If you are an IELTS test taker or preparing for the IELTS test, you must have understood the test format. Preparing for the test without the structure is travelling without a destination. So, if you intend to take the IELTS test, plan the structure of how to prepare for IELTS.
IELTS is the english language testing in which tester takers are intended to take the desired band score on the four main aspects of the English language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. So, if you are interested in obtaining a high band score, you can join IELTS Coaching Centre in Chennai, which will help you prepare and focus on the IELTS exam preparation.
Types of IELTS exams
- IELTS Academic
- IELTS General Training
How to Prepare for the IELTS Test
While preparing for the IELTS test, you should focus on these aspects:
- Must understand the format of the test
- Must know how the test is evaluated
- Start learning english-related books
- Start planning according to the test format
- Takeup IELTS course
- Always practice the previous year’s question paper
- Start focusing on equipping skills
- Review your progress
- Register for the IELTS test
How to prepare for IELTS
One of the common questions asked by the IELTS test taker is how to prepare for IELTS or Is IELTS exam preparation is complicated? Truthfully based on the ability of the person, things may differ. If you are applying purposefully to attain your goal, then you can. I have seen many people finish preparing for the IELST within three to four weeks and obtain high band scores. So, answers differ based on the interest and purpose of the IELST tester.
However, this blog will discuss how to prepare for IELTS, IELTS exam preparation, and IELTS academic practice tests. I can only guide you on how to study appropriately for your test.
Learn how to speed up the IELTS process and enhance your preparation here:
Why is IELTS Preparation So Difficult?
Simply put, a tonne of information is available, and students are unsure which sources to believe. Moreover, students will pressure themself while preparing for the IELTS because they intend to get high band scores. It might require months of diligent study or will start to plan for joining a course; though it is the best choice, you still require lots of effort to understand.
You should focus on three primary areas for improvement:
- General English proficiency
- Test abilities
- Understanding the test’s scoring
Improve Your General Level of English
Since IELTS is primarily an English language test, your score should be greater the more proficient you are in the language. If your level of English isn’t strong enough, studying IELTS skills and taking practice exams won’t be enough.
It is undoubtedly the most arduous phase of your preparation, as was already mentioned. Most English-speaking institutions advise at least six months to raise a student’s English proficiency; though it is the right way, many students intend to prepare from home. If so, we shall look at improving our English fluency and overall band score at home.
Perfect Your Test Skills
The IELTS test is categorized into four sections: Writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Each of these sections includes a wide range of possible questions, requiring a particular skill you must develop.
For example, if you are preparing for an academic test, IELTS academic practice test is different from the general test. In the academic test, the test taker can expect different questions in task 1. In the academic writing test, you can expect at least 150 words. Task 2: This task requires at least 250 words and should take about 40 minutes.
There are more than ten distinct sorts of questions on each of the listening and reading assessments. Once more, each of these questions calls for a unique approach and set of abilities.
Learning these skills should take up most of your IELTS study time and, when combined with strong English proficiency, should yield a good score.
Although learning these skills takes time, it does not require as much time as learning the language. Most schools advise investing two to three months in mastering these abilities. Below, I’ll discuss how to make these at home better.
Know How the Test is Marked
The other aspect is focusing on the score and how it is marked. If you are a test taker registered for the academic or general IELTS test, you must understand the score allotted for the test you intend to take. If you apply for the academic IELTS test, you will have a separate band score for each test level. You will have a different speaking and writing test method, and the band score will differ from the academic band score.
So, whatever test you take or prepare for, focus on improving your English skills. Once you have improved your English fluency level, you can apply for anything you want.
If you are interested in joining a spoken English course, you can join Spoken English Classes In Chennai and learn the nuance of the English language and improve your vocabulary standard.
Step-by-Step IELTS exam preparation and IELTS general test format
IELTS Academic test is for people who wish to get into a university or individuals who want to work in the medical or any professional field. IELTS general test is for people who wish to migrate to an English-speaking country.
Listening and speaking
IELTS speaking and listening is the same for the general and academic test.
IELTS academic reading test
In this test, you can expect three long texts. The question is based on the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. The topics are taken from magazines, newspapers, journals and books. So, the objective of the test is to test whether individuals will become accustomed to the english speaking country.
IELTS general reading test
It comprises passages from books, magazines, newspapers, announcements, and company manuals and policies. You will probably come across these resources every day if you live in an English-speaking country. So, based on these aspects, the interviewer will ask the question.
Academic Writing (60 minutes)
The subjects are relevant and of general interest to test takers pursuing undergraduate and graduate programmes or wanting to become professionals.
General Training Writing
In this general Writing, you can expect topics of general interest like writing letters of personal, semi-formal or formal in style.
Understand the Test Format
Listening
Listening tests will be conducted for 30 minutes, and the test taker will hear four recordings. This test format is the same for Academic and General Training.
Academic reading
The test taker will be given only 60 minutes to complete this test. In this test, you will be asked 40 questions to answer. Question types will be multiple choice, identifying information, matching information, matching features, sentence completion, summary completion, flow-chart completion, short-answer questions, etc.
General Training Reading
The test duration lasts for 60 minutes. In this test, you can expect topics from basic things you encounter in an English-speaking environment. The topics can range from newspapers, magazines, advertisements, books, etc.
This test will have three sections. Section one will have short tests, section two will have two texts, and in section three, no lengthy text.
Academic Writing (60 minutes)
In this task, you will have two different types of tasks.
- Task 1 – A chart, graph, or table shown to you, and you will be asked to describe, summarise, or otherwise describe the information in your own words.
- Task 2 – The interviewer will be asked to write an essay responding to the topic.
General Training Writing (60 minutes)
Topics are of general interest. In this test, you will be given task one and task two.
- Task 1 – you will be asked to write a letter; the letter can be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.
- Task 2 – you will be given a topic and asked to write an essay responding to the given topic.
Speaking test
- You will be given 10 to 14 minutes to speak.
- This test is the same for both academic and general
- This test is conducted in 3 parts
- In part one, the interviewer will ask you to introduce yourself.
- Part 2 – you will be given topics to talk something about it.
- Part 3 – The interviewer will ask further questions about the topic.
- And you will discuss it in detail. This session will last between four and five minutes.
Set Realistic Goals
The key word here is “realistic.” The difference between the score you seek and your score can be rather large. Excellent preparation will help you succeed and get the best mark possible, but it cannot guarantee success.
Understand Overall band score Marking Criteria
Understand the Different Question Types
There are more than 10 different categories of questions for reading and listening. Therefore, there are over ten questions on the Writing test. Knowing these will give you a massive advantage because each requires a different approach and strategy. I have them all for you in each of the skills sections below.
Perfect Your IELTS Skills
You should follow a few strategies and approaches to obtain a high band score in the IELTS. For example, in the reading test, you will be given a topic and need to answer the question in response to the topic. In such a case, you need to understand how to skim, understand the logical argument and identify writers’ opinions. So, following the strategy will help you overcome the difficulties.
For example, do you know how to write an effective introduction and conclusion? How to develop your answers in the speaking test? Do you know how to quickly find the correct information in the reading test?
If you intend to obtain a high band score and improve your writing skills, you can join IELTS Coaching Centre In Velachery at EnglishLabs, which will help you understand how to prepare for IELTS and IELTS general test format.
Improve your vocabulary
The IELTS exam is broken down into four sections: speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The only thing that all of these sections have in common is “vocabulary.”
Unquestionably, vocabulary is one of the fundamental skills for the Speaking & Writing sections. It may result in a 25% increase in your final score. It is primarily relied upon in both the listening and reading phases.
In the IELTS test, you need to prove your english fluency. In Writing, speaking, and reading tests, you must use high-level vocabulary, which implies that you have proficient knowledge of English.
Join IELTS Classes In T Nagar and improve your English language skills in four main aspects of English language: Listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Practice English Every Day
When it comes to practice, there is no option other than doing it. Once you practice enhancing your english skills, you can learn and acquire many things. So, there is no substitute for daily practice if you want to improve your English.
You can practise tens of thousands of different methods when preparing for the IELTS test every day. To get rid of these difficulties, you should focus on the activities that help you innovatively learn english. The more English you use, the better your skills will get, and the more probable it is that you will earn the grade you want.
Practice Tests
It would help if you took IELTS to practice tests to evaluate your English skills. By doing this, you can find where to improve and how to improve your skills in which you need more effort.
Moreover, you should focus on two main things:
The first issue is the prevalence of fake tests. You can purchase these tests online or at your nearby bookstore. Numerous books profess to offer IELTS booklets consisting of numerous question papers, and many of us prefer choosing them. The issue with this is that frequently those who write them have no background in IELTS and are just out to earn money quickly.
So, avoid referring to void books; instead, learn novels, newspapers, watch movies, and magazines which will help you improve your vocabulary.
Get your speaking and writing assessed
Getting a skilled instructor to evaluate your Writing and speaking is crucial. In addition to being able to tell you where you stand right now, they will be able to identify your shortcomings.
The essential part of your IELTS preparation is identifying a weakness. If you fail to recognize your mistakes, you don’t know what your shortcomings are since you won’t know where to put your attention. To get better, you must concentrate on your areas of weakness.
Start working on them, and evaluate them with your experienced tutor. They can then let you know if you’ve improved or not and provide you suggestions for your next course of action.
Now, you would have understood how to prepare for IELTS, IELTS exam preparation and types of IELTS exams. So, if you are looking for the right guidance, you can join IELTS Coaching In Chennai Anna Nagar, which will help you with the IELTS academic practice test and IELTS general test format.
