IELTS preparation tips from winners

Today we would like you to meet Adejumoke and Harun, the winners of our December round of IELTS results competition, not only because they were successful in IELTS, but also because they are trying to help YOU get a great score, too. By sharing their story, their experience they are shining the light on the path YOU can take. Have a read and think about your IELTS practice sessions – could they benefit from the same things Adejumoke and Harun did?

Adejumoke is from Nigeria, she got the Overall Band Score of 7.5 in a computer-delivered IELTS test. In her experience, practicing with the right materials makes a difference. Adejumoke said,

“I came across IELTS-Blog.com briefly through a friend. I decided to subscribe and I followed tips supplied via email. When I was convinced and I realised I needed to practice with a textbook, I chose High Scorers Choice Practice Test General Training 1+2+3, followed the instructions and downloaded the required recordings. I read through the testimonials of others and I believed I can’t be an exception, I would put in my best. I followed the tips diligently for each module – Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, practiced each test, marked my answers, listened while looking at transcripts (in Listening). Every word, text, tips and advice packaged by Simone, they are real and am sure with diligence and concentration you can be THE BEST you choose to be.”

Harun is from Nigeria too. His Overall Band Score is 8.0 with a straight 9 in Listening! Harun says that the SECRET to success is to stop looking for secrets! Here is his story:

“Thank you for the opportunity to share my IELTS tips with many others. The main secret to success in taking the IELTS is to realize that there are absolutely no secrets. All the materials and information needed are out there for candidates to utilize.

Just like a running a marathon requires continuous practice, so does the IELTS. I fully utilized the resources at my disposal to practice, practice and practice. I began by watching videos on YouTube to brush up the general concepts and familiarize myself with the exam format and marking scheme.

Then, I took two mock exams online (timed) to assess my strengths and weaknesses. I was deficient in writing, so I had to dedicate more time to it.

Finally, I began practicing past questions with more emphasis on my weak areas. I timed myself during practicing and sourced questions from IELTS-Blog.com.

On the exam day, I was very punctual and had a good breakfast to sustain me. I used the bathroom just before the screening process began and I entered the exam hall with my bottle of water. I hope this would help someone.”

We would like to thank Adejumoke and Harun for sharing their stories, and congratulate them on their great IELTS scores!

IELTS Band 8 isn’t an easy goal, but it is not impossible – and when you see people who did it and hear their stories, it helps to make that Band 8 real and achievable.

So, what can YOU do to get a Band 8 in IELTS?

Two of our recent IELTS results competition winners, Anne Padmarani and Prashika Pettagam, got Band 8 in their IELTS exams and are sharing their best advice to help others achieve the same level of success.

Prashika Pettagam from Sri Lanka said:

“My best advice to other IELTS candidates is to identify and review their own mistakes. I have done several practice tests and when I checked the answers I always used to find out the reason for incorrect answers. It works well for listening and reading tests and I improved a lot especially in True/False/Not Given questions. Once you check the correct answer and compare with your own, ultimately you will be able to logically find the correct answer very easily.”

Anne Padmarani from India said:

“Read a lot of books in English, watch Hollywood movies and listen to Western music. This will help you improve your overall performance. Practise makes perfect. I wrote 12 tests in total. I set a timer to time my answers. This gave me an idea of what to expect on the day of the test.

I used two books to prepare for the test: The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS Student’s Book with Answers (Cambridge English) & IELTS 5 Practice Tests, Academic Set 6: Tests No. 26-30 (High Scorer’s Choice).

I also used the website IELTSLiz to get tips for the speaking test.

I asked my husband to score my essays and speaking test (he was my questioner) and worked on the feedback that he gave me. Choose someone who is fluent in the English language to help you with the tests.

Get in touch with the test center well in advance, if you have any special requests. I asked for extra time because I am disabled.

Be calm and relaxed on the day of the test. Sleep well the night before. If you miss out on an answer during the listening test, don’t panic, just concentrate on the rest of the conversation.

Have fun talking to the examiner on the day of the test. My speaking test was easy because I felt pretty confident on the test day.”