Self-Study vs. IELTS Tutoring: Which Approach Gets Better Results?

Not everyone prepares for the IELTS in the same way. Some students like studying alone. They find their own practice papers, watch videos, work on vocabulary, and study whenever they have the time. Others find it much easier when there is a tutor to guide them.

And honestly, both can work.

Self-study can work perfectly well for someone who knows their English is good and can study regularly. The problem starts when you are putting in the time but not seeing much change in your results. Maybe you keep making the same mistakes, or you cannot tell what is holding your score back. Getting someone to check your work can help in that situation. 

Now let’s see self-study compared with IELTS tutoring. 

How Effective Is IELTS Self-Study 

With self-study, you get to decide how you want to prepare for the IELTS.

You decide:

• When to study
• Which topics to study
• How much time to spend on each part of the test

Preparing by yourself is easier than it used to be. There are books and practice tests, along with videos, vocabulary exercises and other IELTS material online. If you already understand the exam and have a good level of English, you have a good starting point. You can also decide when to study instead of working around a class timetable. 

You can study:

• First thing in the morning
• After work
• Between other things you have planned
• Whenever you have time

There is no need to stick to someone else’s timetable. But there is also more responsibility on you.

You have to:

• Work out where you need to improve
• Find useful resources
• Check your progress
• Decide if your current study method is working

This is not always easy to do. Writing and speaking can be particularly difficult because you are judging your own work. You might not notice small problems in your answers or know exactly what is stopping you from reaching a higher band.

Without regular feedback, those same mistakes can easily show up again and again.

How Can IELTS Tutoring Improve Results 

The biggest benefit of IELTS tutoring is having someone to guide you. You do not have to work everything out by yourself.

A tutor can go through your work and pick out the areas that are holding you back. For example, if you are getting the reading questions right but your writing score is still low, there is not much point in spending all your study time on reading. You need to know what is going wrong with your writing and work on that.

A tutor can help you:

• Find the mistakes you keep making
• Understand why you are losing marks
• Focus more on the areas that need work
• Change the way you practise when something is not working

You also get someone to give you feedback as you practise. That can be hard to get when you study alone. You may know that an answer is wrong, but you may not know why it is wrong or what you should do differently.

Writing and Speaking are probably the clearest examples. You can practise these on your own, but it is much harder to judge your own performance. Another person can spot things that you simply do not notice.

An IELTS preparation centre can take care of the structure too. Instead of collecting resources from different places and making your own plan, you have lessons and practice material to work with.

This can mean having:

• A set study schedule
• Practice material to use
• Regular lessons
• Someone checking your progress

Online classes can be useful for the same reason. With IELTS preparation online, you can study with guidance without having to travel to a classroom.

Self-Study vs. IELTS Tutoring: Which Gives Better Results 

Here is a quick look at how the two approaches compare:

Which IELTS Preparation Approach Should You Choose 

There is no right answer here. It really comes down to how you study and what you need.

Self-study may work for you if you:

• Already have a good level of English
• Know how the IELTS test works
• Can make your own study routine
• Are fine studying without a teacher
• Have enough time before the test
• Can spot the areas where you need more work

If you are comfortable doing all of that, you may not need tutoring. Good IELTS material, regular practice, and a study routine you can actually stick to can be enough.

IELTS tutoring may be a better option if you:

• Have a specific band score in mind
• Do not know why you keep losing marks
• Keep making the same mistakes
• Find writing or speaking difficult
• Do not have much time left
• Have trouble sticking to a routine
• Want someone to check your work

This is one of the main advantages of having a tutor. You have someone who can check your work and help you see where you need to improve, instead of having to work it all out yourself. But you still need to practise outside the lessons. Your tutor can explain what needs to change and help you plan your preparation, but they cannot practise for you. You still have to put the time in. 

Summing Up!

For some students, IELTS books, practice tests, and regular study are enough to get started. They can decide when to study and work through the exam material without having to keep up with a class. 

Others need a little more than that. Maybe they are not sure why their writing is not reaching the band they want. Maybe they need someone to listen to their speaking and tell them what could be better. This is where working with a tutor can help. At Koutsodontis, our tutors work with students on these areas and give them feedback during their preparation.

Neither option is better for everyone. Take a look at how your preparation is going and whether it is getting you closer to the score you need.