This is what Amanda did to get Band 8 in her first IELTS test
It is a pleasure to introduce Amanda from Malaysia, one of IELTS results competition winners and a proud owner of IELTS Band 8. Today Amanda is sharing her IELTS preparation tips because there is a very good chance that what worked for her, will work for you.
In her winner’s interview Amanda said,
“It feels amazing to have won the competition. And of course I’d love to share my preparation tips.
When I first registered for IELTS, I had no idea on how this exam would be as it was my first time taking it. I also had a very limited preparation period. While it is important to have a good command of English, it is more important to familiarise yourself with the exam format and points breakdown.
For the Reading and Listening components, I had to work on my short attention span issue. I lengthened my attention span by reading articles daily, slowly increasing the number of paragraphs. When I was happy with my focusing capability, I downloaded some IELTS preparation apps that can be found on the App Store and practiced Listening and Reading mock tests.
As for Speaking, I only did as much as speaking to my reflection to help build confidence and fluency. I also got help on YouTube to watch speaking tests being carried out with remarks by the examiner at the end of the video.
As for Writing, I didn’t do so well in this component but I read a lot of example essays to prepare myself for what to expect and how to structure my essays.
And that’s how I prepared for the IELTS examination.”
Amanda Tan from Malaysia, IELTS Band 8