The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is one of the most common exam taken by aspiring immigrants to establish credibility of their English language skills. A good score in IELTS, can help you in more ways than one. First, let’s understand the different types of IELTS tests and the format.
IELTS Academic vs General
Those applying through the Express Entry or any other immigration program for Canada must take the IELTS General test. This helps in establishing that you have the required English language skills to survive in this country.
On the other hand, those who wish to study – join a undergraduate or postgraduate program in Canada – must take the IELTS Academic test. This one is to establish that you are able to study and learn with English as the language medium.
Test Format
There are four distinct sections in an IELTS test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. While the first three happen together in an examination setting, Speaking happens separately (usually on a different day) in a one-on-one interview style.
Our IELTS Experience
We took the IELTS General test and both of us got Band 8 in our first attempt. The key to that was preparation and lots of hard work. For the first couple of weeks, I was in denial and not very serious about studying. I started learning English at the same time as my own native language. My schools and universities taught in English. I grew up reading Blyton and Austen. We spoke English at home (along with three other languages). So yeah, I was confident I got this. Within a few weeks, I was proven wrong. One evening while flipping through the practice material I thought I’ll attempt a test. Scored miserably low and below average. After a couple of practice tests, I understood, there was a certain way we were expected to answer and that is the key.
Language is tricky that way and sometimes over a period of time, you are moulded into using the language in a certain way which is not quite the correct way. Colloquial terms and slang marred the purity of English. Being multilingual also affected negatively as sentences in English were often interspersed with words from other languages and at times the exact tone and flow of the words would get lost in translation. Thereafter, I pulled up my socks and got on the grind. A whole month of practice later, I was finally getting close to my target scores.
So whether you are new to English or you have been using the language since the beginning of time, preparation is equally important for everyone.
What worked, what didn’t
1. Practice makes a man perfect! (Not being discriminatory, just a catchy heading)
Once you have registered for your chosen exam, start preparing. Even if it is one practice test a day, do it. It is also important to time yourself while practicing. Try and act as if you are sitting for the real test. You can explore and purchase preparation material from the IELTS website or you can also find several free resources. Practice a minimum of 15 full tests that include all 4 sections. For the Speaking section, get a partner to practice with so they can correct you and provide feedback. If you do not have anyone to practice with, then record your own video or audio and listen to it. Pay close attention to your grammar and pronunciation. Enunciate more and speak clearly while trying to neutralize your native accent.
2. Master your reading comprehension
The Reading section has texts followed by some questions. Read the text twice. The first time you read, try to absorb the overall flow and intent as well as key concepts. Review the questions. Then go back to the text and read again. This will help you get familiar with the text and then while responding to the questions, you will know where to look for your answers. Remember that you need to answer the question the way the examiner wants it to be answered. For example, if they are looking for a singular word, such as “car” as the answer, then writing “cars” in plural will mean you will lose marks for that question.
3. Pay attention while listening
The Listening test is not the hardest but the trickiest. Both of us found it the most difficult one to master. You will need to listen to audio clips very attentively and respond to questions at the same time. The audio clips will typically have an ordinary conversation between two or three people. You will need to fill in the blanks or mark on a map while listening to the conversation.
The questions are not difficult and you will easily find the answers from the conversation. But the real challenge is when you miss something and keep waiting for the answer but they may have already moved on. For example, you may be waiting for them to talk about Question no. 2 but they may already be talking about Question no. 4. There is no pause or rewind button. If you miss it, it’s gone.
Unfortunately, you can’t look at the questions before the audio starts. So when it begins, try and skim through the questions in the first few seconds. For example, in question no. 3, let’s say they are asking which flavour of ice cream Ronald orders. If you have already seen that question very quickly in advance, you will remember to notice the answer when Ronald talks to the server and orders a “strawberry” ice cream. Remember to keep half an eye on the following questions while you are still answering the current question. If you miss something, move on so that you don’t miss the rest. No point in dwelling over it.
4. Don’t skip writing practice
It is important to write essays to see how your writing flows and how well you can structure an essay. This is no normal essay writing. They are evaluating how well you can analyze information and present it in addition to your grammatical hold of the language and your vocabulary. Cohesion is of utmost importance. Have a broad plan or an outline before you start writing. Stick to the word limits. Going slightly over the limit is fine but going under is unacceptable. Practice writing and then compare your essays with those online or provided as part of the test material. Read examples to know what patterns and structure are expected.
5. Watch videos to improve speaking
Watch recorded videos of other people’s Speaking tests online, to learn the structure of the conversation and the level you need to achieve to get a great score. Observe minor differences between Bands 7, 8 and 9 as that will help you stand above the rest.
Typically, the speaking test will have 3 components – a Q&A about yourself, a talk and a discussion.
For the Q&A, prepare for an interview-like situation where the examiner asks you a few questions to get to know you better. Keep your answers short but meaningful and stick to what is being asked.
For the talk, you will be asked to speak for around two minutes on a topic and you will get one minute to think and prepare. Use that time judiciously and create a broad outline of how you intend to respond.
The discussion may be a set of follow up questions on the same topic as the talk or any other topic. Keep the flow of sentences coherent and easy to understand. Be clear in your speech, and focus on correct pronunciation. Practice speaking with your friends, family and whoever you meet prior to the test. Practice speaking in front of the mirror if you will.