Best IELTS Books and Resources 2019

Additionally, Magoosh offers a (free!) vocabulary flashcard app for the IELTS. Download it and try to learn 20 new words every day!

Barron’s Essential Words for the IELTS is another vocabulary resource to consider. Each chapter includes practice questions and reading passages to reinforce your understanding of new words. Bear in mind, however, that this book is really meant for intermediate-level English learners.

If your English vocabulary is very advanced or very basic, you may not find this text very useful. Additionally, I would not recommend investing in this Barron’s IELTS book if you only have a short time to study (6 weeks or less) because you won’t get through it.

That said, with enough time, this IELTS book could be a good addition to your IELTS study plan.

The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources for Grammar Practice

If you need extra grammar practice, one of the best resources for self-study is Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th edition.

It includes many practice exercises and very clear explanations of complicated English grammar topics.

This IELTS book is for advanced non-native English speakers. If you struggle with English grammar or understanding grammatical concepts, you may want to start with Fundamentals of English Grammar with Audio CDs and Answer Key.

This is an intermediate grammar text within the same series.

Note: There is also a 5th edition of Understanding and Using English Grammar. It’s very similar to the 4th edition; the major difference is that the 5th edition’s supplemental materials are stored online rather than on CD.

I’m recommending the 4th edition instead because I feel that a CD is a more user-friendly standalone resource, especially for students with slower Internet or limited Internet access.

The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources to Improve Your Writing

The IELTS Writing section is difficult. You only have one hour to complete the two writing tasks. Many native speakers would struggle with this section! You should practice responding to as many IELTS Writing prompts as you can before test day.

Time yourself strictly and (if at all possible) get feedback about your writing from a native English speaker.

If you have nobody to give you feedback, then at least compare your answers to model answers in the Answer Key of your IELTS book or these official IELTS responses and examiner comments online.

You can also use the IELTS scoring criteria for Task 1 and Task 2 to help you assess your approximate level.

If you have more time to prepare and want to improve your writing skills generally, make a habit of writing a little bit in English each day. Write with pencil and paper (don’t type!) to model the format of the IELTS. Pick a topic and write without stopping for 10-15 minutes.

This is like a workout. Over time you will generate ideas faster and you will write more in less time. Review our Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 1 and Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 2 to improve. Here are 500 writing topics to focus your practice!

The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources for IELTS Listening

The Listening portion of the IELTS exam includes speakers with different accents…British, American, Australian, etc. It is a very good idea to train for the IELTS by listening to a wide variety of material. Good IELTS resources for listening practice include:

Additional Australian listening resources from David Recine on Magoosh’s TOEFL blog The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources for Reading

Read as much as you can in English every day! There is a good list of online news IELTS resources in the “Vocabulary” section of this post (above).

This reading material represents the level and type of language you can expect on the IELTS. Otherwise, just read what interests you most! Books, magazines, academic journals….reading a little bit each day will benefit you on the IELTS.

The Best IELTS Resources for Speaking

Speaking English with native speakers is by far the best way to improve your skills. If it is at all possible for you to find native speakers where you live, seek them out! Join a group or find social and opportunities to interact with English speakers.

Check out www.meetup.org to find an interest group in your area. Sign up for English conversation classes and/or find a tutor online. You cannot improve your speaking skills without speaking English regularly.

Not Recommended IELTS Books and IELTS Resources Barron’s IELTS with Audio CDs, Third Edition

If you’re looking for additional practice questions, this text is worth considering. However, it would be much better to use the authentic practice exams from IELTS and Cambridge English (described above) first before investing Barron’s IELTS.

Additionally, while this book offers solid skill building advice, many of the related exercises do not offer sufficient practice for meaningful improvement.

A final issue is that it lacks focus. The study guide chapters mix test strategies with skill building exercises in a way that is not as clear as other study aids.

Cambridge English: Common Mistakes at IELTS Advanced…and How to Avoid Them

This text (and the version for intermediate students) targets aspects of the English language that cause problems for many IELTS takers. The authors compiled these problem areas by analyzing real student errors on IELTS exams.

This could be very useful information for educators. Teachers could use it to build a more expansive set of lessons around common IELTS mistakes. Unfortunately, as a resource for self-study, the text is not very useful.

Many of the grammatical concepts lack adequate explanation. Occasionally, the explanations lack clarity and precision. Finally, the practice exercises and accompanying feedback in the answer key are insufficient for real improvement.

Target Band 7: IELTS Academic Module–How to Maximize Your Score (second edition)

This IELTS book focuses on test strategy and it includes a variety of useful tips. The “Writing” section is the strongest chapter, with solid strategies, example questions, and example responses.

Yet, this IELTS book would not work very well as a primary study guide. It does not include enough practice exercises with feedback. Furthermore, in a number of places, the strategies and tips lack examples to demonstrate how to put the advice to use.

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