Today we are delighted to share a success story of Pauline O. from Nigeria. Unlike people who find themselves taking IELTS repeatedly, trying to get their desired score, Pauline took the exam for the first time and got Band 7.5. Here is how she explains her success:
“Inspiration and commitment were the two keys that helped me get a good IELTS score as a first timer. I saw results in the IELTS-Blog Hall of Fame and I said to myself “If they can do it, then so can I” – plus I also applied tips from the winners and today I’m one of them.
The most tricky part for me was the Reading test. I realized an attempt to read the entire passage before answering meant I would never finish so I devised a means of simply picking the answers out of the passage through scanning.
For the Speaking test, confidence and lots of words are the key while making sure your pronunciation is correct. Even if the answer to a question is not correct, it’s your English that is being tested and not really your knowledge on the question asked, so never keep quiet. Keep talking and remember to breathe so you don’t fumble with words.
As for the Writing part, you have to be sure to address exactly what is asked, in clear language, be it data or an essay topic or a letter. Also, don’t forget to use appropriate punctuation marks because I sure did.
Despite scoring a 7.5 on the Listening, “Never touch your headphones” is what I’ll say to myself if I ever have to write IELTS again – considering the sad fact that I lost some listening time to that. Watch lots of English movies too, it’s fun. However, the most important thing is to clear your mind and pay utter attention because a split second matters. If you do miss an answer though, don’t panic, rather move on or you’ll miss the next one.
Lastly, positive thinking is everything! I was so scared of the reading part and it was my lowest. Invest your time while preparing for your IELTS and have fun doing it. Read novels, blogs or magazines in English, play music in English, chat in English, try scrabble.
P.S. You could try timing yourself, but I didn’t do that. In my opinion, if you just get good at it, then you’ll finish in record time. Let it be all about English, at least for that period of preparation, and then write your way to success. Good luck everyone!”