Which Cambridge IELTS Book Should You Buy?
Almost every week someone asks which Cambridge IELTS volume is the best one. The honest answer is that
the question is slightly wrong, and understanding why will save you money.
What the numbers actually mean
Cambridge IELTS 1 through 20 are not a course, and they are not ordered by difficulty. Each volume is
simply a collection of four past papers from around the time it was published. Volume 18 is not harder
than volume 4. It is just more recent.
This matters because most people buy them in the wrong order — starting at 1 and working up, as though
it were a textbook. It is not. It is a supply of practice exams.
Which one to open first
Buy the most recent volume you can and sit one full paper under real conditions before
you study anything. You need to know your starting band before you decide what to work on. Guessing wastes
weeks.
Cambridge English IELTS 1 with Answers and the other
numbered volumes are all in Exams & Test Prep. Take the answers version —
without the answer key, a practice paper tells you nothing.
Self-study packs versus student’s books
If you are preparing alone, the self-study packs are the
better buy. They include the listening audio and full answer keys with explanations. A plain student’s
book assumes a teacher is supplying both.
When past papers are not enough
Practice tests measure you. They do not teach you. If a paper shows you are losing marks in writing
rather than in reading, more papers will not fix it — a skills book will.
IELTS Testbuilder is the usual recommendation here, because it explains
why an answer is wrong rather than just marking it wrong.
A simple plan
- Sit one recent full paper, timed, before studying.
- Work on your weakest single skill with a skills book for two or three weeks.
- Sit another paper. Compare.
- Repeat. Keep two unopened papers for the fortnight before your test date.
Everything mentioned here is in Exams & Test Prep. If you tell us your
target band and test date, we will tell you which two books you actually need — it is usually fewer than
people expect.
