The IELTS exam is an excellent way to formally demonstrate your English ability and it can open up a variety of employment, educational, and social options. However, it takes a lot of practise and planning to perform well on all of the test’s four sections: speaking, reading, listening, and writing.
Here is a list of do’s and don’ts that you should take a note of before you give your IELTS exams:
Reading
✅Each question’s keywords should be underlined or highlighted. Then, look for the answers near those words or their synonyms in the text passage.
✅Organize your time well. For forty questions, you have one hour (which equates to two minutes per question). Limit yourself to giving each section 15 minutes.
❌Don’t forget to proofread your work for grammartical and spelling errors. Give special attention to verb and noun plurals.
❌DON’T focus only on a single question for more than a minute. Leave what you are unsure about and come back to it later.
Listening
✅Instead of attempting to comprehend every word, concentrate on listening for the solutions.
✅Even if the answer has been provided, pay attention since the speakers on the recording can alter their responses.
❌Avoid being trapped if you miss the answer. Quickly proceed to the next question. Remember that the recording is only played once.
❌Do not be hesitant to ask for assistance if you can’t hear the recording clearly. It’s critical that you are able to hear the recording clearly.
Writing
✅You can write notes on the question paper. Plan your answer before you write it.
✅For task one, you must write at least 150 words, and for task two, 250 words. Any less will result in a grade reduction. If you want an easy way to determine word counts quickly, simply add up the number of words on each line and multiply it by the number of lines.
❌Don’t give task one longer than 20 minutes. Spend extra time on task two because it has more points.
❌Do not present your answer in the form of bullet points. Write in paragraphs.
Speaking
✅Take a deep breath and attempt to answer as naturally as you can.
✅In part two, make the most of your one-minute preparation period. Make notes and prepare your flow of ideas in advance.
❌Do not spend too much time attempting to recall a word. Just describe it.
❌Do not utilise prepared answers in your replies. Examiners are trained to notice patterns and you can be penalised.
How can Rostrum Education help?
Rostrum education highly recommends you to take the IELTS or its substitute TOEFL exam for language proficiency documentation while applying for colleges and universities abroad. English can be challenging for many and we support out students and provide coaching if needed. We conduct one-on-one sessions with our panel of experiences tutors. Each session is catered to you and your needs, if there is a particular section of the test that needs more attention the tutor makes sure you walk into the exam with utmost confidence. Contact us for a free session today!
