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Your Ultimate Guide to IELTS Test Preparation
IELTS is an English language examination that is taken by international candidates who want to work and learn in countries where English is the main communication language. Many popular nations where IELTS is accepted for university admissions include Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. IELTS test majorly measures the capability of candidates to communicate in four common English language skills – writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Continue reading to learning more about IELTS academic test preparation.
How Can I Prepare Myself for IELTS Exam at Home?
Preparing for the IELTS exam can be scary and leave you feeling overwhelmed regarding where to start. Here are tips to guide you in preparing for the IELTS test:
Take a Practice Test
Prepare by taking a practice quiz to start with and recognize your weaknesses. This is a crucial step in your initial preparation that will assist in establishing where your weaknesses and strengths are. Taking practice tests is not only crucial in improving your weaknesses, but it is also important in building up your strengths so as to develop a solid foundation for your exam.
Nevertheless, if you find it hard to refrain from your mistakes or are not able to recognize them, you certainly require a professional by your side. Many test-takers opt to pursue an IELTS preparation course, one of the easiest ways of approaching the test since it focuses entirely on getting you ready for the exam.
Understand the Structure of the Test
Before starting to practice, it is very crucial to know the format of the IELTS test. Familiarize yourself with the format by reviewing the content of the test, including questions and types of tasks for every section. Note that the key to success in any test and not simply IELTS is a sound familiarity with the test format and pattern.
Understand Time Constraints in the Exam
The more you understand the test format, the higher your chances are to finish it successfully within the allocated time. You need to prepare under timed conditions; hence you become familiarized with the pace of the test. Note that the IELTS exam has a time limit and test-takers have only the time allocated for every module. If you cannot finish the modules within the allocated time or can’t concentrate accordingly because of the timing pressure. After all, preparations are done under the same timed condition as the exam; then, you are ready for the pace of the IELTS test.
Develop your English Abilities as Well as IELTS Strategies
One of the major mistakes that learners make is focusing only on the IELTS exam. They do a lot of practice questions, but they forget to up their English. Learning IELTS is a process that takes several weeks to get good scores.
Start to prepare for the IELTS exam at least three to six months early. It’s highly recommended to look for a school that will assist you with IELTS and English development strategies.
Multitask when listening in English
It is evident that the IELTS exam is demanding, just like the listening module. You are supposed to answer forty questions throughout four recordings. The recording would be played only once. Common questions consist of multiple-choice, form completion, summary completion, and sentence completion.
It’s not shocking to be lost during a conversation, but you have to recover quickly or miss all quizzes of the exam subsequently. This can be disastrous. Basically, it is important to understand how to follow a conversation, even if you miss something and how you can recover to continue to answer the preceding quizzes.
Also, you are required to understand the kind of information to give based on the type of question. Is it an address, a name, a number?
Develop Several Reading Skills
The major purpose of the reading unit is to test various reading skills. Skimming, reading for detail, reading for key ideas, reading for gist, understanding the logical argument, as well as recognizing the purpose, attitudes, and opinions of writers.
Candidates must complete diagram labels, match headings, complete sentences, match information, and provide short answers.
Ensure that practice comprises different questions in order to be familiar with every type. Timing is crucial in the reading course, and you will not have time to read texts many times. The are many strategies to assist you in avoiding this state. For instance, how to skim the course material and the type of information you are supposed to focus on.
When Writing, Employ Appropriate and Assertive English Terminologies
The writing test is possibly the one that many persons struggle with. All tasks in the academic training ought to be written in a formal style.
- Task 1: Necessitates test-takers to explain and describe data that they might be specialists at, and this needs a lot of practice in English.
- Task 2: This presents many challenges. Typically, the topic provided might be difficult to create if you aren’t acquainted with it. Additionally, the essay ought to have the right format.
You should be well prepared so as to answer both tasks and know the requirement of each.
Speak with Coherence or Fluency in Direct Communication
The IELTS exam takes less than 15 minutes and is divided into three sections. The first part is dedicated to general topics and an introduction between the examiner and the candidate. The second portion assesses the ability of the test-taker to speak about a random topic provided on the task card. The third portion just adds difficulty to the second. Here, the examiner pays attention to fluency, lexical resource, and pronunciation.
Practicing every part of the examination is crucial during the IELTS academic test preparation, and you will be familiar with to pressure that you will experience during the exam. You must take notes that will assist you in talking for two minutes during the second section of the exam.
Expose Yourself in English
Immerse yourself in as much English language as possible during your IELTS academic test preparation. Go through things that are interesting to you in English; blogs or online magazines might be a great place to begin.
Write some English daily, keeping a blog by writing a diary, communicating with a virtual community like persons on a Facebook group that share an interest with you.
Listen to English native speakers talking to each other and join in if possible. Attempt the “shadowing” method. This entails repeating what an individual has said in English. This assists with stress, intonation, and pronunciation.
Frequently Asked Questions About IELTS Test
Can I Study for IELTS by Myself?
Yes. You can study and pass your IELTS test by yourself without coaching.
Is IELTS Difficult?
IELTS, which is the main English language proficiency test, isn’t difficult. The test can assess your abilities in speaking, writing, reading, and listening in less than three hours.
Is Self-Study Enough for IELTS?
IELTS self-study is the best option since you can do it at any time and anywhere. You do not have to go to a particular school at a specific time, and you can utilize your saved time to prepare more by yourself.
How Much Time Does It Take to Prepare for IELTS?
This is the most commonly asked question by learners, but the answer depends on your ability as well as the score that you want to earn.
Candidates who aim at scoring 6.5 overall might require to do a lot of work compared to a learner who wants a higher score since their present capability is worse.
High School of America recommends learners to spend a minimum of 6-8 weeks preparing for the test, focusing on writing skills, test strategies, reading speed, and basic grammar. All sections of the IELTS test differ greatly, so make sure that you understand well what you are supposed to do.
Can You Pass IELTS Without Studying?
No. You cannot pass your IELTS exam without studying. If you do not familiarize yourself with the kind of questions, the examination environment, and the timing. You will lose more marks even when you are fluent in the English language.
Can I Write IELTS from Home?
You can write the IELTS exam from home or any location so long as there is a stable internet connection.
Can I Prepare for IELTS in 10 Days?
Ten days are not enough to prepare for IELTS. Four skills are tested in the IELTS test – speaking, writing, reading, and listening.
Can we Cheat in IELTS Exam?
There are many rings that offer leaks to examination questions as well as fake test-takers to take the exam on your behalf. It is crucial to stress that IELTS forbids cheating. Notably, those caught cheating will risk affecting their study and university visa application.
Is 8.5 a Good IELTS Score?
8.5 is a good score for the IELTS exam. With this score, you can meet the English language proficiency requirements of any university. You are regarded as a very good user and expert user of English.
