- Remain focused on the exam questions. This is one of the most crucial requirement to score well. Do not let your mind wander and do not worry about the left out questions as doing so may ruin other questions as well.
- Use the time allowed wisely between different set of questions such as 1-5, 10- 15 and so on you normally get around 30 seconds to look over questions, use this time to go over as many questions as possible so that you have an idea as to what kind of questions you would need to answer.
- The answers to questions are in sequence , for example if you have found answer to question number 9 but have not yet found answer to question number 8 , then you have missed it and hence do not try to look for answer of 8th questions , focus on questions 9 onwards and so on.
- Most of the accents in the test are British , American and Australian , so practice listening to accent of different nationalities such as British , USA and Australia, you could do this by listening to news channels and documentary movies.
- Try to anticipate as to what would be possible answer of question, this can offer valuable clues while attempting the exam.
- Follow instructions very carefully. If the instructions state, "Write no more than two words, then you must not write more or you will receive no marks for your answer, even if some of the words you wrote were part of the correct answer.
IELTS guidebooks to learn strategies to help you with ones that are more challenging.
IELTS reading test, you need global as well as macro reading skills. This means you should to be able to do the following :
- Grasp the big picture as well as the minor points.
- Distinguish facts from opinions and attitudes
- Identify the overall purpose of the passage
- Follow the main arguments in a written text
- Locate specific details and relevant information
- Summarize the key points
- Represent written information in graphic form
- Infer meaning
- Use accurate spelling and correct grammar
- Reading for detail
On the IELTS, you will need to use all three techniques at different stages. For example, you may start by skimming through the entire text to get a general idea of the passage. Next, you may look at the questions to see what kind of information is required. Then, you may scan the text for a specific piece of information or read a particular section in greater detail to discover the information you need to answer the question correctly.
If you are weak in these areas or read slowly, there are a number of excellent general ESL and specific IELTS books which can help you strengthen your reading techniques, so you can complete the test correctly and successfully within the one hour time limit.
- Never start the task without carefully analyzing it spend few minutes carefully planning and spend some time making notes.
- Use of Paragraphs is very important especially in Task 2 ,typically you should explain 1 idea with supporting examples/ reasoning in one paragraph.
- You should not copy complete sentences / question rubric from paper you will receive no marks for this and words written would not count towards the minimum word length of 250.
- You must not repeat ideas , as it shows poor task attempt and you would lose points for this.
- You should keep focus to the topic; writing about unrelated topic could be penalized, also you must use formal language only.
- spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 and approximately 40 minutes on Task 2.
- You must write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2; writing less than the limit would attract penalty.
- Keep some time in the end; ideally about 3-4 minutes to re-read and correct your answers.
- You should speak as much as possible because examiner wants to see your English ability, this way he/ she would be able to judge you better.
- Fluency is one of the factors you get scores on ; so be as fluent as possible.
- In case you are not clear about any instruction or question; ask for clarification.
- Do not cram or speak rehearsed answers because you will be penalised.
- The examiner’s questions tend to be fairly predictable; practise at home and record yourself.
- While doing task 2 of Q Card , do not waste much of your time taking notes, instead rehearse in your mind and write only one / two words if necessary.
- Exam is in growing order of difficulty, so do not worry if you do not do too well in Part 3, which is quite normal for most of the candidates.
- Most importantly relax before and during the exam , as nervousness can cost you dearly.