IELTS is an abbreviation for International English Language Testing System and it is written by international students hoping to relocate to an English-speaking country to pursue their educational career or work there professionally. We have two different types of IELTS, the Academic and the General IELTS. In this article, we will center on the General IELTS tips and tricks. The general IELTS is divided into four sections: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.
IELTS Tips and TricksÂ
Let’s get to see these tips and tricks for each of these categories:
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IELTS Tips and Tricks for Reading Section:
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Get Familiar with Speed Reading:
If you can identify and process text on any page instantly instead of paying attention to individual words, you can answer different questions within some minutes. Reading numerous pages is an ideal skill for any candidate to work on especially when writing an IELTS. As a result, it can reduce the time you will have to spend reading texts and produce faster results.
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Avoid Being Distracted During Reading:
Different distractions are likely to occur in the examination hall, and they come in various ways. Some of these distractions could be: a noisy wall clock ticking in a serene room, needing to urinate in the restroom, wanting to drink water, etc. If you want to avoid these distractions, it will be advisable to ensure you get yourself ready both mentally and physically.
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Use any Extra Resources to Expand your Knowledge:
For instance, you might be reading complicated texts that involve images, graphs, and figures. You can use these elements to get more idea of the exact meaning of any text when you are writing IELTS.
Read also: Procedures to Study in Canada without IELTS
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IELTS Tips and Tricks for Writing Section:
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Time Management:
For instance, if you have 60 minutes to complete this section, it is better to give 20 minutes for the first part, while 40 minutes will be for the second part. The first part involves shorter text you can answer within a few minutes. On the other hand, the second part is usually longer that requires double the time you will spend on the first part.
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Create a Plan:
You should create a plan that will you suit your goal for both two texts before you start answering them. It is only a few candidates aware of this idea. The essence of the plan is helping you follow a logical thought or well-arranged progression. As a result, you can give clear and concise answers.
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Pay Attention to Topic Sentences:
The best way is to start every new paragraph in your answer with a topic sentence before backing them with other sentences. The reason why you will need to use a topic sentence is to summarize your main idea. The topic sentence makes your line of thought appear organized. There are basic tips to consider in writing a topic sentence: it should relate to the thesis statement, craft out supporting ideas, and discuss only a single idea in the paragraph.
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Don’t Write Long Sentences:
It is not advisable to use either complex or compound sentences. When you are using long sentences, it will make the text appears dull and offer more room for syntactic errors. Writing short sentences make your work interesting.
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IELTS Tips and Tricks for Speaking Section:
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Pay Attention to the Examiner’s Mouth:
When you are undergoing the speaking section for IELTS, it is advisable to pay rapt attention to what the examiner is saying especially when they are asking questions. If you could read their lips while listening to them will avoid miscommunication.
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Ask the Examiner to Repeat:
If there is any question you don’t understand clearly when an examiner was talking you can ask them to repeat the question. Also, if you are in doubt, you can ask them to repeat the question for you. It is one of the essential IELTS tips and tricks you can use to excel.
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Enhance your Speech Quality:
If you want the examiner to understand you, then you will have to speak clearly. Also, you can avoid fillers, placeholder names, and long pauses. Examples of fillers words: um, like, you know, etc., while placeholder names words referring to people or objects that don’t exist like “So-and-so, and “Tom, Dick, and Harry”.
Read also: List of Low-Cost MBA Universities in Canada
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IELTS Tips and Tricks for Listening Section:
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Read Before Answering the Question:
There will be time given to you before they play each record to you. It is advisable to read the entire question carefully because you will listen to the recording only once. Therefore, you have to get familiar with the questions before listening to the record.
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Pen Down While listening to the Record:
While listening to the record, it is will make sense to write your answers inside the test booklet, then you can transfer it after the listening test. You can go back to cross-check answers accurately. Also, don’t forget to check your grammar and spelling carefully.
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Pay Attention to Keywords while Using the Headings and Signposts:
When you can’t get everything you hear, it is preferable to pay attention to keywords from the record. Also, if you miss one question, don’t panic because there are more questions for you to answer.
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Focus on Word Count:
In every question, there is an instruction to focus on the word count. For instance, if the instruction says “don’t write more than a word” and write “the boy” rather than “boy”, it implies you are wrong.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there any difference between General Training and IELTS Academic?
A: General training test is for individuals wanting to migrate to Anglophone countries, while the IELTS academic test is for students wanting to study abroad.
Q: What is the basic eligibility for IELTS?
A: It is compulsory to meet the necessary criteria to be eligible in writing the IELTS test. The best way to know its requirements is by visiting their website.
Q: What is the exact date for IELTS?
There is no fixed time for the IELTS test. Generally, there are 48 fixed dates and you can book anyone that will be convenient to you. You can check the IELTS website and find the test that will suit your time.