The best way to prepare for the IELTS test!

Written by Alaa Ashraf

IELTS exam day is a highly important day in your life, to which you should prepare yourself. A thorough preparation and practice are key for passing the exam. As you know, preparing for an exam can be perplexing as you do not know where to start. In this article, you will find the best ways for preparing for the IELTS exam.

Below are some valuable strategies to prepare for the IELTS test, along with what should be done in each section of IELTS test.

Take a practice test

By taking a practice test to begin with, you are able to identify your weaknesses.  This is a critical part in your initial preparation that will help establish where your strengths and weaknesses are. Not only is it necessary to improve on your weaknesses, but it is equally essential to build up on your strengths to create a solid foundation for the examination.

However, if you are unable to clearly identify them, you definitely need an expert by your side. Most test-takers consider taking an IELTS preparation course, one of the easiest ways to prepare for the IELTS test, as it focuses solely on getting you exam-ready for IELTS.

Ø Understand the test format

Before you begin practicing, it’s extremely important that you know what to expect of the test format. Familiarize yourself with it by reviewing the content of the test, as well as the question and task types for each section.

Remember the key to success in any examination and not just IELTS is a sound familiarity with the test pattern and format.

Ø Be aware of the exam time constraints

To prepare for the IELTS exam, you need to mimic the condition of a real IELTS exam; you have to keep practicing until you become accustomed to the pace of the test.

Remember you will only have the time given for each module even if you are unable to complete the modules within the allocated time. That's why all preparation, done in classes of a preparation course, must be conducted under the same timed conditions as the exam, so you’re ready for the pace of the IELTS test.

Ø Develop your English capabilities and IELTS strategies

One of the biggest mistakes students make is to focus only on IELTS. They do lots of IELTS practice tests, but they forget to improve their English.

Most learners are unaware of their current English level, which is often intermediate or below, and do not consider or forget that IELTS is an English proficiency test. As such, your English is expected to be top notch.

Keep in mind that learning IELTS is a process. On average it takes 12 weeks to move up a score band by one point.

Start preparing for your test at least 3 – 6 months prior.

Ø Immerse yourself in English

Expose yourself to as much language as you can alongside your test preparation. Read things that interest you in English, online magazines or blogs can be a great place to start.

Write some English every day, by writing a diary, having a blog, or communicating with an online community such as people on a Facebook group that share an interest with you.

Listen to native speakers talking to one another and if possible, join in. Try the ‘shadowing’ technique. This involves repeating what someone has just said in English.  This will help with pronunciation, intonation, and stress.

Keep in mind that self-learning is possible as long as you are committed and find someone who is able to give you feedback. If you are unable to commit or cannot find a suitable partner, find an institution that can guide you and give feedback.

Ø Listening

The listening module is not that easy; you will have to provide answers to 40 questions throughout 4 recordings. The recordings will be played only once.

It is not surprising to get lost during a conversation, but you need to recover fast, or you will miss all the questions of that task afterwards. This would be a disaster. As such, one of best ways to prepare for IELTS is to fully understand how to follow a conversation, even if you miss something and how you can recover to continue answering the next questions.

To properly prepare for the IELTS exam, you are also expected to understand what type of information to supply depending on the question type. Is it a number, a name, an address?

Ø Reading

Testing a wide range of reading skills is the main purpose of the reading module in the IELTS exam. For example, reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, and recognizing writers’ opinions, attitudes, and purpose. So, you must develop a wide range of reading skills through your preparation for the IELTS.

Be careful that your practice includes a wide variety of questions so that you become accustomed to each type. Remember that you simply will not have the time to go through the texts several times. There are strategies to help you to avoid this situation. For example, how to skim the text and what kind of information you need to focus on. All these strategies enables you to prepare for the IELTS test.

Ø Writing

To prepare for the IELTS Writing test is usually the most difficult one for most people. Both tasks in the Academic IELTS must be written in a formal style.

To clarify that, task 1 requires that you describe and explain data, which you may be an expert at, this requires significant practice in English. In addition to that, task 2 presents a number of challenges. Often, the topic given can be hard to develop if you are not familiar with it. In addition, the essay must have a proper structure. You need to be prepared to answer both tasks and understand the requirements of each.

For Task 2, you need to familiarize yourself with the structure of an essay, how to develop it, how to write the introduction and the conclusion. Additionally, practice writing about topics that are common on the IELTS, so you become familiar with them.

Ø Speaking

This test is less than 15 minutes long and is split into three parts. The first 5 minutes are reserved for introduction and general topics between the test taker and the examiner. The second part assesses the test taker’s ability to speak about a random topic given on a task card. The last part merely adds complexity to the second. At this stage, the examiner will also pay attention to pronunciation, lexical resource, and fluency.

To well prepare for the IELTS speaking test, it is important to Practice each part under exam conditions and you will get used to the pressure you will have during the test. Moreover, you need to be able to write down notes that will help you to talk for two minutes during the second part of the test.

You should also practice answering questions when you don’t really know the answer. Remember that your knowledge is not assessed but your English language proficiency is.

For samples of test questions, you can log into https://www.ielts.org/for-test-takers/sample-test-questions

In general, the more you prepare for the IELTS test, the more you feel confident in your exam day. This article has discussed in detail the best strategies to prepare for the IELTS test. Best wishes to all of you.