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Band 9 Vault
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Overview
Independent IELTS Academic practice
Stop studying at random.
Start scoring higher.
Band 9 Vault turns scattered IELTS preparation into one connected study space: structured grammar notes, full listening and reading mock tests with instant band scores, and short daily drills that keep your weak spots from becoming exam-day surprises.
Free to use · No card needed · Your scores follow you to every device
211
study notes
42
listening & reading mock tests
1148
practice drills
Band 8+
the target
What you get
Built by a learner, for learners
Everything one IELTS learner actually needs
Full listening and reading mock tests
Sit complete listening tests with real audio, or reading papers with the passage beside the questions as in the real exam. Both are timed and marked for you, with a band estimate the moment you finish and the exact questions you slipped on.
Drills that fit a busy day
Short, focused practice for spelling, True/False/Not Given reading, error correction, and vocabulary recall — small enough to finish in a break, frequent enough to actually stick.
Progress you can see
Every test and drill is recorded against your account, so you can watch your listening score climb instead of guessing whether the studying is working.
How it works
Three steps to exam-ready
01
Find the gap
Take a mock test or a quick drill. Your first score tells you where the real weakness sits.
02
Study the fix
Follow the connected notes for that skill instead of reading everything in a random order.
03
Prove it stuck
Return to practice, watch the score move, and repeat until the skill feels automatic.
What's inside
All of it free with an account
Four places to study, one account
Note library
Grammar and vocabulary notes
Sentence structure, tenses, articles, prepositions, linking words, collocations, and the error patterns that quietly cap your writing band. Every note is a page you can read, save, and return to.
Open the library → How it worksA plan, not a pile of material
Test first, read the result, fix the grammar behind the mistakes, then test again. Five steps that tell you what to study now and what can safely wait.
See the five steps →
Know your target
Out of 40 questions
IELTS listening score to band conversion
IELTS listening is marked out of 40, and the raw score converts to a band from 0 to 9. Every mock test in Band 9 Vault scores you on this scale, so you always know how far the next half-band actually is.
| Correct answers | Band score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 | Expert listener — almost nothing slips past you. |
| 37–38 | 8.5 | Very high accuracy, occasional spelling loss. |
| 35–36 | 8.0 | Strong enough for competitive university entry. |
| 32–34 | 7.5 | Above the bar for most postgraduate courses. |
| 30–31 | 7.0 | The common requirement for study and migration. |
| 26–29 | 6.5 | Solid, but distraction and paraphrase still cost you. |
| 23–25 | 6.0 | Meets many undergraduate requirements. |
| 18–22 | 5.5 | Detail and spelling are the usual leaks here. |
| 16–17 | 5.0 | Foundation work will move this fastest. |
| 13–15 | 4.5 | Focus on vocabulary and number/date recognition. |
These bands are the widely published conversion for IELTS Academic listening and are used here as an estimate. Your official band comes only from a real test sitting.
Who it helps
Built for people preparing alone
Self-study candidates
No coaching centre, no fixed schedule. You need material that is ordered for you and practice that marks itself, because nobody else is going to check your answers.
Retakers stuck on one band
You already know the test format. What you need is to find the specific skill holding the score at 6.5, and drill it until it stops leaking marks.
Working and studying learners
Preparation has to fit around a job or a degree. Short drills and saved progress mean a ten-minute session still counts toward the target.
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Pricing
No card, no trial period
One plan. It costs nothing.
Free forever
Every learner gets the whole site. There is no locked section, no upgrade prompt, and nothing held back for a paid tier.
- Every listening and reading mock test, timed like the real exam
- Instant band scores and a full answer review
- All study notes and daily practice drills
- Your results and saved notes kept on every device
Questions
Before you start
Does it cost anything?
No. Band 9 Vault is free to use. An account exists so your scores and saved notes stay with you.
Do I need an account to study?
You can practise as a guest, but results stay in that one browser. Signing in keeps your progress on every device you study from.
Is this the official IELTS test?
No. This is an independent study site with practice material only. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the British Council, IDP Education, or Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Which IELTS module is it for?
IELTS Academic. The grammar, vocabulary, and listening material also helps General Training learners, but the writing and strategy notes target the Academic paper.
Your Band 8 starts with one honest score.
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Independent IELTS Academic practice
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Band 9 Vault brings grammar, vocabulary, listening mock tests, and daily drills into one connected study space, so preparation turns into exam-day confidence.
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23 → 40listening target
About Band 9 Vault
Band 9 Vault is a free, independent study site for IELTS Academic. It exists because IELTS preparation is usually scattered across a dozen places: grammar in one book, listening audio on a video site, vocabulary in a notebook, and no record of what is actually improving.
What it is
Everything sits in one place and is connected. Study notes cover sentence structure, tenses, cohesion, vocabulary, punctuation, and the errors examiners notice most. Full listening and reading mock tests run on the real clock and mark themselves the moment you submit. Short drills cover spelling, True/False/Not Given reading, error correction, and vocabulary review. Every result is recorded, so the site can tell you where you actually stand rather than where you feel you stand.
Who it is for
Learners who are somewhere around Band 6 or 6.5 and need to reach 7 or higher, especially those studying alone without a teacher to mark their work. The material assumes you already speak some English and want the specific gaps closed, not a beginners' course.
Where the material comes from
The study notes are written for this site. The practice papers are collected from publicly available IELTS practice material so that learners have enough papers to work through; they are for private study only. If you own material used here and would rather it were removed, write to us and it will be taken down.
What it is not
This is not the official IELTS test and not an official practice product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the British Council, IDP Education, or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own the IELTS trade mark. Band scores shown here are estimates for practice, not official results.
What it costs
Nothing. There is one plan, it is free, and no part of the site is held back for a paid tier. An account exists only so your results and saved notes follow you between devices.
Common questions
Everything learners ask most often, answered plainly. If yours is not here, write to us.
Does it cost anything?
No. Band 9 Vault is free to use, and no part of it is held back for a paid tier. An account exists so your scores and saved notes stay with you rather than in one browser.
Do I need an account to study?
You can practise as a guest, but results stay in that one browser and are lost if you clear it. Signing in keeps your progress on every device you study from.
Is this the official IELTS test?
No. This is an independent study site with practice material only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the British Council, IDP Education, or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own the IELTS trade mark.
Which IELTS module is it for?
IELTS Academic. The grammar, vocabulary, and listening material also helps General Training learners, but the writing and strategy notes target the Academic paper.
Are the mock tests timed like the real exam?
Yes. A listening test runs 40 questions with real audio on a 32-minute countdown, and a reading paper gives you three passages and 40 questions in 60 minutes. Both match the computer-delivered format and mark your answers the moment you submit.
How is my band score calculated?
Your correct answers out of 40 are converted using the standard IELTS band table for that paper — the listening table, or the Academic reading table, which is marked slightly harder. A paper with fewer than 40 questions is put on the 40-question scale first, so every band means the same thing. It is an estimate for practice, not an official result.
How long does it take to raise my band score?
Most learners moving half a band need four to eight weeks of consistent practice, and a full band usually takes longer. Steady daily drills move the score faster than occasional long sessions.
Where should I start?
Take one mock test before studying anything, so you have a real number to work from. The How it works page sets out the whole order, and why testing first beats reading first.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. The site works in any modern mobile browser with no app to install, and because your progress is tied to your account you can start a drill on a phone and finish on a laptop.
What happens if I close a test halfway through?
The clock keeps running against the original finishing time, and your answers are still there when you come back, exactly as the real computer-delivered test behaves. Only a submitted paper is recorded as a result.
An answer key looks wrong. What should I do?
Tell us. Send the test number and the question number to our contact address and it will be checked and corrected. Practice material collected from elsewhere sometimes carries mistakes, and we would rather fix them than leave learners doubting themselves.
Can I delete my account and my results?
Yes. "Reset my data" on your profile clears your whole study record straight away, and emailing us removes the account itself along with everything attached to it. The privacy policy sets out exactly what is stored.
How it works
Most people open a study site, read three pages, and never come back, because nothing tells them what to do first. Here is the order that works, and why.
Step 1 — Take one mock test before you study anything
This feels backwards, and it is the most useful thing you can do. A listening or reading paper takes under an hour and gives you a number. Without that number you are guessing at your own level, and learners almost always guess wrong in one direction or the other. Do not revise for it. A score that flatters you is worth nothing.
Step 2 — Read what the result actually says
After you submit, every question is listed with your answer beside the right one. Do not skim it. Go through the ones you got wrong and put each into a group: did you mishear the word, not know the word, misread the question, or run out of time? Four different problems, four different cures. Most learners discover that one group is far larger than the rest, and that group is your real work.
Step 3 — Fix the grammar behind the mistakes
The note library is arranged by what actually goes wrong, not by chapter order. If your errors are tenses, start with the tense notes; if sentences fall apart in writing, start with clauses. Save a note with the star and it waits for you on your profile. Reading a note you do not need is time you did not spend on the one you do.
Step 4 — Drill in short sessions, most days
Ten minutes of spelling, True/False/Not Given, error correction, or vocabulary review beats a three-hour session at the weekend. The vocabulary drill schedules each word to come back just before you would have forgotten it, so the words you find hard return more often than the ones you know.
Step 5 — Test again, and compare
After a week or two of drills, sit another paper. Your profile keeps every result with its band, so you can see whether the line is moving. If two papers in a row show no change, the problem is not effort — it is that you are practising the wrong thing, and step 2 needs doing again.
How long this takes
Half a band usually takes four to eight weeks of steady practice. A full band takes longer. Anyone promising faster than that is selling something. What moves the number is consistency: a short session most days beats a long one now and then, every time.
A note on the band scores here
The band you see is your correct answers converted with the standard IELTS band table for that paper. It is an honest estimate for practice, not an official result, and the real exam has pressures a practice paper cannot copy. Treat it as a direction, not a promise.
Contact us
Questions, mistakes you have spotted, a broken audio file, or a copyright concern — all of it is welcome. One person reads these, so please allow a few days for a reply.
What to include
- For a mistake in a note or an answer key: the page name and the question number.
- For a broken test or audio: the test number and what you saw on screen.
- For an account problem: the email address you registered with, never your password.
- For a copyright request: the material in question and proof you own it, and it will be removed.
What we will never do
We will never email you asking for your password, and we will never ask you to send it in a reply. A genuine password reset always comes as a link you request yourself from the sign-in box.
Privacy policy
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What we store
- Your account: email address, the display name you choose, the date you joined, and your plan.
- Your password: never in readable form. Only a bcrypt hash is kept, which cannot be turned back into your password.
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- Password reset links: only a hash of the link is stored, and it expires after one hour or once used.
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A few things on the page come from elsewhere. Typefaces are loaded from Google Fonts, Google Analytics helps us understand how visitors use the site, and some listening audio is played from the site that hosts it. Those services receive your IP address as part of any ordinary web request, and their own privacy terms apply. Nothing about your account or your results is sent to them.
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If this policy changes in a way that affects you, the change will be described on this page rather than made quietly.
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By using Band 9 Vault you agree to what is written below. It is written plainly on purpose.
The service
Band 9 Vault is a free study site offered as it is. We try to keep it accurate and available, but we do not promise that it will be free of mistakes or always reachable, and it may change or close at any time.
Not the official IELTS test
This is an independent study site with practice material only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the British Council, IDP Education, or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own the IELTS trade mark. The trade mark is used only to describe what the material prepares you for.
Band scores
A band shown after a test is an estimate produced by applying the standard band tables to your correct answers. It is not an official result, it does not predict your exam result, and it cannot be used as proof of your English level for any institution.
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Band 9 Vault is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected in any way to the British Council, IDP Education, or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own and administer IELTS. The name IELTS is used here only to describe the exam this material prepares you for.
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Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is a specific verb form used to express:
The Subjunctive Mood
Source: Anglo-Link | English Grammar Lesson
Introduction to the Subjunctive
The subjunctive mood is a specific verb form used to express:
- That something is important or recommended.
- A wish or a desire.
- An unreal, improbable, or hypothetical condition.
Note on Regional Differences: The present subjunctive is very common in American English. In British English, the present subjunctive is often replaced by an alternative structure, but the past subjunctive remains common (especially in conditionals and expressions like "I wish" or "if only").
1. The Present Subjunctive
The present subjunctive is primarily used in formal English after verbs and expressions that indicate recommendation, importance, or demand.
Form: It has the exact same form as the base verb (the infinitive without "to"). This form does not change for the third-person singular (no 's') and remains the same regardless of whether the main situation is in the present or the past.
Trigger Expressions (Importance):
- It is important...
- It is essential...
- It is vital...
- It is crucial...
Trigger Verbs (Recommendations/Demands):
- Suggest
- Recommend
- Propose
- Insist
- Demand
Examples:
- Present context: It is necessary that they be warned of the risks.
- Past context: It was vital that they be warned of the risks.
- Using a verb: I recommend that he see a specialist. (Not sees)
- Past context: I recommended that he see a specialist.
Negative Subjunctive: Negative present subjunctive constructions are rare even in formal English. It is better to use a direct antonym.
- Instead of: "It is important that she not be late."
- Use: "It is important that she be punctual."
Alternatives to the Present Subjunctive
In British English (and informal spoken English generally), alternatives are often preferred:
- Using the modal "should" (British English preference):
- Example: It is necessary that they should be warned of the risks.
- Example: I recommend that he should see a specialist.
- Using "for" + infinitive with "to":
- Example: It is necessary for them to be warned of the risks.
- Using normal tenses (Informal/Everyday English):
- Formal: It is necessary that they be warned...
- Informal: It's necessary they are warned... (often dropping "that")
- Formal: I recommended that he delay seeing...
- Informal: I recommended he delayed seeing...
2. The Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive is used to talk about unreal, hypothetical, or improbable present or future situations.
Form: It has the exact same form as the past simple tense, with one major exception: for the verb "to be," the past subjunctive form is "were" for all persons (including I, he, she, it).
- (Note: In informal English, "was" is sometimes used for the 1st and 3rd person singular, but "were" is highly recommended to be grammatically safe).
Common Usage: 1. Conditional Type 2 (If Clauses):
- Used for hypothetical situations.
- Example: If I were young, I would travel around the world. (Not was)
- Example: If I didn't have to do this, I would catch up on my reading.
2. Other Expressions for Unreal Situations:
- It's time: It's time the Prime Minister took the matter in hand.
- I wish: I wish it weren't so gray today.
- If only: If only I had a faster computer.
- I'd rather: I'd rather you didn't tell everyone.
- Look / Behave / Sound + as if / as though: She behaves as if she were the last woman on earth.
Special Notes for Past Subjunctive Exceptions:
- "I wish" + "would": If you want to indicate that you are annoyed by a current situation and want it to change, you can use "would" after "I wish."
- Example: I wish you would stop shouting at the TV.
- Real/Probable Situations with "as if": If a situation looks real or highly probable, you use normal present tenses rather than the subjunctive.
- Example: She looks as if she has heard some great news. (Because it genuinely appears true).2
The Subjunctive in Spoken English
Source: Anglo-Link | English Grammar Lesson
Introduction
The subjunctive is a form (not a tense) used after certain verbs and expressions. It is often called the "subjunctive mood."
- Present Subjunctive: Very rarely used in spoken English (especially British English).
- Past Subjunctive: Frequently used in specific cases in spoken English.
1. Formulation of the Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive Formulation:
- It has the exact same form as the base verb (the infinitive without "to").
- Example: It is essential that he be transparent.
Past Subjunctive Formulation:
- It has the same form as the past simple.
- Crucial Exception: For the verb "to be", the past subjunctive has only ONE form for all subjects: were. (e.g., If I were, if he were, if they were).
2. The Present Subjunctive
Used primarily in formal situations. Even though it's rare in spoken English, you must understand it to recognize it. The situation described can be in the present or past, but the form remains the same.
A. After Expressions of Importance:
- It is important, essential, vital, crucial, necessary, of vital importance.
- Formal Example: It is essential that the president be transparent.
B. After Certain Verbs:
- Suggest, recommend, propose, insist, demand, ask, command, order.
- Formal Example: The opposition leader demanded that she clarify her position. (Not clarified or clarifies).
How to Avoid the Present Subjunctive in Informal Speech:
Because these sound very formal, native speakers avoid them in three ways:
- Using "for someone to do" (with expressions of importance):
- Instead of: It is important that she be honest.
- Say: It is important for her to be honest.
- Using the modal verb "should" (with specific verbs):
- Instead of: I hope you insisted that she be honest.
- Say: I hope you insisted that she should be honest.
- Ignoring the rule and using normal tenses (grammatically incorrect but accepted):
- Instead of: It is vital that she be honest.
- Say: It's vital she is honest.
- Instead of: I insisted she be honest.
- Say: I insisted she was honest.
Note on Negative Present Subjunctive: It sounds very awkward (e.g., "It is crucial that he not withhold information"). To avoid this, use "should not" or change to a positive verb ("It is crucial that he share all information").
3. The Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive is essential in spoken English for certain expressions. Although it looks like the past simple, it usually describes a hypothetical present or future situation.
Common Expressions Requiring Past Subjunctive:
- It is time: It is time he started saving up.
- I would rather: I'd rather you didn't call me that.
- As if / As though: He behaves as if he owned this place.
- I wish: I wish I were 10 years younger.
- If only: If only she knew how to sing.
- Second Conditional (If Clauses): If he had a choice, he would live elsewhere.
Avoiding the Past Subjunctive (Where Possible)
You can only find alternatives for the first two expressions:
- Instead of: It is time he started saving... $\rightarrow$ Say: It is time for him to start saving...
- Instead of: I'd rather you didn't... $\rightarrow$ Say: I would prefer you not to...
Where You CANNOT Avoid the Past Subjunctive:
You must use the past subjunctive in the following cases to express hypothetical or unreal ideas:
- As if / As though (Unreal Situations): Unreal/Hypothetical:* He behaves as if he owned this place. (We know he doesn't).
- (Note: If you use a normal present tense like "He behaves as though he owns this place," it implies a probable situation—maybe he really does own it).
- I wish / If only:
- Example: I wish I were 10 years younger.
- Second Conditional (If Clauses):
- Example: If he had a choice...
Final Notes on Past Subjunctive:
- Always use "were" instead of "was" for formal/correct English (e.g., If I were, not If I was).
- If you are expressing regret about a situation that actually happened in the past (after "I wish" or "if only"), you must use the Past Perfect tense.
- Example: I wish I had started saving up last year.