In this post, I want to share some tips and tricks about IELTS, which might can help other IELTS aspirants. Though I am not an IELTS expert, I have taken more than twice IELTS test during 2016. Hopefully I can help others who are planning to take this test in the near future, particularly for people who want to get 7 each band in IELTS General test. But if you want 8 each.. Please close this web and visit the better one, LOL :)
General Tips
Before taking IELTS, it would be useful if you could know your estimated IELTS score and how far it is from your desired score (I personally used my PTE score). You can either fathom it by yourself: do a practice test for listening and reading under the exam condition (set a time limit to finish it), and see your final score. There are many free IELTS practice sources which can be downloaded from internet, but the best one is the Cambridge IELTS test 1 - 10. Just type in the google search engine "Cambridge IELTS pdf free", you can get it just by click the download button for free :)
However, it is very difficult to measure your writing and speaking ability. To be honest, the writing sample answer in Cambridge test is not a true reflection of the real test, unfortunately. There are one sample answer, which is marked band 7 even though the essay isn't finished properly (without conclusion, due to time limit), and other essay which did not answer the key question. In reality, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get 7 without conclusion and answer the whole questions in the essay. So, the best way to know your real result is doing a simulation exam. In Indonesia, British Council Foundation has IELTS simulation tour annually and alternatively, you can ask some English course provider about the try out test schedule and fee.
Now, after you know your approximate result, it is your choice to enroll an IELTS course or do a self-study. At that time I decided to do self study, but at the end, I think I would spend less money if I paid for a reputable IELTS course, which I didn't. In my recommendation, I suggest people to visit IELTS Advantage Website, the writer offers IELTS Writing Academy, an online course, focused on writing and can help with the speaking part, the two biggest enemies in IELTS test. It costs around USD 400 in 2016, expensive, huh? But I spent more than that due to several fail attempts. If I'm not wrong, the IELTS teacher, Chris Pell will help his students until they get the desired score. And the reason why I highly recommend him is, based on my actual experience, I got 7 in writing after I used his IELTS correction service (3 essays package).
The other important tips is starting a vocabulary and idiom notebook. This is a must! To get at least 7, you really need to know tons of vocabularies. This is extremely useful for each IELTS sections, believe me. To start with, you can download a free pdf "Check your vocabulary for ielts" and finish it all. At first, it could be daunting, but in the end, you would be thankful for this. In addition, please subscribe to IELTS Materials and Resources, they will send you a daily email about new words, idioms, writing and speaking sample. Jot down every new words and expressions in your notebook and don't forget to try it on a right sentence.
Now, I will give you my tips and tricks for each section..
1. READING (my score range: 8.0 - 9.0)
Yes, this is my strongest part among others! My worst score was 8.0 and I got 9.0 more than once, so I wasn't just lucky, but I know and aware with their traps! :)
The first trap is the instruction and word limit. Don't write more than the word limit and just write as they instructed! For example, for the YES, NO and NOT GIVEN question, don't write it TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN. During my practice test (luckily), I did it and lose silly marks. Though the meaning is same, you will be marked as wrong in this test.
The second trap is still in this type of question. The TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN. You have to be subtle enough to differentiate between these answers. Now, I give you a simple paragraph as example:
The white monkeys are fond of bananas. There are some varieties which they like more than the others, but there is no significant difference in their appetite.
1. The white monkeys' favorite food is banana. Answer: TRUE
2. The white monkeys' love apples. Answer: FALSE
3. The white monkeys prefer to eat Cavendish Banana, especially the medium ripe one. Answer: NOT GIVEN
Can you see the difference?
TRUE answer is when you see a definite word in the sentence, while FALSE is a contradiction. Who knows if the white monkeys also love apples, but the article clearly said that they love bananas, not apples.
NOT GIVEN happens when there is no information written about it. Even it said "there are some varieties which they like more than the others", the writer didn't put a fix variety, so don't guess it anyway.
The other reading questions, particularly the "fill in the blanks" are quite straight forward, so just put the exact word (as written in the paragraph), you don't have to write a synonym.
You have 60 minutes to complete this section, please give more time to read the last reading passage (25 minutes minimum), as it is the most complicated and long one. Unlike listening, you don't have extra time at the end to write your answer, so you have to manage your time wisely.
2. LISTENING (my score range: 7.5 - 8.5)
This is my second strongest section, though I never too confident when this section comes. Listening section are the first section of IELTS test. Maybe this is why I always feel nervous about it. The key tips for this section is FOCUS and listen to every single word. Even only 3 seconds blank can make you lost in this section, so again, beware the traps!
The first trap is same with the reading section, instruction. Please beware the word limit and underline it. There are also some questions which require you to just write the A-G letter, so don't write the words.
The second trap is the (s). Listen carefully for the ending. If it's ended with (s) - for instances - windows, you would be marked as wrong if you wrote it 'window'.
And the most annoying trap is the "changing mind". Don't stop listening after you heard the answer. For example: "The meeting is on Wednesday" - you might feel happy because you got the information about the day. Keep listening. Sometimes the speaker changes their mind. "Oh wait.. Wednesday is a public holiday, so I guess, it's on Thursday". Now, the right answer is indeed, Thursday. It's super annoying, huh! So, keep your ears open.
Last tips but not least.. Feel free to make your question booklet DIRTY (this also works perfectly in reading part). Underline every keywords and answer the question right on the booklet because at the end, you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answer to the answer sheet.
Listening is the only section which allows you to write your answer at the end.
3. WRITING (my score range: 6.5 - 7.0)
This is my weakest part, and probably same for most of the IELTS takers. There are 4 marking criteria in this section, please download the "IELTS writing band descriptor" for the detailed information.
The first tips for this section is reading and interpreting the question properly. For both academic and general IELTS, there are different type of questions in writing part 2. Agree or disagree, discuss both views, problem and solutions and so on.. Each has different approach to answer. Please visit ieltsliz, ielts simon and ielts advantage websites to see the samples.
The second tips is PLANNING! You have to spend at least 7 minutes to plan both parts at the beginning. Believe me, it will save your time, as you don't need to stop in the middle of writing and think about ideas.
For IELTS general, the first section is writing a letter. It could be a formal letter, semi-formal and informal letter. The easiest one is informal letter, which is letter to a friend because you can use less "academic words" and put idioms to boost your score. Formal and semi formal letter are the most common types, you just need to write it in a super polite tone. Regardless the letter types, they have the same structure.
PART 1. WRITE LETTER - min. 150 words
Dear ...... (could be Sir or Madam - formal; Mr. John - semi formal ;or Dave - informal)
Opening
(write the reason why you write the letter) - 1 or 2 sentence is enough
Paragraph 1
(write the answer of the first bullet point and its explanation or description)
Paragraph 2
(write the answer of the second bullet point and its explanation or description)
Paragraph 3
(write the answer of the third bullet point and its explanation or description)
Closing
I look forward to hearing from you soon (formal / semi formal)
Speak to you soon (informal)
Yours faithfully, (formal - if you don't know the recipient's name)
or
Yours sincerely, (formal / semi formal - if you know the recipient's name)
or
With love, (definitely informal)
(Your name)
Now the second part of writing which carries 70% of the total mark of the writing part. Please write each part in the correct answer sheet to avoid panic attack during the writing test and ruin it.
There is a simple structure for the essay writing, but again, every question types have different approach, please do your own detailed research. So, this is the structure:
PART 2. WRITE ESSAY - min. 250 words
First paragraph / Opening
- Paraphrase the question, do not copy it directly.
- Give your general ideas for your two main body paragraphs and give your opinion if it's needed
Note: Don't write a very long opening, because the main body is more important than this
Second paragraph / Main Body (1)
- General idea
- Explain the general idea in depth
- Give a very detail example of your idea
Third paragraph / Main Body (2)
- General idea
- Explain the general idea in depth
- Give a very detail example of your idea
Fourth paragraph / Closing
- Give a conclusion (this is a must!)
Note: without conclusion, your essay would be marked 'unfinished'
Last tips but not least for your writing part is your grammar. Proofread at the end of the test. Don't use a complicated vocab if you're unsure about its meaning.
4. SPEAKING (my score range: 6.5 - 7.5)
This is my second weakest section in IELTS. Even though some people said that I'm a talk-active person, I have a certain difficulty to describe an event in a detailed coherence style, even in my Native Language. The other reason why this section is one of the hardest for me is I always speak in Indonesian language with my husband and my mom (to make the matter worse, I also use Javanese dialect).
The first trick for speaking part is using "academic language" and mix it with one or two idioms. There are many sources in the Internet which encourage you to speak in casual way.. Well, it never works for me. When I got 7 or above, I always used formal language, like speaking in a job interview. I got 6.5 when I spoke in relaxing style.
The second trick is talking in a slower pace. For me, who have coherence difficulty, it works perfectly. I have more time to manage my thought and produce a better pronunciation in a slower pace, compared with the faster one.
The third trick is doing well in the long monologue (speaking part 2). Keep talking until the examiner stops you. No matter how dry the topic is, keep talking! In my last test, which I managed to get 7, the topic was about a recent advertisement and I talked about "Combantrin", a medicine to combat worm infestation in children, a super boring topic! I was disappointed with my performance as the examiner didn't show any interest while I'm speaking, but the result was relieving.
The last trick is try to explain in depth in the last speaking part, the discussion, and give a proper example. Give a minimum one minute per answer and you will be okay.
To boost your confidence during speaking part, please wear a glossy formal outfit to build your image. Brush your teeth and put a simple make up to show your professionalism. First impression matters! :)
That's all the tips and tricks from me. Again, I am not an IELTS expert. I had to try several attempts to get my desired score. But one thing I want to remind you is NEVER GIVE UP! and be persistent.. The real failure is when you decide to give up.. Finally, the distance between you and your goal is practice and pray.. Just for our better future!
Written by: Anita (February 5th 2017)
General Tips
Before taking IELTS, it would be useful if you could know your estimated IELTS score and how far it is from your desired score (I personally used my PTE score). You can either fathom it by yourself: do a practice test for listening and reading under the exam condition (set a time limit to finish it), and see your final score. There are many free IELTS practice sources which can be downloaded from internet, but the best one is the Cambridge IELTS test 1 - 10. Just type in the google search engine "Cambridge IELTS pdf free", you can get it just by click the download button for free :)
However, it is very difficult to measure your writing and speaking ability. To be honest, the writing sample answer in Cambridge test is not a true reflection of the real test, unfortunately. There are one sample answer, which is marked band 7 even though the essay isn't finished properly (without conclusion, due to time limit), and other essay which did not answer the key question. In reality, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get 7 without conclusion and answer the whole questions in the essay. So, the best way to know your real result is doing a simulation exam. In Indonesia, British Council Foundation has IELTS simulation tour annually and alternatively, you can ask some English course provider about the try out test schedule and fee.
Now, after you know your approximate result, it is your choice to enroll an IELTS course or do a self-study. At that time I decided to do self study, but at the end, I think I would spend less money if I paid for a reputable IELTS course, which I didn't. In my recommendation, I suggest people to visit IELTS Advantage Website, the writer offers IELTS Writing Academy, an online course, focused on writing and can help with the speaking part, the two biggest enemies in IELTS test. It costs around USD 400 in 2016, expensive, huh? But I spent more than that due to several fail attempts. If I'm not wrong, the IELTS teacher, Chris Pell will help his students until they get the desired score. And the reason why I highly recommend him is, based on my actual experience, I got 7 in writing after I used his IELTS correction service (3 essays package).
The other important tips is starting a vocabulary and idiom notebook. This is a must! To get at least 7, you really need to know tons of vocabularies. This is extremely useful for each IELTS sections, believe me. To start with, you can download a free pdf "Check your vocabulary for ielts" and finish it all. At first, it could be daunting, but in the end, you would be thankful for this. In addition, please subscribe to IELTS Materials and Resources, they will send you a daily email about new words, idioms, writing and speaking sample. Jot down every new words and expressions in your notebook and don't forget to try it on a right sentence.
Now, I will give you my tips and tricks for each section..
1. READING (my score range: 8.0 - 9.0)
Yes, this is my strongest part among others! My worst score was 8.0 and I got 9.0 more than once, so I wasn't just lucky, but I know and aware with their traps! :)
The first trap is the instruction and word limit. Don't write more than the word limit and just write as they instructed! For example, for the YES, NO and NOT GIVEN question, don't write it TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN. During my practice test (luckily), I did it and lose silly marks. Though the meaning is same, you will be marked as wrong in this test.
The second trap is still in this type of question. The TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN. You have to be subtle enough to differentiate between these answers. Now, I give you a simple paragraph as example:
The white monkeys are fond of bananas. There are some varieties which they like more than the others, but there is no significant difference in their appetite.
1. The white monkeys' favorite food is banana. Answer: TRUE
2. The white monkeys' love apples. Answer: FALSE
3. The white monkeys prefer to eat Cavendish Banana, especially the medium ripe one. Answer: NOT GIVEN
Can you see the difference?
TRUE answer is when you see a definite word in the sentence, while FALSE is a contradiction. Who knows if the white monkeys also love apples, but the article clearly said that they love bananas, not apples.
NOT GIVEN happens when there is no information written about it. Even it said "there are some varieties which they like more than the others", the writer didn't put a fix variety, so don't guess it anyway.
The other reading questions, particularly the "fill in the blanks" are quite straight forward, so just put the exact word (as written in the paragraph), you don't have to write a synonym.
You have 60 minutes to complete this section, please give more time to read the last reading passage (25 minutes minimum), as it is the most complicated and long one. Unlike listening, you don't have extra time at the end to write your answer, so you have to manage your time wisely.
2. LISTENING (my score range: 7.5 - 8.5)
This is my second strongest section, though I never too confident when this section comes. Listening section are the first section of IELTS test. Maybe this is why I always feel nervous about it. The key tips for this section is FOCUS and listen to every single word. Even only 3 seconds blank can make you lost in this section, so again, beware the traps!
The first trap is same with the reading section, instruction. Please beware the word limit and underline it. There are also some questions which require you to just write the A-G letter, so don't write the words.
The second trap is the (s). Listen carefully for the ending. If it's ended with (s) - for instances - windows, you would be marked as wrong if you wrote it 'window'.
And the most annoying trap is the "changing mind". Don't stop listening after you heard the answer. For example: "The meeting is on Wednesday" - you might feel happy because you got the information about the day. Keep listening. Sometimes the speaker changes their mind. "Oh wait.. Wednesday is a public holiday, so I guess, it's on Thursday". Now, the right answer is indeed, Thursday. It's super annoying, huh! So, keep your ears open.
Last tips but not least.. Feel free to make your question booklet DIRTY (this also works perfectly in reading part). Underline every keywords and answer the question right on the booklet because at the end, you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answer to the answer sheet.
Listening is the only section which allows you to write your answer at the end.
3. WRITING (my score range: 6.5 - 7.0)
This is my weakest part, and probably same for most of the IELTS takers. There are 4 marking criteria in this section, please download the "IELTS writing band descriptor" for the detailed information.
The first tips for this section is reading and interpreting the question properly. For both academic and general IELTS, there are different type of questions in writing part 2. Agree or disagree, discuss both views, problem and solutions and so on.. Each has different approach to answer. Please visit ieltsliz, ielts simon and ielts advantage websites to see the samples.
The second tips is PLANNING! You have to spend at least 7 minutes to plan both parts at the beginning. Believe me, it will save your time, as you don't need to stop in the middle of writing and think about ideas.
For IELTS general, the first section is writing a letter. It could be a formal letter, semi-formal and informal letter. The easiest one is informal letter, which is letter to a friend because you can use less "academic words" and put idioms to boost your score. Formal and semi formal letter are the most common types, you just need to write it in a super polite tone. Regardless the letter types, they have the same structure.
PART 1. WRITE LETTER - min. 150 words
Dear ...... (could be Sir or Madam - formal; Mr. John - semi formal ;or Dave - informal)
Opening
(write the reason why you write the letter) - 1 or 2 sentence is enough
Paragraph 1
(write the answer of the first bullet point and its explanation or description)
Paragraph 2
(write the answer of the second bullet point and its explanation or description)
Paragraph 3
(write the answer of the third bullet point and its explanation or description)
Closing
I look forward to hearing from you soon (formal / semi formal)
Speak to you soon (informal)
Yours faithfully, (formal - if you don't know the recipient's name)
or
Yours sincerely, (formal / semi formal - if you know the recipient's name)
or
With love, (definitely informal)
(Your name)
Now the second part of writing which carries 70% of the total mark of the writing part. Please write each part in the correct answer sheet to avoid panic attack during the writing test and ruin it.
There is a simple structure for the essay writing, but again, every question types have different approach, please do your own detailed research. So, this is the structure:
PART 2. WRITE ESSAY - min. 250 words
First paragraph / Opening
- Paraphrase the question, do not copy it directly.
- Give your general ideas for your two main body paragraphs and give your opinion if it's needed
Note: Don't write a very long opening, because the main body is more important than this
Second paragraph / Main Body (1)
- General idea
- Explain the general idea in depth
- Give a very detail example of your idea
Third paragraph / Main Body (2)
- General idea
- Explain the general idea in depth
- Give a very detail example of your idea
Fourth paragraph / Closing
- Give a conclusion (this is a must!)
Note: without conclusion, your essay would be marked 'unfinished'
Last tips but not least for your writing part is your grammar. Proofread at the end of the test. Don't use a complicated vocab if you're unsure about its meaning.
4. SPEAKING (my score range: 6.5 - 7.5)
This is my second weakest section in IELTS. Even though some people said that I'm a talk-active person, I have a certain difficulty to describe an event in a detailed coherence style, even in my Native Language. The other reason why this section is one of the hardest for me is I always speak in Indonesian language with my husband and my mom (to make the matter worse, I also use Javanese dialect).
The first trick for speaking part is using "academic language" and mix it with one or two idioms. There are many sources in the Internet which encourage you to speak in casual way.. Well, it never works for me. When I got 7 or above, I always used formal language, like speaking in a job interview. I got 6.5 when I spoke in relaxing style.
The second trick is talking in a slower pace. For me, who have coherence difficulty, it works perfectly. I have more time to manage my thought and produce a better pronunciation in a slower pace, compared with the faster one.
The third trick is doing well in the long monologue (speaking part 2). Keep talking until the examiner stops you. No matter how dry the topic is, keep talking! In my last test, which I managed to get 7, the topic was about a recent advertisement and I talked about "Combantrin", a medicine to combat worm infestation in children, a super boring topic! I was disappointed with my performance as the examiner didn't show any interest while I'm speaking, but the result was relieving.
The last trick is try to explain in depth in the last speaking part, the discussion, and give a proper example. Give a minimum one minute per answer and you will be okay.
To boost your confidence during speaking part, please wear a glossy formal outfit to build your image. Brush your teeth and put a simple make up to show your professionalism. First impression matters! :)
That's all the tips and tricks from me. Again, I am not an IELTS expert. I had to try several attempts to get my desired score. But one thing I want to remind you is NEVER GIVE UP! and be persistent.. The real failure is when you decide to give up.. Finally, the distance between you and your goal is practice and pray.. Just for our better future!
If I can do it, so can you!
Written by: Anita (February 5th 2017)
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