reading, but band 6 in General Training Reading. Then use our band score calculator for the overall band.
3. Review every wrong answer before moving on. Find the exact words in the passage or transcript that give the answer, and note why you missed them: vocabulary, a trap, or time.
4. Spend the next week or two on the weakest paper, using a skills book or the Reading tips and Listening tips, rather than taking another test straight away.
5. Take the next test only when you have changed something, so the result tells you whether the change worked.
6. Keep the last test for about a week before your exam as a final dress rehearsal.

Books alone are not enough for Writing and Speaking

Reading and Listening answers are right or wrong, so a book with an answer key can mark them. Writing and Speaking are different: a book can show sample answers, but it cannot tell you how your own essay or your own spoken answer measures against the four criteria. Many candidates study hard from books and are then surprised by their Writing band for exactly this reason.

Ways to get that feedback include a teacher or tutor, a study partner who knows the band descriptors, or a practice platform. Stride is one option: its Writing tests are marked by AI with an estimated band on the four criteria and written feedback, and its Speaking practice records your answers and gives an AI-estimated band with feedback. These bands are estimates, not official scores. Stride does not offer Listening practice yet, and a visitor's first full test is free.

Whatever you use, compare your own work with the Writing samples on this site, and look at our lists of the best IELTS preparation websites and free IELTS resources for material that costs nothing.

A simple book plan for six to eight weeks

• One practice-test book in the right edition, used as described above.
• One skills book for your weakest area, at your level.
• Regular Writing and Speaking feedback, from a person or a tool, at least once a week.
• A written timetable. Our IELTS study plan gives a week-by-week outline you can adapt.

What are the best IELTS books for self-study?

For most people, one official practice-test book in the right edition plus one skills book for their weakest area. If you are new to IELTS, an all-in-one guide such as The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS covers the format and every question type in one book.

Are the Cambridge IELTS books worth buying?

The numbered Cambridge practice-test books are published by one of the IELTS partners and contain complete tests, which makes them good for measuring your level under real timing. They teach very little on their own, so pair them with a skills book or guide.

Do I need the newest Cambridge IELTS book?

Not necessarily. Earlier volumes are still sold and can give useful timed practice, but before buying an older one, check the current test format on ielts.org so you know the book matches it. The newest volume is also the one you are least likely to have seen already.

Should I buy the Academic or General Training edition?

Buy the edition that matches the test you will take. Listening and Speaking are the same in both, but Reading and Writing differ, so the wrong edition gives you practice on the wrong papers.

Can a book tell me my Writing band?

Not reliably. A book can give sample answers, but it cannot assess your own writing. Use a teacher, a knowledgeable study partner or a feedback tool, and treat any automated band as an estimate.