IELTS Prep Course and Online Coaching, Academic and General Training
In IELTS Writing and Speaking, half a band is often lost through the same few habits repeated in every answer. Finding those habits and replacing them is most of the work in an IELTS prep course.
Short answer
IELTS preparation is offered online, one-to-one or in a group class.
One-to-one lessons are 90 minutes long and start at USD 67 per lesson; the group course runs 30 lessons of 90 minutes for USD 900, and a class never takes more than 6 students.
Group classes next begin on 4 January 2027.
Take the free full-length diagnostic
From USD 67 per lesson
Your lessons are taught by Rachel Brown, Anna Thompson and Can Öztürk, who teach IELTS.
- Band scores 0–9 per skill
- 2 hours 45 minutes
- Academic and General Training
- At a test centre or online
One-to-one, from
USD 67per lesson
- One-to-one lessons
- Group course
- Question bank
- Full practice tests
Which IELTS, and why the band matters
IELTS Academic is the version universities ask for; General Training is used mainly for migration and work. A separate version, IELTS for UKVI, is required for some UK visa routes, and some universities specify it for pre-sessional or foundation courses. Checking which version your university and your visa route actually require is the first step, before any preparation.
Universities usually set both an overall band and a minimum in each skill — 6.5 overall with no skill below 6.0 is a common pattern — so a strong average can still fall short on a single component. For students in English-medium schools in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or South Africa, some universities accept school English results instead; many do not. In Francophone and North African countries, school English does not usually replace a recognised test. Visa rules are separate from university rules either way, so it is worth confirming before paying for a test you may not need.
How IELTS Academic is structured
| Skill | Time | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | About 30 minutes | Four recordings, conversations and monologues, of increasing difficulty |
| Reading | 60 minutes | Three long academic passages with a range of question types |
| Writing | 60 minutes | Task 1: describe visual information; Task 2: an argumentative essay |
| Speaking | 11–14 minutes | A three-part interview with an examiner |
Source: IELTS, IELTS Academic test format, checked 22 September 2026, and IELTS test delivery update, checked 17 October 2026. Total 2 hours 45 minutes. Taken on computer at test centres (IELTS stopped offering paper-based tests from mid-2026, market by market; some centres offer Writing on Paper), and online for IELTS Academic.
What the IELTS prep course works on
Writing Task 2, paragraph by paragraph
Essays are marked on task response, coherence, vocabulary and grammar. Each essay is returned with specific corrections against those four criteria, not a general comment.
Writing Task 1
Selecting and comparing the key features of a chart or process, rather than describing every number, is what separates band 6 from band 7.
Speaking fluency without memorised answers
Examiners recognise prepared scripts. Lessons build the ability to extend an answer naturally, with mock interviews under exam conditions.
Reading and Listening accuracy
True / False / Not Given, matching headings and spelling in Listening cost more marks than difficult vocabulary. Each question type is drilled with its own method.
Taking IELTS in Africa
IELTS test centres operate across the continent, run by the British Council or IDP depending on the country and city. Tests are now computer-delivered, with results usually within 1–5 days, which can matter close to an application or visa deadline. Book through the official IELTS or partner website only.
How IELTS preparation works
Every lesson is live, online and 90 minutes long, scheduled in your own time zone. Lessons are taught in English, the language the exam is sat in.
Free intro call
Fifteen minutes with an advisor, at no cost and with no obligation.
Diagnostic
You sit a free full-length diagnostic in the real exam format before any lesson is booked. It produces a starting score and, more usefully, an error profile: which question types are costing marks, whether the problem is content or timing, and which sections need a specialist. The plan is written from that rather than from an estimate. It is taken online at a time you choose, so nobody has to travel to a centre to find out where they stand.
Written plan
You receive a written plan built from your starting point and your test date: which IELTS sections come first, how many lessons that realistically takes, and when full practice tests enter. Nobody is sold a fixed number of lessons before the gap is known.
Lessons and review
Each lesson ends with set work and a target for the next one. Families receive progress notes, and the plan is re-read against every new score rather than followed blindly.
Ways to prepare for IELTS, with prices
The full breakdown, including instalment options, is on the pricing page.
One-to-one lessons
From USD 67 per lesson on the largest package (20 lessons). A single lesson can be booked first, to meet the tutor before committing.
Group course
USD 900 for the full course, or 2 monthly payments of USD 475. Live online classes of at most 6, grouped by level and taught in English.
Question bank
Self-study practice by section, from USD 29.99 for 120 days of access. Bought on its own, with no lesson required.
Full practice tests
Full-length, timed tests with a score and error breakdown: USD 11.99 for one, USD 149.99 for twenty.
IELTS preparation by country
IELTS Preparation in Nigeria
IELTS in Nigeria: Academic, General Training or IELTS for UKVI by route, where each is taken, and a timeline that keeps the test clear of WASSCE.
IELTS Preparation in Kenya
IELTS for students in Kenya: which version UK and Canadian routes ask for, where IELTS and IELTS for UKVI are taken, and how to plan the test around KCSE.
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IELTS prices
IELTS tutoring from USD 67 per 90-minute lesson. Compare lesson packages, group courses and self-study products.
TOEFL Preparation
Online TOEFL iBT tutoring for the 2026 format: adaptive sections, the new task types and the 1–6 score scale, for students across Africa.
PTE Preparation
Online PTE Academic tutoring: integrated tasks, how AI scores fluency and pronunciation, a free full-length diagnostic, question bank and practice tests.
TOEFL vs IELTS
TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic side by side: sections, timing, the 1–6 and 0–9 scales, speaking format, delivery, results and validity, and how to choose.
IELTS vs PTE
IELTS Academic and PTE Academic side by side: structure, timing, the 0–9 and 10–90 scales, examiner or AI scoring, test centres, results and validity.
IELTS practice tests
Full-length IELTS Academic practice tests online, with all four skills timed: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and a band for each.
IELTS Preparation: reviews from our students
Students and parents who prepared with us write these reviews themselves. We check each one before publishing it and never change its words or its star rating.
Nobody has reviewed this programme here yet. If you prepared with us, tell other students across Africa how it went.
Frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers. If yours is not here, ask us.
Which band do you need?
Tell us the requirement and your most recent score, if you have one. We will tell you which skill to work on first.