IELTS(International English Language Testing System) is an English language exam that is obliged to be taken by international aspirants considering studying or working in a country where English is the vital language of communication. The most prominent countries where IELTS is approved for university admissions are the USA, UK, Australia and Canada. The exam generally assesses the proficiency of test-takers to communicate in the four fundamental English language skills viz listening, reading, speaking, and writing. The IELTS exam is jointly owned and conducted by IDP Education Australia, and Cambridge English Language Assessment.
The IELTS test can be taken on a computer or paper. Test-takers who opt for the IELTS paper-based test take the Listening, Writing, and Reading sections on a computer. However, the speaking test is conducted face-to-face with a competent examiner. On the other hand, in the Computer-based IELTS, one gets extra test dates to decide from and receives results in 3-5 days. Candidates who opt to take IELTS on paper will take Reading, Writing, and Listening sections on paper with either HB pencils or pen.
Well! For any exam, you need to be familiar with its format, which helps you to have a proper paper attempting strategy and you can also work on time management as well. The same is the case with IELTS. So, for that, we have mentioned the format of the IELTS exam.
Listening- This includes: Multiple choice questions, diagram labelling, sentence completion and summary completion. There are 40 questions and the time duration to complete this section is 30 minutes.
Reading- This includes Multiple choice questions, sentence completion, summary completion, matching features and matching headings. There are 40 questions and the time duration to complete this section is 40 minutes.
Writing- This includes 2 writing tasks. There are 2 questions and the time duration to complete this section is 60 minutes.
Speaking- This is taken by a professional IELTS examiner face to face. There are three parts in this section and the time duration is 11-14 minutes.
Now that you are well-versed with the format. We have some section-wise tips for you which will help you ace your IELTS exam.
For reading section:
Firstly, know how many questions you are supposed to attempt and what those question categories are.
Read novels, magazines, and books that will help you sharpen your vocabulary, and ultimately enhance your reading and writing skills.
Read good-quality materials. There are a lot of IELTS resources to assist you with that.
Practice mock tests frequently so that you can assess your performance before the exams
Enrich your grammar basics. A majority of candidates commit the mistake of dismissing to improve their grammar.
Don't try to understand every passage. Understanding the questions is more important than understanding the passage.
Apart from building your vocabulary and amending your grammar, you must work on your speed. Boost your reading pace so that you save time in your actual exam.
For the writing section:
Writing something every day before the exam will be very helpful. Dedicate at least 30 minutes to writing.
Get your writing evaluated by an individual who understands what goes on in the IELTS writing test or you can just ask someone who has better English mastery than you.
To jot down well, you must focus on your grammar and vocabulary.
Ensure that you follow IELTS writing instructions before you hop into work on the mock papers.
Read and watch good-quality English content because that will have an explicit influence on your writing capabilities.
There are many IELTS writing resources out there, such as on websites like British Council and IDP.
Books such as Barron’s Writing for the IELTS and The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS are extensively suggested for IELTS writing.
Know that you need to write a minimum of 150 words in task1, and a minimum of 250 words in task 2. Prevent jotting down too much. Moreover, following the 150/250-word limit, you need to concentrate on simplicity, handwriting, and articulation of your ideas logically.
For the listening section:
Listen to podcasts and several types of audio scripts to strengthen your listening skills.
Observe what your shortcomings are in the listening section so that you can work on those.
Speak and use everyday English as much as feasible.
Try to exercise by listening and reading out loud. Comprehend what it is that you don’t understand.
Take up listening mocks.
Try to watch and listen to movies and series without subtitles. It is also very helpful.
Emphasize silly mistakes and grammar blunders when you write while practising.
For speaking preparation:
Practise speaking in English with a friend or record and listen to yourself.
Use a spectrum of grammar and vocabulary when you speak.
When you speak, try to lengthen the answers and not just reply in a few yes or no phrases.
Never memorise answers. That won't help you.
Make sure that you don’t think too much about your accent while speaking.
You will have to read and listen to a variety of topics. Only then can you refine your speaking skills.
Observe how decent speakers talk. Don’t imitate anyone, try to learn from them how they express themselves.
These are the tips that you need to keep in mind to ace your IELTS exam.
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