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July 2015

Want Band 8.5? “Shut off your mobile phone, focus and spend time practicing”

You may remember Sharanya as a winner of our IELTS Results competition – she scored overall Band 8.5 with an amazing 9 in Reading. This is a serious achievement for a young lady whose first language is Tamil. Today we would like to share with you the few simple steps that Sharanya recommends that you take to follow her path to success.

Band 7.5 in IELTS“Before you begin preparation, familiarize yourself with the end to end IELTS test format.

For the listening and reading components, practice, practice, practice as much as possible! Try to take as many tests as you can. Also while studying, try to simulate conditions of an actual test center. Work in a silent closed room and shut off your mobile phone. So even if you study for just 2 hours every day, ensure that you do so without any distractions.

For the speaking component, do subscribe to the updates from www.IELTS-Blog.com. For a period of almost 2 months I consolidated the list of speaking test questions. This greatly helped me to perform confidently in the speaking test. Also ensure that you practice speaking out loud.

For writing, learn about the type of essays and letters/reports that are commonly asked. Do ensure that you equip yourself with an extensive list of connective phrases and terms. Also try to hand write at least one letter/essay a day.”

IELTS test in the UAE – July 2015 (General Training)

Thanks to A who took the IELTS test in the UAE we can share the Writing and Speaking questions he remembered:

Writing testIELTS test in the UAE

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You saw a job ad in the newspaper. Write a letter to the company manager and say

– Express your interest in this job.
– Explain why you are a good candidate for it.
– Explain what you are doing now.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Some people prefer to live alone. What are the advantages and disadvantages of it? Give your own opinion and examples.

Speaking test

Interview

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you do for a job?
– What is the most interesting aspect of your job?
– Do you spend some time by yourself?
– What did you do last time you were alone?
– What is more important to you, the job itself or the people you work with?
– Why is it so?
– Do you often use text messages? Why?
– What is better, to send a message or to call a person?
– Would you like to receive good news via SMS or a phone call? Why?

Cue Card

Describe a situation where you met somebody from your past by accident. Please say

– Where and when was it?
– Who was it?
– Explain why it was so surprising for you.

Discussion

– What did you do together?
– Is it good to have friends from other nations with different cultures?
– Do you like to travel to other countries to see other cultures? Why?