How to Prepare for an IELTS Exam

If you want to study abroad or if you want to work in places like the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia then this blog is for you. IELTS exam, also pronounced as IELTS, is the test that most of us are afraid of. Why? Because it is an English and Communication test. But don’t worry, there is still a chance that you’ll do well as long as you know how to prepare for IELTS exam. So it doesn’t make any difference if you are a student or a working professional. Today, you’ll know precisely what you need to do.
So we are going to learn:
– What it is and How to prepare for IELTS Exam
– What is the format of the test?
– Why do you need to give it?
Read on to get a Bonus Tip towards the end that will help you get over your nervousness while appearing for an IELTS exam. So let’s dive in.
The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is a test you give assuming you need to study or work where English is the language of correspondence. This test is acknowledged by more than 9000 associations overall including colleges, Companies, and migration specialists. The fundamental motivation behind this test is to see if you can get by in a climate where English is the essential language.
This test has 2 principal modules. IELTS Academics is for individuals who need to take a crack at a college. What’s more, the IELTS General Training module is for individuals who need to work abroad or for migration purposes. Keep in mind, there is no pass or fail in an IELTS exam. You’ll get a score from 1 to 9, where 1 is the lowest and 9 means that you are an expert English language user.
The reason for the IELTS exam is to test whether you can read, compose, comprehend and talk in English which is the reason the test additionally has these 4 modules. Tuning in, Reading and Writing are finished at a time. Be that as it may, the talking test should be possible around the same time or a couple of days prior to or after different tests.
Both the Academic and General Training modules are practically something very similar. The only difference is in their ‘Reading’ and ‘Writing’ rounds. For the General Training module, the content that you will peruse and compose will be identified with day-by-day life points. However, for the Academic module, the content will be scientific in nature.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for IELTS Exam and improve your chances of getting good scores months or weeks before your final day.

1. Take Practice tests

To guide your preparations, first conduct practice tests and find out your weaknesses. This is a key part of your initial preparation and will help determine your strengths and weaknesses. Not only must we correct our weaknesses, but more importantly, we must carry forward and lay a solid foundation for the IELTS exam.
Top three recommended IELTS Mock test:

1. IELTS Mock Test by British Council
2. IELTS Online Test
3. ORG

However, if it is difficult for you to avoid errors or cannot clearly identify them, then you definitely need an overseas education consultant by your side. Most candidates consider taking the IELTS test preparation course. This is one of the easiest and recommended ways to take the test because it only focuses on how to prepare you for the IELTS exam.

2. Time constraints

The clearer your understanding of the IELTS exam structure, the better your chances are of completing it within the allotted time frame. Prepare under timed conditions so that you get used to the rhythm of the test. Please keep in mind that the IELTS test is time-limited and you will only have time for each module. If you are unable to complete the module within the specified time, or cannot concentrate accordingly due to time pressure. All the preparations completed in the class of the IELTS preparation course are carried out under the same time conditions as the exam, so you are ready for the pace of the IELTS exam.

3. Immerse yourself in English

• Read as widely as possible, be it newspapers, books, or blogs. Practice writing essays and after you have written them assess them like an examiner. Check your vocabulary, your paragraph formation so that you can understand your strengths and work on your weaknesses. The sole purpose of the reading module is to test a wide range of reading skills. Read the main points, read the main ideas, read the details, skim, understand the logical argument, and identify the author’s viewpoint, attitude and purpose.

Candidates must provide short answers, matching information, complete sentences, matching titles, or complete chart labels. Make sure your exercises include a variety of questions so that you get used to each type. Time is the key to reading the module. You don’t have time to read the text several times. There are some strategies to help you avoid this situation. For example, how to browse the text and what information you need to pay attention to.

• Listening is one of the crucial skills that need to be perfect. When you listen carefully and understand what the person needs to say, you will answer them back. While major lectures in foreign colleges and universities are in the English language, you need to brush up on your listening skills.

Here is a simple trick to help you understand English like a pro:

1. – Watch English movies or series first with subtitles and then without subtitles.
2. – Listen to an English podcast every day.
3. – Listen to English music with lyrics first and then without lyrics. Try to memorize the songs.
4. – Watch various videos on YouTube, preferably general knowledge channels, which can help you with extra knowledge and improve listening skills.

• Enhancing writing skills by writing at least one page every day. Writing is one of the most powerful tools to convey a message or tell a story. Writing needs to have perfect flow, tone, and grammar when preparing for the IELTS exams.

4. Speak with fluency or coherence in direct communication

To improve on your listening skills choose a lecture, a talk, or watch English videos like The Urban Fight for example. What can also improve your speaking and listening skills is having a conversation with native English speakers so that you can also learn to understand their accent.
You can have 1-on-1 speaking practice sessions with tutors from the UK, US, Canada. In fact, you can even specifically search for ‘IELTS preparation’ and start having a conversation.
For example: Hello. Hi Margie. How are you doing?
I am well and you?
Did I pronounce your name correctly?
Yes, yes you did.
How can talking to an IELTS tutor help someone get better at speaking or even listening? You must remember, when you are speaking to a teacher or a tutor or anybody on the other side, especially if they are native English speakers, their pronunciation is probably different to those who have a dialect. The more you spend time with them, they will also help you. When you read or pronounce something different or if your terminology is incorrect, they will always help you. Of course, it will help you. The more you speak, the better you become.

5. Learning apps

Along with practicing and learning English in different ways, mobile apps are the additional tool that helps you to learn English and helps to prepare for the IELTS exam. Recommended mobile apps:

1. Duolingo
2. Babbel
3. FluentU
4. Rosetta Stone
5. Memrise
6. Hello English
7. Hello talk

Bonus Tip: Every time we are nervous, we mess up more than we would’ve otherwise. Yes or no? And IELTS is one test, where if you are nervous everything might go in a different direction. While listening, you will miss that answer. While writing, you will write the wrong spelling. While speaking, you will go blank. And while reading, you will miss the basic instructions. And silly mistakes like these will result in losing marks. So the Bonus Tip is to Relax!
Prepare the best you can, get a goodnight’s sleep, and before the exam take a deep breath! Don’t keep thinking or doubting yourself. If you are relaxed, all of it will come to you naturally. It’s just like holding sand. As they say, the tighter you hold, the more you’ll lose it.

Final Thoughts:

Being prepared without expert guidance will reduce your chances of getting a perfect score in IELTS because you may not have the correct course structure and have not finalized the learning model. Although you can always study by yourself, if you accept guidance from an experienced coaching center like Global Colliance, you can prepare and reach your target score.