The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the most widely recognised English Proficiency Tests, and almost anyone who travels internationally is required to take it.
So, why is this so important? Simply put, this test establishes the ability to understand and speak fluent English, which is a requirement when applying to study in an English-speaking country.
The IELTS exam is split into two categories: Academic and General. They are exactly the same IELTS tests, with the exception of the intent of taking the test and a small portion of the syllabus. Whereas Academic IELTS is usually taken by people who want to go abroad to finish their secondary education, General IELTS is usually taken by people who want to go abroad to finish their secondary education.
IELTS is divided into four parts, as you might know: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. You must also study separately for each part of the test. So, here are a few pointers to help you get by.
SECTION-WISE IELTS PREPARATION GUIDE
Listening
In the first recording, you’ll be required to listen to a conversation between two people and respond to questions in the same manner. These recordings can now be made in any accent, including American, British, Australian, and Asian English.You’ll need to familiarise yourself with these accents in order to prepare for this, and how do you do that? You’ll have to watch a lot of videos, to begin with. We recommend that you watch Ted Talks or BBC or CNN conversational debates.
The second recording is a monologue about social background, and the fourth is a speech delivered at a university. The trick to preparing for any of these recordings is to pay attention to the recording’s core concept. You should also be aware of what other topics are brought up in the recording and how the speaker expresses his point of view.
The third recording is usually a four-person group discussion. Understanding the central subject of discussion is important here as well. Apart from that, try to recall the names of the people who were involved in the conversation, as well as any relevant references, if any.
When watching videos to prepare for the test, start with ones that have subtitles because they will help you understand them better and, as a result, your vocabulary will improve.
Finally, take your time listening to each recording and try to recall just the most important bits. Don’t overload your mind with useless details. This, of course, requires a great deal of practise.
Speaking
This is the part of the exam that most people fear. However, with a few pointers, you can easily overcome it. In the first task in this section, you must answer some basic questions about yourself, such as your family, hobbies, and ambitions. So, the key is to provide timely, detailed responses while avoiding being too gossipy, as this may give the examiner the wrong impression.
The second task requires you to talk for approximately 2 minutes on a given subject. Here, try to express as simply as possible what you know about the subject. Use evidence to back up your answer, but only those that you are confident of. Avoid using deceptive facts or hoodwinks, as this might get you in trouble. Anything you say should be succinct, precise, and confident.
The third task asks you to respond to the examiner’s questions about the subject you discussed. Make sure you’re clear and assured about what you’re talking about. Make sure you remember what you said in the previous task, because the interviewer will ask you tricky questions to get you to contradict yourself. Do not be fooled.
When responding to the examiner, avoid sounding too excited or even nervous. Respond calmly and intelligently. Try not to babble incorrect answers or fragmented information while answering questions you don’t know the answer to. Simply answer as much as you do, and if you don’t, inform the examiner.
Reading
You must read and answer questions about three long passages, each of which contains around 300 words, in this section, so the first thing you must learn is how to speed read. This is an ability that can only be developed by making it a habit to learn and read a lot before taking the test. Since you won’t have much time to re-read the passages, try to grasp them the first time around.
In your mind, try to summarise the central concept of the passages. This will assist you in providing more accurate answers to the questions. Keep in mind what the author is trying to convey in the passages and how he supports it with proof.
Learn the skill of skimming through a passage and it will help you find answers to all of your questions. Be very precise and certain about each answer when writing the answers. If you’re not sure, double-check, but try to be as precise as possible.
Make it a habit to read extensively before exams. The only way to improve your performance in this segment is to do so. Work on your vocabulary as well. After all, you don’t want to be caught trying to figure out what a certain passage word means. Going over old sample papers or decent IELTS books is the perfect way to do this.
Writing
In this segment, you must complete two tasks in 60 minutes: a 150-word summary of the given figure or graph and a 250-word essay. It’s a better idea to finish the essay first, as it takes longer, and then move on to task 1.
When writing the essay, make sure to express the essay’s core concept clearly and in a comprehensible manner. Furthermore, build the topic’s claim in such a way that each paragraph appears to be connected to the one before it. You don’t want your essay to appear as a jumble of details, but rather as a cohesive piece of writing that explains the subject.
Learn how to read and comprehend graphs and tables for the first task. You must be able to comprehend the concept conveyed by the diagram. Furthermore, comprehend the values given and build your explanation based on the comparison of these values. Try not to go into too much detail in every section of the description; keep it short and sweet.
Build a strong vocabulary and improve your writing pace. It’s a challenge to complete both tasks in 60 minutes, and you’ll need to develop a writing routine to do so. Also, avoid making any silly punctuation errors or abbreviations, as these can negatively impact your grade. For the article, use formal terminology.
PREPARE FOR THE IELTS EXAM WITH THESE TIPS
Prepare yourself.
The first and most obvious piece of advice I can give you is to be prepared. Begin preparing as soon as possible before the test. This way, you’ll have plenty of time to map out your studies before you start. The more you practise, the more self-assured you will be on exam day. For your IELTS training, just use the best research materials; a competent counsellor will assist you here.
Get any assistance.
You may believe you are the smartest Homo Sapien on the planet, but IELTS is not the place to put that to the test. It is often recommended that you seek assistance from experts who have years of experience preparing students for the IELTS exam. If that isn’t an option, you can enrol in one of the many online courses available. As a result, you’ll have a more professional attitude and, as a result, you’ll do better on your test.
Perform several dry runs
Practice is the key to improving your IELTS score. You will boost your score by practising more. So, today, start watching good debates and reading the right books. Also, try to solve as many IELTS sample question papers as you can. This method will not only assist you in improving your language skills, but it will also assist you in boosting your confidence.
Improve your language skills
To take the IELTS, you must have adequate language skills. We don’t just mean vocabulary; we mean a mix of strong vocabulary and perfect grammar. Also, make sure you know how to use punctuation correctly, as this will be crucial in the writing portion. You don’t want to risk marks because of such blunders.
Be quick to respond
You must have figured it out by now. Since there are so many questions and time is of the essence on the IELTS test, you must be fast at both reading and answering. So, if you practise, do timed tests so that you can get in the habit of completing your tests ahead of schedule. You can also learn a good writing pace this way, which will help you in the writing portion.
