Are you preparing for the IELTS examination at home? IELTS is one of the most widely accepted and renowned English Language Proficiency tests that is required for any non-native English speaker to study or work abroad. More than 10,000 organizations in more than 140 countries accept these scores which include professional institutions, schools, government departments, etc. Since this exam is so important is is sure that it won’t be that easy to crack. IELTS is divided into two versions – Academic and General Training. Both these versions are equally valued and admissible.
Preparation before the actual exam is surely necessary but some tips and tricks will surely come in handy for the day of exam and days before that. In this article, we have listed a few tips for your IELTS preparation ranging from topics such as How to score good marks in IELTS? How to prepare for IELTS at home? etc.
IELTS Test Pattern –
The first thing to know about IELTS examination is its pattern. IELTS is a computer-based examination with a total of 4 different modules that are tested individually in the IELTS examination. Those modules are Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Prepare IELTS at home by making yourself strong and well versed in these four aspects of the English language.
Listening, Reading and Writing sections are tested on the computer via the test whereas the for the speaking part, the candidate’s voice is recorded and sent for evaluation. The rough pattern of the question paper is as follows –
- Listening – 30 minutes for 4 sections with 40 items.
- Reading – 60 minutes for 3 sections with 40 items.
- Writing – 60 minutes for 2 tasks.
- Speaking – 11-15 minutes for 3 part one-on-one conversations.
IELTS Preparation tips
Listening section –
This is the first section in the IELTS examination and it is recommended to attempt this section first. This section has a total of 4 sections and includes 40 items. The four sections evaluate your listening skills one by one. below are the tips for all the 4 sections –
- One-on-one interaction – In this section, you will be presented with a one-on-one conversation between two people and you have to answer the questions asked on the basis of what you hear in the conversation. This conversation can be a telephonic conversation or a general one. To prepare for this section the best way is to listen to English bulletins on a daily basis. Listening to podcasts can also help. Doing this on a regular basis for a few days will help you to improve your ability to comprehend fluency of native English speakers. At the end of your listening activity try to note down as many points as you can remember from the audio. While preparing for IELTS at home try to have a one-on-one conversation with your friends or family to improve your speaking skills.
- Speech – In this section, similar to one-on-one interaction, you will be made to listen to a speech having a social or academic context. At the end of the speech, you will be asked various different questions outlining the context of the speech which evaluates how well you were able to grasp the idea and content of the speech.
- Monologue – It is similar to speech but involves a monologue. To improve your capabilities in this section try to listed online podcasts or television discussions.
- Group discussion – This section involves an interaction between a maximum of four people. It is quite important that the candidates are comfortable in understanding what everyone is saying and catching up to the flow without any issues. To prepare for this listen to television news debates or have group discussions with your friends.
Additional Tips –
- While listening to the audio simultaneously take notes.
- Take care of your spellings.
- Get used to listening to both an individual talking and more than one person talking.
Reading Section –
This section the reading skills of the candidates. In this section, the candidates are given a paragraph followed by a set of questions to answer based on the information present in the paragraph. The questions included in this section are of different varieties such as multiple choice questions, sentence completion, matching information, summary writing, short answers, etc. Here are a few tips on how to prepare for this section.
- Improve your comprehension – Since all the questions in this section are comprehension based, it is always useful to have good comprehensive skills.
- Read more – The best way to get good in the reading section is to read as much as you can. Read whatever you can. you can start with newspapers, advertisements, blog posts, etc. Reading will increase your vocabulary, reading speed and comprehension abilities.
- Take notes – Whenever you read something to try to take down some notes on the important points you come across while reading. It might seem unnecessary at first but it will surely help in the future.
- Repeat – Reading only once will not help. Re-read as much ass you can. Re-reading helps to remember what you’ve read earlier improving your memory regarding your comprehensive abilities.
Additional Tips –
- Read the whole passage and try to summarise it in your mind.
- Always be careful of the time limit. read fast, read accurately.
- There is no negative marking so even if you don’t know the exact answer, don’t leave the question unanswered.
Writing Section –
There are two subsections in the writing section in IELTS. The first subsection is Academic in which you are required to describe a chart, graph or diagram. You also have to write an essay describing your point of view regarding the content you come across in the Academic section.
The second subsection is General test where the candidate is given a situation and is required to write a letter explaining the situation.
Additional Tips –
- Read sample essays on a regular basis. Try to figure out what topic does the essay talks about.
- Practice your grammar as much as you can.
- Write essays on your own and look up example essays to see how essays are structured.
Speaking Section –
The speaking section requires the candidate to interact with an external invigilator who analyzes their proficiency in spoken English. The duration of this interaction is about 10-14 minutes. Since the interaction is general human interaction, it requires to be spontaneous and cannot be faked very effectively. This section is divided into three sections.
First Part –
In this part, the examiner asks questions such as personal interests, hobbies, academic background, in short, general stuff. To crack this section be as quick as possible in answering the question and be responsive throughout the test. Try to add details to your answers.
Second Part –
In this part, the examiner gives the candidate a topic and the candidate has to speak non-stop for two minutes on the given topic. The examiner analyzes your speaking skills and your knowledge about the given topic. To crack this section, before you start talking think about what are you going to talk about. Have a rough road map of your speech in your mind.
Third Part –
In this part, the examiner asks the candidate questions from the second part. The candidate is asked questions based on what he/she spoke in the second part. To crack this section keep in mind what you spoke in the previous section. Do not just babble out whatever comes to your mind. Keep in the minds that can raise arguments and questions that the examiner can ask you. Make sure you give clear answers to all the questions.
Additional Tips –
- Be as confident as possible. Don’t be hesitant to say something.
- Practice talking to someone or just record yourself talking and find out where you make mistakes.
- Be gentle while answering, Don’t act aggressively while speaking your mind or giving out your opinion.
Conclusion –
Prepare for IELTS at home using the above-given tips on how to handle the exam and crack it in the first go. We have listed a few of the most common tips arranged on the basis of sections as presented in the real examination. This article will surely help if you want to prepare for IELTS at home without joining any coaching institutions.