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IELTS Preparation tips

Simple – yet effective tips from Karishma, Band 8 in IELTS

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.

Band 8 in IELTS“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.”

Simple learning techniques that helped Meybel get Band 8 in IELTS

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:

Meybel Martirez, Band 8 in IELTS “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:

  • the 4 categories (Speaking, Reading, Writing and Speaking)
  • sequence of the tests
  • number of sections per category
  • time allotted for each section
  • type of test if multiple choice, fill in the blanks, etc
  • if extra time is given to transfer to the answer sheet, and
  • the instructions per category (very important)
  • 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.”