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Simone Braverman

Simone Braverman is the founder of IELTS-Blog.com and the author of several renowned IELTS preparation books, including Ace the IELTS, Target Band 7, the High Scorer's Choice practice test series, and IELTS Success Formula. Since 2005, Simone has been committed to making IELTS preparation accessible and effective through her books and online resources. Her work has helped 100,000's of students worldwide achieve their target scores and live their dream lives. When Simone isn't working on her next IELTS book, video lesson, or coaching, she enjoys playing the guitar or rollerblading.

Disappointed with your IELTS Result?

If you are disappointed with your IELTS result, you have 2 options:

1. Take the IELTS test again or
2. Ask for re-marking.

Many people were asking me about option # 2 and here is an explanation of what’s involved.

If you believe that you deserve a better score than you were awarded, you can ask for re-marking of your results. You can ask to re-mark the whole test or any part of it (Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking). Of course there is a fee, which is roughly a half of the normal IELTS test fee. If your result is changed to a higher score, the fee is refunded.

If you decided to go for remarking, here is what you need to do. Within 6 weeks of your test date, get a form called “IELTS Enquiry on Results Form” from your test center, fill in your name, address, the tests you want to have remarked, sign and date it. Pay the fee and expect your answer back within 6 weeks from the day they receive it at Cambridge.

Here is what happens next: your test paper, your writing or your tape recorded during the Speaking test will be re-marked by a different examiner – not the one in your local test center, but by a trained clerical marker (for Reading and Listening answers) or a Cambridge ESOL-appointed Examiner, employed by the British Council or IDP.

In my opinion, unless you are very sure they’ve misread your answers, in the Reading and Listening there isn’t much of a chance to get a higher score. On the other hand, in the Writing and Speaking your chances are much better, because the score does depend on who marks the work, to some extent.

Let me tell you a true story of A from Romania. She took the IELTS test and was very confident and positive about her results, however… the results arrived and she got only 6.5 in Speaking. A immediately appealed, because she was confident that she deserved more (and her scores in the other sections were also much higher, Bands 8 – 7.5).

Later on she got really pessimistic, after talking to people who assured her that IELTS folks will never give her a higher score because of some kind of conspiracy, that by giving her a higher score, IELTS organization will admit to their guilt and they are never going to do that.

Two month later, a very happy A wrote me a letter about her score being raised from 6.5 to 7 and her money was refunded. Apparently the examiner at Cambridge disagreed with the local Romanian examiner and thought A was a Band 7 candidate.

IELTS in UK– August 2009 (General Training)

IELTS in the UK was described by S, who was studying with us for her exam. She found these updates very helpful and felt like giving back – many thanks to S! And now back to the exam:

Listening test

Section 1: A conversation between a new customer and a clerk of an insurance company due to the condition of a house-contents insurance, the policy, the premium, duration and a special offer.

Questions: Complete sentences (use one word).

Section 2: Several groups working presentations in a 3-column-table. Each column had the date, the subject of the presentation, the domain of study and research.

Questions: Complete sentences (use 2 words).

Section 3: Another table concerning the title of a research and the department name which should work on that title.

Questions: The blank spaces in each column had to be filled (using 3 words).

Section 4: A canoe boat trip, the necessary wearings and shoes, food or beverages, and the price of a single boat or double boat, its deposit and the method of payment.

Questions: 3 multiple choice questions, 2 questions where you should choose two answers from 5 options, 3 questions of sentence completion using 3 words.

Reading test

Passage 1: parts of some advertisements about 7 different hotels mentioning their services and facilities

Questions: Information matching.

Passage 2: About a warranty which a vacuum cleaner producer issued for its own new and old customers indicating the type of damages it can cover and under what conditions.

Questions: True/False/Not given.

Passage 3: Phone company and its services in local and international markets, busy hours conditions and prices. There was a bonus if you can introduce your friend to that company and a special offer about using both international and local services in case of monthly payment which would be cheaper.

Questions: Short answer questions (useing two words).

Passage 4: It was a text two pages in length and seven paragraphs, which covered a study about sleeping and sleep-deviation case, the needed time for sleeping, the damages of sleep deviation and its effect on the glands natural activity and its results. It was supported by four scientists’ research and survey.

Questions: Matching paragraphs to viewpoints – 6 questions, matching scientists’ names with their findings – 3 questions, short answer questions (using 3 words) – 5 questions.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (letter)
You are going to leave your apartment in an English speaking country and your landlord is a very good person, who has assisted you a lot during your stay. Meanwhile, your friend wants to rent the flat after you. Write a letter to your landlord and
– let your landlord know about your leaving,
– thank your landlord for his/her help,
– tell him/her about your friend.

Writing task 2 (essay)
Some believe in order to protect the environment from any pollution the air travel should be reduced. Do you agree or disagree? Tell about any of your experiences or any example to support your opinion.

Speaking test

Interview
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID Card?
– Can you describe your town?
– What do you enjoy more in your town?
– Is bicycle more popular among your people?
– Did you ride bicycle as a child?

Cue Card
Tell about what you would like to buy in future. You should say:
– What is it?
– What does it look like?
– When did the thought of buying it come to your mind?

Discussion
– Why do you like to buy that thing (from the cue card)?
– Do your people spend a lot of time for shopping?
– Do you think shopping is a waste of time?
– Do you think consumers get under influence of shopping environment?
– Do you think a stabilized shop can keep consumers?