How to improve your IELTS performance

Some Dos and Don'ts for your IELTS test

LISTENING

1. Don’t just glance at instructions, but read them carefully. They can vary considerably.
2. It often happens that the speaker will give you an answer, and then corrects what s/he said - watch out for this ploy.
3. Try and anticipate what the speaker will say. This requires concentration - easy in your own language, but more difficult in English.
4. Remember, if you want a high score you should aim to get all questions in parts one and two correct. Don’t make any careless mistakes in the easier sections.
5. Small errors can lead to a low score such as spelling mistakes, omitting plural 's' or incomplete time indications.
6. Don’t panic if you think the topic is too difficult or the speaker is too fast. Take a deep breath, relax and tune in.
7. Read, write and listen at the same time. Tricky, but worth practicing!
8. Don’t leave blanks, you might as well guess as you won’t be penalized for wrong answers.


READING

1. Leave a question for later if you can’t answer. Spending a long time on one answer is not ideal. Go back later if you have time and guess if you have too.
2. Don’t panic if you don’t know anything about the subject the passage deals with. All the answers can be found in the passage and you don’t need any specialist knowledge.
3. Remember that - unlike the Listening - you have no extra time to transfer your answers at the end of the Reading.
4. As a preparation for the exam, read as widely as possible e.g. newspapers, magazines, or journals. Don’t limit yourself to one type of text and read articles with an academic style if possible.
5. Look at ways paragraphs are organized. Main ideas are usually in line 1 – 10 of the paragraph. Find the main ideas and supporting details for each paragraph. Sometimes main ideas are scattered; it can be in the first and last paragraph or even the final paragraph for a particularly long paragraph.
6. Try and predict the content of a paragraph from the opening sentence.
7. Don’t concentrate on words you don’t know. It only wastes valuable time.
8. Careless mistakes cost points. Copy the answer correctly if it is mentioned in the passage.
9. Check your spelling, and make sure to put in singular or plural as asked for.
10. Only give one answer unless explicitly said otherwise.


WRITING

1. Highlight/circle key words.
2. Clearly divide paragraphs.
3. Don’t repeat ideas using different words.
4. Stick to the topic.
5. Careful with timing! Don’t rush Task 2, it’s longer and carries more weight.
6. Avoid informal language.
7. Learn to recognize how long 150/250 words is in your handwriting. You don’t really have time to count.
8. Get used to spending several minutes re-reading and correcting your essays.

SPEAKING

1. We want to test your ability to communicate effectively, and not just your grammatical accuracy.
2. Develop your answers as much as possible.
3. Speak more than the examiner.
4. Ask for clarification if necessary.
5. Remember, this is not a test of your knowledge, but of your language abilities. There is not one correct answer and all the others are wrong. Try to express your opinion.
6. The areas covered are fairly predictable and not infinite, so practice at home by yourself.