IELTS preparation tips from winners

Today we would like you to meed Mayank V, who lives in Punjab, India. He prepared for IELTS by himself, and learned an important lesson in the process, that may be valuable for you, too.

Mayank found out (the hard way) that you can score the perfect 9 in one sub-test, but in another your score can be rather low. This comes as a surprise to many IELTS candidates, because they assume that a good score in one sub-test automatically means they will score well overall.

So don’t be fooled by a perfect 9 in Reading or Listening – spend a lot of time practicing in Writing and Speaking as well.

And here is Mayank’s story, in his own words:

“Living in a non-English speaking country and preparing for an IELTS exam on your own is something considered very difficult by some. Although I had a month to prepare, I utilised that time as efficiently as I could and finally achieved an overall band score of 8.

I took IELTS in November. I was really nervous before the exam, and the only method that worked for me to relax was befriending a fellow candidate before the test. I reached the exam venue about 2 hours in advance and many candidates were there already. I looked around and started talking to one of the candidates. That helped me to cool down as well as get my confidence back.

To begin with, I scored 6.5 in Writing; my not-so-good handwriting may be responsible for that, or perhaps I wasn’t used to writing in a formal systematic manner because of too much online chatting. I was able to achieve this score only because of the sample essays on IELTS-Blog.com, that helped me to form a structure for my essays and also provided me with various methods to write cohesive essays. So I recommend that you read as much essays on this website as you can and write at least 2 essays and 2 reports daily!

Then, I scored 8.5 in Listening and 8.5 in Speaking as well. I was able to achieve this score only because of English language movies and TV shows. I’ve always loved Hollywood movies and I used to watch them first with subtitles, then without. After I registered for the IELTS test, I increased the number of episodes I watched every week of my favourite TV shows and also the number of movies. I also started watching BBC world news as it kept me updated about the latest happenings all around the world and improved my listening and speaking skills all around.

In Reading I scored 9 bands all because of practice. I practiced reading tests daily and also used to read English newspapers, which also helped me enrich my vocabulary, which is crucial for a better score.

To sum up, the only way to achieve your desired score is to be dedicated and concentrated. Practice daily, speak daily, even start thinking in English. Use it when you are talking to friends or even your dog, if you have one.”

If you are wondering whether self-preparation can get you IELTS Band 7 or higher, the answer is YES, and here comes the proof. Today we would like you to meet a person who prepared for IELTS completely on his own. He didn’t take any courses, didn’t attend any classes and didn’t have any tutors. Manzoor Ahmed is 23 years old, lives in Pakistan and his first language is Urdu. He got IELTS Band 7.5 with two 8’s for Listening and Reading, and consequently joined the list of winners of our IELTS Results competition. Here is what he said in his winner’s interview:

“My name is Manzoor Ahmed and I got an Overall Band Score of 7.5 in my first attempt. I didn’t join any center or institute for preparation. I did not ask for anyone’s help. I didn’t even practice my writing nor did I work much on my speaking. But I worked really, really hard on the sections which are very important and which can actually help you get a high band score, namely listening and reading.

Practice, practice and practice your reading and listening skills! In order to do so, first of all you need to familiarize yourself with the skills that are tested in listening and reading sections. Once you have the idea about the skills then you would know how to approach the given tasks in the IELTS exam. I can’t emphasize this enough – do as many practice tests as possible. Practice your listening through loudspeakers and avoid using headphones. Listen to different accents to familiarize yourself with many accents that you might hear during the test.

For reading, I would advise you to read articles or random paragraphs in order to improve timing. When it comes to reading, time is your worst enemy. Improve your timing/reading skills by taking as many mock tests as possible. Reading and listening sections of the IELTS exams can either make you or break you. Practice them as much as you can.

Now, as far as writing is concerned, you need to concentrate on the task given, and complete it accurately. I didn’t practice writing much, but it doesn’t mean you should not. Try to include a wide range of vocabulary and use the words correctly. Use punctuation. Use tenses. And never stray off topic. Read articles to understand coherence.

In the Speaking test give an extended answer. Don’t limit it to just the information they have asked, but try to add a little more. Answer accurately, always. In part 2 of this section, when you are asked to speak on a topic at length, and given time to make notes then use this opportunity and make notes, in form of bullets, and use them. Also try to keep eye contact when you speak and it is very important that you keep on speaking until the examiner asks you to stop. In the 3rd part of this section, answer the questions accurately and to the point, while extending your answers.

Personally, I would advise you not to panic, stay calm. When I was taking the test, it was my first, I had no idea how it is going to go down and I was feeling quite nervous, but even then I tried to stay calm and concentrated on the test. There are going to be a lot of distractions, so try to pay no attention to them. Don’t go hungry or sleepy in the test, and if you need to use the bathroom then go and relieve yourself before the test. Stay focused and sharp and remember what you have practiced.

Remember these little things and you will get a good band score. Best of luck!”