“In Academic Writing Task 1, it is very important to start by providing an overview of the data. If you don’t do this, you will lose points.” — Simon Cockell, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
In this post we will look at what this means, and how you can use your data overview to get your IELTS Writing test off to a flying start.
In this post we look at some questions raised by the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus on IELTS. Has your IELTS test been suspended? How can you find out? How does this affect your IELTS preparation?
“I don’t have the time to sit down and work on mock papers. And I don’t find it useful to do them bit by bit. Life is too distracting!” wrote Jorge Gibellini, an Argentinian IELTS candidate who needed an IELTS 7.0 for his master degree. Many candidates, like Jorge, are too busy with their academic study, day job and family commitments. And when they are finally free to sit down to begin their preparation, they are already too tired to take it all in.
Many candidates think Reading is one of the hardest modules in the IELTS test — the timing is so tight, and understanding the questions correctly while you are under pressure is no easy task. And on top of this, the examiner is constantly trying to confuse you!
In this post we will focus on IELTS Writing Task 2, and we will look at four areas: facts and figures you need to know about this part of the IELTS Writing test; common topics that you can expect to see; how to go about writing your essay; and finally, we will look at a sample essay question for you to answer.
'I have no idea how people cope with nerves on the test day. The previous night I could not sleep and it was hard for my brain to function at 7AM in the morning. And of course the result is worse than I anticipated. How did you do it?' — from a troubled IELTS blog reader.
Exam anxiety is annoying but there are ways to help you feel prepared instead of nervous. Let's look at how we can get into our best possible form on the test day.
Like most IELTS candidates, you probably know which band score you are aiming for. Is it 5.5, 6.0 — perhaps even 7.5? But if you are going to plan your preparation properly, you also need to know how good you are now. How can you find that out?
You perform well in class. You understand the IELTS question types. You’ve worked through the IELTS prep books. But studies show that this doesn’t mean you will do well in the IELTS test itself. Why is this?
‘I don’t understand how some candidates could complete the paper within just one hour — there is just so much to read!’ We often hear candidates complaining about the lack of time in the Reading test: the articles are long and difficult, and it seems impossible to complete all the questions in an hour. In this blog post, we will look at a smart way to manage your time in the Reading test.
Many candidates say that they find it very difficult to retake the IELTS test: they feel they have already done what they were supposed to do and they cannot figure out what went wrong in their last test. For candidates who take IELTS for immigration or college application, re-sitting the test can be a stressful experience — but still, there are many things you can do to achieve the best possible band score.