Cracking the IELTS exam with an excellent band score is everyone’s dream. Many students have achieved this through regular practice and smart planning. You can perform better in the exam by avoiding the common mistakes committed by test takers. When you listen to the advice from experienced IELTS crackers, tackling the test will become very easy for you.
So, here we have compiled all the tips from students who have already attempted the IELTS exam. These golden rules can be your saviour on the final day. Keep on reading to get the best recommendations on IELTS.
- First of all, make sure which kind of IELTS exam you are sitting for. Because there are two different tests- IELTS academic and IELTS general training. If you are flying overseas for educational purposes, it will be best to take the academic test. And if you want to travel foreign for work or settlement, then appear in the general training exam. The exam pattern is similar in both the tests. What differs is the standard and theme of topics and questions. So, apply for the exam wisely.
You already know how the exam is classified into 4 sections. Let us know what are the tricks to perform best in each section
IELTS listening assessment
In this part of the test, you are supposed to listen to audio which can be a conversation or speech in an English accent. Now, you have to answer the questions related to the recording. You will be hearing 4 audios in total. And you will get 10 questions each. The exam demands your sharp focus to catch the correct answer from the audio. You should be master in multitasking which means you have to simultaneously carry out listening, analyzing, and writing. So, it is better to train your brain by practicing standard study materials. You should definitely take the Cambridge IELTS listening tests available on YouTube.
You can’t request the examiner to play the audio once again. So, better listen in one go with rapt attention. You will hear the answers to the questions one after other. So, never put extra pressure on your head and get panicked.
You will get only 10 minutes to write the responses on the answer sheet. So, don’t waste time in rethinking and revising. If you failed to get answers to a few questions don’t get worried. Move ahead. Use capital letters and stick to the word limit of the questions. Write only options like A, B for the MCQs to save time.
There is no negative marking. So, try to attempt all the 40 questions. Refrain from committing spelling blunders, you will not be awarded any mark even If your answer is correct.
You can level up your listening skills by regularly listening to English movies, news channels, and radio.
IELTS Reading test
In this portion of the exam, you will be given really long texts to comprehend and answer the related questions. So, you need a better strategy to clear this part. For that, we recommend you to first read the questions. Then quickly skim through the paragraphs and get the gist of the text. Search for the keywords present in the question so that you don’t have to waste time reading the entire article word by word.
There will be about 14 different types of questions in the exam for which you should have rich knowledge in synonyms, antonyms etc. While writing the answers, strictly follow time management and word limit. Instead of writing T/F write TRUE/FALSE. Don’t get stuck in one question for a longer time.
To ace the reading section, make it a habit to read English newspaper editorials daily. Practice standard materials with easy to hard difficulty level prescribed by the British council and Cambridge IDP.
IELTS Writing exam
In the writing section, you will be given an essay and a letter topic to write about. In the next question, you will be given some pictorial data like a pie chart or bar graph. You have to write down the inferences with your creativity. Before starting your articles, spare some time to plan the skeleton of your writing. Note the key points which you will be elaborating in the consecutive paragraphs.
While writing uses a mixture of lexical structures. Use a balanced combination of simple and complex sentences to impress the examiner. Introduce some questions to engage the reader. Grammatical mistakes will cost you marks. Enrich your vocabulary so that you can use a variety of verbs and words. Write proper salutations in formal and informal letters. Follow the formats of applications and letters accurately. Practice the commonly asked IELTS essays.
You will be able to generate excellent writing pieces after practicing regularly. So, try to attempt mock tests as much as possible.
IELTS Speaking test
Here comes the most dreaded part of IELTS which is not less than an interview. The most tested skill here is your confidence in communicating in the English language. So, give your best to be a fluent speaker. Never ever memorize the answers to the commonly asked questions. The examiner will easily catch it and change the question. Rather we will recommend you practice the common topics given in standard study materials. Enhance your vocabulary in those topics so that you can easily speak up a range of words when questioned. For better impressions show your proficiency by using quotes, idioms and phrases from time to time. Get yourself some up to date reference material like makkar IELTS. Practicing questions beforehand gives you an overall grip on the topic. Tell a friend to be your partner for speaking practice. By communicating daily in English, you will improve your fluency and self-confidence. On the exam day, don’t sound monotonous. Have a flow to your voice and make it interesting by allowing tone modulations. Speak in a moderate voice audible to your examiner. Don’t panic if you stammer at first. Gather confidence and speak further confidently.
So, in this article, we tried to give you some generous tips for getting the best results in your upcoming IELTS exam. And yes never settle down for a lesser score. Always target for a band score above 7 which will unleash several opportunities for you. We wish you all the very best for your exam!
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