IELTS preparation tips from winners

A winner of IELTS results competition, Roopa Siju Haridas from India who got Band 8 in the test, shared the following tips:

“My advice to other IELTS candidates is this – please stop the practice of learning by heart ready-made essays for the writing section. I update my IELTS result every two years and I have seen many candidates who come with prepared notes. They try to learn by heart the essays in their notes.This is of no use as the topics differ in each exam.They are just wasting their precious time.

Check out the time available for each section and learn to manage your time accordingly before you attend the test, as time management is a vital part of writing the IELTS exam.

While doing the listening and reading section, your gaze should fall only on the paper in front of you. If you try to see what others are doing, you will lose track of the text or the recording and will not be able to find the following answers.

In the writing section check the main topic – write the introductory paragraph, the first sentence of the remaining paragraphs should contain one main point and the remaining sentences should elaborate on that point. Write the last paragraph with your conclusion on the topic.

There are no shortcuts to mastering a language. It comes to you naturally if you read books regularly.

All the best to the future IELTS candidates!”

Today I am happy to share the tips we received from Dona, a Sri-Lankan IELTS candidate, who won our IELTS results competition in July with an amazing Band 8.5 (her Reading and Listening were both Band 9!)

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And now back to Dona’s IELTS preparation tips:

“Just a few tips I would like to share.

For reading, I found it very helpful to read practice articles, those in past papers or even from other sources such as newspapers and textbooks. A lot of consistent reading and understanding any given articles goes a long way.

For listening, I think it is helpful to listen to a few recordings to practice and get into the flow and speed of the speaker. Keep an ear out for key words in the questions that would help you identify the answer.

For speaking, the most helpful thing to do is to keep speaking and interacting with people in English. Try to speak in a consistent flow, adding more complex words often. Try not to break your sentences and pause to think or hesitate. Keep speaking.

For writing, try to plan your essay. Allocate a certain number of words to each paragraph you plan on writing and have an idea of what the main idea of each paragraph will be.”