As we all know, learning from other people’s experience is a very effective technique, and here is your opportunity to find out how Giulia (from Italy) and Ahmed (from Bangladesh) were able to get Band 7.5 in their IELTS exams. As winners of our ‘Best IELTS result’ competition, Giulia and Ahmed were asked to share their advice. Here it is:

Giulia said:

“I would suggest to all the IELTS candidates to improve most of all their abilities in time management, because I think that it’s very difficult is to do your best, especially in the writing part, in such a short time. In order to do that it is useful to do as much exercise as possible keeping an eye on the watch. For the writing part, I found it very helpful to learn a list of linking expressions to use in every situation and some synonyms for the most common words, since they make the text look more fluent.

During the speaking, improvising is better than keeping silent. And, I know it might look obvious, but still it’s important to live the English language day by day, reading newspapers and talking with native speakers.

Last, but not least, it’s fundamental not to panic!”

Ahmed said:

“I was not born in a native English speaking country. However, I have effectively used specific techniques in order to get better at my English skills. I have been always trying to implement any particular technique in each of the 4 modules before the exam. For example, I have practiced the “Mind Mapping” technique in both Speaking and Writing modules.

Other activities such as listening to music and the news regularly in English have increased my lexical resources. I believe my biggest strength is in writing, as everyone has their own. I have always tried to pretend that I’m writing something even when practicing for a different module. I always recorded my speaking and tried to listen to it later to check for errors.

IELTS-Blog has also provided me with the latest questions from different countries, which enriched my knowledge too. I would sometimes write down the lyrics of a song just to check how am I doing with my English Listening. Scanning, Skimming, Analyzing, Identifying specific information have been the main keys for my Reading.

All in all, I encourage each and every one out there planning to sit the IELTS exam to make an organized effort and to understand the format of the test.”

Related posts:

1. Tips for a better IELTS score from Venkatesh, Band 7.5 You may remember Venkatesh Neelakantan from India, one of our...
2. Ahmed explains how he got Band 7 in IELTS You may remember Ahmed Saber as one of the winners...
3. Success Story: Kingsley Raises IELTS Score and Becomes a Registered Nurse (Part 1) If you are having doubts about whether or not your...
4. Success Story: Kingsley Raises IELTS Score and Becomes a Registered Nurse (Part 2) Yesterday we posted about Kingsley’s success in raising his IELTS...
5. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...

You may remember Venkatesh Neelakantan from India, one of our competition winners last month, who took the third place with a band score of 7.5. Here are some tips Venkatesh was happy to share about his way of studying:

“I am absolutely delighted to hear the news. Thank you very much for the certificate and the appreciation. It is indeed one to be treasured.

In my opinion, making English a part of everyday life is very important. One needs to think in English, see more English channels, converse extensively in English. Even if it is throwing a spontaneous tantrum, let it be in English. It is OK to make mistakes, but the conscious attempt to better oneself should be definitely made. English should be so entwined that it should become the second nature. This enhances the ability to grasp new words and phrases easily.

Secondly, reading a lot of editorial articles from good newspapers helps. In Chennai, India I used “The Hindu”. This is a leading newspaper and contains articles written in a very good English.

Thirdly, referring to websites and read others’ opinions and advice is important. In that regard, I would undoubtedly say that your site IELTS-Blog is a one stop shop to seek answers for all the questions I had in mind. It is a kind of a mega mall where I got not only exam tips, but also sample essays and other valuable pieces of information from other contributors. I would suggest readers to run through your entire website and grasp as much as possible.

Last but not the least, aim higher! The mind should be tuned to a perfect 9. As the saying goes “Aim for the stars and you may reach the sky”. This is what I did.

Hope my suggestions help others in excelling in their IELTS pursuit.

Good luck to everyone and my heartfelt gratitude to IELTS-Blog.com”

Related posts:

1. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
2. IELTS Tips for Success from Andrei, Band 8.5 I am sure you remember Andrei Florea, who took the...
3. IELTS Preparation tips from Sayma, who got Band 7.5 Sayma Monir was one of the first winners of our...
4. Ideas for a higher score from successful test takers As we all know, learning from other people’s experience is...
5. Simple – yet effective tips from Karishma, Band 8 in IELTS Shortly after we contacted the winners of IELTS results competition...

Zahid Siddique is one of the “Best IELTS Result” competition winners in December 2011. He lives in Pakistan and works as a business executive in a leading multinational company there. His Overall IELTS Band 7.5 is no coincidence – but as he says, “if there’s a will, there’s a way”.

Here’s how Zahid describes his IELTS preparation:

I would like to share my personal experience with all those candidates who are in preparation phase for their IELTS Exams. In my case, the most important factor was my commitment and dedication for a period of around 6-8 weeks. I spared almost 2-3 hours every day from my busy professional schedule, exclusively for preparation of IELTS. I explored IELTS-Blog.com in depth and explored most of the reading, writing, speaking and listening material available on the website.

How I prepared for IELTS is a long story but here is the short version:

Listening

1. I understood the pattern of this module.

2. Identified Achilles’ heel and then left no stone unturned to make up for the identified deficiencies.

3. Improved and raised myself to the level where I could understand the speech or conversations of a native speaker.

4. I followed the golden rule “Practice, practice and practice”.

Reading

1. I practiced these techniques: previewing, scanning & skimming.

2. Perusal of practice passages with an end in my mind.

3. While doing reading passages, I did not care about the answer rather I focused on how to get to the answer.

4. I tried passages from various sources because Shakespeare said: “Variety is the spice of life”.

5. I followed the golden rule “Practice, practice and practice”.

Writing

1. I understood thoroughly the format of Writing Task 1 & 2.

2. I watched my task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource and grammatical range and accuracy in each attempt and got it reviewed by my IELTS Instructor.

3. In Task 1 I followed a very simple formula of KISS (Keep is short and simple!) by dividing my task into three parts
(a). introduction, (b). statement and (c). explanation of problem(s) or situation, and in conclusion wrote about the action demanded or request.

4. In Task 2, I divided the essay writing into three stages:
(a) planning, (b) writing and (c) editing and clearly divided my essay into three definite parts:
(a) introduction (given statement and position), (b) body paragraphs (arguments 1,2,3 …..plus counter arguments ) and (c) conclusion (reinforcement of position).

5. I followed the golden rule “Practice, practice & practice”

N.B. I wrote approximately over 55 essays during my preparation.

Speaking

1. I got myself well acquainted with the pattern of speaking module or test.

2. I participated in group discussions and extensive speaking sessions.

3. I watched videos of model tests with 8 or 8 plus band score.

4. I worked hard to grow in confidence.

5. I improved my fluency, vocabulary and communicative ability.

6. I paid special attention to pronunciation and decided to follow British accent. Mixing different accents does not work. Always go with the one you feel comfortable with.

Besides, while practicing each skill I timed myself and finished the tasks within the standard allocated time. I also sat for full length IELTS mock exams on weekly basis to assess my English language ability and strategized accordingly following each mock exam.

In addition, I would also like to convey my special thanks to my IELTS teacher, Mr. Riaz Laghari (Islamabad) for his excellent guidance and encouragement during my preparation time.

Related posts:

1. Dr. Afroza Shameen: you CAN get Band 8, here is how (part 1) Some people get their target score in IELTS in the...
2. How Vanja achieved Band 8 in IELTS in less than a week You are going to enjoy these short and practical tips...
3. Priyanka was aiming at Band 7 in IELTS… but got Band 8, here’s how Today I’d like to share an inspirational story with you....
4. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
5. Tips for a better IELTS score from Venkatesh, Band 7.5 You may remember Venkatesh Neelakantan from India, one of our...

Shortly after we contacted the winners of IELTS results competition in December 2011, many of them replied and sent their advice, to help people taking the IELTS exam in 2012. The tips below came from Karishma Singh, an Indian IELTS test taker who prepared at home and scored Band 8.

“Even though I did not practice too many listening tests, I do know for one, that the questions of a section sometimes carry over to the next page – hence turn over the page and CHECK while the tape is being played to avoid any missed questions. By the time I turned over, there were two more questions in that section but as the tape had stopped I had no choice but to guess.

The reading tests may be a little challenging for people like me who have concentration lapses. Hence, I practiced reading tests under exam conditions for about 2 weeks, only to improve my focus skills. Instead of the official 20 minutes, I kept my target at 15 minutes for each section.

Do not spend too much time on writing task one. The writing task 2 gets you more marks and also requires more analysis and presentation. Hence make sure you stick to the 20 minutes – 40 minutes rule for writing task 1 and 2 respectively. As I learnt the bitter way, it will sure affect your writing score.

For the speaking, all I can suggest is every single day, ask your friend to give you a topic and speak on it for about 5 minutes in front of him/her without drawling, keeping a moderate tone. Its the only way to improve. Read 4 new words every day and try using them in everyday talk. Under exam conditions, one can get really nervous but the key to the entire exam is to be calm and not let any of it get to your head.

I had enrolled to sit the exam 22 days before the test date so I was really nervous. I also went through IELTS-blog.com writing practice material and they sure provided me a good idea of the patterns and format I was expected to use. Do them regularly, they are fantastic.”

Related posts:

1. Exam Preparation Tips from Gita, IELTS Band 7.5 Today I would like to share some tips from Gita,...
2. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
3. Simple learning techniques that helped Meybel get Band 8 in IELTS Meybel Martirez is our first place winner in the IELTS...
4. IELTS tips from Srishma, who scored Band 8 after 3 weeks of preparation Below is a genuine story of Srishma Sridhar, an Indian...
5. Lalit shares preparation tips for Band 7.5 I am delighted to share with you the tips we...

Meybel Martirez is our first place winner in the IELTS results competition in November 2011. She comes from the Philippines and her first language is Tagalog. When we asked Meybel to share her methods that resulted in such success, here’s what she told us:

“Thank you for the recognition as 1st placer in your November 2011 IELTS results competition. I really appreciate the certificate you have given me.

I would be glad to share some tips, general pointers and simple learning techniques in my own I.E.L.T.S mnemonic. I hope this would be of help to future test takers.

I – Identify the key areas in the exam

I mainly focused on knowing the nature and format of the test. Items such as:

E – Enrich and enhance your knowledge

Our innate and refined English knowledge is not enough to achieve the result we want. What we need most is to make use of our knowledge carefully and effectively, and strive to learn more. Read as widely as possible, study new proverbs or vocabulary or review our old English notes. For example, the use of correct grammar, if singular or plural is crucial in all categories. Careless mistakes cost many marks.

L – Learn the tips, techniques used and even the common mistakes shared by the past takers.

I am a first-time taker of IELTS and humbly speaking, I just focused studying less than a week prior to my test schedule as it was rushed. My advantage is that I can write and speak English fluently and so I am grateful I got 8.0 for Writing and 8.5 for Speaking. However, had I not known the instructions and what to expect from the test, for sure I would have not gotten this result. IELTS-Blog.com has helped me big time in my preparation. The test samples, tips for success, written stories and other information shared by those who have attested the aid given by this site was of utmost help to me. I suggest you read through the site and find out which items you can keep in mind and can work best for you.

T – Train yourself to practice the test samples as if it is already the real exam.

Read instructions carefully, answer the sample test materials, time yourself and stick to it. Leave questions that you can’t answer, go back later if you have time and make a good guess if needed. No CHEATING. The objective is to test your capacity and have a feel of the actual pacing. Then check your answers and learn from your mistakes. This is what I did mostly during my review.

S – Set your goal and aim as high as possible.

My initial goal was a score of 7 given the short amount of review time I got. However, by familiarizing the type of test, the expectations and the right approach for each category, we can positively get a higher score if we want to. Practice, review, learn, be prepared and challenge the test.

Hope this helps. Thank you again Simone and team for creating IELTS-Blog.com which significantly aids a lot of IELTS takers like me.”

Related posts:

1. Simple – yet effective tips from Karishma, Band 8 in IELTS Shortly after we contacted the winners of IELTS results competition...
2. Priyanka was aiming at Band 7 in IELTS… but got Band 8, here’s how Today I’d like to share an inspirational story with you....
3. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
4. Exam tips from Hermawan, IELTS Band 8 Today I would like to share with you some IELTS...
5. Preparation tips from high achievers of June 2011 It is my pleasure to share with you the tips...

I am sure you remember Andrei Florea, who took the first place in our IELTS results competition last month. When we asked Andrei what would he suggest to other test takers who want to maximize their IELTS score, he said:

“I am most grateful for having been awarded the 1st prize in this month’s competition. Regarding my advice for those who will soon sit the IELTS exam, here is the most important thing that everybody must have in mind: if you go there, be confident.

In your Listening exam you may find yourself in the situation of having missed an answer. Don’t worry, it also happened to me. Just do not concentrate too much on the ones you miss, because these may distract you and make you less attentive to the tape. Of equal importance is not waiting for the answers, but being proactive and anticipating when an answer will come on the tape.

In your Speaking test, be yourself. It is okay to have a strong desire to use a vast array of lexical structures so as to make a good impression, but do not focus your entire attention to these. You may end up not achieving the task completely. Also, do not hesitate to state something for fear of it being wrong. There is no such thing as right or wrong opinion, as long as you stick to the topic.

Regarding the Reading part of the test, I have seen many different approaches to this. Personally, I first read the question, then rapidly skim through the whole text, more like looking for the answer than reading the text. Pay attention more to the context than to the content, as it may help you discover the answer. For me, paying attention to every detail doesn’t help, as it makes me less aware of the rapidly passing time.

Finally, in the Writing test you should be constantly asking yourself how do any ideas that you write connect to the topic and help achieving a task. It is preferable to stick to only a few ideas and be consequent to those, that just going from an idea to another in a rather disorganized way.

In conclusion, be relaxed, but stay focused at all times.”

Many thanks to Andrei for sharing these tips, and good luck to everyone!

Related posts:

1. IELTS Success story (Vy Bui, Band 8.0) Some time ago I wrote about Vy Bui who took...
2. Exam tips for Band 8 from IELTS veteran (Reading and Speaking) Today we are sharing the rest of the tips by...
3. Simple – yet effective tips from Karishma, Band 8 in IELTS Shortly after we contacted the winners of IELTS results competition...
4. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
5. IELTS Preparation tips from Sayma, who got Band 7.5 Sayma Monir was one of the first winners of our...

Sayma Monir was one of the first winners of our November IELTS results competition, who shared their tips for a high score.

As soon as we mailed Sayma her certificate of achievement, she replied and explained how she prepared for the exam. Sayma dedicated 25 days to preparation, and solved many practice tests. She also watched TV channels in English (anything from movies to cartoons), and read magazines in English. And here is some more advice from her email:

“Thank you for the great news. It is an honor to be declared a winner of the IELTS Test result competition.

When I got the result of my IELTS test I could not believe that I scored 7.5. My score in writing, Band 7.5, was the biggest surprise for me.

My advice to other IELTS candidate would be to practice a lot and be confident.

For getting a good score in the listening test it is very important to listen to the recording very carefully with attention to details e.g. intonation of the speaker. The most important part is to read the instructions first. Maintaining the word limit is also important. The answers should be spelled correctly and also be grammatically correct. It is also very important to quickly look at all the questions and answer options (if applicable) in the time provided before each part of the listening test. The first and second part contain questions that are comparatively easier. For this reason, it is very important to answer all the questions of these part correctly to achieve a good score.

It is essential to maintain the time limit in the reading test. At the beginning it is a good idea to take a look at the questions at the end of each passage and underline the key words on the passage. The questions sometimes mention in which part of the passage the answers should be found, e.g. answer the question based on the information provided on paragraph F of reading passage 1.

Writing task 2 contains two-thirds of the total marks and therefore more time should be spent on this part. To score 7+ in writing the spelling and grammar should be accurate, the topic should be explained logically, preferably with relevant references. I believe that describing almost all the data given on the diagram or graph of task 1 in the answer is wise to score high.

Confidence is the key to success in the speaking test. Your answers should be not like answers. Yes, I meant exactly what I said. The answers should be like having a conversation. It is wise to use simple sentences than complex as there are less possibilities of making mistakes. The examiner of my test was a little unfriendly to me, and in some cases the test taker might become nervous in such situations. My advice is to not be become nervous and have faith in yourself.”

Related posts:

1. Exam Preparation Tips from Gita, IELTS Band 7.5 Today I would like to share some tips from Gita,...
2. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
3. Lalit shares preparation tips for Band 7.5 I am delighted to share with you the tips we...
4. IELTS Preparation tips from best IELTS scorers of March 2011 Today I am happy to share with you the preparation...
5. IELTS tips from Srishma, who scored Band 8 after 3 weeks of preparation Below is a genuine story of Srishma Sridhar, an Indian...

Some time ago I wrote about Vy Bui who took home Band 8.0. Since Vy was very kind and emailed a detailed story of her preparation, I am happy to share it here, with the hope that more people will be able to use the same techniques to achieve their target score.

Vy’s IELTS success story

“When I took the IELTS test, I didn’t expect to get an 8.0. I have to say I thought I would get a 6.0 at least and was hoping for a 6.5. After trying several sample tests, I knew I could get a 7 on average so I was aiming for Band 7. So I suggest trying out some tests first to see what levels you are at.

Listening

The first part is always easy. You know for sure the answers will be exactly in the order that the record goes. So I took a quick look to see what the topic was about and I knew when they mention the key word, the answer will come shortly in a second, that way I could never miss it. While I still had time, I checked out as many questions as I could in the next pages and continued to do the same thing, as you don’t really need time to check your answers once each part finishes.

The hard part for me was the multiple choice in Part 3. But through practice, I discovered if I underline the keywords I will not get confused with all the answers and it will take less time to get the main ideas of the answers. I remembered I missed two questions, so in the end I tried to make a guess. All three choices will always be mentioned so the best way was to deduct the wrong answers.

Reading

You would be amazed if I said I had more than 13 minutes left in the reading test. But this is true, and I got 8.5. The only thing I did was skimming. I would say I didn’t read through any passage. The first thing I did was going straight to question one and I went all the way through. I knew the order will either be from top to bottom, or from bottom to the top. So if I got the first answer I knew the second will come between the first and the third. I looked for the keywords in the questions and then looked for them in the passage.

I knew the answer choices will always be the distractions and just one will be right. So all the choices will surely be mentioned in the passage. They don’t make up the choices. So I knew exactly where the answer was. The only thing was to understand what the sentence that contains the answer actually means in order to choose the right answer.

Writing

I don’t have much experience with writing. 3 years ago I was marked at 6.5 -7.0 but now i am still at the same grade. The only thing I would say is try to learn the structure, try to integrate your great range of vocabulary, try to understand the rules (no short writing, no personal view and such things).

If you’ve got the structure, you’ve got 50% of the marks you want. If you’ve got the example, you got another 25%. The rest is checking your grammar (and try to get the main ideas of the graphic if you are doing part 1). I was so confident at writing but it turned out to be the one I got the least mark at. So, practice, practice and practice you will get better.

Speaking

I was not good at speaking. Not because of my accent or vocabulary, just because I never have anything to say. Part 1 was easy, I tried to answer everything I know about me and it’s easy to practice. But I’m bad at making up answers. So I got stuck at part 2. The examiner kept signaling me to talk more because she couldn’t mark if I didn’t say much. OK, so, I would suggest you to show him/ her that you are willing to talk, just pull out anything you can from your head about the QUESTION (don’t get carried away she/he will think you have no idea what they ask or what you’re talking), speak loud and clearly, try to speak fluently but at a moderate speed so you won’t get much ‘uhm’, ‘ah’ in the way.

You don’t need to show how smart you are, just show how well you can speak English. Don’t try out new words, it’s not the time to. If you try to keep it normal when you don’t know what to say, just say “I have never thought about this, let me see” and try to brainstorm. Do not ever sit there and look at them. I would say I did not talk much but she gave me quite a good mark, probably because I spoke at a moderate speed and clearly.

Don’t get too scared or disappointed with your situation. I’m in the third year at uni and I work all the time. I didn’t go to any IELTS classes (my friends said “You CAN NEVER get a 6.5 without going to classes”). I only spent one week to practice and not much (my friends told me “You need at least 3 months to go from one level to another”). I only took IELTS once, this is the first time (my friends said “You got to do it again and again and at least 3 times to get the mark you want”). And I am not very good at English, trust me.

Just practice, practice and practice. You know what it’s like, you figure out what strategy works for you, you sit in the exam and do it your way. Don’t listen to anybody; don’t try to pressure yourself to follow one’s style. If you know what suits you and get you the highest marks in the practice, then do it that way.

After all, I must say that Simone’s blog has motivated me. I had looked at the writing examples. I had looked at the speaking questions. I found a lot of tips about exam’s marking and secrets of success here. Some of those I know I got to remember so I won’t get my marks deducted. I suggest looking out all these tips to know what you got to do to score best.”

Related posts:

1. Success Story: Kingsley Raises IELTS Score and Becomes a Registered Nurse (Part 1) If you are having doubts about whether or not your...
2. Success Story: Kingsley Raises IELTS Score and Becomes a Registered Nurse (Part 2) Yesterday we posted about Kingsley’s success in raising his IELTS...
3. IELTS Tips for Success from Andrei, Band 8.5 I am sure you remember Andrei Florea, who took the...
4. How Dawn improved from Band 6 to Band 8.5 in less than a month I am excited to share with you today exam tips...
5. IELTS tips from Srishma, who scored Band 8 after 3 weeks of preparation Below is a genuine story of Srishma Sridhar, an Indian...

You may remember Ahmed Saber as one of the winners in the IELTS results competition in October. Ahmed prepared for his exam using the book Target Band 7 and submitting essays to our writing correction team. When we asked him what else he thinks is important in IELTS preparation, here’s what he said:

“Thanks a lot for choosing me the winner of last month’s competition. I feel proud indeed. Now I’d like to give some advice about what helped me to get a high band score. Your blog is doing a great job in helping all those who are preparing for the IELTS exam.

My advice:

Personally, I practice English speaking with my son Omar and my daughter Roa (who can speak English very well), as well as my wife.

I hope future IELTS test takers will benefit from these tips.”

Related posts:

1. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
2. IELTS Preparation tips from Sayma, who got Band 7.5 Sayma Monir was one of the first winners of our...
3. Priyanka was aiming at Band 7 in IELTS… but got Band 8, here’s how Today I’d like to share an inspirational story with you....
4. Exam Preparation Tips from Gita, IELTS Band 7.5 Today I would like to share some tips from Gita,...
5. Tips for a better IELTS score from Venkatesh, Band 7.5 You may remember Venkatesh Neelakantan from India, one of our...

Today I’d like to share an inspirational story with you. The reason why I feel it’s important for you to read it is very simple. We all are slaves of our beliefs. What we think about ourselves, defines our future. But here is the really important bit: this doesn’t have to work against us – it can work in our favour.

Everyone, meet Pryanka Verma, an IELTS test taker from India. Her first language is Hindi, and her dream was to get a Masters Degree in Physiotherapy from an Australian University. Guess what – she had to pass IELTS for this dream to come true, and she had to get Band 7 in every section.

She didn’t make it … in the first attempt. Or the second. But she did not let this destroy her dream – and in the third attempt she overshot her target, and got Band 8! Not surprisingly, Priyanka took the first place in our IELTS results competition in October, and we got a chance to ask her what her secret was. Here’s what she said:

“I was very much elated when I came to know that I got Band 8 in IELTS and my happiness was doubled when I won the IELTS Blog October competition.

I was preparing for IELTS since May 2011 and this was my third attempt. I wanted to pursue Masters in Physiotherapy from University of Sydney. For this course the minimum requirement is band 7 with minimum7 in all components but I got Band 8 with 7.5 in both speaking and writing, 8 in reading and 8.5 in listening. After submitting my IELTS result to university, same day I got unconditional offer for Master of Physiotherapy. So it’s a dream come true, but behind all this I have done lot of hard work to achieve this goal.

I want to share some of my experiences and tips to get a good score in IELTS. First of all I prefer smart work rather than spending hours in studying. I used to study 2-3 hours only but I did practice as if I am giving the real IELTS test. Also IELTS-Blog website, Target Band 7 book and Cambridge book for IELTS helped me a lot. I purchased the Target Band 7 book just 1 month before my exam and it was proved to be beneficial for me. But no book or website can give you success until you do a lot of practice.

I will suggest you to first rule out your weak points or where you need to put more efforts for example, for me it was writing. You should practice every section consistently, do not concentrate on one or two section only. Practice as many mock tests as you can, as this will help you during the actual day of test. Now I would like to give tips for all the four sections:

Listening: this is my favourite part of test, I practised listening by watching movies, listening to English songs and listening to news along with IELTS practice tests.

Reading: it was never a problem for me, I always got good scores in it. But I suggest you to follow Target Band 7 Book tips and practice as much as you can.

Writing: firstly you should make yourself aware that what the actual format for writing is. Secondly, always try to practice within the time limit so that you can revise and check your writing that increases the probability of getting good marks. Finally I will say that Target Band 7 book is complete guide for writing, just practice as it says.

Speaking: do not take speaking as a burden instead take it as a fun. Chat with friends and family in English, talk to yourself in English. Think as if you do not know any other language.

I wish all IELTS test takers good luck, and I hope my tips will help you further.

Related posts:

1. IELTS tips from Srishma, who scored Band 8 after 3 weeks of preparation Below is a genuine story of Srishma Sridhar, an Indian...
2. Dr. Afroza Shameen: you CAN get Band 8, here is how (part 1) Some people get their target score in IELTS in the...
3. Lalit shares preparation tips for Band 7.5 I am delighted to share with you the tips we...
4. Victor’s tips for Band 8 in IELTS Today we are happy to share the tips received from...
5. Simple – yet effective tips from Karishma, Band 8 in IELTS Shortly after we contacted the winners of IELTS results competition...