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IELTS preparation tips from winners

IELTS high achievers share their secrets

3 IELTS high scorers share their best exam tips

The best part about holding an IELTS results competition is… meeting the winners! As you know, we have a tradition that goes back more than a decade – we ask the winners these questions: “What in your opinion is important in IELTS preparation? What is a good way to study for the exam?”

Here is what 3 latest winners told us. But before we get to it, one important request – don’t just read this post. Think how YOU can follow the same steps in your IELTS preparation. Make a to-do list, and look at it every time before you study, to remind yourself what you need to cover in this session. And when this works for you, write back and tell us, so we can be very, very happy for you!

Band 9 in IELTSOur first winner is Rajatha from India (first language – KANNADA), who got Overall IELTS Band 8.5. She said:

“I am flattered to be chosen as the winner of the IELTS results competition. I would like to share some tips that would help the IELTS aspirants secure a good score if incorporated into their study plan:

1. Make reading a habit. Learn to be a voracious reader. Read blogs, magazines, and the newspaper and try to think of ways in which you can present the given information differently.

2. Look around you in order to identify issues of common interest, and try to speak/write about them. This helps to bolster your confidence.

3. Practice paying attention during the listening module as this section, if paid undivided attention to, will help you secure a good band score.”

Our second winner is Tina, also from India, who got Overall IELTS Band 7.5. She said:

“My best advice for all the IELTS candidates would be that they all should practise sample papers. Read, listen and write more in English, which will help them enhance their vocabulary.”

Our third winner is Zubaid (native Urdu speaker from India), who got Overall IELTS Band 7. He said:

“Listening – I used to practice very hard listening modules on YouTube and watching English movies without subtitle will definitely help.

Reading – The more you practice Reading the better Band you get, and don’t forget to time yourself. Just read the question and look for the answer, don’t waste your precious time on reading everything.

Writing – Here Vocabulary is very important and paragraphs should be linked to each other. Read multitude of sample essays/letters/reports so you will have a better idea and then practice.

Speaking – Be confident, speak clearly (don’t speak too fast). Structure your speech so that it has an intro, body and conclusion in Section 2 of the speaking test (Cue card). This can increase your score and certainly using rich vocabulary will be the icing on the cake.”

How Matthew lifted the curse of IELTS Band 6.5 (hint – he had help!)

This post is dedicated to the wonderful success of Matthew – our student from Nigeria, who thought for quite some time he was ‘doomed’ to get Band 6.5 in Writing.

Is this how you, too, feel sometimes?

Those less familiar with IELTS may find it strange that a person can get Band 8 in one skill (such as Reading or Listening) and Band 6.5 in another (such as Writing or Speaking). How can there be such a difference? Yet this happens more often than you’d think.

Band 9 in IELTSMatthew is a living proof to that, because he took IELTS twice and got high scores in every skill except Writing. And that is when he knew he needed help – Writing is a tricky skill and you can make the same mistakes over and over again without knowing, until a teacher points them out to you. After submitting 12 tasks to our writing correction team and getting teachers’ feedback on them Matthew adjusted his writing accordingly and his score went from Band 6.5 to 7.5.

So, to reiterate, the basic ingredients to Matthew’s overall success were:

1. ‘Ace the IELTS’ book used for IELTS exam techniques
2. Writing correction service used for incremental improvement in Writing
3. Matthew’s hard work, dedication, self-discipline and practicing!

And here is the result – in Matthew’s own words:

“I want to use this opportunity to tender my sincere appreciation to your entire team of language professionals, for being part of my success story. Allow me to ‘let the cat out of the bag’ – I got my desired score of 8.5 Band in the IELTS General training examination taken on 14th October.

My previous results of L7.5, S8, W6.5 and R8, on two different occasions, instigated approaching your team and I am proud that it was worthwhile. I picked up my result yesterday and I had L8.5, S8.5, W7.5 and R9!

To be candid, I am so elated because I never knew I could break that jinx of writing score of 6.5. Using the service of your team in writing really paid off.

Many thanks for the advice, sincerity in assessment and all materials. Though I had to pay for the service, seeing a profitable one is worth appreciating. Thus, I want to say a Big thank you to you all and I hope to broadcast your service to others too.”