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IELTS Quick Facts

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Success in the IELTS exam requires a candidate to know the test format and the specific techniques for answeringquestions. Make sure you are fully equipped with this knowledge. ( Please see Resources on the Internet and Books )Don't believe people who tell you that IELTS needs no preparation if your English is good. Even if it is, you still need to

learn the right skills for the test. I would suggest a period of two weeks as preparation time, though this would varydepending on your level of familiarity with English. The test fees are high and if you don't get the band score you need,you have to wait for three months before you can take the test again.

Like in all other exams, practice is the key to doing well in the IELTS. Make sure you have plenty of it before you appearfor the test.

Answer all questions. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.Preparing for the test

Start by familiarizing yourself with the test format. Then read the online resources I have suggested. After that you couldstart with Step Up to IELTS to build the basic skills that you will need to do the test. Lastly, go on to doing the 4 tests inCambridge IELTS 3 under test conditions. This should get you ready to take on the IELTS.

The British Council offers preparatory courses for IELTS. A placement test is held first to assess the candidate's level ofEnglish. This costs Rs 400/-. A four day intensive course is held before the date of the test. This costs Rs 5600/-. If you

can afford the fees, the course might be a good idea as it gives you an insight into IELTS along with lots of practice. I thinkit would not help those whose level is very poor (possibly they would not do well in the placement test itself) or very good(they may not need the course). It would be most useful for those who lie somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.Test day

Make sure you have visited the venue of the test a few days before the test date. Arrive at least half an hour earlier thanthe reporting time specified. Arriving late could send your tension levels soaring and the exam requires you to beabsolutely relaxed and ready to give of your best.

There is no break between the four components of the test. This means that for around 3-3.5 hours, you can't eat, drink orvisit the restroom. However, water was provided in the test hall where I took the exam and students were allowed to visitthe restroom, but only while the test was in progress ( not in the period between different modules ). Since time is such acrucial factor in the exam, no one would want to waste time going to the toilet in the middle of the test. Make sure you visitthe restroom before the test starts.

Carry your original and valid passport as it is mandatory. Also take the letter which gave you the venue of the test andyour roll number. The receipt for the IELTS fee is another document that is sometimes asked for. Take it too.

Take a number of sharpened pencils, a pencil sharpener, an eraser and pens. Do all the components of the test in pencil.For listening and reading, use of a pencil is mandatory. For writing, it is much easier to erase what you write in pencilwhen you want to modify a sentence. If you use a pen, deleting sentences or words creates a mess.

Time is a crucial factor in the test. Make sure you take a watch that works and shows the correct time. Keep it in front ofyou on the desk as you work. It is all too easy to forget how much time has elapsed.|

You can write anything you like on the question sheet. It is not read by the examiner. You can underline words, jot downyour ideas for the writing test or write the answers for the listening test.

At our center (Delhi - INDIA), the Listening, Reading and Writing tests were held on one day and the Speaking test on thenext day. The venue and time for the Speaking test are provided on the first day. Listen carefully to the instructions andremember to take the slip kept on your table which has the time for the Speaking test mentioned on it. You have to bring italong for the test. At some centers, all components of the test are held on the same day. This information is provided inthe letter sent to you which gives you your roll number and the test venue.

IELTS Listening Tips

To get an idea of how this kind of test is conducted, you can try doing the practice tests at Randall's ESL Cyber ListeningLab . The accent is American so it does not approximate the actual test very well. Still, it is useful practice for this type oftest.

At the center where I did the test, each of us was given cordless headphones to listen to the recording. This feels very

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different from listening to the conversation over speakers. Check with the British Council at the time of registering forIELTS if these will be used for your test. If yes, it might be a good idea to do the practice tests at home using headphones.Keep all your attention focused for the half hour or so that the test lasts. A lapse of concentration can make you lose thesequence of answers and panic sets in fast.

The test consists of four sections. Sections 1 and 3 are dialogues and sections 2 and 4 are monologues. There are 40

questions to be answered and the test lasts for 30 minutes. Ten minutes are provided at the end of the test to transferyour answers to the answer sheet.

Pay special attention to the dialogues sections (Sections 1 and 3). I found it more difficult to focus on these and theconversation tends to be faster than a monologue (Sections 2 and 4).

At the beginning of each section of the recording, time is provided to read the questions. Use this time to read thequestions pertaining to that section (the voice on the tape tells you how many questions to read ) and underline key wordsin each question on the question booklet like "when", "where", "who" and "what" which tell you what to listen for. Time isalso provided at the end of each section to check your answers. Use this time also to read the questions for the nextsection.Read the questions carefully. If the question says mark the answer as A, B, C or D on the answer sheet, make sure youdon't write the phrase that A, B, C or D correspond to. Just write A, B, C or D. If the question specifies that you must notuse more than three words in your answer, writing 4 words will get you no marks for that question.

The answers usually appear in the conversation in the same order as the questions.

The speakers often correct themselves. They will say something initially and then change the statement. For example,"we will go in March" is said first and then "No, let's make it May". The correct answer is the final statement i,e. May andnot March. Watch out for this and make sure you write the final correct answer.

If you miss an answer, don't panic. Keep listening for the next answer.

Write your answer immediately on the question sheet itself. Don't try to memorize the answers or to write on the answersheet. The ten minutes provided at the end of the test are quite sufficient to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.For detailed information on Listening go to:

How to prepare for IELTS - Listening test manual

IELTS Reading TipsAnswer all questions. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.The reading test is considered by many to be the most difficult part of IELTS. And with some justification. You have toread 3 long sections, each with multiple paragraphs, and answer 40 questions (13 to 14 per section). Unlike the listeningtest, no extra time is given at the end to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Time can be a major constraint sinceyou only have an hour to finish the test.

The key to doing well in this part is practice. Read newspapers, magazines and books. Try and improve your readingskills and speed. Do the practice tests in Cambridge IELTS 3.

The most important thing to understand is that the test does NOT assess your comprehension of the paragraphs. It doesNOT test how well you have understood the passage. It tests specific skills called Scanning and Skimming.Scanning is what one does, for example, when looking for a phone number in a directory. You know the specificinformation you are looking for and you go down the page quickly to find it. This technique is used when answeringquestions such as multiple-choice and matching. You scan the passage to quickly find the information mentioned in the

question. Once you find it, you get the answer from the passage and write it against the question.

Skimming refers to reading a paragraph quickly to get an idea of what it is about, without trying to understand its details.This technique is part of the initial reading (see below). It can be modified (reading a little slower) to answer "Provideheadings for the paragraphs" , "In which paragraph does this information appear in the text?" and "Author's views" type ofquestions.

The sections get progressively more difficult. Aim to spend about 15 to17 minutes on Section 1, 20 minutes on Section 2and 23 to 25 minutes on Section 3. If possible, keep some spare time to check your answers.

I would suggest ( and this is how I did it ) that you first read all the questions quickly to get an idea of what type ofinformation is required and whether scanning or skimming (or a combination of the two) is called for. As you read the

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/elc/facilities/ielts/booklet/Listening.pdfhttp://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/elc/facilities/ielts/booklet/Listening.pdf

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questions, use a pencil to underline important information such as dates, places and names.

Once you are through with reading all the questions, skim over the text and underline / mark important parts. If you seeany information relating to the questions, mark it straight away. You may even be able to answer some questions as youread.Answer the questions one by one with the help of the underlined parts of the text. Having read the text once, you will find

it easy to find specific information by scanning.

The answers usually appear in the text in the same order as the questions. That is, the answer to question 4 will be earlierin the text than the answer to question 5. This need not always be true. It may apply to each question type rather than toall the questions taken together. The answer to MCQ 2 will appear before that to MCQ 3 and the answer to Matchingquestion 2 will usually appear earlier than that to Matching question 3. However, the answer to MCQ 3 may appear beforethe answer to Matching question 2. This will not apply to questions like "In which paragraph does this informationappear?" and "Yes / No / Not given". For these question types, the information may be scattered randomly anywhere inthe paragraphs.As soon as you find an answer, write it against the question on the question paper. It is not always a good idea to tryanswering questions in the order in which they are asked.

Read the instructions for each question very carefully. If the question specifies that you must not use more than threewords in your answer, stick to three words.

The toughest questions are the True / False / Not given and Yes / No / Not given ones. Practise doing these questions tillyou are confident. Make sure you do not answer True / False for a Yes / No question and vice versa. Such an answer will

be considered wrong and fetch no marks.

Do not get stuck on any one question. If you can't get the answer, move on. You can always come back later.For Detailed Preparation on Reading Skill, visit the following linkHow to prepare for IELTS - Reading test manual

IELTS Writing tips

Actually sit and write out tasks 1 and 2 while practising. It is very tempting to think of what you would write and not do theactual writing. You will appreciate the importance of using a structured format and avoiding being repetitive only if youpractise writing.

Task 2 carries more marks. Spend more time on it. Twenty minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2 would be a goodbalance.

Since task 2 is more important, it may be a good idea to do task 2 first and task 1 later. However, make sure you write foreach task in the allotted area since the answer sheet has separate areas designated for each task.For both writing tasks, it is a good idea to jot down your ideas on the question sheet so that you know the outline of whatyou will be writing. It may take 2 or 3 minutes but the time spent is worth it.

Writing task 1 requires you to describe a graph / table / diagram in AT LEAST 150 words. I had practised on a lot ofgraphs but the task we had was to describe the data in a table! So practise describing all kinds of graphs / tables. Seehow much of your writing is 150 words. If you write less that 150 words, you lose marks. If you write more, you are likely tomake more mistakes. Try and stick to around 150 words.

For task 1, first spend some time looking at the graph / table and understanding the information given. Don't start writingimmediately. Make sure you know what each axis of the graph represents and in what units. The following structure is

suggested for writing:A sentence describing what the graph / table shows.Another sentence describing the broad / important trends shown.Description of the data. It may not be possible to describe all the data as there may be too much data presented. Describethe relevant and most important parts. If there is more than one graph / chart, describe any comparisons or trends thatcan be made out.

A concluding sentence which sums up the data / trends.

Practise using a variety of phrases to avoid being repetitive.

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/elc/facilities/ielts/booklet/Reading.pdfhttp://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/elc/facilities/ielts/booklet/Reading.pdf

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The best practice for task 2, which asks you to present an argument, is to read newspaper editorials and magazinearticles on current topics. This will help you develop your ideas. A suggested structure for writing is:

1. Introduce the topic and state your stand, whether you agree or disagree.2. Give arguments in support of your viewpoint supported by relevant examples.3. State the contrary viewpoint and give reasons why you don't agree with it.

4. Conclude with a short concluding paragraph.5. If there is time left at the end, revise your answers and correct any spelling or grammatical mistakes.

For detailed guide on writing visit below:How to prepare for IELTS - Writing test manual

IELTS Speaking Tips

The test consists of three parts. In the first part the examiner introduces himself and asks you your name, address,

interests and occupation. This part, lasting 4 to 5 minutes, is fairly simple if you are not nervous and your conversationalEnglish is adequate.

In the second part you will be given a sheet of paper with a topic written on it. You have to speak for 2 minutes on thistopic. You can't ask for another topic. You are given 1 minute to write down your ideas. A sheet of paper and a pen areprovided.

1. Make sure you read all the questions relating to the topic, written on the paper. It usually has two or three partswhich you will have to talk about. Don't miss out any question or you will lose marks.

2. Take the one minute provided to write down all the ideas you get about the topic. You lose no marks if you useup the one minute. Two minutes can be a long time to talk solo and the notes you make will help you keeptalking for the full two minutes.

Once you finish your two minutes, the examiner will stop you and then ask you some questions on what you have talkedabout. The second part lasts a total of 3-4 minutes.

The third part involves a discussion between you and the examiner on a topic related to what you spoke about in part 2.You will be marked on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and ideas.

The most important thing which will help you in the speaking test is to use English in your everyday conversations. Avoidusing your native language for a few weeks before the test and converse only in English. This will make you confident andyou will talk fluently in the test. Watch English movies or English programmes on television to improve your pronunciationand to expand your vocabulary.

http://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/elc/facilities/ielts/booklet/Writing.pdfhttp://www.cityu.edu.hk/elc/elc/facilities/ielts/booklet/Writing.pdf