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IELTS preparation tips from winners

IELTS high achievers share their secrets

3 IELTS success stories to learn from

Friday is the day to get some motivation for the upcoming weekend! This is why we would like you to meet three winners of our monthly IELTS results competition. They achieved great results, ranging from IELTS Band 7.5 to 8, and today they are sharing their stories to help you get your target score. As you will see, our winners have different approaches to IELTS preparation, but the one thing they agree on is, if you put in the work, you will get the result!

Khamdam is a young man from Uzbekistan. He took the Academic IELTS test and got Band 8. Khamdam said,

“So delighted to hear the news from you, since it was unexpected… Anyway, thank you much for giving me this opportunity.

I’ve got a lot to recommend, because indeed, as you know, IELTS is a journey, a long one. However, if I have to walk IELTS candidates through with the most important suggestions, they’d be these:

Know your destination.

Knowing whether your aim is Band 6, 7 or 8 is paramount to understand in which direction you should head and how much effort you should invest. Setting clear and realistic goals is important so that you will work your best towards them. I know some students who are not sure which score they need and why. Most do not normally set exact goals, while others tend to base their aims on senseless purposes.

Invest the right amount of time and effort.

Once you get to know what your target is, spend a decent amount of time working on your skills. I met lots of students who failed to achieve their desired score in IELTS, because they have been busy at work, contending with a heavy workload, or at their colleges, working to a tight deadline. Whatever category you fall into, give yourself enough time to work on your English as well as prepare for your exam.

Spend more time analysing your test than doing the test.

If you really fancy improving your score by practice, a solution to always bear in mind is to allocate some time to the analysis of the tests at the end of your practice. This will allow you to thoroughly understand the format of the test, the ways IELTS distracted you, and find out where your weaknesses are. At the end of the day, quality is always better than quantity.

I wish all candidates best luck and their dream scores! May God bless you all in your exams!”

Samer is from Yemen, he lives in Saudi Arabia and speaks Arabic. He took the Academic IELTS test and got Band 7.5. Listening and Reading were his stronger skills, but his writing needed attention and Samer concentrated his efforts on it. Samer said,

“Practice… practice… practice!

Do as many mock tests as you can and get the best evaluation for your essays with IELTS-Blog.com experienced experts.

I hope you can achieve your dream score with consistent effort, just believe that you can do it.”

Malavika comes from India, her first language is Malayalam. She took an Academic IELTS exam and got Band 7.5. Here is her advice to you:

“I’m sooo happyyy!!!

I would say set a goal and work for it. Make some time to do a mock test on your own and see which part you are weak in and work on that.

Make sure that you are talking very freely to the speaking examiner. Feel free to be yourself, but make sure to avoid short forms and slang.

In the writing section make sure to allocate time for both writing tasks and then start writing. Managing time is really important.

I’ve heard a lot of people advising others to learn new words each day to improve vocabulary. I would say it doesn’t work like that. Try to read books and watch movies to improve your vocabulary. And the most important tip is to believe in yourself and do your best. All the best everyone!”

We would like to thank Khamdam, Samer and Malavika for sharing their stories, and congratulate them on their great IELTS scores!

Student success: Adejumoke and Harun reveal how they got IELTS Band 7.5+

Today we would like you to meet Adejumoke and Harun, the winners of our December round of IELTS results competition, not only because they were successful in IELTS, but also because they are trying to help YOU get a great score, too. By sharing their story, their experience they are shining the light on the path YOU can take. Have a read and think about your IELTS practice sessions – could they benefit from the same things Adejumoke and Harun did?

Adejumoke is from Nigeria, she got the Overall Band Score of 7.5 in a computer-delivered IELTS test. In her experience, practicing with the right materials makes a difference. Adejumoke said,

“I came across IELTS-Blog.com briefly through a friend. I decided to subscribe and I followed tips supplied via email. When I was convinced and I realised I needed to practice with a textbook, I chose High Scorers Choice Practice Test General Training 1+2+3, followed the instructions and downloaded the required recordings. I read through the testimonials of others and I believed I can’t be an exception, I would put in my best. I followed the tips diligently for each module – Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, practiced each test, marked my answers, listened while looking at transcripts (in Listening). Every word, text, tips and advice packaged by Simone, they are real and am sure with diligence and concentration you can be THE BEST you choose to be.”

Harun is from Nigeria too. His Overall Band Score is 8.0 with a straight 9 in Listening! Harun says that the SECRET to success is to stop looking for secrets! Here is his story:

“Thank you for the opportunity to share my IELTS tips with many others. The main secret to success in taking the IELTS is to realize that there are absolutely no secrets. All the materials and information needed are out there for candidates to utilize.

Just like a running a marathon requires continuous practice, so does the IELTS. I fully utilized the resources at my disposal to practice, practice and practice. I began by watching videos on YouTube to brush up the general concepts and familiarize myself with the exam format and marking scheme.

Then, I took two mock exams online (timed) to assess my strengths and weaknesses. I was deficient in writing, so I had to dedicate more time to it.

Finally, I began practicing past questions with more emphasis on my weak areas. I timed myself during practicing and sourced questions from IELTS-Blog.com.

On the exam day, I was very punctual and had a good breakfast to sustain me. I used the bathroom just before the screening process began and I entered the exam hall with my bottle of water. I hope this would help someone.”

We would like to thank Adejumoke and Harun for sharing their stories, and congratulate them on their great IELTS scores!