Note – This is NOT A SATIRE, please read other articles if you are looking for that.
While I do not claim to be an expert on IELTS, I did manage to get a decent score for a two-nighter effort. This was my only attempt so I cannot assert expertise in the evaluation process either. However, I believe this test is a pretty accurate evaluation of general English language skills. My partner and I took the test together and our scores accurately reflect our real-life strengths and weaknesses.
After seeing numerous social media posts of people asking how to prepare for IELTS exam, I thought I will try to share my two cents. My assumption is that readers understand the test format so I will only focus on what I believe can help you hone your skills.
Listening (Score – 9/9)
This test is aimed to evaluate your listening skills by asking questions based on a recording, that is played in the test room. Characters in this recording speak in British accent so it’s important to prepare accordingly.
In my experience, they spoke pretty slowly and clearly, so you should not have a problem with missing out on words/sentences. I believe the best way to prepare for Listening is by watching English movies or television series as much as possible. Audio books are also a great alternative.
You can start with American television series and eventually watch some British shows as well (many game of thrones characters spoke in British accent). Start with subtitles so you can understand the pronunciations and then try watching without them.
If you do not understand a sentence – pause, rewind and watch again (with subtitles if needed). I have been doing this for a long time and if you can watch shows without subtitles, scoring high in listening should be a piece of cake.
Reading (Score – 9/9)
This section starts with simple ‘fill in the blank’ type of questions and later turn into a comprehension test. While I know people who scored 9/9 without reading half the text, I firmly believe it’s a good idea to thoroughly read the entire passage before trying to take on the questions.
Do not worry about running out of time. I read slower than a sloth, so if I complete it in allotted time, you most definitely can. Understanding the context makes it easier to find answers because you know where to look for them.
Comprehension is an acquired skill and reading anything and everything will help. Although I don’t read novels, reading random stuff on Wikipedia and tons of news outlets has helped me a lot.
Writing (Score – 8.5/9)
For a wanna-be satirist and blogger, this was a prove-it test for me and I can’t complain about the results. This section perhaps require a detailed discussion as I have come across several posts from aspirants asking for methods to improve their writing skills.
The ONLY way to improve your writing skill is by writing. Now that we have stated the obvious, let’s try to dissect the components that makes up a ‘good read’.
Readability of any text depends on below factors:
Sentence Length – Try to write shorter sentences (less than 20 words). Longer sentences should ideally make up less than 25% of your essay.
Passive Voice – Try not to use passive voice in more than 15% of sentences (less than 10% would be even better).
Simplicity – Keep it simple! If you use shorter sentences and avoid using difficult words, your essay will be a lot more readable. If a 14 year old cannot understand it, you are doing too much.
Choice of Words– Improve vocabulary to add variety in your sentences. During practice, if a word is getting repeated too often, google it’s synonyms and use a different word. Keep adding these new words to your arsenal.
Paragraph length – Keep the length of your paragraphs below 150 words. Long paragraphs tend to be hard to read and can make a text appear less attractive.
Transition Words – Transition words are words like ‘most importantly’, ‘because’, ‘therefore’, or ‘besides’. They express the relationship between sentences and give direction to your readers. Use them in your text often.
Headings – If your essay is over 300 words, use sub-headings to make it easier to understand.
Flow – Maintain a steady flow within your paragraphs as well as the overall essay. Nothing kills a write-up more than heaps of assertions and facts. Tell a story the way you would want to hear it.
A flow can look like this:
- Introduce what you are going to discuss
- Discuss it as a neutral observer
- Mention what others think about it
- Share your personal thoughts with supportive arguments
- Conclude the thesis and give readers something to think about
‘Flow’ can vary depending on the topic at hand, so you can’t go wrong with reading articles on a variety of subjects.
Speaking (Score – 7.5/9)
As you can see, speaking if not my forte and I understand my shortcomings. Here are some tips that I believe can help us all improve.
- Keep your conversation simple.
- Don’t take too long to formulate sentences in an attempt to insert ‘cool’ words.
- Anyone can get nervous, stammer occasionally or freak-out in an interview. Best way to handle this situation is by taking pause in between sentences instead of using my go-to fillers like aaa-aaa, so-, actually- etc. Trust me on this, a pause is far better than the alternative.
- Presentation matters more than content in this case and you do not have to be all knowing to have a conversation on any topic.
- Speak on random topics, record yourself and evaluate how you did. Communicate in English as much as possible with family and friends. You can also create a study group and interview each other.
With the right mindset, IELTS preparation can be fun and far less taxing. By focusing on what is to come after IELTS (university, PR, foreign country etc), motivation to improve English can increase substantially, fitting better with your long term goals. So take a deep breath, relax and watch some good old television series! Write a review about it and get feedback from friends to get your preparation started (even better if you can create an IELTS study group).
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