Most often than not, students feel they need to get hold of every material on the IELTS exam and read almost every word in those materials. But this approach will mislead them and might make them feel less confident on the test day. So what is the right way to prepare? Let’s explore.
Well begun is half done. So it’s all about how to start? It would be useless to go through all the materials without knowing the exam, test format and, of course, the tips and tricks. So first on the list are the exams and their format.
All about the IELTS exam:
IELTS comprises two modules. They are:
- IELTS Academic
- IELTS General
IELTS Academic is mostly for students who wish to study in an English speaking country. Important positions in healthcare also require IELTS Academic.
IELTS General is mostly for those who wish to work in a foreign country.
IELTS Exam format:
IELTS tests you on 4 key skills. They are:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
Listening test will contain 40 questions. You will be allotted only 30 minutes to listen to the recording and 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet.
Reading test will also contain 40 questions. You will be given three passages. In IELTS Academic, it will be three long texts, whereas in IELTS General it will be several short texts and one long text. You will be allotted 60 minutes in which you have to read, locate answers and write them in an answer booklet.
The writing test will comprise two tasks, namely task 1 and task 2. You will be allotted only 60 minutes to complete both tasks.
In IELTS Academic,
Task 1 will be report writing for a visual representation such as a bar chart/line graph. The word count is 150.
Task 2 will be essay writing which will have topics that are a tad complex. The word count is 250.
In IELTS General,
Task 1 will be writing a letter on formal/semiformal/informal situations. The word count is 150.
Task 2 will be essay writing. Topics will be less complex than IELTS Academic, and the word count is 250.
The speaking test will be for 11- 14 minutes, where you will have a one-to-one conversation with an IELTS examiner.
It is divided into 3 parts. They are:
Part 1: Introduction and ID check post which the examiner will ask you general questions on common topics.
Part 2: You will be given a cue card or a task card and one minute for the preparation post which you’ll have to speak on it for 1-2 minutes.
Part 3: It is a discussion based on the cue card.
Practice recent actual IELTS questions:
Are you aware of the fact that IELTS questions are repeated? So the best way to prepare is to practice questions from recent actual tests. They are much better than mock/sample tests because they serve a dual purpose. You acquaint the test format and know answers for questions that have a high probability of appearing in the exam. There are many websites which offer you books on the latest questions. One such website is IELTS Material whose store offers many books on the recent actual questions with sample answers by IELTS experts.
But if you have plenty of time, you can use the practice tests as well to get a thorough understanding of the questions that will be asked in the exam.
Enroll on the Live classes:
Live classes are the best way to assess your performance and increase your exam-preparedness. Most of the live classes are conducted by experienced IELTS trainers who will give you valuable feedback. You can work on it and improve your test-taking abilities. The trainers may also help you with tips and tricks to achieve a high band. Nowadays, many websites offer live classes.
Purchase an online IELTS course:
Many IELTS websites offer courses for both modules at a reasonable cost. The benefit of purchasing a course is that they are all-in-one packages containing almost every minuscule detail on the IELTS exam. You don’t have to worry about missing any tip or technique that is required to ace the exam. Most of them are led by band 9 teachers, include mock tests and exhaustive video content.
Apart from all this, you may have to learn some IELTS exam preparation tips and techniques which will help you to secure a band 8 or 9. You should know where to focus. Given below are some methods of improving scores in various sections.
IELTS Exam preparation tips and techniques:
Focus on your grammar and vocabulary:
Good grammar and vocabulary will take you one step further. So it is of paramount importance to work on these areas.
1. Tips for Reading section:
Knowing the synonyms of various words will be helpful when the questions are paraphrased. Learn quick-reading techniques. Pay attention to prepositions and grammar when writing answers. They play a crucial role in deciding your scores.
2. Tips for the Listening section:
Watch English news from channels like BBC and English movies. Familiarize yourself with different accents. Many people are prone to making mistakes in simple concepts like subject-verb agreement, prepositions, and tenses. By paying due attention to these, you can see a rapid improvement in your scores, especially in the Listening section.
3. Tips to improve writing skills:
Learn new words and also practise using them in sentences. By using new words in your essays in the right context, you will impress the examiner.
Read newspapers and magazines. Most essay topics are related to burning issues in society. For example, global warming. By reading, you will be able to collect a lot of essay ideas and topic related vocabulary. The latter plays a crucial role in boosting your scores.
Regarding the Academic Writing Task 1, learn words for compare and contrast and terms to indicate changes and no change conditions. For General writing task1, learn how to greet and close different types of letters.
If you’re tired of online classes/practice questions, give yourself a relaxing break by using some mobile apps to enhance your lexical resource through games. When you are bored with online dictionaries, give apps a try. It is fun to use them. There are a lot of word-building exercises and quizzes that you can play with your friends.
4. Tips to improve Speaking skills:
In the speaking test, fluency plays a significant role in securing a good band. Talk in English with your friends. Watch a lot of English web series and movies and observe their tone and intonation. Make an effort to learn their pronunciation. Find out simple things that you can do to make you resemble a native speaker.
Not so good at speaking? Need a partner to practise? You can always find one through social media sites like Facebook.
Note: Please ensure the authenticity of the partner before venturing into such activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
The IELTS exam consists of four main sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both the Academic and General Training versions, while the Reading and Writing sections differ in content and format.
Enhance your reading skills by regularly reading newspapers, articles, and academic texts. Practice skimming and scanning techniques to quickly grasp the main ideas and locate specific information in the passages
Improve your speaking skills by engaging in regular conversations with English speakers or language partners. Practice speaking on a wide range of topics, express your opinions clearly, and work on fluency and pronunciation.
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