Planning to Study Abroad? Register Now & Get a Call from Us.
IELTS is one of the most taken English language tests all over the world along with the TOEFL. IELTS is held and managed by IDP, British Council, and Cambridge. The test is taken by candidates in more than 100 countries for universities all over the world. Here, we are discussing all the IELTS preparation tips and tricks to score well, if you are someone who wants to know more about the Exam instead, click below:
| IELTS Exam Pattern | IELTS Exam Syllabus |
| IELTS Exam | IELTS Results |
How to prepare for IELTS? IELTS Preparation Tips:
- Any exam needs 80% of the preparation to pass, and 20% of that preparation to clear it. Once you have understood the format for the kind of test you would want to take, start skimming through IELTS Exam practice tests papers and IELTS sample tests.
- You can take the IELTS practice test online by factoring in the time you will be given for taking the actual tests. You can find them on the website where sample questions and answers are given. Separately, you can also buy IELTS preparation books and related IELTS study material and IELTS listening practice tests that are available at British Council IELTS tests centers and selected bookstores across the globe.
- The British Council IELTS website has a list of IELTS Preparation books with a brief description that you could refer to while preparing for your IELTS test.
- Likewise, you can ask for some good book references from the people who have taken the exam before you. The Official Cambridge IELTS Guide is one top recommendations by many. It comes with a DVD and has questions for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Another is the Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests Series. Get more information here:
- Many IELTS Preparation books are available, but you should first stick to the source material for the preparation, i.e. IELTS vocabulary books, the British Council IELTS books, Cambridge IELTS books, and the like.
IELTS Preparation
These are some essential steps that you must follow while preparing for the IELTS test. Some also ask how to prepare for IELTS at Home. It may seem like a daunting task, but we are going to give you some helpful IELTS study tips to help you refine your study habits.
- You must concentrate on building your Core English Skills
- A major error some IELTS applicants make when preparing for the exam is concentrating only on IELTS mock tests. Many consider that the IELTS more mock tests they do, the better prepared they will be. This is a misconception. Here are the things few do's and don'ts which you should follow:
- The test is talent-based, not knowledge-based. This means that every IELTS mock test you do will comprise diverse content that you cannot study for. It is about the excellence of your abilities, and not the number of your IELTS mock tests.
- Language is an ability. Therefore, you need to learn speaking skills, listening skills, writing skills, and reading skills. You can’t approach building your language abilities the same way when you do IELTS mock tests. Though understanding the exam format is half the battle, do not undervalue the necessity to develop your language skills.
- So, find a good English teacher, take an IELTS course and immerse yourself in the language through IELTS Preparation books and other novels, newspapers, music, and movies. Find some English-speaking friends and organize an English-only conversation club. The more normal the language becomes to you, the more calm you are going to feel in the exam.
Learn from your weaknesses
To achieve success anywhere, you will have to learn from your mistakes and be aware of the weaknesses and habits you repeat. Candidates often tend to repeat the same mistakes repeatedly even after they are given thorough feedback. Take your time to understand your errors thoroughly. Are they related to spelling? If so, follow IELTS writing tips, practice writing misspelled words correctly. Are your errors related to verb tense? Then focus on that, is it related to vocabulary? Then focus on that. Learn the rules and how to use them. The important thing is to not make those errors again. Are you nervous or feeling tense? this will help you:
IELTS Essay Writing Tips
Develop your writing skills by learning how to structure an essay paragraph by paragraph. Practice IELTS reading Practice test and understanding IELTS essay questions. It is easy to go off-topic or not directly answer the question. Additionally, read many different sample IELTS essay questions and write sample responses.
The more practice you get writing responses to different IELTS essay questions, the more comfortable you will feel with various topics. Be careful not to memorize sample IELTS essays. I have seen many candidates make this mistake. Even if you get a similar topic in the exam, the concentration of the question will be diverse and so the answer will have to exactly address the question.
IELTS examiners know how to spot learned essays and they will give zero no matter how well written it is. It is also significant to practice writing 250 words in timed situations. Your writing should be neat and legible. Therefore, if you do not feel comfortable with writing by hand, then practice more writing, until you feel comfortable doing that.
You can get full information about this section here: Complete Guide for the Writing section of IELTS
IELTS Speaking Practice
- The same goes for IELTS speaking Test. IELTS speaking practice can be done with a friend. Become comfortable talking about yourself and your experiences. You can have some common answers pre-prepared related to your basic information related to the first part of the test, but this should come out as impulsive and natural.
- Furthermore, remember to avoid memorizing presentations for part 2. The examiner will know if you are repeating memorized answers. Always keep in mind that you are talking about yourself. Therefore, develop a habit to do it on a daily basis. Even if it means speaking to yourself!
Read a diverse range of articles
- Read up on general topics such as news, current affairs, science, climate change, animals, history, economics, sociology, etc. The more you read, the more you will develop the habit of understanding the context of the sentences and new vocabulary.
- This will help you increase your knowledge of English and feel more comfortable with the reading paragraphs in the exam. If you are doing the IELTS academic, but have never read an academic paragraph until the day of the exam, you could be in trouble. So, use sites like National Geographic, the Economist, the New Internationalist, and Science Daily to become an academic reader.
Get here to know more about the reading section: Complete Guide for the Reading section of IELTS
Learn native-like fluency
You can listen to some podcasts and ted talks to understand different accents and pronunciations. Not only can this help you understand different accents, but is also a great way to expose yourself to and different interesting IELTS speaking topics. Remember, the broader your general language and general knowledge, the more comfortable you will be with the language and topics in the test.
Know the test tips and strategies
Finally, learn the exam tips and strategies and apply them to practice exams. This will help you learn how to manage your time and how to utilize it effectively to complete each section of the exam. Time management is one of the most important aspects when it comes down to tests. However, at the end of the day, it rests on your language skills the most. Maybe this will help you out:
Understand and analyze each module of the test thoroughly. For example, understand the IELTS reading Practice test – how many passages there are, how long they are, how many questions there are, the types of questions there are, etc. This will help you understand where you should be given more time, and where it should be less. When you have learned and answered every type of question, you will not be surprised on the test day with something new. Once you feel comfortable answering True, False, Not Given questions for example, then you will not be afraid of them when you see them on test day.
Best Countries to Study Abroad
Reach Out To Us
Register here to get newsletters for the latest study abroad news & free counselling assistance.