IELTS Tips and Tricks
1. The Source
Study as you prefer. You can learn from anywhere.
I bought two books consist of strategies and practices where I can put any notes in it and one book for enriching my vocab and idioms. I also learn from offline courses my friend gave me. I also search for other strategies on the internet. I downloaded IELTS app in my phone for vocabulary practice. I also browsed through youtube for listening and speaking practices. I read more books and watch more videos. Bottom line is, do whatever suits you the most.
I am moody and get bored easily so I do look for the wide variation of learning. I look for the distractions. For example, I was practising on reading then I got bored so I looked for my phone to open instagram but then I would switch to a video explaining about writing, and when I got bored again I’d switch to flashcard in my app, and so on.
- Make sure you get as many reference as possible.
- Make sure it’s not just from one source.
2. The timetable
It is, again, up to each person’s preference. I read someone is comfortable having strategies and practice on separate days, for example today’s reading strategies and tomorrow’s reading practice and then listening strategies and so on. But I could not. I took strategies and practice same day, even i do direct practice right after i read the strategies.
- Make sure you do practice everyday.
3. The Schedule
Also up to everyone’s preference. Someone prefers to do one skill at a time, for example monday to wednesday she’ll work on listening, and then continue to reading for the next three days after that, and so on. I’m not. Like I said I get bored easily so yeah I switched quickly after practising reading I switched to listening, and sometimes between practising I mumbled to practice speaking. It’s all up to you.
- Make sure you do practice every skill.
4. The Place and The Time
Someone prefers to take preparation course in a fixed place on fixed time. I can not. Hehehehehe. I need to do it while eating, while laying on my bed, sometimes taking a rest open up instagram. I can’t sit from 9 to 12 am nor 1 to 3 pm. I move around places at home, from living room to bedroom, even sometimes in the bathroom.
- Make sure you practice everyday.
5. The Duration
Again, it is up to you. Some people prefer timed practice while I can’t sit for an hour doing only reading or writing. Usually I do one passage and then take a break. Or do writing one task and take a break. You can do all 3 passages at a time, or all 2 writing tasks at a time. Depends on your preference.
- Make sure each task doesn’t exceed its time. For example a passage doesn’t need more than 20 mins or for writing task try to do it under 40 mins for task 2.
6. IELTS Simulation
I took it three times. We do practice many times but we still need to have real-test-like simulation where you have to sit for hours doing the test.
I am a highly curious person since I can remember, so I really like to try on anything new. I was in college when there was this offering of an IELTS workshop and simulation held by a student association and I directly applied to it. I didnt really know whether I wanted to take a higher level of study especially abroad but I knew it’d be beneficial somehow, later. So I did join the simulation and it really gave me insights about an IELTS test. The simulation was held by Swift English center. I had pretty nice score. Satisfied enough.
Next simulation was in Cilacs UII, it was actually kind of a placement test, and it’d decide whether we should take IELTS preparation class or continue the regular English class. It didn’t involve speaking as long as I could remember but still it’s useful for my future. They didn’t provide me score, only the statement if I was ready to take their IELTS class.
The third simulation was in Real English where I had decided to pursue masters in UK so I needed the IELTS test report form and I prepared myself before taking the official test by doing the simulation here, which was really useful, especially because it was held a month before the official so it was like still fresh from the oven. The score was good enough.
Doing simulation and knowing your overall recent score convinced you that you are ready for the real test.
You do know yourself the most and which approach you can learn in the most optimum way, and don’t forget, practices make perfect :)
Another good advice comes from someone I can’t remember who’s writing on his blog:
The best tips are the ones you find by yourself when you’re trying on your own.
Other tips on each section:
LISTENING
1. Get used to people speaking with British accent, ex: BBC recordings, search via youtube. Practice practice practice!
2. Turn on the subtitles at first and then practice without one.
3. Focus and full concentration! Pay attention to intonation, as the speakers are likely to change his mind in the conversation.
READING
For me it is truly the hardest as it tends to be very ambiguous 😢
1. Work on reading from the easiest to the hardest. This can vary among people. For me the hardest is the true/false/not given.
2. Underline each important keyword when you’re reading so that you will easily find the right answer when needed.
3. Pay attention to the instructions. Make sure you whether it’s “yes/true-no/false-not given/does not say”. Double check if you have to fill in the gaps with “words only from the passage” or you can “use your own words”. Read carefully.
4. Focus and full concentration! In the end, guess if you have to. The one thing you can’t do is to leave the blank unfilled.
WRITING
1. Structure matters the most! Read many examples.
For the first task, I usually write no more than 4 paragraphs (1st paragraph is introduction, 2nd paragraph I explain the superlatives and its trend, 3rd paragraph I explain comparison and its trend, 4th paragraph if still needed).
For the second task, I write no more than 4 as well. 1st paragraph is introduction and my answer/perspective, 2nd paragraph contains reasons and example for opposite point of view, 3rd paragraphs is reasons and examples from my view,and 4th paragraph is for conclusion.
Make sure each paragraph has a point.
2. Coherence and cohesion. The paragraphs have to be connected, one to another. Your essay should have a flowing, harmonious relation.
3. Lexical resources (wide range of vocab).
4. Pay attention to the UK-US differences. Both are accepted, just make sure you are consistent.
5. Use active-passive sentences in balance. E.g.: “it is believed by many that ...”
6. Collocation. The right verb for the right noun. Get used to it by reading/listening more. E.g.:
- “make : a decision”
- “conduct : a research”
- “pay :attention”, etc.
7. Use pencil, it’s easier to edit.
8. Get your writings readable, not too small, and give enough space between words (this could come in handy when you find something you need to replace and it needs bigger space than the previous one).
9. Make sure you achieve & respond well to the tasks, read the instructions/questions.
10. Make sure your writing is correct grammatically. After you finished, read it again 3 times.
11. Get used to many topics, expressions,and idioms. Read many examples.
SPEAKING
1. Get used to idioms.
2. Get used to a wide variety of topics (youtube helps).
3. Read or sing frequently.
4. Make it yours! Make it personal. Relax and just be yourself.
5. Easy way to paraphrase an introduction to your answer: start with your emotion, how you’re feeling about it.
6. If you’re not really a talkative person, just try to follow 5WH approach. Use your time as good as possible to show off your vocab.
Examples:
- Person you admire: I have known this person for my entire life, I know it might sound cliche but that person is my mom
- Object you can’t live without: I personally think it’s not really an object that I can’t live without but it’s actually a person
- Hometown: it is not uncommon in my culture for folks in my town to …, something ubiquitous in my town is …
Overall…
Listening and Reading
Needs full focus and concentration
Writing and Speaking
A lot of examples can really help if you have no idea about the topic
Note
I provide the tips considering you are ready for IELTS test and have satisfying result from simulation.
HOPE I HELP! 😀
Elaboration from:
blogspot/2016/10/master-preparation-1-before-submissions.html
