How To Score 7 Bands And More in IELTS

Brief Info about IELTS:

The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) that tests English Language Proficiency all around the Globe is taken by 2 million students every year. Conducted by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment, it is accepted by 9,000 organizations in over 145 countries including US, many universities in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia etc.

The test has 2 versions: Academic and General Training.

Both the versions serve different purposes, while the former is taken up by the students interested in admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate level of study. Students interested in secondary education and with work experience take up the latter.

Contrary to the popular belief, IELTS is not a tough nut to crack. With the right amount of disciplined practice and a prudent strategy, individuals can score the ideal band score that would lead them to clear the test very easily.

Here are some Guidelines you can follow to ace all the 4 modules in the first attempt itself:

1. Recognize the test Format: Be well aware about the format of the test in the 2 modules.Listening and Speaking components are the same in both of the modules, however components of Reading and Writing differ.
   • Listening: You have to attempt 40 questions in 30 minutes. The questions are presented in the form of Multiple Choice, note completion, summary completion. The test taker is assessed on his ability to understand the main ideas and the opinions and purpose of the speaker.
   • Reading: In a time limit of 60 minutes, the candidate has to attempt 40 questions. While the academic reading consists material that ranges from descriptive to analytical, General reading contains texts that are relevant and of general interest.
   • Writing: It has a time limit of 60 minutes and 2 tasks to be done. In Academic writing, the first task is to do with explanation of a graph, diagram or any other depiction in one’s own words while General writing has 2 tasks, that includes a letter and an essay writing respectively.
   • Speaking: It ranges from 11-14 minutes and is divided into 3 parts. Beginning from introduction of the candidate to speaking on a particular topic till further discussion on the same topic.
2. Pay attention to the rules and regulations: You must be familiarized with all the rules that a component has. For e.g. in ‘Listening’, you get the time of 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. No matter how correct your answers on the question papers are, you will be scored on what you have written in your answer sheet. Be Fully Loyal to the word limit. Any answer that exceeds the specified word limit will make you lose marks. In ‘Listening’ and ‘Reading’ you are required to write your answers with pencil, you are however free to choose between a pencil and a pen in the Writing section.
3. Keep trying until you achieve YOUR Best: Practice, indeed is the key to perfection. Give all your time and utilize your abilities to achieve the maximum in all the 4 sections. Practice does not only highlight the areas that needs improvement, it strengthens the areas in which you are already doing better. You can practice using sample question that are available on the official site of IELTS. A practice test is also recommended which includes the answers and sample writing and sample speaking performances along with the examiner’s comments.
4. Utilize your time well: This is related to the previous point mentioned above. Your time efficiency is dependent on the rate you have practiced all the 4 components. IELTS is a test with a specific time limit which makes it highly essential for the candidate to have practiced several times before within the specified time period.
5. Be a Grammar Nazi: It is a test of English Language after all. Don’t leave any scope to lose marks for mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation marks. It is a very crucial but most overlooked area that leads to test takers losing their marks. In ‘Writing’ marks are awarded only if you write your answers in full, notes or bullet points are not entertained.
6. Start Reading: Read all the material you can get your hands at. From everyday newspaper, magazine, journals to essays. It not only strengthens your vocabulary which is needed in the writing section, it enables you to read swiftly and understand the main point which is being conveyed in one particular article.
7. Be your own self: During the test of ‘IELTS Speaking’ many candidates try to adopt a different persona by adopting a different accent and a different style of speaking. Don’t commit this blunder. Try to be fluent, coherent, don’t commit any grammatical error and pronounce words correctly. Do small exercises such as speaking to oneself and evaluate the tone, pitch and tempo. You are evaluated on your ability to express your ideas and organize your thoughts in an appropriate manner.

You can also make use of a free Android application named ‘BC IELTS Word Power’ that lets you practice your vocabulary for IELTS. Your test result is available after 13 days you have taken the test and you can take the test again to increase your band score.

For free consultation about your IELTS Preparation, call us at 9878222772!