Tips for Acing the IELTS

The International English Language Testing System or IELTS, is an English language proficiency test administered by the British Council, Cambridge English Language Assessment, and the International Development Program (IDP) Education. With over four million test takers a year, the IELTS has been known to set the standard for English proficiency testing for the last thirty years. The test is recognized by organizations, universities, and countries worldwide as proof of language fluency for candidates who wish to migrate to dominantly English-speaking countries for academic or professional purposes. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK are some of the countries that recommend the IELTS as a requirement for visa and immigration applications.

Things to know about the IELTS

• The IELTS tests the four basic English language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The test can be paper-based or computer-based.
• The speaking section of the test is a one-on-one interaction between an examiner and a candidate. Often, the listening, reading, and writing sections are conducted all on one day, and the speaking section is completed on a different day within the week. This depends on the scheduling of the IELTS test centers.
• All the sections of the test take about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The test is scored on a band scale of 9. The IELTS recommends all scores have a validity period of two years due to the 'second language attrition'.
• There are different types of IELTS tests to fit the requirements of candidates. The IELTS Academic test is for those seeking admission to higher education in English-speaking countries. The IELTS General Training Test is catered to those seeking to migrate for career or immigration purposes.

How To Ace the IELTS Test?

The IELTS is designed to test how a candidate uses and responds to English. It is less about how much knowledge the candidate has about the English language. Memorization skills are not particularly helpful when preparing for the IELTS. Some overall tips to keep in mind when attempting the IELTS are:

• Candidates must read all instructions carefully and ensure that answers follow the instructions. For example, in a multiple-choice question, check if the instructions say to answer with the correct letter option or the answer word.
• Candidates must avoid any incorrect spelling, punctuation mistakes, and grammatical errors as they result in point deductions. Contracted words such as 'don't' instead of 'do not', and 'it's' as opposed to 'it is', are discouraged.
• Candidates should know the format, time allotment, and types of questions asked in each section and prepare accordingly.

Tips for the Listening Section

• Candidates should read the questions carefully before playing the recording. Candidates can also mark the keywords in the question to help them anticipate when their answer will be revealed in the recording.
• All answers must be according to and match the audio accurately. Candidates must not assume any answers before they are heard.
• The questions are framed according to the order in which the answers were present in the recording.
• Understanding how to use vocabulary is an essential skill for the IELTS listening section. Sometimes, the questions will use synonyms for the words mentioned in the recording and not the exact words themselves. For example, the question may ask, "What is the width of an object?" but the recording may use the word 'wide' instead of 'width'.
• For the conversation recordings, candidates need to understand how the conversation flows and unfolds. The answers to questions may not be revealed as soon as a keyword is heard. The recordings may be misleading, so candidates must wait for the right answer.

Tips for the Reading Section

• Candidates must follow the word count mentioned when writing answers. Often, the question may state, "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" for the answer. This means that the answer must be two words. More than two words will be a point deduction. Candidates can note that hyphenated words are counted as a single word.
• The answers to the questions often appear in the passage in the order of the questions. Candidates will probably find the answer to the first question before they find the answer to the second.
• It is important to skim through the passage first instead of reading the whole passage word to word before reading the questions. This will help candidates understand the passage's structure, which is useful to identify where the answers to a question might be.

Tips for the Writing Section

• The writing section is different for the IELTS Academic test and the IELTS General Training test. The Academic test requires the writing to have a formal and slightly professional tone. Meanwhile, general training may require a more personal, social tone.
• The writing section comprises two tasks, the first requiring a write-up of 150 words and the second, a 250-word essay. Candidates should plan to make more effort towards the second task as it carries more points than the first.
• The ability to convert pictorial information to written information is tested in the IELTS Academic test. For example, the first task may require candidates to describe the directions laid out in the image of a provided map.
• The first task in the IELTS General Training test can be a more personal and informal question, such as writing a letter. The instructions will specify if an address needs to be added, to whom the letter should be addressed, etc. Candidates must include these instructions in their writing.
• Candidates must plan some time to edit their writing to avoid grammar or spelling errors. To ensure time for edits, candidates can stick to the given word count and not try to exceed it.
• The IELTS writing section tests sentence formation and paragraph structure. Candidates should not include any form of bullet points, flowcharts, etc.

Tips for the Speaking Section

• The IELTS Speaking section comprises three parts: a personalized question about the candidate, A short monologue about a topic, and a conversation between the examiner about the previously given topic. Candidates must understand each part tests a specific speaking skill, such as elaboration, diction, clarity, etc.
• The IELTS Speaking section lasts around 10 - 15 minutes. Candidates must remember to be clear and brief. While it is necessary to elaborate, candidates do not need to worry about coming across as knowledgeable. The speaking section is meant to be more general, and something candidates are comfortable discussing.
• The candidate's flow and tone of conversation are expected to be natural. That is why it is essential that candidates are not tempted to memorize answers or key points when preparing. The IELTS speaking examiners are trained to pick up on memorized speech.
• In the second task, candidates are given a minute to prepare for the topic. This is when candidates can note down key points or a structure they wish to follow, and they can refer to these notes when speaking as long as their attention remains on the examiner.
• The IELTS speaking section tests a candidate's comfort with everyday conversation. While a strong vocabulary is essential to be descriptive, candidates should avoid using unfamiliar, complex words or obscure, outdated phrases.
• Instead of fillers such as "like..", "um.." and "ehh.." which are discouraged, candidates can learn phrases that give them a few more seconds to think about the next thing to say. For example, "That is an interesting question", "I have not considered it like that, however..."
• Avoiding a monotone speech and smiling can create just the right impression a candidate needs to ace their speaking section.

Overall, preparation for the IELTS requires dedicated and consistent practice. Only when candidates engage with the English language by reading, listening to audiobooks, podcasts, etc. can they develop the necessary vocabulary, fluency, voice modulation, etc. When candidates remember that the IELTS is all about 'How you use English?', attempting the test can be an exciting endeavor rather than a frightening one.