The IELTS courses we checked in Almaty, Astana and Tashkent last 6 weeks to 4 months. EduStream's and InterPress's 72-academic-hour courses cost 185,000 to 300,000 ₸; other schools list a monthly fee or a programme price, such as 60,000 ₸ for a 20-lesson month at English House or 855,000 so'm for 12 lessons at Result School in Tashkent. The exam fee is extra, and booking with IDP in Kazakhstan adds a free 20-hour online course.
Our recommendation: for Writing and Speaking feedback and a plan to your exam date, use GoPrep, the platform behind this guide (ours), on its own or alongside a tutor or course. It has 80+ full mock tests per skill, AI scoring on the official IELTS criteria and an adaptive daily plan.
How to choose an IELTS course in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan
The general checklist, with 9 questions to ask before you pay, is in how to choose an IELTS course. Locally, five things decide most of it:
| Criterion | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Who marks them, how often, against the four IELTS criteria? | You can check Listening and Reading with a key, but not your own essays |
| How many, on computer, with or without Speaking? | IELTS is moving to computer delivery in 2026 |
| Course length in weeks, not just hours | A 3-month course is too long for many test dates |
| A placement test, a minimum level (A2, B1, Intermediate)? | A mixed group moves at someone else's pace |
| Hours of 45 or 60 minutes, books, mocks, the exam fee | The headline price rarely covers everything |
Among 687 learners in Kazakhstan who joined GoPrep between 28 July and 26 September 2026 and entered an exam date, the median gap to that date was 80 days, and 1 in 4 had 30 days or less. In Uzbekistan (1,799 learners, same period) the median was also about 80 days. So about half of them had less time than a standard 3-month course takes.
Name your weakest skill in a short quiz and get a preparation plan built around it.
Free first: what IDP and the British Council give you
You pay the exam fee anyway, so start with what comes with it.
| Offer | Kazakhstan | Uzbekistan |
|---|---|---|
| IDP IELTS Focus Course: live online, 5 days, 4 hours a day | Free with any IDP test date; IDP values it at 160,000 ₸ | Not found on IDP Uzbekistan's site |
| IDP Macquarie online course | One skill for 30 days, or all four for 4 days, at participating centres | Same terms on IDP Uzbekistan's page |
| British Council IELTS Ready Premium | In the booking confirmation | 40+ practice tests and feedback from IELTS experts |
The IDP Focus Course is the closest thing to a free course. IDP Kazakhstan lists 20 hours on all four skills with a certified IELTS expert, roughly 19:00 to 23:00 Astana time. IDP's course page adds that sessions are live and not recorded, and that an intermediate level is recommended. Ask your centre for dates before you book.
The Macquarie course (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) is self-study, at participating centres. What you get depends on the package; IDP's full list has 60+ video tutorials and 8 mock tests. Take 30 days of your weakest skill rather than 4 days of everything.
The British Council Kazakhstan preparation page also lists free online practice tests, a paid online course and BC-approved private tutors, with a first 30-minute lesson for €1.
To see IDP dates in Kazakhstan, use the IDP Kazakhstan test search. Prices and how to book: IELTS in Kazakhstan and IELTS registration in Uzbekistan.
The IDP booking link is a partner link: GoPrep may earn a commission, and the price for you stays the same. GoPrep is also an official registration centre of IDP IELTS Kazakhstan.
IELTS courses in Almaty, Astana and Tashkent: what schools publish
On 30 September 2026 we opened the IELTS pages of 9 schools that rank for these searches and wrote down only what each page says. We didn't call, enrol or take trial lessons. This is not a ranking: schools are listed by city, then alphabetically, and schools whose pages we couldn't verify are left out.
| School | Format and length | Price on the page |
|---|---|---|
| EduStream, Almaty and Astana | 72 academic hours: 3 months, 3 lessons a week, or 7 weeks, 5 a week. From A2 or B1 | 185,000 to 236,000 ₸ per course; one-to-one 16,000 ₸ an hour |
| English House, Astana | 20 lessons of 60 minutes a month, Monday to Friday, in person or online. Free mock every 4 weeks | Group of up to 6: 60,000 ₸ a month; pair 70,000; one-to-one 120,000 |
| InterPress International House, Almaty, Astana, Karaganda | 72 academic hours in 6 weeks or 3 months; online groups of 10; 3 one-to-one tutorials per course | 280,000 ₸ online, 300,000 ₸ in person; with the official test 370,000 or 390,000 ₸ |
| Just Speak It, Almaty, 8 branches | In-person groups from Intermediate. Free monthly mock, 3 hours, without Speaking | Groups from 50,000 ₸ a month; trial lesson 2,000 ₸; books from 7,000 ₸ |
| MIA, Almaty | 24 lessons of 1.5 hours, group or one-to-one, in person or online; 3, 5 or 7 mocks by plan | Not published on the page |
| Top Tier, online | Zoom groups of up to 8; 2 months from Intermediate, or 4 months from Pre-Intermediate | 2 months: 250,000 or 330,000 ₸; 4 months: 399,000 or 429,000 ₸ |
| School | Format and length | Price on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Everest | 5-level IELTS track, tasks done on paper; 5 to 15 learning materials by level, which students prepare themselves or buy from the centre | Not published on the page |
| King's Academy | Course for computer-delivered IELTS, 90-minute lessons, 2 to 4 months; groups of 6 to 12 or one-to-one. Computer mock every weekend, 240 minutes | 1,000,000 to 1,600,000 so'm (the page doesn't say per month or per course); mock 150,000 |
| Result School, 7 branches | IELTS Standard: 4 months, three 80-minute lessons a week, groups of about 15; free books; weekly mocks with IDP | 855,000 so'm per 12 lessons |
What the check shows
- A pricier group can cost about as much per hour as a cheap tutor. Where the page gives hours (an academic hour is usually 45 minutes, so 72 academic hours are 54 clock hours), InterPress works out at about 5,200 to 5,600 ₸ an hour. The lowest published rate on Profi.kz, which lists 342 IELTS tutors in Almaty, is 4,500 ₸. Other groups cost less per hour: about 3,000 ₸ at English House and 3,400 to 4,400 ₸ at EduStream, where one-to-one costs 6,000 and 16,000 ₸. In Tashkent, Result's group hour is about 53,000 so'm.
- Few pages say how Writing is marked. Only 2 of the 9 describe it: Just Speak It goes through Writing with each student after every mock, and MIA checks homework with feedback and reviews essay mistakes. InterPress mentions 3 one-to-one tutorials. On the rest, ask.
- Mocks differ. Just Speak It's free mock leaves out Speaking; King's runs one every weekend. Ask whether mock Writing and Speaking are marked against the criteria.
- Two pages bundle the exam. InterPress shows the bundle saving 20,250 ₸. Before you pay for one, ask which exam dates are available and what the transfer rules are.
What drives the price, and red flags
On these pages, the price moves with hours (45 or 60 minutes), group size (from pairs to about 15), format (InterPress charges 20,000 ₸ more in person) and what is included: books, mocks, the exam fee.
Red flags, wherever you study:
- "with a guarantee" and no written terms. On one page we checked, the guarantee is a free repeat of the course if a teacher was at fault: ask what counts;
- no word on who marks Writing and Speaking;
- "95% reach their target" with no number of students or starting band;
- a course that ends after your test date.
When a platform plus a tutor beats a group course
The wider question: how to prepare for IELTS.
| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One skill is behind, usually Writing | Platform plus tutor | A group splits time across all four skills; you need marking on one |
| Test in under 8 weeks | Platform plus tutor, or an intensive | Most standard courses run 3 months |
| English below B1 | Group course from A2 or Pre-Intermediate | You need the language first, then the exam |
| You skip study without a schedule | Group course | Fixed days keep you going |
| Speaking is the weakest skill | Tutor, or a course with small groups | Speaking needs a live partner and feedback |
A price check for a Writing gap: six one-to-one hours at EduStream's published 16,000 ₸ come to 96,000 ₸, less than half of its 212,000 ₸ group course. Add a platform for timed Listening and Reading and for marking the essays you write between lessons.
Less than 8 weeks to your exam? Get a plan that fits the time you have.
GoPrep, the platform behind this guide
GoPrep is ours. We recommend it for the two jobs course pages describe least: marking Writing and Speaking, and a plan to your exam date. GoPrep won EdTech Project of the Year at the AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026 in Astana and has 40,000+ users in 140 countries. On GoPrep so far: 516,000+ mock tests and practice sessions taken, and 188,000+ essays and spoken answers checked by AI.
- 80+ full mock tests per skill in the computer format; Listening and Reading also by section.
- Writing and Speaking scored by AI: Writing on the four official IELTS criteria (TA, CC, LR, GRA) in half-band steps; Speaking with a transcript plus fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
- An adaptive daily plan to your test date, with error review, vocabulary on spaced repetition, Preppy (a voice AI tutor) and add-ons: Crusher for all skills and Grammar Maxxing.
- iPhone app and web version in any browser, in Russian or Uzbek (Kazakh too). Scoring is in the subscription, not paid per essay. You can pay locally with Kaspi in Kazakhstan, or Payme and Paylov in Uzbekistan.
GoPrep's Score Guarantee: if your overall IELTS band doesn't rise by at least 1.0, you get 100% of your subscription back, provided you meet the conditions (an official TRF of 6.5 or lower, at least 3 months of subscription, and the full practice plan).
Start preparing for IELTS today: get a plan for every day until your exam.
Practice: choose for Dana
Dana lives in Astana. Her test is in 7 weeks and she hasn't booked yet. She needs 6.5 overall with no skill below 6.0. Her mock: Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5, Speaking 6.5. Budget: 150,000 ₸ on top of the exam fee. Which plan fits best?
- A. EduStream's 3-month course, 212,000 ₸.
- B. English House group for 2 months, 120,000 ₸.
- C. Book with IDP, take the free Focus course and, at a participating centre, 30 days of Macquarie Writing; spend the budget on Writing marking: a platform or a few tutor hours.
Our answer: C. Her overall is already there: the average is 6.375, which rounds up to 6.5. The gap is Writing, 5.5 against a 6.0 minimum. Option A runs past her test and her budget. Option B is within budget, but a 2-month course ends after her test, and its page doesn't say how Writing is marked. In option C, the IDP courses come with the fee she pays anyway (if a Focus date fits before her test and her centre takes part in the Macquarie offer), and her 150,000 ₸ goes into Writing marking.
Check yourself
FAQ
How much does IELTS preparation cost in Almaty?
On the school pages we checked on 30 September 2026, group courses cost 185,000 to 300,000 ₸ for 72 academic hours, or from 50,000 ₸ a month. Tutors on Profi.kz start at 4,500 ₸ an hour. The exam fee, 110,250 ₸, is usually extra.
Are there free IELTS courses in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan?
Yes, with a test booking. IDP Kazakhstan gives a free Focus course of about 20 hours, IDP in both countries gives a Macquarie online course when you book at a participating centre, and the British Council gives IELTS Ready Premium. Without a booking, use free official materials such as the British Council practice tests.
Where can I take IELTS courses in Astana?
Among the schools we checked, EduStream, English House and InterPress list Astana; online courses such as Top Tier work from any city. Check who marks Writing and Speaking.
Verdict: which option to choose
- Writing and Speaking feedback and a plan to your exam date: start with GoPrep (ours).
- Live Speaking practice or a teacher to explain: add a tutor or a small-group course, and ask who marks Writing.
- English below B1: a group course from A2 or Pre-Intermediate first.
- Whatever you pick: take the free preparation that comes with your IDP or British Council booking.
How long your gap may take: how long it takes to improve your IELTS score. Websites and apps compared: best IELTS preparation websites.
Want a plan before you pay anyone? Tell GoPrep your target, test date and hardest skill in a short quiz, and get a daily plan built around them.
GoPrep Team
GoPrep guide authors
We write about IELTS preparation using platform data and official exam materials.
All articles by GoPrep Team