An IELTS test taker asked me this question: 'In the Speaking test, I know I will be marked on how correct my grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation are. But I don’t understand what this means. Do I have to speak in the same way I would write an essay?'
IELTS Preparation: Understanding the task types
There is clear evidence that learning the various task types in IELTS is the quickest and most effective way of improving your band score. We recently conducted research on over 100,000 British Council candidates using Road to IELTS (our official IELTS preparation product) to do just this. We found that after using the program for just six hours, candidates’ scores in the Reading module activities improved by, on average, 64%.
Clearly, in six hours there can be no significant change in their level of English; their improvement came from learning how to answer the questions. This can be achieved in a relatively short period of time.
IELTS Writing: Writing overview sentences
“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.
IELTS Reading: True/ False/ Not Given
Many candidates find the True/ False/ Not Given question one of the most challenging tasks in the Reading test. In fact, the biggest problem is the ‘Not Given’ option. Most candidates are not used to having this option and it confuses them a lot. They spend too much time making sure that it is ‘not given’ and this affects the rest of their test.
IELTS Listening: Nine frequently asked questions
Here are just a few of the questions candidates have asked us about the Listening test. You may have wondered yourself… Read on for the answers.
IELTS Speaking: The most important 60 seconds in IELTS
In Part 2 of the Speaking test, you are given a card with a topic, and 60 seconds to prepare. You then have to speak on the topic for one to two minutes. This one minute of preparation time is absolutely critical, and can make all the difference in achieving the band score you need — or failing to reach it. In this post we will look at how you should use that crucial 60 seconds.
IELTS preparation: 1 week of stress-free 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.
IELTS Writing: Failing to plan is planning to fail!
One reason the IELTS Writing test is challenging is because of the time constraints. You only have one hour to do two tasks. This means that using your time efficiently is vital.
It is very important to plan what you will write before you start writing. This might seem an obvious idea but many candidates, perhaps consumed with test-day nerves, see the test question and immediately start on their answer.
IELTS Reading: Keyword synonyms
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!
IELTS Listening: How important is spelling?
The British Council’s LearnEnglish site answers this question clearly and succinctly: ‘Everything must be spelled correctly.’ So, what are the pitfalls? In this blog post we’re going to look at just one scenario.