Mock tests
A mock test is a full rehearsal of the exam: the same four modules, the same clock, the same order. Sit one first, and exam day becomes your second time through.
A complete IELTS test runs Listening, Reading and Writing back to back with no break, and the Speaking interview either the same day or within a few days. That is roughly two hours and forty-five minutes of continuous concentration before Speaking even begins.
Most candidates have practised each module separately and never once sat all three in a row. This is why bands drop on exam day. The cause is rarely vocabulary or grammar; it is Writing Task 2 written by someone who has already been reading for sixty minutes. A mock test is the only way to find out how you perform in that state.
The words are used interchangeably online, but they describe two different tools. A practice test is a section you take when you have twenty minutes, with the answers available, at your own pace. It builds skill.
A mock test is timed end to end, sat once, and marked by someone other than you. It measures readiness. Both are useful, and the mistake is doing only the first kind and assuming it predicts the second.
Listening and Reading are marked automatically, so those two bands do not depend on anyone's judgement, including your own.
Writing is different. An examiner reads both tasks, gives the band and writes feedback on each essay, so you see what to fix and not only what you scored.
Speaking is a live interview through all three parts with the examiner you selected when booking, in person or online. Your result appears once your centre publishes it: a band for each module, with your examiners' feedback on Writing and Speaking.
The score is the least useful part of a mock test. The useful part is the record of where the time went and which question types cost you marks.
Roughly every two to three weeks during a preparation period, and one final mock about a week before the exam. That is close enough to be representative and far enough that a bad result still leaves time to act on it. Taking a full mock every few days produces fatigue and flat scores, and no improvement.
A mock test is a good indicator. Listening and Reading are objectively marked, so those bands are the most reliable. Writing and Speaking involve examiner judgement, which is why a mock graded by an examiner is far more informative than a self-assessed one. No mock test can predict your real exam band exactly.
About two hours and forty-five minutes for Listening, Reading and Writing taken together, plus 11 to 14 minutes for the Speaking interview.
Yes. Choose the online format when you book: Listening, Reading and Writing run in the IELTS Acer desktop app, timed like exam day, and Speaking is a live interview with your examiner. You can also sit the mock in person at a learning centre.
No. The app is free to download, but a full mock exam is paid: it is a graded rehearsal, with an examiner marking your Writing and Speaking. You see the price before you confirm a booking; it depends on the Speaking examiner you choose.
A common approach is to aim half a band above your target on a full timed mock before booking, because scores under real exam pressure tend to sit slightly below practice scores. Treat it as a rule of thumb.
Book a full mock exam on the website or through our Telegram bot. You choose the date and your Speaking examiner.
Book a mock test · Download the app