How to Prepare for IELTS Exam (Updated) || A General Guide

The IELTS is a required exam for everyone who decides to travel abroad for any reason, from pursuing a degree to finding employment. IELTS, one of the most commonly acknowledged exams worldwide, may serve as your passport to travel abroad. Particularly for a nation like the UK, where IELTS is the only secure English test that UKVI has authorised for visa applications both inside and outside of the country. Although getting a good score on the IELTS exam is frequently thought to be difficult, it actually isn't that difficult. All you have to do is be well-prepared for it.

Speaking of preparation, we bet that choosing how to begin preparing for the IELTS exam is the hardest aspect for you. You require assistance throughout the entire IELTS preparation process.

 

The IELTS exam can now be separated into Academic and General categories. The only significant differences between the IELTS exams are the purpose for taking them and a small portion of the course. Whereas the Academic IELTS is taken in order to complete further education at a reputable university overseas, the General IELTS is typically taken by those who want to travel abroad to complete their secondary education, gain work experience, or migrate temporarily.

As you may know, there are four areas to the IELTS exam: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Additionally, you must prepare separately for each exam area. So, to assist you in getting through, here are some tips.

 

SECTION-WISE IELTS PREPARATION GUIDE

Listening:

You will need to listen to a conversation between two people in the first tape and respond to questions in the same manner. These recordings can now be made in any English accent, including British, American, Australian, and even Asian. You must become familiar with these accents in order to be prepared for that. How do you do that? You will need to view a lot and a lot of videos. We advise you to watch Ted Talks or interactive debates on CNN or the BBC.

The second tape is a social context monologue, while the fourth is an academic discourse. The key to getting ready for both of these recordings is to focus on the main message it conveys. Additionally, you must comprehend what other concerns are brought up in the recording and how the speaker presents his viewpoint.

The third recording often features a conversation between four or fewer persons. Understanding the main subject of conversation is crucial for you in this situation as well. Additionally, make an effort to recall the conversation's participants' names and any specific allusions that were made.

When watching videos to get ready for the exam, try to start with ones that have subtitles because you'll comprehend them better and your vocabulary will grow as a result.

Finally, carefully listen to each tape and attempt to remember only the highlights. Avoid filling your mind with knowledge that is not necessary. You can only achieve this, of course, with a lot of practice.

Speaking:

This is the exam's most dreaded section right now. But if you follow a few pointers, you can simply overcome it. You must respond to a few straightforward questions about yourself, such as your family, interests, aspirations, etc., in the first task in this part. The advice in this situation is to provide prompt, in-depth responses while avoiding becoming overly gossipy because that can give the examiner an unfavorable impression.

You must speak for approximately two minutes on a predetermined topic for the second task. Here, make an effort to concisely express what you know about the subject. Only use facts that you are 100 percent certain of to support your response. Don’t utilize deceptive facts or hoodwinks since that can get you in problems. Be succinct, precise, and assured in all you say.

In the final activity, you must respond to the examiner's inquiries regarding the subject you discussed. Be confident and specific once more when you speak. Be sure of what you said on the last task because the examiner can pose challenging queries designed to cause you to contradict yourself. Do not be fooled by it.

When responding to the examiner, try not to seem apprehensive or overly excited. Clearly and calmly respond. Try not to blather out incomplete responses or factual errors in response to questions for which you do not have the answer. Answer simply to the best of your ability and inform the examiner if you are unsure.

 

Reading:

The first thing you should learn is how to fast read since in this section, you must read and respond to three lengthy pieces, each of which has about 300 words. Only by making reading a habit and reading a lot before the exam can you improve this talent. You don't have much time to read the passages again, so try to comprehend them the first time.

In your brain, try to summarize the passages' main points. In your thoughts, this will attempt to summarize the main idea of the paragraphs. This will enable you to more accurately respond to the questions. Remember the points the author is trying to make in the passages and how he bases his defense of those points.

Learn the skill of skimming the passage so that you may find the answers to all of your questions. Be very clear and certain about each response when composing the replies. If you're not, double-check, but make an effort to be as precise as you can.

Make it a habit to read extensively before exams. You can only increase your score in this part by doing that. Improve your vocabulary as well. After all, you don't want to be left trying to decipher the meaning of a certain word in the paragraph. A good IELTS book or old example papers are the greatest resources for this.

 

Writing:

In this phase, you have 60 minutes to complete two tasks: a 150-word description of the presented figure or graph and a 250-word essay. Finishing the essay first, which takes more time, then moving on to task 1 afterward is the wiser course of action.

When writing the essay, be sure to present the main point clearly and in a way that is easy to understand. Additionally, establish the topic's argument logically such that each paragraph appears to be connected to the one before it. Instead of appearing to be a haphazard collection of data, your essay should be a solid argument that explains the assigned subject.

Learn how to completely comprehend graphs and tables for the first job. The idea presented in the diagram must be understood in full. Additionally, comprehend the values provided and base your description on a comparison of these numbers. Keep the description short, to the point, and simple. Try not to ramble on. You want to present the examiner with a clean, organized description.

Gain a strong vocabulary and write more quickly. A writing habit is necessary if you want to complete both jobs in the allotted time of 60 minutes. Additionally, try to avoid ridiculous punctuation errors and abbreviations since these can lower your grade. For the essay, use a formal tone of voice.

 

TIPS TO PREPARE FOR IELTS EXAM:

1. Be prepared

The first and most apparent advice I can give you is to plan ahead. As soon as you can before the test, start studying. You will have ample time to arrange your studies before beginning them if you do this. You will feel more confident on test day as you practice more. For IELTS preparation, only use the best resources; a qualified counselor can assist you in this.

 

2. Take some help

IELTS is not the place to demonstrate that you are the most intelligent Homo sapien. It is usually advised that you seek some type of assistance from experts who have been assisting students with their IELTS preparation for years. If not, you can enroll in any of the numerous online courses that are offered online. In this manner, you can develop a professional mindset and improve your exam results..

 

3. Do multiple dry runs

The key to improving your IELTS score is practice. Your score will improve as you practice more. So start watching quality debates and reading the correct literature right now. Additionally, make an effort to complete as many IELTS sample questions as you can. By doing so, you will not only increase your language skills but also help build your self-confidence.

4. Work on your Language

You must possess sufficient language proficiency to take the IELTS exam. By this, we don't just mean a strong vocabulary; rather, we need a mix of strong vocabulary and faultless grammar. Additionally, make sure you are proficient with punctuation because it is important in the writing component. You obviously don't want to get penalized for such careless errors.

5. Be Quick

You must have guessed this by this point. Because there are so many questions and there is a limited amount of time, you must read and respond quite quickly on the IELTS exam. So, whenever you prepare, take timed tests so that you can get in the habit of finishing exams early. Additionally, by doing this, you can improve your writing speed, which will be beneficial in the writing phase when you must write a lengthy essay in a font that is easy to read rather than in the style of your doctor's prescription.

6. Spare no Question

This is a tip that you should keep in mind. Even if you are unsure in some spots, you must strive to answer each and every question. Why, you esquire. IELTS does not use a negative grading system, despite the fact that you might not be aware of this. Therefore, even if you make a mistake, you won't lose any points. Give your instincts a go as well since you never know; they might help you achieve a higher score.

7. Don’t Freak Out

The last piece of advice I have for you is to remain calm. We are aware that the end result will be an examination, therefore you must be anxious. But be careful not to over stress yourself, as this anxiety may cause you to lose some of your score. You need to sound confident in yourself, especially when speaking. At that time, showing anxiety or panicking might be really detrimental for you. Trust your preparation and yourself, hope for the best, and give your all without worrying about the outcome.

 

IELTS Study Plan:

Let's look at an IELTS study plan now that we've looked at an IELTS preparation guide. 

Your English proficiency will determine how much time you need to devote to IELTS preparation. You shouldn't require a lot of time to prepare for the IELTS if you are confident in your English language abilities.

However, you should first review your skills if you aren't sufficiently assured. Watch English news channels like BBC and read a lot of newspapers and periodicals.

 

Here’s a sample IELTS study guide :

Depending on how much prep you need, set aside 1-2 hours per day for IELTS preparation.

Allocate enough time for each section after dividing your time.

For instance, if you study for two hours, give 30 minutes to each section.

When you feel confident enough, test yourself by taking practice exams.

Spend extra time studying for the portions where you fall short, depending on how well you perform on your practice exams.

You will undoubtedly receive a decent result if you adhere strictly to your IELTS study schedule.

 

 

BEST OF LUCK!