Reading tips

How to prepare to IELTS Reading test, tips and techniques to improve your skills

3 IELTS Tricks to Instantly Improve Your Listening, Reading and Overall Exam Performance

If you need some help with IELTS Listening, Reading or you’re looking for a way to improve your IELTS score, this post is for you.

Quite often on IELTS-Blog.com we publish advice from successful test takers, and many of them mention podcasts as a useful tool to improve their Listening skills.

So here is an opportunity for you to work on Listening and learn new IELTS tricks at the same time.

Your homework for today is to listen to this IELTS podcast episode.

We recorded it with Lindsay McMahon from IELTS Energy – she and Jessica Beck are hosting this very popular IELTS podcast, and it’s available on iTunes (Episode 73) and on their blog as well.

You can listen on your smartphone, tablet or computer, it only takes about 15 minutes, and you will learn

1. How to use the IELTS structure to your advantage
2. How to do things in the right order to save time
3. How to turn your weaknesses into your strengths (this is especially important for people doing self-study)

Happy listening!

Attention! A change in the IELTS Reading Paper (General Training)

The IELTS official website announced a change they are making in the General Training Reading from 1 May 2009.

At the moment Passage 2 of the Reading paper is focusing on training content (university, courses, etc). From 1 May it will be focusing on work context (e.g. applying for jobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development etc).

The reason for this small change is that now more employers, professional associations and immigration authorities recognize the IELTS test. This change will ensure that the module will be adapted to real life situations and because of it will more closely meet the needs of candidates who take the IELTS test for employment or immigration purposes.

Nothing else will be changed, the rest of the passages remain as they were.

And here is an example of the new General Training Reading passage:

Click here to view.

There is even an answer key!