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IELTS Preparation tips

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

What you need to know about the Answer Sheet

Your Answer Sheet is a very important piece of paper.

First of all, your score for Reading and Listening tests is calculated based on what you have written on it – only! It means that if you’ve got all the Reading/Listening test answers right but didn’t copy them from the booklet to the Answer Sheet, you will score ZERO for the whole Reading/Listening test. I have read in the IELTS official site that you can request later that they check your booklet for answers, but honestly – who needs the headache?

Second, it is best that you look at the Answer Sheet before you go to take IELTS because it has this certain structure you need to be familiar with. There are 2 sides you must fill, one for the Listening and the other for the Reading answers and they look very much alike. It is very easy to mix them and start writing answers on the wrong side, so check and see what’s printed above the table with answer numbers 1-40, “IELTS Listening Answer Sheet” or “IELTS Reading Answer Sheet”.

Third, when you are training (with a clock) for IELTS, you should include in your practice copying your answers to the Answer Sheet. This way you imitate the whole IELTS process better and get used to managing your time correctly.

So here use this link to a PDF file from the IELTS official site, open it, go to page 7 and see for yourself what IELTS Answer Sheet looks like – click here.

Listening: distractions

Continuing the previous post, here comes

Listening Tip # 3 – don’t let them distract you
(oh boy, are they good at that! 🙂 )

In the Listening section of IELTS the recording uses several different voices – of younger and older people, men and women. You may also hear different accents – Australian, British, American, Japanese, etc. The background noise is also different. It can be of an airport, a cafe-shop, a street, a University lecture hall, you name it. Be ready for it and don’t let it distract you – because that is exactly what they want. Ignore the noises and listen for the answers.

Of course, the accent you hear the most is British. Suggestion: when you are studying for IELTS, listen to as much British accent as you can. Where can you get it? I liked what BBC have – visit BBC site by clicking here. You can listen there to news (and read the transcript), learn the news vocabulary, learn the pronunciation, etc. Try it, you might like it.

A very good site to use for listening exercises in American English is VOA News – click here to visit it. This is how they recommend using their site:
“The short sentences, limited vocabulary and slow pace of speaking make it easy to understand. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. People around the world practice their listening and speaking skills by recording the programs and playing them repeatedly. Internet users can also listen to programs on the Special English Web site while reading the text.”

Hang in there, people, more tips are coming!