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November 2013

Competition winner Ali shares tips for IELTS Band 7.5

Ali is a young man in his 20’s who took the IELTS test for the first time, after 3 months of preparation. His efforts were rewarded with a band score of 7.5, and as a winner of our monthly results competition we asked him to share some tips with other test takers. Here is what Ali said was important to succeed in the IELTS exam:

Band 8 in IELTS“Practice. We all know that we should practice a lot to gain a satisfying result. However the key point here is to practice in the right way. Timing and how to manage time/having enough time for each section during the exam is also just about practicing. Obviously repeating mistakes will not help you to improve at all. We all should have been told by an expert what to do and what not to do. I studied lots of IELTS tests before my exam however what did help me during studying was the times that I was checking my mistakes and searched/read/asked about them online or asked an expert how to improve them. IELTS-blog samples are really useful. I have tried their speaking and writing samples.

Being focused during the test. That was a tricky one for me. I’m that kind of person who easily is distracted. In my test in the middle of listening someone got sick and they paused the test for about half an hour and all I tried was not to lose focus, being disturbed or frightened by such a thing. Every one in our center was nagging about not being able to take the test anymore and there was really disturbing background noise.

Confidence. It was so important to me to gain enough confidence to believe in myself and my skills.

I appreciate this opportunity to mention that “Target Band 7” helped me a lot. This book was with me about 3 months. It helped me to make my thoughts and concerns about the exam organized and clarified the required skills and techniques for every section of the exam. Actually although it wasn’t the first book I bought in this regard, it is the best. I did read it 2 times from the beginning to end excluding the referring times about looking for the tips on a specific sections. It helped me to see the exam as an expert in every section. Noting and mentioning the important parts and making it summarized in useful hints and tips really made it the best book which really boosts everyone’s band who really reads this book in detail. I gave my “Target Band 7” to a couple of my friends and hope in some near future I will see their high scores.”

IELTS test in Vietnam and Indonesia – October 2013 (Academic Module)

IELTS test takers T and L shared the following exam update after their tests in Vietnam and Indonesia:

Writing testIELTS test in Vietnam

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a line graph showing the percentage of people in various age groups who visited cinema once a month or more in the UK between 1984 and 2003.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Many people work in other countries these days. They also take their families with them. Give your opinion about the situation. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Speaking test

Interview

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Are you living in a house or an apartment?
– Can you describe your house?
– Which room do you like the most?
– Do you usually watch TV?
– What is your favourite program?
– Do you watch it often?
– Do you find that it benefits you?
– What toys did you play with as a child?
– Which toy was important to you?

Cue Card 1

Talk about a foreign country that you find interesting. Please say

– What country is it?
– How did you know about it?
– Why do you like it?

Cue Card 2

Describe a famous person in your country. Please say

– Who is this person?
– Why is she/he famous?
– Why is she/he became important to your country?

Discussion

– Why do people like to travel to other countries?
– What do people like to do when travelling abroad?
– Does tourism bring benefits to the city or the country?
– Does tourism have any disadvantages?
– Do you think Hanoi attracts many people?
– Would you like Hanoi to have more or less tourists?