Who teaches you, and how a lesson works from New York
Every lesson is taught by Mike himself, one-to-one and live on Google Meet in English. He holds the Cambridge CELTA, teaches from Hanoi, and scored 7.5 overall and 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS; About Mike has more. Feedback comes during the lesson, and written progress notes follow in your account.
A lesson can cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2) or Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format), and Writing is marked against the public band descriptors. See IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback for how those two run.
Anonymous results that students have reported back include 6.0 to 7.5 overall, 5.5 to 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 to 8.0 in Speaking. They are individual outcomes, not averages or typical results. No band is guaranteed: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between lessons.
New York and Hanoi: an 11- or 12-hour gap that moves with the clocks
The IANA time zone database lists Vietnam with a plain +7:00 entry and no daylight saving rule, so on that source Hanoi stays on UTC+7 all year (a reference database, not a government page). The same database's North America file puts America/New_York at UTC-5, with the US daylight saving rule adding one hour in summer (UTC-4). NIST says US daylight time begins at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. NIST does not name New York; that link comes from the IANA entry.
Subtracting the offsets, Hanoi (UTC+7) is 11 hours ahead of New York on daylight time (UTC-4) and 12 hours ahead on standard time (UTC-5). NIST lists 2026 daylight time as running from March 8 to November 1 at 2 a.m. local time, so New York's clocks go back on 1 November 2026; the return on 14 March 2027 is our own calculation from NIST's second-Sunday-of-March rule, because NIST lists no 2027 dates. The IANA database shows no clock change for Vietnam, so a lesson held at the same Hanoi time shifts by an hour on a New York clock twice a year.
| New York time | Hanoi, New York on daylight time (11 hours ahead) | Hanoi, New York on standard time (12 hours ahead) |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am | 7:00 pm, same day | 8:00 pm, same day |
| 8:00 pm | 7:00 am, next day | 8:00 am, next day |
| 9:00 pm | 8:00 am, next day | 9:00 am, next day |
These are arithmetic examples, not open slots: Mike's calendar decides which times are open and no hours are promised, so if your hours are fixed, check the booking calendar first. It shows each slot in your own time zone; if you book the same New York time each week, check it again after the clocks change.
Where you can take IELTS in New York, according to ielts.org
You book the test with the provider, not with Band Booster, which does not register candidates, set fees, run the exam or issue results, and is independent of every venue named here. This section was read on ielts.org and IDP's site in October 2026, so confirm it there before you book.
One New York City venue in the finder
At the time of writing (October 2026), the test-centre finder on ielts.org lists one venue with a New York address in the United States, at a university campus in Manhattan (see its ielts.org centre page). That page lists IELTS Academic and General Training, each on computer and on computer with Writing on Paper, where the Writing is handwritten. The finder showed no other US centre with a New York address.
That is a snapshot, not a permanent list: use the finder for current venues and the centre for what it offers on your date. ielts.org's IELTS USA page says there are over 20 test centres across the USA but names no New York venue, and IDP's IELTS for the USA page names no venue or city either.
Computer-delivered, with an examiner for Speaking
ielts.org describes IELTS on computer as taken at a test centre, with Listening, Reading and Writing on screen and Speaking as a face-to-face session with a trained examiner, although its Guide for Test Takers says face-to-face or via video call; none of the ielts.org, IDP or British Council pages read says that video-call Speaking is used, or excluded, at the Manhattan centre, so ask the centre how Speaking runs on your day. ielts.org says computer results arrive 1 to 5 days after the test, and its USA page says most US test takers get them in as little as 1 day; these are typical timings, not promises. For the national picture, see computer-delivered IELTS in the United States.
Paper, IELTS Online, One Skill Retake and UKVI: what to ask before booking
- Paper. ielts.org's USA page says IELTS on Paper is available to some test takers who may need access arrangements, but a 5 March 2026 ielts.org notice says that from mid-2026 IELTS will no longer be offered as a paper-based test, with exact timelines varying by market. The Manhattan page lists only computer options (computer, and computer with Writing on Paper), so do not assume a paper test in New York.
- IELTS Online. ielts.org says it is for Academic only and can be taken at home or in another private place, and that for visa and immigration purposes you should keep taking the test at a test centre. IDP's IELTS for the USA page says its test centres offer IELTS Online or IELTS on Computer and that, depending on your location and the organisation you are applying to, you may be able to take IELTS Online from home. ielts.org's IELTS USA page does not mention IELTS Online, its IELTS Online page does not name the United States, and the Manhattan listing shows computer options only. Ask the organisation that wants your score whether it accepts IELTS Online, and ask the provider whether it is open to you.
- One Skill Retake. ielts.org says you can retake one skill within 60 days of a full IELTS on computer test, once per original test, at a centre that offers it. In October 2026 the finder's One Skill Retake filter returned no US centres and the Manhattan page did not list it; this page cannot say whether it is offered there, so ask the centre before booking the full test. One Skill Retake or a full retake compares the options.
- IELTS for UKVI. If a UK visa application asks for it, ask the requesting body which test you need; the finder's UKVI filter showed a single US centre, in Arlington, Virginia, and none in New York.
Fees and dates can change, so check them on the centre's page in the finder; this page quotes none.
Who decides which test and score you need
ielts.org's USA page says more than 3,400 institutions in the USA accept IELTS and recommends checking with your organisation which test it requires before you book; IDP's USA page says universities set their own score requirements. This page states no score or test type for any New York institution or employer. Academic or General Training explains the two versions.
What to practise, and how to use the sample tests with lessons
Times follow the Academic format on ielts.org (2 hours 45 minutes in total) and parts follow ielts.org's section table.
| Section | Time and parts |
|---|---|
| Listening | About 30 minutes, 4 parts |
| Reading | 60 minutes, 3 parts |
| Writing | 60 minutes, 2 parts |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts |
ielts.org's preparation resources page lists sample tests, described as sample questions and answers, and its sample test questions page has separate sets for Academic and General Training. One way to split the work, as general advice and not guidance from ielts.org:
- On your own: do Listening and Reading sample questions under timed conditions and mark them against the answers.
- With feedback: write a Task 1 and a Task 2 under timed conditions and bring them to a lesson, where Mike marks them against the public band descriptors and explains what to change.
- Live: use lessons for Speaking, which is a conversation, with feedback in the moment; time Part 2 with the Speaking Part 2 timer.
The band score calculator shows how four skill scores average into an overall band.
Booking, price and rescheduling from New York
Your price appears in your own currency on the booking page before you pay, with the payment options. A paid 30-minute trial is available once per student, on the first booking. There is no subscription or package, and you can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot; a cancellation inside 12 hours is not refunded. The online IELTS tutor page for the USA sets out the pricing method and booking steps.
One-to-one online, not a class in New York
Band Booster has no classroom, centre or group class in New York or anywhere else in the United States; Mike teaches online from Hanoi. If you were looking for IELTS classes, this is a different format: one lesson, one student. A class can suit you better if you want classmates or a fixed weekly timetable, because lessons here depend on the slots Mike has open. How to choose an online IELTS tutor lists questions worth asking any tutor.