Details from IDP India, the British Council India site and ielts.org were read in October 2026; confirm anything that matters with IDP before you book.
Online IELTS coaching in Bengaluru: one-to-one lessons, not a local class
Band Booster IELTS has no classroom, centre or group class in Bengaluru. Every lesson is one-to-one, online, live on Google Meet and in English, and Mike teaches every session himself. He is based in Hanoi, holds the Cambridge CELTA, and scored 7.5 overall and 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS. About Mike has more detail.
If you want a room, a fixed timetable and classmates, a local coaching institute may suit you better, and that is a fair choice. If you want the whole lesson to be about your own speaking and writing, one-to-one online lessons are the alternative. No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions.
Bengaluru time and Hanoi time
Bengaluru follows Indian Standard Time, UTC+05:30. The IANA time zone database's list of zones by country gives India a single zone, Asia/Kolkata, and Vietnam, Hanoi included, a single zone, Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh. In its Asia file, the current line for Asia/Kolkata is a fixed 5:30 offset and the current line for Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh is a fixed 7:00 offset, and neither has a daylight saving rule. So Hanoi is 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of Bengaluru all year, with no clock change to track.
Read from the Bengaluru side:
- 18:30 in Bengaluru is 20:00 in Hanoi.
- 20:00 in Bengaluru is 21:30 in Hanoi.
You do not need to do this arithmetic when booking: the calendar on the booking page shows every slot in your own time zone. Which slots are open depends on Mike's calendar and no particular hours are promised, so if you can study only before or after work, check the calendar first.
Where IELTS can be taken in Bengaluru
IDP India lists three Bengaluru venues for IELTS on computer: St. Marks Road, Whitefield and Kasturba Road. IDP's own announcement says all IELTS tests in India are delivered by IDP from 25 July 2021, so IDP is the provider to book with. Band Booster is a tutor, not the exam board or a test centre. It takes no test registrations and sets no exam fees or dates, so this page quotes none. What follows is what the providers' own pages say.
IDP is the provider to book with in India
The British Council India IELTS page reports an announcement that from 25 July 2021 IDP would be the sole distributor of IELTS testing in India. IDP's own announcement says the change came from an agreement with the British Council under which IDP delivers all IELTS tests in India. For test dates, fees and booking, start at IDP India.
Three Bengaluru venues on IDP India's lists
IDP India's IELTS on Computer page lists three Bengaluru centres: Kasturba Road, St. Marks Road and Whitefield. IDP's Bangalore test centre page also names three locations in the city: St. Mark's Road, Whitefield and Kasturba Road.
Some points to keep in mind:
- IDP uses both spellings. Its national directory of test cities says "Bangalore", while the IELTS on Computer page says "Bengaluru", so look under either name.
- The Bangalore page shows address details and computer-delivered test date tabs for Whitefield and St. Marks Road only, and it does not say which venue offers which test format. This page gives no addresses; take the venue, date and format from IDP when you book.
- If you live outside the city, IDP's national test centre directory lists the other cities where it has centres.
Ask IDP three things when you book
IDP India's pages do not settle every point for a Bengaluru centre, so confirm these with IDP. The computer-delivered IELTS in India page sets out what the sources say about format, Speaking and results timing in more detail.
- The test format on your date. IDP India's pages are not consistent about paper-based testing, so this page makes no claim about it for Bengaluru. IDP India does state that the format, level of difficulty and scoring of IELTS on computer are the same as on paper.
- How Speaking is held. IDP India's own pages disagree. Its IELTS on Computer page and computer-delivered FAQ describe a video call interview with an examiner, while its Bangalore test centre page and Writing on Paper page describe Speaking as face to face for IELTS on computer. ielts.org's ways to take IELTS page describes a face-to-face session at a test centre, while its Guide for Test Takers says face to face or via video call. Because the sources conflict, this page cannot say which applies at a Bengaluru centre, so ask IDP when you book. See IELTS Speaking tutor for India.
- Whether your centre offers One Skill Retake. ielts.org says the original test must be an IELTS on computer test at a centre that offers the retake, and that you book and take the retake within 60 days of it. IDP India's One Skill Retake page says the option is available in all cities across India, and its Key features box also gives an availability line naming Australia, New Zealand and the UK at IELTS on Computer centres. The page refers to an eligible test centre and names no Bengaluru venue, so confirm with IDP that your centre offers it. See One Skill Retake or full retake.
What to practise before test day
ielts.org lists four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Listening takes about 30 minutes, Reading 60 minutes, Writing 60 minutes and Speaking 11 to 14 minutes. Speaking and Listening are the same in IELTS Academic and General Training, while Reading and Writing differ, so check with your university, employer or immigration body which one it asks for. Academic or General Training compares the two; for score requirements, see IELTS scores for study abroad.
The next points are general study suggestions, not guidance from IDP or ielts.org, and they promise no band.
- Practise whole sections to time. Both Writing tasks belong in one 60-minute sitting, so rehearse them together, and sit Listening through once without replaying the recording.
- Practise Speaking aloud, with a person. If your Speaking test turns out to be a video call, answering questions over a screen may already feel familiar from lessons on Google Meet, though a lesson is not the test.
- Match your practice to your booking. Practise the module you will sit, Academic or General Training, and once IDP confirms how your Writing is taken, practise it that way.
- Know how the band is built. ielts.org says the overall band is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band, and recommends treating results as valid for two years after the test. The IELTS band score calculator lets you try your own four scores.
Sample questions from ielts.org to use between lessons
ielts.org's IELTS sample test questions page lists sample questions and answers for IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training and IELTS for UKVI Life Skills, and offers practice papers and resources at no charge. IDP India's IELTS on Computer page also links to an IELTS on Computer familiarisation test; open it to see what it includes.
One way to combine the two with lessons:
- Work through a sample section alone, to time, and check Listening and Reading against any answers provided.
- Bring your Writing answer to a lesson. Mike marks it against the public band descriptors, which ielts.org links from its scoring in detail page, and gives feedback during the lesson. The result is a teacher's estimate, not a test result. See IELTS Writing feedback.
- Book a Speaking session that runs Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real format. Sessions can be recorded on request, so you can listen back. See IELTS Speaking coaching, and use the Speaking Part 2 timer between lessons.
- Repeat with another section, spending lesson time on your weakest skill. Listening and Reading sessions are available too.
Booking lessons from Bengaluru
Open the booking page, choose a slot in your own time and see your price in your own currency before you pay; the payment options are shown there too. Your Google Meet link and calendar invite arrive by email right after payment. A regular session lasts 60 minutes, and a paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking. You can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot; a cancellation inside 12 hours is not refunded, and there is no subscription or package to commit to.
The online IELTS tutor page for India covers the pricing method and booking steps in more detail, and how to choose an online IELTS tutor lists questions worth asking any tutor. Questions first? Message Mike on WhatsApp, Telegram or Zalo at +84 383 390 963, or email mkcenter007@gmail.com.