Cambridge IELTS 20 Review: Honest Reviews
Before you practice with Cambridge IELTS 20, you need to know this. Here’s a no-nonsense review from an IELTS expert with 11+ years of experience, plus free practice links!
📖 Academic IELTS Reading: Noticeably Harder
If you are preparing for IELTS Academic Reading, Cambridge IELTS 20 introduces some big changes. Expect more challenging passages, higher-level vocabulary, and question types that demand sharp strategies.
From my analysis, these shifts are not random — they reflect a clear direction in how IELTS is testing reading skills moving forward.
✅ Key Takeaways:
- ✔️ More matching questions (information, details, sentences)
- ✔️ Short Answer Questions are completely missing
- ✔️ Return of Choose TWO answers (MCQ)
- ✔️ Contemporary topics but harder vocabulary
- ✔️ Overall difficulty is higher than previous books
✅ Listening Summary:
- ✔️ More multiple-choice questions (single & multiple answers)
- ✔️ More matching questions in Sections 2 & 3
- ✔️ Gap-fills with advanced vocabulary
- ✔️ Longer question stems need fast reading skills
- ✔️ Normal speed, but more traps and distractions
🎧 IELTS Listening: Longer Questions, Tougher Choices
Even though the speed is similar to previous books (slower than in Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic and Cambridge IELTS 17 General Training), in Cambridge IELTS 20, the Listening section is more challenging because of how questions are designed.
Expect longer questions, more matching, and higher-level vocabulary — especially in Sections 2 and 3. It’s not about speed anymore, it’s about accuracy and avoiding traps.
💡 My Prediction for Future IELTS Reading & Listening
Based on the trends in Cambridge IELTS 20, I believe the future IELTS tests will focus even more on:
- ✔️ Choice-based questions – multiple choice and matching will dominate
- ✔️ Guessing won’t work – more precise reading and listening strategies will be necessary
- ✔️ Vocabulary will be more advanced – especially in Reading passages and Listening gap-fills
- ✔️ Time management will be tested harder – long question stems will slow you down if you’re not prepared
📌 What You Should Do:
- Master elimination techniques for multiple choice questions
- Focus on strategy-driven practice, especially for matching questions
- Regularly build your academic vocabulary — it’s getting harder!
- Train under timed conditions to handle longer questions efficiently
📢 General Training Review Coming Soon
I’m currently computerizing the General Training tests in Cambridge IELTS 20. A full review will be updated once I finish the analysis.
🎁 You can still practice the tests for free right now!
✅ Final Summary: Cambridge IELTS 20 at a Glance
| Skill | Difficulty Compared to Previous Books | What’s New |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Reading | Harder | More matching, choose TWO answers, advanced vocabulary |
| Listening | Harder | More choice-based questions, longer stems, more traps |
| General Training | Coming Soon | Review will be updated after full analysis |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cambridge IELTS 20 harder than earlier books?
Yes — especially in Academic Reading and Listening. You’ll notice more matching and choice-based questions and longer question stems.
What’s the biggest change in Reading?
The return of multiple choice with two answers and more matching questions, plus tougher vocabulary.
Does Listening feel faster?
No, speed is similar or slightly slower than Book 17, but questions are more twisted, with more traps and matching tasks.
When will you review General Training?
I’ll update this page as soon as I finish computerizing the GT tests. Bookmark and check back!
Cambridge IELTS Academic 20 – Computerized Version
Cambridge IELTS 20 (AC) open
Published on: 15 Jul 2025
Test 1
Test 2
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