For those of you who don’t know the full form of IELTS, it stands for International English Language Testing System. We’re pretty sure you must have come across this acronym in case you are planning to go study abroad. It is an English Language test where your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are tested to see if you are capable of managing in a foreign country where the dominant language of communication is English.
Are you planning to give the IELTS to go study at your dream destination? Let’s give you some tips on how to ace the exam so that the IELTS score is not a hindrance to your application. Here are some great tips by Inspirus Education- top IELTS institute in Mumbai.
1. Know the test format by heart
Before you begin your preparation, it is important to know what the format of the test will be like. As mentioned earlier, there are four sections, each with a different time interval to complete that section. Let’s give you a breakdown:
a. Listening
- Time duration: 40 minutes
- 4 audio recordings
- 40 questions
b. Speaking
- Time duration: 11-14 minutes
- Interview
- Short presentation
- Discussion
c. Reading
- Time duration: 60 minutes
- 4 passages
- 40 questions
d. Writing
- Time duration: 60 minutes
- Task of 150 words
- Task of 250 words
2. IELTS specific prep
You could be extremely good and fluent in English and may not want to do enough practice for the test. However, it is necessary that you do so because the questions are quite specific to the IELTS test. To begin with, you must allot one month towards the preparation of IELTS. Second, it is important to go through an IELTS preparation guide to know the kind of questions that are likely to come. With a rough idea of what you need to prepare for and what is bound to come, there will be no room for unexpected surprises.
3. Timed-practice
For every section, some time duration is allotted. It is a must that you practice by setting a timer for each section. You could begin by setting no timer. After 1 or 2 practice tests, set the timer for the duration that will actually be allotted to you for the test. Once you are thorough and confident about being able to complete everything within that time frame, you could even set the timer for a shorter duration than the actual one. This will help you to be certain about your time management for the test.
4. Read, write, listen, speak
Do loads of reading to get a grasp of things. Don’t just read, make sure you understand what you’re reading. If you don’t understand the meaning of a word, don’t be lazy. Pick up the dictionary and make sure that you look up the meaning. Ensure that you have a general understanding of the text that you read.
For the writing task, you need to talk about the information that is provided to you, and not simply state what is given (in the case of a graph). Practice inculcating new words you learn, into essays that you write. Make sure that you cover all points relevant to the information that is given to you.
Speaking requires you to be able to talk fluently in English with minimum hesitation and incorrect pronunciations. You could practice speaking on general topics and issues and talk in front of a mirror, or to a friend. To analyze yourself, you could record what you speak.
The CD that comes with the IELTS preparation guide is definitely a great help for the listening section. If you practice using that, don’t pause the CD in between, listen to it at a stretch and then try answering questions. Another good idea could be asking someone to read a part of some news to you, and then writing down everything you could grasp after a few hours.
5. Correct your mistakes
An important aspect of preparation is to correct your mistakes. It is not only crucial to figure out where you’re going wrong but also to work on it. Find out where you have a problem, and improve it by further practice. You could even ask your peers to help you out with it.
We hope these tips are useful to you. Remember, your preparation is key!
