For some students, they’re veterans of the IELTS exam, having slowly climbed the ladder of levels over the years and see it as a small Everest they’ve conquered. For others, the mere mention of the test sends bolts of panic and alarm through their body where they dread the day when they’ll have to meet it face to face. Whether you’re a veteran or someone taking IELTS for the first time, it’s important to treat it like any other test – study, practise and understand what’s required of you.
I always tell my students that even those who speak English fluently may not necessarily score a Level 9. This is because you have to know and understand the exam, which is why so many students take it again and again and improve their score. So with this in mind, I’d like to share my top 5 tips on things you can do to help YOU get prepared for your IELTS exam.
1.) Grammar is your friend
I know grammar is not everyone’s favourite aspect of English. If I’m completely honest, most tutors feel a slight lack of excitement to teach it. However, it is so important in communicating effectively and plays a big part of the IELTS exam. Brush up on the basics. Making the odd silly mistake won’t necessarily cost you lots of marks, but repeated errors in the basics such as articles or 3rd person present simple will quickly add up in writing, speaking and even listening (yes, listening).
Review the basics and review those more academic complex structures with your teacher. Practise these until you feel comfortable enough to create them independently.
2.) Vocabulary
IELTS covers a wide range of topics, most of which you can find covered in your standard IELTS course book such as tourism and travel, technology, sports, education. What the examiner wants to see is that you’re able to use vocabulary specific to the topic you’re talking about. So, create a vocabulary mind map for that topic.
A vocabulary mind map is the perfect way to get all the vocabulary related to a topic onto one page or a revision card and put down in a way which is colourful, and above all, memorable. Make sure you take pride in them, as scribbling a rushed mind map all in one colour on a scrap piece of paper will be less effective than a colourful one which is pleasant to look at. Really push yourself to use more academic vocabulary and less obvious vocabulary related to a topic with different variations, including collocations.
3.) Time Management
Something which is important in ALL exams and one which many students think they can play around with. No! You have 1 hour for both the Reading and the Writing exam. Make sure you manage your time by sticking to the suggested times. For Reading, this is 20 minutes per article. For Writing, this is 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes Task 2. Don’t be tempted to do things in a different order or play around with the time. Stick to it. A great way to manage your time is to make sure all practice tests are carried out strictly to the time limit. If you give yourself 1 hour to do Writing Task 2 that is NOT going to help you when you need to do it in 40.
4.) Know What’s Happening In The World
Try to get into the habit of knowing about things which are happening in the world. Bringing up current issues in the exam (Writing and Speaking) is a great way to ensure your answers are relevant to today. It’s also a great way to improve your English. So read newspapers and online articles, listen to the radio, watch news clips and whilst you’re doing this, pick up some of that new vocabulary too! Trust me, it’ll score points with the examiners.
5.) Partner Up
If you’re studying with people, or know people who are also studying for the exam, practise and study with them. Outside the classroom, do your vocabulary mind maps and news reading together! You’re all in the same boat and it’s such an beneficial thing when students get together and help one another. Take turns to be the examiner and the student in reading. Proof read each others work and give feedback. It also makes the daunting prospect of revision and the whole process of the IELTS exam that little bit more manageable.
There you have it! I think so much of the preparation is done outside of the classroom and in your own time. It’s not just about the work you put in during your time in class, it’s about making sure you are prepared within yourself. You might know the phrase you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. It’s the same with IELTS. Tutors can teach their students all they need and guide them, but ultimately the student needs to be prepared themselves. The tutor is there to tell you what you’re doing right, what you need to improve upon and what you need to work on. Make sure you give yourself this time and prepare accordingly.
Good Luck!
By Alex G, English tutor