Choosing study materials without wasting money
Admin1 November 2026 1 min read
More books does not mean more progress. Pick a few and use them well.
Start with the official sources
The test providers publish sample questions, the format and the public band descriptors. Start there to understand exactly what you are preparing for.
What you need
| Need | Why |
|---|---|
| Full-length practice for Listening and Reading | To build stamina and timing |
| Model answers at several bands for Writing and Speaking | To see what each score looks like |
| A way to track mistakes | To find your pattern |
| Reading and listening you enjoy | To build vocabulary without effort |
What you do not need
Respect copyright
Only use materials from sources that are allowed to share them. Many free PDFs of published tests are illegal copies, and the answers in them are often wrong.
- One main practice source chosen
- Model answers saved for each skill
- A mistake log started
#resources#planning
See it in a model answer
Read answers from band 4.5 to 9, annotated against the criteria.