FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything about how IELTSLab works, plus straight answers to the practical IELTS questions every candidate asks.
Most asked question
What is IELTSLab and how does it work?
IELTSLab is an AI-powered IELTS preparation platform. You practice all four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) in the real computer-delivered exam format, and the AI scores your work instantly: essays and speaking sessions get band scores across the official marking criteria in seconds.
About IELTSLab
Is IELTSLab free?
Yes, free to start and free forever on the Free plan: unlimited Reading and Listening practice, two AI Writing scores and one AI Speaking session per week, and two single-skill mock tests a month, with no card needed. The full mock exam — all four papers on one attempt — is on Go and Ace. The pricing page shows what they cost where you are.
How does the AI scoring work?
Listening and Reading are graded against answer keys with the standard raw-score-to-band conversion. Writing and Speaking are scored by AI against the same four criteria human examiners use (for example Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy), with a separate band for each criterion, so you can see exactly why you got the score.
Does IELTSLab cover both Academic and General Training?
Yes. Reading includes Academic and General Training passages, and Writing Task 1 includes both Academic chart/process tasks and General Training letters.
Can I use IELTSLab on my phone?
Yes. The site works in any modern mobile browser, and practice is designed to work well on small screens. Speaking practice needs a microphone, which every modern phone has.
How do I pay?
In Bangladesh you pay from bKash or Nagad, in Taka, and we confirm the payment by hand, usually within minutes. Everywhere else you pay by card or PayPal. The price is in US dollars and your bank converts it, and in the EU and UK VAT is added at checkout. A card plan starts as soon as the payment clears and renews each month until you cancel. You get an emailed receipt either way.
About the IELTS exam
What is a good IELTS band score?
It depends on your goal. Most university admissions ask for overall 6.0–7.0; UK student visas via IELTS for UKVI commonly require 5.5–6.5 depending on course level; for Canada, since the Student Direct Stream closed in November 2024, applicants use the standard study-permit route and meet the English requirement set by their chosen institution (often overall 6.0–6.5); and professional registration (medicine, nursing) often requires 7.0–7.5. Always confirm the exact requirement with the institution or visa authority, because requirements change.
How long should I prepare for IELTS?
Most candidates need 4–12 weeks of consistent practice. A useful rule of thumb: moving up one full band typically takes 6–12 weeks of daily work. Take a mock test first to find your starting band, then plan backwards from your target and test date.
Should I take computer-delivered or paper-based IELTS?
Computer-delivered IELTS has the same content, scoring and difficulty as paper, but results typically arrive in 1–5 days (versus 13 for paper), test dates are more frequent, and typing suits many candidates for Writing. If you choose computer-delivered, practice in the same on-screen format so the interface is familiar on test day.
How much does the IELTS exam cost?
It depends on where you book. In September 2026 the computer-delivered test (Academic or General Training) costs ₹19,000 in India, PKR 75,600 to 76,240 in Pakistan, ৳31,100 in Bangladesh, LKR 77,000 in Sri Lanka and AED 1,470 to 1,590 in the UAE, and IELTS for UKVI costs more than the standard test everywhere it is offered. Providers reprice in local currency once or twice a year, so confirm the figure in your country’s booking portal before you pay. Our fee-by-country guide lists every country we track, with the date each fee was checked.
Can I retake just one IELTS section?
In many locations, One Skill Retake lets you retake a single section (for example just Writing) within 60 days of a computer-delivered test instead of resitting the whole exam. Availability depends on your test centre and on whether the organisation you are applying to accepts One Skill Retake results, so confirm both before relying on it.
How is the overall band score calculated?
It is the average of your four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band: averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band, and .75 rounds up to the next whole band. Our band score calculator does this for you and shows the Listening and Reading conversion tables.
Still have questions?
Try the Free plan and see for yourself, or write to us at support@ieltslab.app.
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