How To Prepare For The IELTS Exam?

Table Of Content

• What does IELTS stand for?
• Academic vs General Training IELTS
• Why should you appear for the IELTS exam?
• How to prepare for the IELTS Exam?
• FAQ’s

What does IELTS stand for?

Before getting into the subject of “how to prepare for the IELTS exam” Let’s first know what IELTS stands for. The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is intended to assist you in working, studying, or migrating to a country where English is the native language. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States are among the countries included.

During the test, your abilities to listen, read, write, and communicate in English will be assessed. IELTS is rated on a scale of 1-9. The British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment all share ownership of IELTS.

Academic vs General Training IELTS
IELTS assessments are divided into two categories: Academic and General Training. While both are used to measure your English language skills, they differ slightly:

The Academic IELTS. For students who desire to study at university or in an academic setting, this course focuses on English listening, reading, writing, and speaking. This test is taken by many students who want to study abroad in an English-speaking country.

The IELTS General Training course also focuses on English listening, reading, writing, and speaking, but it is more appropriate for students applying to study at the undergraduate level. This test is also taken by anyone looking for work or relocating to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.

Before you start studying for the IELTS, you need to know which framework is best suited to your needs.

Why should you appear for the IELTS exam?

• Study, work, and immigrate with IELTS

There are various sorts of IELTS examinations available to meet your specific requirements. IELTS Academic is intended to assist students who want to relocate to an English-speaking nation to pursue an undergraduate or any other course or a professional career such as a doctor, lawyer, etc.

IELTS General Training is intended for students applying for further education, individuals seeking employment abroad, or those seeking to immigrate to countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

IELTS recently developed an interim test called IELTS Indicator to assist study-abroad hopefuls amid the COVID crisis. The results of your IELTS test will assist you in meeting your immigration requirements and also be accepted by any immigration authorities that demand an English language test.

• Excellent practice for your English language abilities

By taking the IELTS exam, you will be putting your English knowledge to use as though you were in a real-life situation with English native speakers. The test is designed to assess various English language skills – speaking, listening, writing, and reading, as well as a live conversation with an evaluator, which prepares you for real-life situations such as speaking to international colleagues at school, clients at work, or even during a trip abroad.

• Accepted in most English-speaking countries

It is acknowledged by over 10,000 organizations in 140 countries. Even if you have PR in any country, your IELTS score is important for your job possibilities.

• Your English speaking skills are enhanced

IELTS tests significantly improve your English skills, you must choose the test in order to examine and develop yourself. You should also take it to improve your English so that you don’t have any linguistic issues when you travel overseas.

• It is commonly available

The IELTS exam is available in 900 British Council-accredited locations worldwide, including London and Dublin. Of course, a preparation course is required in order to take the test and achieve the required score.

FYI: IELTS Online is not yet appropriate for immigration reasons. If you are taking IELTS to immigrate, you must take the test in a test center.

With the above explanation, I’m sure you have understood the importance of IELTS and now let’s go ahead with the query on “How to prepare for the IELTS exam.”

How to prepare for the IELTS Exam?

• Try out a practice exam

Begin your preparation by taking a practice test to identify your strengths and weaknesses. This is an important step in your early preparation since it will help you identify your strengths and limitations. It is not only vital to strengthen your shortcomings, but it is also necessary to strengthen your strengths in order to establish a firm basis for the examination.

But, if you are unable to avoid these errors or identify them clearly, you will undoubtedly benefit from the assistance of an expert. Most test-takers believe that completing an IELTS preparation course is one of the simplest methods to prepare for the exam because it focuses completely on getting you exam-ready for IELTS.

• Keep in mind the exam time limits

The better your comprehension of the test format, the more likely you are to complete it successfully within the time limit. Prepare under timed settings so that you become accustomed to the pace of the test.

Keep in mind that the IELTS test has a time limit, and you will only have the time allotted for each module. If you are unable to complete the courses within the time allotted or if you are unable to concentrate due to time constraints.

Necessary prepping in a preparation course is done under the same time constraints as the exam, so you’re prepared for the pace of the IELTS test.

• Recognize the test format

It is critical that you understand the format of the test before you begin practicing. Review the exam content, as well as the question and task categories for each part, to become acquainted with it. Remember that familiarity with the test structure and format is the key to success in any examination, not only IELTS.

• Improve your English skills and IELTS methods

One of the most common mistakes students make is focusing solely on IELTS. They take numerous IELTS practice examinations but fail to enhance their English in other ways.

Most Indonesian IELTS students are unaware of their present English level, which is frequently Intermediate or lower, and are uninformed that IELTS is an English competence test. As a result, your English is required to be excellent. Remember that studying IELTS is a process. It takes an average of 12 weeks to go up a score band by one point.

Begin preparing for your exam at least 3 – 6 months in advance. We strongly advise you to seek out an institution that can assist you with English improvement and IELTS techniques.

• When listening to English, you can multitask

It’s no secret that the IELTS exam is difficult, and the hearing module is no exception. You will be required to answer 40 questions over the course of four recordings. The recordings will only be played once. The most common types of questions are sentence completion, summary completion, form completion, and multiple choice.

It is natural to become disoriented during a conversation, but you must recover quickly or you may miss all of the questions on that task. This would be disastrous. As a result, understanding how to follow a conversation, even if you miss something, and how to recover to continue answering the next question is critical.

You must also understand what information to provide based on the type of inquiry. Is it a number, a name, or a location?

• Acquire a diverse set of reading abilities

The reading module’s main objective is to assess a variety of reading skills. Skimming, grasping logical arguments, and recognizing writers’ perspectives, attitudes, and goals. Short replies, matching information, whole sentences, matching headings, or complete diagram labels are all required.

• Practice with a variety of questions so that you become familiar with each type

In the reading module, time is of utmost importance, and you simply will not have the time to read the materials numerous times. There are solutions available to assist you in avoiding this issue.

• While writing, use acceptable and aggressive English terminologies

The writing module is perhaps the most difficult for most people. Both academic training activities must be written in a formal style.

Task 1 asks you to describe and explain data, which you may be an expert at; yet, this demands extensive English practice.

Task 2 contains a multitude of difficulties. If you are unfamiliar with the issue, it can be difficult to develop an essay about it. Also, the essay must be well-structured.

• How to prepare for the above-mentioned tasks?

You must be prepared to respond to duties and comprehend their requirements. To ensure you are prepared for the test, complete Task 1 questions using suitable language and practice with several types of charts like line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, tables, multiple data sources, processes, and diagrams.

Prepare for Task 2 questions by becoming acquainted with the form of an essay, how to develop it, and how to compose the introduction and conclusion. You must be able to connect your thoughts using proper English. Also, practice writing about common IELTS themes to become acquainted with them.

A preparatory course will expose you to the several types of essays that typically appear on the IELTS, such as: Agree or Disagree, Examine two opposing viewpoints, benefits and drawbacks, problems and solutions, causes and solutions, and causes and effects.

• Direct communication requires fluency or coherence of speech.

This test is divided into three sections and lasts less than 15 minutes. The first 5 minutes are set aside for the test taker and the examiner to introduce themselves and discuss basic issues. The second section examines the test taker’s ability to speak about a topic chosen at random from a task card. The last section simply complicates the second. The examiner will also consider pronunciation, lexical resources, and fluency at this stage.

Studying each section under exam conditions is critical for test preparation and will help you become accustomed to the pressure you will face throughout the exam. You must be able to take notes that will assist you in speaking for two minutes during the second half of the test.

You should also practice responding to queries for which you do not have a response. Note that your information is not evaluated, but your command of the English language is.

• Think in English

Together with your test preparation, expose yourself to as much language as possible. Learn about topics that interest you in English; online periodicals or blogs are good places to start. Every day, write some English in a diary, create a blog, or communicate with an online community, such as members in a Facebook group who share an interest with you.

Listen to native speakers conversing with one another and, if feasible, participate. approach. This entails repeating in English what someone has just stated. This will aid in pronouncing, intonation, and stress.

Of Note: Remember that perseverance is the key to success during the exam preparation process.

Remember that self-learning is achievable if you are committed and find someone who can provide feedback. Hope you are clear on the subject “How to Prepare for the IELTS Exam.” If not, do get in touch with experts who will help you out. Good luck!

FAQ’s

• How to prepare for the IELTS Exam?

Read the above content in which there is a precise explanation of the topic.

• Is IELTS mandatory to study abroad?

Not really. There are many conditions to qualify for studying abroad and IELTS is just one of them but speaking English fluently is an important factor.

• What is included in the IELTS exam?

The exam covers four major topics, speaking, listening, reading, and writing which we do on a daily basis. The exam mainly focuses on how well you can achieve living comfortably in an English-speaking country.

• Will the IELTS exam scores be uniform worldwide?

Score requirements will surely change depending on your immigration requirements and where you plan to study or work.