When we asked Karan S, one of our IELTS results competition winners, what contributed to his high IELTS score, he named a few things. They might seem pretty straight forward to you because they are simple enough, but make no mistake – a technique doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated to be effective, and it’s a fact that Karan got Band 8 as a result. Here is what he suggests:
“My advice to all the IELTS candidates would to be to practice mock tests several times, which would give them the actual feeling of how the examination is conducted.
Also, some specific tips for individual IELTS sub-tests:
Reading
One must develop the speed of reading paragraphs/comprehension and answer the question only after reading, rather than trying to find the answers based on the given questions. Watch out for spelling mistakes!
Writing
To write good essays or reports it is important to be aware of the format for both task types because it will help you score better. For an essay one must identify clearly, what kind of essay it is i.e. question based, discussion, advantage/disadvantage etc. The first paragraph should include the paraphrased task prompt, it must introduce the essay topic and hint at your response! The following paragraphs must have coherence and cohesion to the main idea/view. Try and give examples supporting the idea and have a concluding statement. Also vocabulary and grammar must be kept in check throughout.
Similarly, in a report the first paragraph should paraphrase the question and state what the chart/report/graph depicts or illustrates. The following paragraphs must state the main differences, common trends, overview, etc.
Listening
For this section people believe there aren’t many tricks, but it is important to anticipate what the speaker is saying or about to say, by paying attention to the tone of the speaker. Also use more time for the difficult sections where there are chances of making mistakes.
Speaking
For this section it is important to practice as much as you can and cover as many topics as possible. This will ensure that you are not taken by surprise by the topic in the final speaking test. One must have a good range of vocabulary and be confident while speaking. For the introduction questions speak in 2-3 lines only (shorter answers), and for discussion questions answer in 3-4 lines (longer answers).
Also the most important thing is to be relaxed on the day of the exam, as it is the day which matters the most and accounts for all the hard work and practice that you have put in.
Hope my views may be of some help to candidates in their forthcoming exams, wish them all the very best!”
