The Best Free SAT, IELTS, GRE & Duolingo Prep Resources for 2025

Preparing for a major exam like the SAT, GRE, or IELTS can be incredibly stressful. The pressure to get a high score is immense, and the sky-high prices of test prep courses can make you feel like you're already behind if you can't afford them. But we want to let you in on a secret: you don't need to spend a fortune to get a fantastic score. What you need is a smart plan and the right set of tools.

Forget the idea that more expensive means better. The internet is filled with powerful, high-quality resources that are completely free. This guide isn't just a list of those resources; it's a strategic framework for how to combine them into a world-class study plan that will genuinely boost your score, all without costing you a dime.

The Three Pillars of a World-Class Free Study Plan

A successful self-study plan isn’t about randomly watching videos or doing practice problems. It’s about having a structure. We’ve broken it down into three core pillars. If you build your prep around these three ideas, you will have a stronger foundation than most students who pay for expensive courses.

Pillar 1: Official Practice Materials (Your Blueprint)

This is the most important rule of test prep: you must use official materials. These are the questions and tests created by the same people who make the real exam. Think of them as the blueprint for your test. Everything else is just a copy. Using these materials is non-negotiable because they teach you the exact style, difficulty, and tricks of the real test.

How to Use Them Like a Pro:

• For the SAT: College Board's Bluebook™ App. The first thing you should do is take one of the free digital practice tests cold. No studying. This gives you an honest baseline of your skills. It will show you exactly where you're strong and where you need to improve. Don't waste the other tests; save them to track your progress as you study. Analyze your mistakes carefully. For every question you got wrong, ask yourself: Was it a content gap (I didn’t know the material), a strategy gap (I didn’t know how to approach the question), or a careless error? This analysis is more important than the score itself.
• For the GRE: ETS POWERPREP Online. Just like the SAT, use the first free test to get your starting point. The GRE is an adaptive test, which means the difficulty of the questions changes based on your answers. Your first test is critical for understanding the level you need to be practicing at. Save the second free test for the final week before your exam to get a feel for the real thing. Again, the real learning happens when you review your mistakes. The GRE is a test of critical thinking, so understanding *why* a wrong answer is wrong is just as important as knowing why the right answer is right.
• For the IELTS: British Council & IDP Samples. The real gold here is in the Writing and Speaking samples. Don't just read them. Try to answer the prompts yourself first, then carefully compare what you wrote or said to the official samples. Look for gaps in your vocabulary and how you structure your arguments. Notice the transition words they use and the complexity of their sentences. This is how you learn to think like a high-scorer.
• For the Duolingo English Test: Official Practice Test. The key to the Duolingo test is getting comfortable with its unique, fast-paced format. Take the free official practice test over and over again. Your goal is to get so familiar with the interface and question types that you don't even have to think about them. That way, you can use all your brainpower on answering the questions correctly. Time yourself and notice which question types slow you down the most. Those are the areas where you need to focus your practice.

Pillar 2: Guided Learning (Your Free Tutor)

Once your first practice test has shown you where you need to improve, you need a way to learn those specific skills. This is where the best free learning platforms come into play.

Khan Academy: Your Personal SAT Coach

Because Khan Academy has an official partnership with the College Board, it is the single best free resource for the SAT. Its true power lies in its ability to create a personalized study plan. When you link your College Board account, it will analyze your practice test results and give you specific exercises and video lessons that target your exact weaknesses. It's like having a free personal tutor who knows exactly what you need to work on. Don’t just do the exercises; watch the videos and read the articles to truly understand the concepts behind the questions you're missing.

YouTube: Your Strategy Expert

YouTube is an amazing resource, but you have to use it strategically to avoid getting distracted. Don't just watch videos passively. Find reputable channels like Magoosh or Greg Mat+ and treat their videos like a class. When they show a practice problem, pause the video and try to solve it yourself first. Then, watch their explanation. This active approach is the difference between watching someone else exercise and actually building your own mental muscle. Create a dedicated “Study” playlist to save the most helpful videos so you can easily come back to them later.

Pillar 3: The Daily Habit That Ties It All Together

This is the missing piece for most students who try to study for free. Official tests are for practice. Khan Academy and YouTube are for learning concepts. But what about the daily work? What is the one thing you can do every day that will make all your other studying more effective?

The answer is building your vocabulary. A strong vocabulary is the foundation for everything else. It helps you read faster, understand questions better, and write more clearly. A practice test can show you that you have a vocabulary weakness, but it doesn't give you a system to fix it. For that, you need a tool you can use every single day.