IELTS study plan: a week-by-week route to your target band
You have a test date, a band you need for a visa or university, and four skills that each need work. This prompt has your todo.is agent build a week-by-week IELTS plan that spends most time on your weakest skill, sets timed practice, and marks the Writing tasks you send it against the public band descriptors.
The prompt
- Make me an IELTS study plan. I am taking IELTS [ACADEMIC OR GENERAL TRAINING] on [TEST DATE] and I need band [TARGET BAND] overall, with at least [MINIMUM PER SKILL] in each skill. My current level is [CURRENT SCORES OR LEVEL]. I can study [HOURS PER DAY] hours a day. Put extra time on my weakest skill, add one full timed mock test every week using official practice materials (with links), and give me a Writing Task 1 and Task 2 question every week. When I send my essays, score them against the band descriptors and show me what to fix. Give me the plan as an Excel calendar and send me each day's tasks at 7:30 on WhatsApp.
What to change
- [ACADEMIC OR GENERAL TRAINING]: "Academic" for university, "General Training" for most work and migration routes. Check what your institution or visa asks for.
- [TEST DATE]: Your booked date, e.g. "14 March". If not booked yet, give the month you are aiming for.
- [TARGET BAND]: E.g. "7.0". Use the exact number your university or visa requires.
- [MINIMUM PER SKILL]: E.g. "6.5". Many offers set a minimum for each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
- [CURRENT SCORES OR LEVEL]: Scores from a past test or practice test, e.g. "L 7, R 6.5, W 5.5, S 6", or just "B2, never taken it".
- [HOURS PER DAY]: Be honest, e.g. "1.5 on weekdays, 3 on Saturday".
Example result
- IELTS Academic plan: 8 weeks to band 7.0
- Test: Saturday 14 March · Now: L 7, R 6.5, W 5.5, S 6 · 1.5 h weekdays, 3 h Saturday
- The test at a glance
- • Listening: about 30 minutes, 4 parts, 40 questions
- • Reading: 60 minutes, 3 long passages, 40 questions (no extra transfer time on paper, so practise writing answers directly)
- • Writing: 60 minutes. Task 1 (150+ words, describe a chart or process) and Task 2 (250+ words, essay). Task 2 counts for more.
- • Speaking: 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts, face to face with an examiner
- How the time is split
- • Writing 40% (your gap is 1.5 bands)
- • Speaking 25%, Reading 20%, Listening 15%
- Weeks 1 to 2: foundations
- • Learn the four Writing criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- • Task 1: one line graph and one bar chart a week, focusing on the overview sentence
- • Reading: True / False / Not Given drills, 20 minutes a day
- • Speaking: record a 2-minute Part 2 answer daily from a cue card
- Weeks 3 to 5: build accuracy
- • Task 2: one essay every 3 days (opinion, discussion, problem-solution, two-part question)
- • Rewrite each essay after feedback before starting a new one
- • Listening: Part 3 and Part 4 under timed conditions, with spelling checks
- • Reading: matching headings and summary completion
- Weeks 6 to 7: full mocks
- • Full timed test every Saturday, review mistakes on Sunday by question type
- • Speaking: practise Part 3 follow-up questions, giving reasons and examples
- Week 8: taper
- • One last mock on Monday, light review after that
- • Day before: read your mistake log, sleep well, check your ID
- Writing feedback example
- Essay 3, estimated band 6.0. Clear position, but paragraph 2 has no example. Fix: one concrete example per body paragraph and a short conclusion that repeats your view in new words.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your test type, date, target band and current scores.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Open the Excel calendar. Each day shows the skill, the task and a link to the practice material.
- Send photos or text of your essays and voice notes of your Speaking answers. Your agent replies with an estimated band and what to fix.
Tips for a better result
- Most people lose marks in Writing, not Reading. If your Writing is below target, give it the most hours even if it feels slow.
- Write Task 2 first in mocks if that suits you: it carries more weight than Task 1.
- Keep a mistake log by question type (for example "Not Given" errors). Patterns show up after two mocks.
- Ask your agent to turn new words from your reading into a CSV of flashcards for Anki or Quizlet.
- Estimated bands from AI feedback are a guide only. Your real score comes from trained IELTS examiners.
IELTS study plan: FAQ
- How long does it take to prepare for IELTS? Many learners need 6 to 10 weeks of steady practice to raise one skill by about half a band, but it depends on your starting level. A plan with weekly mocks shows you quickly if you are on track.
- Is IELTS Academic harder than General Training? Listening and Speaking are the same. Reading and Writing Task 1 differ: Academic uses academic texts and charts, General Training uses everyday texts and a letter.
- Can my agent grade my Speaking? Send a voice note and your agent transcribes it and comments on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and how well you answered. It cannot judge pronunciation the way an examiner does, so treat it as practice feedback.
- Where do I get official IELTS practice tests? Your agent finds the free official practice materials on the IELTS websites and the official books, and adds the links to your plan.
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