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IELTS Preparation tips

The best ways to study for the four IELTS sub-tests: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking

The IELTS test takers’ worst nightmare

I’ve received this letter from another frustrated student who was really disappointed with the exam and the result and it made me think – what she did is very typical to many of us.

I know for a fact that many of you postpone the exam preparation till the last possible moment. Hold on, don’t get angry with me yet – I am not lecturing you. I am not your mother, but someone who has been there and knows how we, people, tend to procrastinate before leaping into important projects in our life.

So please have a read and think – do you want to be in the same position and feel the same anger and frustration? And if not, what can you do about it? Here goes the letter:

“I didn’t really study. I did one Reading test, a day before the exam and had only 3 incorrect answers. And I also did one Listening test and got 38 correct answers out of 40 (around that, I don’t really remember how many questions there were).

I was doomed in the real exam. It was tougher than the test that I did at home. I couldn’t for the life of me focus on the listening part. Reading? Way tougher than I thought. The 1st and the 2nd passages were too tough, complicated and time consuming. I ended up having 10 minutes to read and answer the 3rd passage.

I’m weak in writing. I’m not really good at speaking too. I don’t really have ideas to be generated and elaborated. The questions were on a museum and an art gallery in the interview. Part 2 was about the law, Malaysian law. Part 3 again about the law, this time around, it’s on international law.

Maybe, I was unlucky to get that topic which I was unable to answer fluently. A candidate who got in before me got a topic on their best friend and friendship. ~sigh~

So basically, Simone, I’m all frustrated and kind of blaming myself for not getting the right materials and not allocating time to study.”

People, what are you waiting for? Hit the books! (Translation: for those unfamiliar with this idiom, it means: Start studying!)

How Tony got Band Score 8.5 in IELTS exam

I “virtually” met Tony when he bought my book “Target Band 7” and we kept in touch. When Tony sent me an email and told me about his IELTS result, it blew me away. A score like that I definitely don’t see every day – he got Overall Band Score of 8.5 in IELTS. His weakest part was the Writing test – Band 7, Reading test – Band 8, Listening and Speaking tests – both Band 9.

Naturally, I asked how he did it and here’s what he says:

“Hi Simone,

Thank you very much for the compliments.

I didn’t have too much time to actually prepare for this exam. I read through your book and focused on the timing issue. I battled a bit with the reading paper as time was really an enemy. My good fortune was that two of the passages were things that I had come across in my studies, so I could relate to them. The third was a shocker of a note and exceptionally boring. I finished 5 minutes before the time was up, and quickly read through some of the things that I battled with and filled in the missing answers.

I also looked out for the traps that your book warned about, especially in the listening exercise. However, in fairness, I have taught ESL for fourteen years and should perhaps have scored better!?

Wouldn’t it be lovely if they had tested your oral skills first and then decided whether this whole process was necessary? I might have missed out on at least some stress!

Bottom line is that I made it!!!!!!

Have a stunning day!”