Ielts Step-By-Step | Mastering All Skills 7+ (updated 12/2022)

Learn everything you need for the IELTS exam — get that IELTS 7+!

What you'll learn

Improve your IELTS grade significantly to a 7+

Learn tips and tricks that will immediately improve your grade

Do learner training that will push your grade up higher than you thought possible

Learn about the IELTS exam layout, typical stumbling blocks and examiner expectations

Learn about every type of listening and reading task type

Practice IELTS speaking with other students at a similar level to you

Watch 15 speaking exams being done and analyse them in detail

Analyse every type of writing possible in the exam

Do 12 real listening and reading past papers and review them in detail

Learn hundreds of idioms to improve your grade in the speaking exam

Complete writing tasks and get feedback from the tutor and other students

Requirements

The course is suitable for both General Training and Academic IELTS candidates

Description

From ex-IELTS examiner James Castleden's YouTube channel IELTS Step-by-step comes a comprehensive course dedicated to improving your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills for an excellent 7+ performance in the IELTS exam. You'll discover hundreds of tips and tricks as well as clever, seldom-used techniques that will help you to achieve your aims — some students have progressed from a 6.0 to an 8.5 with only 3 months of study. And with 12 real past papers in listening and reading accompanied by detailed feedback for each and every answer, 15 speaking exams practiced and analysed, and every type of writing that could come up in the IELTS exam, this course is without doubt one of the best online to help you to thoroughly practice and prepare for the exam.Please note that this course is suitable for strong B1 students and above. If you are below this level in English, you will not find this course beneficial — I would suggest you do the BBC general English course first (Google "BBC learning English lower intermediate").★★★★★ "This course saved my life. I had 13 days to prepare for the exam so the fast track was an incredible help. I focused mostly on the writing and speaking videos and I got an 8. I'll be forever grateful to Mr. James Castleden for putting together this amazing course, you're a great teacher sir."—Valentina.★★★★★ "So elaborate! I was exactly looking for a course like this. Thank you so much. Thanks, Mr. Castleden I have got an overall band 8 in IELTS this December. Your course was just incredible!"—Pratik★★★★★ "It's best course. All in details and very good explanation for each part of items with lots of examples. Thank you for your awesome and thorough job!"—Andrei★★★★★"Examiner is examiner (I guess it's not a grammatically correct sentence but I think you know what I mean)! James is very professional and experienced. He's got comprehensive experience about IELTS and he knows how to help students prepare for their exams. This course is my No.1 recommendation on Udemy!"—宇 高★★★★★ "The fantastic quality of this course! I really glad that I joined this course !"—Annushka★★★★★ "James, thanks for the course. I did the test and scored an overall of 8. Your listening test modules were a great help. I scored 8.5 on that test."—Joseph★★★★★ "It was really fantastic since it deals with every points in detail."—Aman★★★★★ "I believe that it is a great and amazing course for all students."—Phyu★★★★★ "very interesting and very very clear the information"—Carlos★★★★★ "Very good course and very good teacher, his pronounce is excellent that's make me feels good because i can understand him very well."—Muhammad

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction Video

Lecture 2 The IELTS Exam: What it is?

Lecture 3 The IELTS Exam: FAQs

Section 2: Getting ready!

Lecture 4 READING Test: General info

Lecture 5 READING Test: FAQs

Lecture 6 READING Academic Test #1 (for Academic IELTS students ONLY)

Lecture 7 ✪ READING Academic Test #1 — Feedback

Lecture 8 READING General Training Test #1 (for General Training students ONLY)

Lecture 9 READING General Training Test #1 — Feedback

Lecture 10 LISTENING Exam: General info

Lecture 11 LISTENING Exam FAQs

Lecture 12 LISTENING Test #1

Lecture 13 ✪ LISTENING Test #1 — Feedback

Lecture 14 SPEAKING An overview of the exam

Lecture 15 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 16 SPEAKING test with Yuriy (Ukrainian/Russian speaker)

Lecture 17 SPEAKING practice + New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 18 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Yuriy

Lecture 19 SPEAKING Learner Training: Band Descriptors

Lecture 20 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 21 WRITING An overview of the exam and this part of the course

Lecture 22 WRITING an advantages-and-disadvantages essay

Lecture 23 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 24 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 25 WRITING an introduction to an advantages-and-disadvantages essay

Lecture 26 WRITING a conclusion to an essay

Lecture 27 WRITING Learner Training: Generating ideas for your essays

Lecture 28 ✪ WRITING Learner Training Practice: Writing Topic Sentences

Lecture 29 WRITING Learner Training: What is 'hedging'?

Lecture 30 WRITING Grammar & lexis practice: Hedging I

Lecture 31 WRITING Criteria for Task 2

Lecture 32 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 3: One step at a time!

Lecture 33 READING Task Type: Matching Headings

Lecture 34 READING Tips & Tricks: Working out the Context

Lecture 35 READING Learner Training: Previewing, Skimming & Scanning

Lecture 36 READING Academic Test #2

Lecture 37 ✪ READING Academic Test #2 — Feedback

Lecture 38 READING General Training Test #2

Lecture 39 ✪ READING General Training Test #2 — Feedback

Lecture 40 LISTENING Task Type: Multiple Choice (V1)

Lecture 41 LISTENING Learner Training: The English Letters

Lecture 42 LISTENING Test #2

Lecture 43 ✪ LISTENING Test #2 — Feedback

Lecture 44 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 45 SPEAKING test with Yi (Mandarin Chinese speaker)

Lecture 46 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 47 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Yi

Lecture 48 SPEAKING Learner Training: Pronunciation—individual sounds

Lecture 49 SPEAKING Skills for speaking formally: Response structure

Lecture 50 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 51 WRITING a problem-and-solution essay

Lecture 52 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 53 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 54 WRITING Lexis: Phrases to write about solutions

Lecture 55 WRITING Lexis: Discourse markers — contrasting ideas

Lecture 56 WRITING Lexis: Word building

Lecture 57 WRITING Grammar and Lexis: Introductions

Lecture 58 WRITING Grammar and Lexis: Conclusions

Lecture 59 WRITING Grammar: Advanced explanations

Lecture 60 ✪ WRITING Learner Training: Building a good paragraph

Lecture 61 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 4: Making progress!

Lecture 62 READING Task Types: True/False/Not Given (and Y/N/NG)

Lecture 63 READING Tips & Tricks: Dealing with Distractors

Lecture 64 READING Learner Training: Speed Reading

Lecture 65 READING Academic Test #3

Lecture 66 ✪ READING Academic Test #3 — Feedback

Lecture 67 READING General Training Test #3

Lecture 68 READING General Training Test #3 — Feedback

Lecture 69 LISTENING Task Type: Note Completion

Lecture 70 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Read the Rubric!

Lecture 71 LISTENING Learner Training: Numbers and Symbols

Lecture 72 LISTENING Test #3

Lecture 73 ✪ LISTENING Test #3 — Feedback

Lecture 74 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 75 SPEAKING test with Vincent (Tamil speaker)

Lecture 76 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 77 SPEAKING Feedback for Vincent

Lecture 78 SPEAKING Learner Training: Pronunciation—weak forms

Lecture 79 ✪ SPEAKING Skills for speaking formally: Discourse Markers

Lecture 80 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 81 WRITING an opinion essay

Lecture 82 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 83 WRITING Lexis: Crime and punishment

Lecture 84 WRITING Lexis: 'make', 'let' and 'allow'

Lecture 85 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 86 WRITING Lexis: Degrees of opinion

Lecture 87 WRITING Structure: Supporting Arguments & Opinions

Lecture 88 WRITING an introduction for an opinion essay

Lecture 89 ✪ WRITING Building a good main-body paragraph

Lecture 90 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 5: Pushing through!

Lecture 91 READING Task Type: Categorisation

Lecture 92 READING Tips & Tricks: Underlining Key Words

Lecture 93 READING Learner Training: Collocations

Lecture 94 READING Academic Test #4

Lecture 95 ✪ READING Academic Test #4— Feedback

Lecture 96 READING General Training Test #4

Lecture 97 READING General Training Test #4 — Feedback

Lecture 98 LISTENING Task Type: Form Completion

Lecture 99 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Know your synonyms

Lecture 100 LISTENING Test #4

Lecture 101 ✪ LISTENING Test #4 — Feedback

Lecture 102 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 103 SPEAKING test with Rajesh (Nepali speaker)

Lecture 104 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 105 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Rajesh

Lecture 106 SPEAKING Learner Training: Pronunciation—connected speech

Lecture 107 SPEAKING Skills for speaking formally: Complex Structures

Lecture 108 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 109 WRITING a discussion essay (a type of opinion essay)

Lecture 110 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 111 WRITING Formal language: the passive voice and nominalisation

Lecture 112 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 113 WRITING Expressing someone else's opinion

Lecture 114 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 6: Seeing the light!

Lecture 115 READING Task Types: Summary Completion

Lecture 116 READING Tips & Tricks: Understanding the Rubric

Lecture 117 READING Learner Training: Lexical Sets

Lecture 118 READING Academic Test #5

Lecture 119 ✪ READING Academic Test #5 — Feedback

Lecture 120 READING General Training Test #5

Lecture 121 READING General Training Test #5 — Feedback

Lecture 122 LISTENING Task Type: Multiple Choice (V2)

Lecture 123 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Double check your spelling!

Lecture 124 LISTENING Learner Training: English spelling

Lecture 125 LISTENING English Spelling—Practice

Lecture 126 LISTENING Test #5

Lecture 127 ✪ LISTENING Test #5 — Feedback

Lecture 128 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 129 SPEAKING test with Phat (Vietnamese speaker)

Lecture 130 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 131 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Phat

Lecture 132 SPEAKING Learner Training: Pronunciation—learning through music

Lecture 133 ✪ SPEAKING Skills for speaking: Fillers

Lecture 134 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 135 WRITING another advantages-and-disadvantages essay

Lecture 136 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 137 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 138 WRITING Lexis: Employment

Lecture 139 WRITING Grammar and Lexis: Hedging II

Lecture 140 WRITING Grammar: Gerund phrases

Lecture 141 WRITING Discourse markers — contrasting linkers: despite / in spite of

Lecture 142 WRITING Structure: Using pronouns to link ideas and avoid repetition

Lecture 143 WRITING Grammar practice: The passive voice II

Lecture 144 WRITING Lexis: Strengthening adverbs — alternatives to 'really'

Lecture 145 WRITING Lexis: Comment adverbs

Lecture 146 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 7: I get it!

Lecture 147 READING Task Type: Sentence Completion & Endings

Lecture 148 READING Tips & Tricks: Know your Synonyms

Lecture 149 READING Learner Training: Honey Lexis

Lecture 150 READING Academic Test #6

Lecture 151 ✪ READING Academic Test #6 — Feedback

Lecture 152 READING General Training Test #6

Lecture 153 READING General Training Test #6 — Feedback

Lecture 154 LISTENING Task Type: Table Completion

Lecture 155 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Underline key words!

Lecture 156 LISTENING Learner Training: Predicting Information

Lecture 157 LISTENING Test #6

Lecture 158 ✪ LISTENING Test #6 — Feedback

Lecture 159 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 160 SPEAKING test with Emad (Arabic speaker)

Lecture 161 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 162 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Emad

Lecture 163 SPEAKING Learner Training: Improving your accuracy

Lecture 164 SPEAKING Skills for speaking formally: Asking for clarification

Lecture 165 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 166 WRITING another problem-and-solution essay

Lecture 167 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 168 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 169 WRITING Lexis: Explaining why something is done

Lecture 170 WRITING Lexis: Other ways of making your writing more formal

Lecture 171 WRITING Lexis: Writing about solutions

Lecture 172 WRITING Grammar and Lexis: Developing a topic sentence further

Lecture 173 WRITING Grammar: The 2nd conditional

Lecture 174 WRITING Learner training: Getting feedback

Lecture 175 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 8: Nothing can stop me!

Lecture 176 READING Task Type: Multiple Choice

Lecture 177 READING Tips & Tricks: Taking Notes

Lecture 178 READING Learner Training: Answering True/False/Not Given Questions

Lecture 179 READING Academic Test #7

Lecture 180 ✪ READING Academic Test #7 — Feedback

Lecture 181 READING General Training Test #7

Lecture 182 READING General Training Test #7 — Feedback

Lecture 183 LISTENING Task Type: Sentence Completion

Lecture 184 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Read Ahead!

Lecture 185 LISTENING Learner Training: English Accents

Lecture 186 LISTENING Test #7

Lecture 187 ✪ LISTENING Test #7 — Feedback

Lecture 188 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 189 SPEAKING test with Mahmuda (Bengali speaker)

Lecture 190 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 191 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Mahmuda

Lecture 192 SPEAKING Learner Training: Practicing without a teacher

Lecture 193 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 194 SPEAKING Pronunciation—Intonation

Lecture 195 WRITING another opinion essay

Lecture 196 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 197 WRITING Lexis: Qualifying your opinion

Lecture 198 WRITING Lexis: Giving an opinion about future trends

Lecture 199 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 200 WRITING Lexis: 'Instead (of)'

Lecture 201 WRITING Grammar: Relative Clauses

Lecture 202 WRITING Learner Training: Error checking

Lecture 203 WRITING Grammar: Noun phrases

Lecture 204 WRITING Check your progress — compare essays

Section 9: Bring it on!

Lecture 205 READING Task Type: List Selection

Lecture 206 READING Tips & Tricks: Double Check your Spelling

Lecture 207 READING Learner Training: Topic Sentences and Note Taking

Lecture 208 READING Academic Test #8

Lecture 209 ✪ READING Academic Test #8 — Feedback

Lecture 210 READING General Training Test #8

Lecture 211 READING General Training Test #8 — Feedback

Lecture 212 LISTENING Task Type: Matching

Lecture 213 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: English Intonation

Lecture 214 LISTENING Learner Training: The Importance of Intonation

Lecture 215 LISTENING Test #8

Lecture 216 ✪ LISTENING Test #8 — Feedback

Lecture 217 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 218 SPEAKING test with Monique (Portuguese speaker)

Lecture 219 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 220 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Monique

Lecture 221 SPEAKING Learner Training: Paraphrasing

Lecture 222 SPEAKING Discourse Markers: Talking about opinions & Adding contrast

Lecture 223 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 224 WRITING Academic Task 1: Graphs and charts with a trend

Lecture 225 WRITING Writing criteria for Academic Task 1

Lecture 226 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 227 ✪ WRITING Grammar and Lexis: Re-wording the introduction

Lecture 228 WRITING Writing an overview for a graph

Lecture 229 WRITING Lexis: Verbs and adverbs for describing changes

Lecture 230 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 231 WRITING Grammar and Lexis: Joining two changes together

Lecture 232 WRITING Grammar: Prepositions for Task 1

Lecture 233 WRITING Lexis: Commenting on data in a graph

Lecture 234 WRITING Grammar: Writing about graphs with a future trend

Lecture 235 WRITING Check your progress — compare responses

Section 10: I can see the top!

Lecture 236 READING Task Type: General-training Only — Selecting a Title

Lecture 237 READING Task Type: General-training Only — Matching Section Information

Lecture 238 READING Learner Training: Checking Your Answers

Lecture 239 READING Academic Test #9

Lecture 240 ✪ READING Academic Test #9 — Feedback

Lecture 241 READING General Training Test #9

Lecture 242 READING General Training Test #9 — Feedback

Lecture 243 LISTENING Task Type: Summary Completion

Lecture 244 LISTENING Learner Training: What's 'honey' Lexis and why's it so important?

Lecture 245 LISTENING Test #9

Lecture 246 ✪ LISTENING Test #9 — Feedback

Lecture 247 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 248 SPEAKING test with Deepika (Sinhalese speaker)

Lecture 249 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 250 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Deepika

Lecture 251 SPEAKING Learner Training: Generating ideas for Part 2

Lecture 252 SPEAKING Discourse Markers: Hedging & Expressing Certainty

Lecture 253 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 254 WRITING Academic Task 1: Comparative graphs

Lecture 255 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 256 WRITING Grammar: Comparative structures

Lecture 257 WRITING Lexis: Describing numbers

Lecture 258 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 259 WRITING Lexis: Numerical comparatives

Lecture 260 WRITING Lexis: Ranking information

Lecture 261 WRITING Dealing with more than one graph

Lecture 262 WRITING Check your progress — compare responses

Section 11: Almost there!

Lecture 263 READING Task Type: Table Completion

Lecture 264 READING Tips & Tricks: Don't Try to Understand Everything

Lecture 265 READING Learner Training: Vocabulary & Grammar

Lecture 266 READING Academic Test #10

Lecture 267 ✪ READING Academic Test #10 — Feedback

Lecture 268 READING General Training Test #10

Lecture 269 READING General Training Test #10 — Feedback

Lecture 270 LISTENING Task Type: Map Labelling

Lecture 271 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Write in the Letter!

Lecture 272 LISTENING Test #10

Lecture 273 ✪ LISTENING Test #10 — Feedback

Lecture 274 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 275 SPEAKING test with Dr Shivam (Hindi speaker)

Lecture 276 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 277 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Dr Shivam

Lecture 278 SPEAKING Analysing a native speaker's performance I

Lecture 279 SPEAKING Discourse Markers: Giving examples/explanations & Commenting

Lecture 280 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 281 WRITING Academic Task 1: Processes

Lecture 282 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 283 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 284 WRITING Grammar: The Present simple passive

Lecture 285 WRITING Lexis: Linking stages together

Lecture 286 WRITING Grammar: Using relative clauses to give extra information about a stage

Lecture 287 WRITING the introduction and overview

Lecture 288 WRITING Describing a process: Further practice

Lecture 289 WRITING Check your progress — compare responses

Section 12: Within my grasp!

Lecture 290 READING Task Type: Flow Chart

Lecture 291 READING Learner Training: Know your Weaknesses

Lecture 292 READING Academic Test #11

Lecture 293 ✪ READING Academic Test #11 — Feedback

Lecture 294 READING General Training Test #11

Lecture 295 READING General Training Test #11 — Feedback

Lecture 296 LISTENING Task Type: Diagram Labelling

Lecture 297 LISTENING Tips & Tricks: Don't try to understand everything!

Lecture 298 LISTENING Test #11

Lecture 299 ✪ LISTENING Test #11 — Feedback

Lecture 300 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 301 SPEAKING test with Akbar (Turkish speaker)

Lecture 302 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 303 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Akbar

Lecture 304 SPEAKING Analysing a native speaker's performance II

Lecture 305 SPEAKING Discourse Markers: Rephrasing & Getting back to the point

Lecture 306 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 307 WRITING Academic Task 1: Maps

Lecture 308 WRITING Unit preparation — test yourself

Lecture 309 WRITING Lexis & Grammar: Describing changes

Lecture 310 WRITING Lexis: Nominalisation and noun phrases for maps

Lecture 311 ✪ WRITING Model answer — Analysis

Lecture 312 WRITING Describing a map: Further practice

Lecture 313 WRITING Check your progress — compare responses

Section 13: The final summit!

Lecture 314 READING Task Type: Diagram Labelling

Lecture 315 READING Tips & Tricks: Live in the 'Now'

Lecture 316 READING Learner Training: Resources for Further Practice

Lecture 317 READING Academic Test #12

Lecture 318 ✪ READING Academic Test #12 — Feedback

Lecture 319 READING General Training Test #12

Lecture 320 READING General Training Test #12 — Feedback

Lecture 321 LISTENING Task Type: Flow Chart

Lecture 322 LISTENING Learner Training: Sources for Further Practice

Lecture 323 LISTENING Test #12

Lecture 324 ✪ LISTENING Test #12 — Feedback

Lecture 325 SPEAKING — test yourself

Lecture 326 SPEAKING test with Marthen (Indonesian speaker)

Lecture 327 SPEAKING New Idioms, Collocations and Set Phrases

Lecture 328 ✪ SPEAKING Feedback for Marthen

Lecture 329 SPEAKING Discourse Markers: Concluding

Lecture 330 SPEAKING Bonus Video I: Why only a band 7?

Lecture 331 SPEAKING Bonus Video II: How to move from band 7 to 9

Lecture 332 SPEAKING — see your progress

Lecture 333 WRITING Task 1: Letters (IELTS for General Training ONLY)

Lecture 334 WRITING criteria for Task 1 General Training

Lecture 335 WRITING GT Letter writing: The task and planning

Lecture 336 WRITING GT Letter writing: Paragraphing and salutations

Lecture 337 WRITING GT Letter writing: Formality and opening statements

Lecture 338 WRITING GT — a letter of complaint

Lecture 339 WRITING GT — a letter of request

Lecture 340 WRITING GT — a letter of advice

Lecture 341 WRITING GT — a letter of instruction

Lecture 342 WRITING GT — a letter of recommendation

Lecture 343 WRITING GT — an application letter

Lecture 344 WRITING GT — a letter of apology

Lecture 345 WRITING GT — a thank-you letter

Lecture 346 WRITING GT — a letter of acceptance

Lecture 347 WRITING GT — a letter of resignation

Lecture 348 WRITING GT — a letter to a friend

Section 14: The finishing touches!

Lecture 349 READING Task Type: Short Answers

Lecture 350 READING Learner Training: Testing Yourself

Lecture 351 LISTENING Task Type: Short Answers

Lecture 352 LISTENING Learner Training: Testing Yourself

Section 15: Conclusion and thank you

Lecture 353 Conclusion

Intermediate (B1) level of English and above