An IELTS mock test is a full practice test in the real format and timing: Listening, Reading and Writing in one sitting, then Speaking. Free official mocks show you the screens and score Listening and Reading. Scored Writing and Speaking usually cost money.
Our recommendation: GoPrep, our own IELTS platform. It has 80+ full mock tests per skill in the computer format and scores your Writing and Speaking against the official IELTS criteria.
Where can you take an IELTS mock test?
Choose by what you need the mock to tell you:
- The computer screens: a free familiarisation test. No timer needed.
- Your Listening and Reading level: a full timed test with an answer key, such as the 2 free IELTS Ready mocks or a Cambridge book.
- All four skills: a mock where an examiner or an AI scorer marks Writing and Speaking too, such as GoPrep (ours) or a paid IDP mock.
Pick your module: Reading and Writing differ between Academic and General Training; Listening and Speaking don't.
| Option | What you get | Writing and Speaking |
|---|---|---|
| Our pick: GoPrep, our platform. Subscription | 80+ full mock tests per skill in the computer format, Reading and Listening also by section | Both scored by AI against the official IELTS criteria |
| Familiarisation test, IDP. Free | The real computer screens for Listening, Reading and Writing; untimed, with keys | Not scored |
| Familiarisation test, British Council. Free | All four skills on the real interface, with Listening and Reading results | Not scored |
| IELTS Ready, British Council. Free account | 2 full mocks with Listening and Reading scores and model answers | Scores come with an "AI feedback upgrade" |
| IELTS Ready Premium. Free when you book with British Council | 40 full mocks with Listening and Reading scores and model answers, until 7 days after your test | Listed separately as an "AI feedback upgrade": check the terms |
| Sample test questions, ielts.org. Free | Official tasks for every skill, with answer keys | Model answers to compare with |
| IELTS Trial Test, some centres. Free | Listening, Reading and Writing on paper, timed, results in 13 days | Writing marked by an IELTS examiner |
| IDP IELTS Kazakhstan mock. 35,000 to 50,000 KZT | All four skills, on computer from home or on paper at a centre | Scored by certified examiners |
| Cambridge IELTS books | 4 authentic exam papers per book, with answer keys | Sample answers to compare with |
| Online practice websites | Many full tests, often in a computer-style interface. Check where the questions come from | Usually a paid extra |
Starting your IELTS preparation today? Get a GoPrep plan for every day until your exam.
Official mock tests in Kazakhstan
IDP IELTS Kazakhstan sells two mocks (prices checked 29 September 2026):
- On computer, from home. All four skills, Academic or General Training; Speaking by Google Meet at a fixed time. 45,000 KZT for scores in 2 working days, 50,000 KZT with expert comments in 3.
- On paper, at a centre. Listening, Reading and Writing in five cities, Speaking by Zoom. 35,000 KZT for Listening, Reading and Writing or for Speaking alone, 45,000 KZT for all four. Results within 7 days, with no comments on your work.
IDP is open about the limits: the paper mock gives an "approximate result" within half a band either way, and uses publicly available materials, not confidential test papers.
Free in Kazakhstan: IDP familiarisation sessions in 10 cities, the British Council computer familiarisation test, and the IELTS Trial Test in Almaty, booked by email (IDP's trial test page also lists Interpress Exam Centre).
Official mock tests in Uzbekistan
- British Council Uzbekistan: a free computer familiarisation test. Booking unlocks IELTS Ready Premium with "40+ Practice Tests" under timed conditions, and the page promises feedback from IELTS experts.
- IDP Uzbekistan: the same free, untimed familiarisation test; its trial test page lists centres such as Edu Action.
We found no paid mock on the IDP or British Council Uzbekistan pages (checked 29 September 2026), so ask your test centre. Before you pay a school, ask who marks Writing and Speaking and whether the tests will be new to you.
Can you take IELTS online at home?
Two different things share the name "online":
- IELTS Online is the real test, taken at home, with the same format, timing and marking as IELTS Academic at a centre and Speaking by video call with an examiner. Academic only, ages 18 and over, results in 6 to 8 days. It "is not accepted for immigration purposes", so check that your university accepts it.
- An online IELTS test on a practice website is a mock. Its score is not an IELTS result.
IELTS Online runs only in some countries. British Council Uzbekistan says that for IELTS on computer "you will need to come to a test centre", and we did not find IELTS Online on the Kazakhstan booking pages we checked.
How to sit a mock like the real test
On test day, Listening, Reading and Writing take 2 hours 40 minutes with no breaks, on computer in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Copy that:
- Block 3 hours on a computer. Phone in another room, headphones on, autocorrect and spell-check off. More: computer-delivered IELTS.
- Listening: about 30 minutes, audio once. On computer you get 2 minutes at the end to check.
- Reading: 60 minutes, then Writing: 60 minutes, with no break.
- Write both tasks in full: at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.
- Speaking: 11 to 14 minutes within a day or two, on questions you haven't prepared. Mark nothing until all four are done.
How to read your mock score
Listening and Reading: count, then convert
Each of the 40 questions is worth one mark, and the total converts to a band. The tables are approximate, and cut-offs vary slightly between test versions. Full tables: Listening band scores and Reading band scores.
| Band | Listening | Academic Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 23 to 25 | 23 to 26 |
| 6.5 | 26 to 29 | 27 to 29 |
| 7.0 | 30 to 31 | 30 to 32 |
| 7.5 | 32 to 34 | 33 to 34 |
| 8.0 | 35 to 36 | 35 to 36 |
General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band: about 30 for 6.0 and 34 to 35 for 7.0. Around bands 6 to 7, half a band is only 2 to 4 answers.
Your overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded the IELTS way: 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0 (how the overall band is calculated).
Writing and Speaking: don't mark yourself
You know what you meant, so you miss where a reader gets lost and can't hear your own pauses. Without a scorer, don't give yourself a band; check against the criteria instead:
- Writing: every part of the question answered and the word count reached. In Academic Task 1, an overview of the main features. In General Training Task 1, a clear purpose, all three bullet points covered and a tone that suits the reader. Compare with the Writing band descriptors.
- Speaking: record the whole test, listen the next day, and count long pauses and one-sentence answers. Compare with the Speaking band descriptors.
Even a scored result is an estimate. Use it to find your weakest criterion.
One mock score is not your level
We compared the first two full mocks of 318 learners on GoPrep, on different tests, a median of 5 days apart:
| Skill | Second mock higher / lower | Moved a full band or more |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 48% / 33% | 49% |
| Reading | 49% / 36% | 47% |
| Writing | 40% / 33% | 27% |
| Speaking | 32% / 27% | 13% |
| Overall | 43% / 26% | 19% |
In this sample, Listening and Reading changed the most. The data can't separate the effect of study, test difficulty and conditions on the day.
Reaching a target once is not the same as holding it. Of 124 learners who reached 6.5 overall with no skill below 6.0 on a full mock and then took another, 68 (55%) met both conditions again, a median of 4 days later. Same filter and period. This describes practice mocks, not real IELTS results.
So book only when your last two mocks, on tests you haven't seen, both reach your target in every skill you need. Don't judge by your best one. More in how long it takes to improve.
Here is the rule in action. Target: 6.5 overall, no skill below 6.0.
| Learner | Two new mocks: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking | Ready to book? |
|---|---|---|
| Aliya | 7.0, 6.5, 5.5, 6.5 (overall 6.5); then 7.5, 7.0, 5.5, 6.0 (6.5) | Not yet. The overall hides Writing, below 6.0 both times. Focus on Writing |
| Dana | 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, 6.5 (6.5); then 7.0, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0 (6.5) | Yes. Every skill at 6.0 or higher, twice in a row |
How GoPrep helps
The rule above needs two things: full tests you haven't seen, and Writing and Speaking scored every time. GoPrep is built for that. GoPrep won EdTech Project of the Year at the AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026 in Astana and has 40,000+ users in 140 countries.
- 80+ full mock tests per skill in the computer format, so each mock can be a new one. Reading and Listening also by section.
- Writing and Speaking scored against the official IELTS criteria: Writing on all four (TA, CC, LR, GRA) in 0.5 steps; Speaking with a transcript and notes on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Practise out loud with Preppy, the voice AI tutor.
- An adaptive daily plan to your exam date, with error review, vocabulary on spaced repetition and add-ons: Crusher for all skills and Grammar Maxxing.
- iPhone app and web version in any browser, with a Russian and Uzbek interface.
On average, GoPrep scores 0.6 band stricter than the real IELTS (2,723 learners who reported their official result), so you arrive at the exam with a margin. 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).
Took a mock? Tell us which skill pulls your score down, and get a personal GoPrep study plan built around it.
How many mock tests should you take?
There is no official number. A rhythm that fits most plans:
- At the start: one full mock as your baseline.
- Every 1 to 2 weeks: one full mock, with section practice in between.
- In the last 2 to 3 weeks: two full mocks on new tests.
- After each one: log the four bands, sort wrong answers by question type, and pick one skill for the next two weeks, starting with any below your minimum. Never retake the same mock: you would score your memory.
With 4 weeks to go, that is about 3 full mocks; with 12 weeks, about 7.
Exam in less than 8 weeks? Get a GoPrep plan that fits the time you have.
Check yourself
FAQ
Is there a free IELTS mock test?
Yes. IDP and British Council offer free familiarisation tests, ielts.org has free sample questions with answers, and a free British Council IELTS Ready account includes 2 full mocks with Listening and Reading scores. Scored Writing and Speaking usually cost extra or come when you book the test.
How accurate is an IELTS mock test score?
Treat it as an estimate. IDP IELTS Kazakhstan gives its own mock result within half a band either way, and scores often move from one mock to the next. Judge your level by your last two mocks on new tests.
Can I take the IELTS test online at home?
Yes, as IELTS Online: the Academic test, for ages 18 and over, in countries where it is offered, with Speaking by video call. It is not accepted for immigration, so check that your university accepts it.
Verdict and next step
Use a free official test to learn the screens. For regular full mocks with Writing and Speaking scored, use GoPrep, our platform. When your last two mocks reach your target, book the test. In Kazakhstan, use the IDP Kazakhstan test search or British Council booking; prices and steps are in IELTS in Kazakhstan. In Uzbekistan, see 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.
Not there yet? Tell GoPrep your target, exam date and hardest skill, and get a personal study plan.
GoPrep Team
GoPrep guide authors
We write about IELTS preparation using platform data and official exam materials.
All articles by GoPrep Team