IELTS preparation tips from winners

Srinivasan got an Overall Band 8 in IELTS, so when he wrote to us and said he’d like to share some preparation advice, we knew it would be of great value to every single test taker reading this blog. As a winner of our IELTS Results Competition, Srinivasan wanted to give back and help others overcome the IELTS challenge. Here are his suggestions to you, based on his own way of preparing for IELTS:

Srinivasan said, “First and foremost, get to know the test pattern and types of questions. Once you are familiar with that, learn the skills and use strategies suitable for every question type. Be realistic in your preparation, do not rush to sit the test before you are truly ready.

Listening

• Learn the question types and strategies for each type of question.
• Take a mock test and record the score.
• Review the test paper and note down your weak areas.
• Turn your weaknesses into your strengths.

Reading

Reading is hard for many people as they don’t have a habit of reading.

• Try to read newspapers and short texts as a habit.
• Part 3 of the Reading test is often filled with difficult questions, so reserve more time for it while leaving less time for Part 1 and Part 2.
• Identify where most mistakes are coming from – that is the area you need to focus on more.
• Review every test paper after completion to learn from your mistakes.

Writing

Writing test is the one where many students get a low band score, and it happened to me as well. It is important to understand what is needed to get a higher band with the help of band descriptors.

• In my first attempt I didn’t have anyone to guide me. In the next attempt, I found it is vital to get assistance from an IELTS expert.
• Learn all the types of questions and how to approach them.
• Practice in writing responses to the questions under timed conditions.
• Write down your mistakes and revise them before you start writing.
• Practice writing error-free sentences and using complex sentences in your essays.
• Planning is key to success in Writing Tasks 1 and 2.
• Read Band 9 essay samples to gain ideas and improve your style of writing.

Speaking

Speaking with confidence is very important to success.

• Read on a range of topics such as the environment, science, arts, schools, hometown, social media, etc (or watch films/videos on these topics). This will expand your vocabulary.
• Practicing speaking with a partner is highly recommended.
• In the Speaking test, Parts 2 and 3 are more important and require more preparation time.
• I recorded my speaking test and listened to it for mistakes, it is a good way to improve.
• Make sure you get an IELTS tutor to assess your speaking test and provide further guidance.

Congratulations to Srinivasan Mannangatti on achieving an Overall IELTS Band score of 8.0!

People are often pressed for time preparing for their IELTS tests. Here is one reason why: test takers find out they have a date by which they must get their target IELTS score. The date may be set by a government agency, a university where they would like to study or a potential employer. Then people are starting their IELTS preparation, and they often have 2-3 weeks to get their English and IELTS skills to the necessary level. This order of events is less than ideal, because the right way is working on your IELTS skills first, until you are reliably getting your target score at home in mock tests, and then booking a date for your test, to ensure you don’t take it more than once.

Reza, a test taker from Iran who got a Band 8 Overall score in IELTS, approached his exam the right way – he made sure he is able to get his target score in a mock test at home first, and then took the real test. He needed Band 7 in writing, and in order to get there he worked hard, wrote and submitted more than 30 essays to our writing correction service.

He followed our teachers’ suggestions and improved, and when he started getting Band 7 for his Writing Tasks 1 and 2, Reza knew he was ready. In the real test his Writing score was Band 7, and his Overall score – Band 8.

As a winner of our March round of IELTS Results Competition, Reza shared some advice that will help you prepare for IELTS the right way:

“Using IELTS-Blog.com writing correction service is highly recommended. It provides practical feedback which can effectively increase test takers’ scores. Furthermore, I ask everyone to read the past IELTS questions they publish on the website. It helps you get familiar with different topics that come up in Writing and Speaking.

As for the Listening and Reading – I did a test every day. It was very helpful in improving my concentration, pace and confidence. Cambridge IELTS books and many online sources can be used for these parts.

Thank you to IELTS-Blog.com for your incredible help and support. We all owe you big time.”

Congratulations to Reza Zaeri on achieving an Overall IELTS Band score of 8.0!