Recommended IELTS Preparation Books & Study Material
International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )
Nowadays, a lot of IELTS books and reading material are available to prepare for the IELTS exam. Below we have mentioned the list of popular IELTS books and practice tests that are a must for preparing for the IELTS. The best part about the IELTS books is that one can use them anywhere, in class or at home. Some of the prep material also includes books and CDs that include exercises to learn about all four IELTS skills.
Some of the best IELTS books are:
- The Official Cambridge Guide by Pauline Cullen
- Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS by Cullen
- English Comprehension for Competitive Exams by Pinnacle Publications
- Barron’s IELTS Premium by Lin Lougheed
Today, many IELTS books and reading material are available to help prepare for IELTS. In this article, we have listed some popular IELTS books and practice tests you must use. The best thing is, you can use these books anywhere, at home or in class. Some books and CDs also have exercises to help learn all four IELTS skills.
You need practice everyday. It is important to refer good IELTS preparation books like Target Band 7 to learn tips and tricks. Solving a good number of IELTS mock tests and old papers again and again will boost the preparation level. Ask teachers or friends to check your work. This help you improve English and get high band score.
The Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Students' Book is good for IELTS reading preparation.
- Best book for IELTS preparation 2025: Price, Ratings
- How to Prepare from IELTS Books?
- IELTS Preparation Tips 2025
Best book for IELTS preparation 2025: Price, Ratings
One can check the below-mentioned recommended best books for IELTS 2025.
Best Books for IELTS Exam Preparation
| Book Title & Author |
Price (INR) |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS Student's Book with DVD-ROM by Pauline Cullen |
INR 698 |
4.4 ★ |
| The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS South Asia by Pauline Cullen, Amanda French, et al. |
INR 576.80 |
4.4 ★ |
| Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS by Cullen |
INR 463 |
4.2 ★ |
| IELTS 18 Academic (South Asia Edition) by Cambridge University Press & Assessment |
INR 599 |
4.3 ★ |
| IELTS 17 General Training by Cambridge University Press |
INR 465 |
4.4 ★ |
| The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS (South Asia Edition) by Pauline Cullen, Amanda French, et al. |
INR 669 |
4.3 ★ |
| IELTS Writing Academic 2025 by Karamveer Singh |
INR 299 |
3.9 ★ |
| English Comprehension for Competitive Exams by Pinnacle Publications |
INR 199 |
3.7 ★ |
| Barron’s IELTS Premium by Lin Lougheed |
INR 611 |
3.6 ★ |
| IELTS 16 Academic Student's Book |
INR 200 |
4.2 ★ |
| IELTS 19 General Training by Cambridge University Press & Assessment |
INR 650 |
4.5 ★ |
| IELTS Academic Books Set 2025 by Darshan Singh & Karamveer Singh |
INR 729 |
4.8 ★ |
| Cambridge IELTS Academic Practice Tests (Set 17, 18, 19) |
INR 1,399 |
3.5 ★ |
| IELTS Academic Readings Vol 3 by Dr. Kiranpreet Kaur Makkar |
INR 299 |
5.0 ★ |
| IELTS 19 Academic by Cambridge University Press & Assessment |
Unavailable |
3.5 ★ |
Commonly asked questions
One good book can be enough if it has everything – tips, practice tests, grammar, and vocabulary. But if you want extra practice, you can also get more books like the Cambridge IELTS test books.
The Cambridge IELTS series (like IELTS 16, 17, or 18) has real test papers of past years. These are made by the people who help make the IELTS exam, so they are close to the real thing.
Yes, you can find free IELTS books or PDFs online, but many are old or not correct. It is better to use official IELTS books for best results.
How to Prepare from IELTS Books?
The list will tell you which IELTS books are the best overall for the general readership.
1. IELTS Cambridge Test Books: There are actual IELTS tests published by IELTS which one can use for IELTS practice. Cambridge Practice Tests for IELTS contains four practice tests. They are expensive but useful and authentic to use.
2. Grammar for IELTS Writing Task 2 E-book: This E-book improves your grammar in easy steps. With this book you can improve your grammar score for writing task 2. Create complex structures and see a range that you can use in an essay. You can learn about different aspects of grammar and improve your accuracy that will help you score more. This book is helpful not just for IELTS but also grammar in general.
3. Ideas for IELTS Essay topics E-book: This book contains more than 150 IELTS essay topics for writing task 2. This is a useful book that will help you with ideas and vocabulary that will increase your score in writing task 2. The language and ideas you will learn from this book help you in getting a higher band score. The book comes in PDF form.
4. IELTS Trainer: This book includes 5 IELTS practice tests and useful advice for IELTS practice. Although they are not published by IELTS but are still quite useful for IELTS practice. The practice test material in the book is for IELTS Academic only.
5. IELTS Official Practice Materials: You can start with the IELTS official practice material and learn the basics about the exam. The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS is the best book, to begin with, for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. The book will help you understand the pattern of the test and practice all the types of questions asked in different sections of the examination.
6. Cambridge IELTS 10 Student's Book with Answers: Cambridge IELTS 10 includes four authentic IELTS past papers from Cambridge English Language Assessment that are excellent for exam practice. The book includes four complete tests for Academic candidates, plus extra Reading and Writing modules for General Training candidates. The book can be purchased at Amazon.
7. IELTS Trainer: This book includes 6 IELTS practice tests along with useful tips to secure a good IELTS band score. The Cambridge IELTS Trainer includes the practice test material specially crafted for the IELTS academic exam.
8. IELTS Tutor Kit - The IELTS Tutor has a 40 minute CD with an accompanying booklet. This kit has been designed to help non-English speaking students achieve success. Its content is unique and it prepares students for the IELTS Test by providing tips and suggestions in a visual format. It is a self-study aid and if used correctly, it provides students with around 100 hours of tuition.
9. The Cambridge IELTS Course Workbook - Insight into IELTS offers comprehensive preparation for the IELTS. Insight into IELTS also introduces students to the types of tasks they are likely to meet during the exam. This is a workbook providing extensive practice material for the IELTS examination. It prepares students for the updated Speaking Paper and contains vocabulary builder activities to develop the vocabulary. The answer key of the recorded material makes it ideal for self-study.
10. Step Up to IELTS Personal Study Book with Answers – This book is the perfect choice for intermediate-level students who find most IELTS books too challenging for them. This book covers essential exam skills for the Academic Training modules in 60 hours of teaching time. It provides students with advice on how to maximize their band scores. The practice sections at the end of each unit constitute sample IELTS tests.
11. Cambridge Grammar for IELTS Student's Book with Answers and Audio CD - This excellent book fills a crucial gap in the learning materials available to the IELTS students, and is currently the only book that helps IELTS students in this area. Although IELTS doesn't contain a specific grammar module, but the appropriate usage of grammar is undoubtedly important for success in the other modules. All grammar points needed for IELTS are covered in the book and are presented in context through listening and self-discovery activities provided on the CD.
12. Barron’s IELTS Superpack - It is highly detailed and comprehensive. The overall package contains: Academic module practice papers, General module practice papers, Subject review, Audio tracks, and Essential Words. Students who have more than 3 weeks must refer to this resource.
Commonly asked questions
Although two weeks are less, however, with a solid strategy can help you get a decent IELTS score. Candidates should understand the IELTS test format and prepare a comprehensive study plan for the next two weeks covering all the topics. After covering all the topics in each of the sections give full-length practice tests.
The IELTS exam comprises four sections: Listening to check how well you understand spoken English, Reading to check how well you can read and understand texts, Writing to test your writing skills, and Speaking to check how well you can talk in English.
You can prepare for the IELTS exam at home by first learning the exam pattern. Practice listening with English news or podcasts, improve reading by doing newspapers and articles, write essays and graph reports for writing, and practice speaking English daily for the speaking test. Using free online IELTS practice tests will also help.
IELTS Preparation Tips 2025
- Make sure that you understand the IELTS exam pattern
- Do not utilize multiple resources. Having too many IELTS books on your shelf will only confuse you
- Make sure that you revise the Official Guide multiple times
- Do not skip IELTS practice tests at any cost
- Make sure to revise your notes at least 3 times before the examination
- Keep your language natural and organic. Any forceful use of tough words can be easily spotted by the examiner
Commonly asked questions
After learning the complete format familiarize yourself with all the topics that you need to cover while preparing for the test. You can get online practice tests and make sure to do it while following the time. Prepare for the Listening test by listening to the audio recordings. Similarly, prepare for the Reading and Writing sections accordingly. Make sure you do as much practice as possible in order to get a decent IELTS score.
IELTS question papers do not repeat exactly, but similar topics and question types may appear. It is important to practice a wide range of questions from IELTS mock test PDF to prepare for different scenarios.
You can access free IELTS mock test PDFs from various online resources such as FREE IELTS Preparation Classes by Shiksha, IDP India, Cambridge, and more. These websites offer free IELTS practice materials for all sections of the IELTS exam.
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