Frequently asked questions

Yes, completely. There's no account, no payment and no advertising.

No. Your progress is tracked automatically in your own browser, so there's nothing to sign up for. The My progress tab shows your plan completion, study time, streak and scores.

Progress doesn't sync by itself. In My progress, press Back up to download a small file, then press Restore from backup on your other device and choose that file. See the help guide.

No. BandLift is an independent study site. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge University Press & Assessment. For bookings, results, fees or rules, contact your test centre or the official IELTS websites.

Yes. There are three full IELTS Academic practice tests, each with Listening (40 questions with audio), Reading (3 passages, 40 questions), Writing (2 tasks) and Speaking (3 parts). Listening and Reading are marked automatically, with an estimated band and an explanation for every answer. The material is original, so it isn't official IELTS content, but it follows the real format, timing and question types.

It can help, especially the band 9 model answers, the answer explanations and the speaking recorder. But scores of 8.5–9 need near-native English, built over months of reading, listening and writing with feedback from a teacher. Use BandLift for strategy and practice, alongside official Cambridge tests and, ideally, a teacher's feedback on your writing and speaking.

BandLift is built for Academic. Listening and Speaking are the same in both tests, so those tabs help General Training candidates too. The Reading passages and Writing Task 1 differ in General Training.

No. The calculator shows how the overall band is worked out, and the practice-score converter gives an approximate band from a raw score. Only the real test gives your real score.

Yes. Everything works in current mobile browsers. For the writing pad, a keyboard makes practice more realistic.

Yes, after your first visit. Your browser saves the pages you've opened, so the study app keeps working on a flight or with a poor connection. On a phone you can also add BandLift to your home screen: in Chrome use Install app or Add to Home screen, in Safari use Share → Add to Home Screen.

The drill uses your device's built-in text-to-speech voice. See Troubleshooting in the help guide.

It's the average of the four section bands. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the half band, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 8 + 8 + 6.5 + 7 = 29.5, and 29.5 ÷ 4 = 7.375, which rounds to 7.5.

Roughly 32–34 out of 40 in Listening and 33–34 out of 40 in Academic Reading. The exact cut-off varies a little between test versions.

A week won't change your level of English, but it's enough to learn the format, fix technique and practise under time. For many candidates who are already close, that's the difference between 7 and 7.5. If you have more time, repeat Days 5 and 6 with new practice tests.

The content and scoring are the same. Computer-delivered tests usually return results within a few days and let you type your essays, which helps if you type faster than you write. Paper suits people who prefer to annotate by hand. Availability depends on your test centre.

Some centres offer IELTS One Skill Retake after a computer-delivered test, letting you resit one section. Check current eligibility with your test centre.