Original BandLadder material
What's inside
It has 8 chapters, from “How to use the diagnostic” to “Practise on BandLadder”, all listed below. Chapter notes include “20 minutes · one passage · 10 questions”, “10–15 minutes · choose Option A or Option B” and “20 minutes · plan the whole essay, write the first half”.
Reading it online is free: create a free BandLadder account and the whole book opens in our study reader, on the web and in the app. Downloading the PDF to keep needs a plan; the free reader has every page.
The cover
Preview
IELTS Diagnostic & Study Plan
A 60-minute printable diagnostic that shows where your marks are going, and a 4, 8 or 12-week plan built from what it finds
October 202639 pages
The whole book reads free online
All 39 pages open in the BandLadder study reader with a free account, on the web and in the app. The PDF to keep comes with any plan.
8 chapters
Contents
- 1How to use the diagnosticOne hour, four skills, one honest picture
- 2Mini Reading20 minutes · one passage · 10 questions
- 3Mini Listening10–15 minutes · choose Option A or Option B
- 4Writing check20 minutes · plan the whole essay, write the first half
- 5Speaking self-check8 minutes to record, 10 minutes to listen back
- 6Scoring gridTally, colour, then find the pattern
- 7Choose your planFrom the colours to a week-by-week plan
- 8Practise on BandLadderReal questions for week 1
Read the full IELTS Diagnostic & Study Plan free
Create a free account and it opens in the study reader, with the rest of the BandLadder library. Download the PDF with any plan.
Create a free account →Free practice
Practise it
Keep reading
More free IELTS study material
- IELTS book · October 2026Academic Task 1 Band LadderDescribe any chart, table, process or map: seven invented visuals, each with a matched Band 6-style and Band 8-style report, marked line by line against the public descriptors.59 pages · Free to read
- IELTS book · October 2026General Training Letters KitWrite Task 1 letters in the right tone for any reader: a decision tree, the greeting and sign-off matrix, and matched Band 6-style and Band 8-style letters marked line by line.52 pages · Free to read
- IELTS book · October 2026Reading Trap AtlasWhy the right answer is right: every IELTS Reading question type, the traps that catch BandLadder learners, and a reason for every answer.69 pages · Free to read
- IELTS book · October 2026Speaking Band DecoderWhat examiners listen for at Bands 5 to 8, with marked answer transcripts, and a story bank that covers this season’s Part 2 cue cards without memorised scripts.57 pages · Free to read
- IELTS book · October 2026The IELTS Answer RulebookHow to write Listening and Reading answers so the marks you earn are the marks you get: word limits, numbers, spelling, plurals and answer formats.26 pages · Free to read
- IELTS & PTE book · October 2026The Mistake NotebookA printable error log and spaced-review planner for IELTS and PTE: turn every wrong answer into a short re-test, and stop meeting the same trap twice21 pages · Free to read
Questions
FAQ
Is the IELTS Diagnostic & Study Plan book free?+
Yes, to read online. Create a free BandLadder account and the full book opens in the study reader. No card details are needed.
Can I download the IELTS Diagnostic & Study Plan PDF?+
The PDF download comes with any BandLadder plan. Free accounts read the book online in the study reader, on the web and in the app.
Who wrote this book?+
The BandLadder team wrote and checked it. It is original BandLadder material, not copied from books or other websites, and its exam facts are checked against the official IELTS and PTE pages.
Is it for IELTS Academic or General Training?+
Both versions of the test: it covers what they share and says where they differ.
IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education Australia. PTE is a trademark of Pearson. BandLadder is not affiliated with either.
© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy