When it comes to the IELTS examination, one goes through numerous IELTS learning materials to get a brief understanding of the four modules which are Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The IELTS examination demands an individual to hone numerous skills required for all the modules. At times, it can be a bit confusing for a student to plan your preparation even if you have access to the IELTS study material.
Without a doubt, the first step is to find genuine study material so that you can ace your IELTS exam. The next step in the IELTS preparation is to understand how to use the IELTS practice material effectively. Let’s understand the key steps which helps one to use IELTS study material to their advantage in the best way possible:
Step 1: Get Familiar with the format and the assessment criteria
Before diving into practice, it’s crucial to understand the IELTS test format so that one is familiar with all the different types of questions one is going to encounter. In addition, one needs to keep track of the general instructions and the time allotted for each section. For instance, the reading module and writing module take 60 minutes each, the listening module takes 30 minutes and the speaking module is around 12-15 minutes on average. The written test consists of three modules – Reading, Listening, and Writing module whereas the speaking test is taken separately as it is a one-to-one session with the examiner. Secondly, one should keep an eye out for the assessment criteria as these are the factors which are going to add up to your overall IELTS band score.
Step 2 : Gather authentic IELTS Practice Materials
The importance of authentic IELTS learning materials cannot be overstated. It is so crucial that you practise tests from a genuine source, whether it’s a website, application, or study material downloaded from the web. Ensure that the sources are credible and genuine when it comes to jotting down your test papers. Furthermore, while you take online tests, make sure that they match the exam-like difficulty and pattern so that you get a chance to practise in real-time exam-like conditions. If one opts to buy a book or study material, one should prefer well-recognised authors and publications for the purchase. After this, you can divide your study material according to the different modules, which will help you quickly pick up the material you require as per your study plan.
Step 3: Make an agenda for every day
In order to make a study plan, one needs to be organised and prioritise building skills required for the IELTS examination. It is preferred that you focus on one particular skill and a module rather than taking up all the modules at the same time. For instance, one can pick out two days to focus solely on the writing module [ Task 1 and Task 2 ] and improve the areas of paraphrasing, punctuation, grammar, and sentence construction. This will include taking up tests of the writing module and writing essays and reports on different questions. Furthermore, one can keep separate days for the Reading, Speaking and the Listening module. Here are the skills you need to prioritise for these modules: For Reading – build on the skills of Paraphrasing, Skimming, and Scanning, whereas for Speaking, one should prioritise paraphrasing, voice modulation, and pronunciation. As part of your practice, solve 2-3 assignments for whichever module you pick for a particular day. You can access the IELTS practice tests by logging on to YunoLearning
Step 4 : Assess yourself and track your progress
The next step in your agenda should be to self-assess or get a subject matter expert’s help to analyse the areas that need improvement. This will not only allow you to understand your weaker areas but will also allow you to track your improvement as you solve more and more tests. For instance, in the Reading module, after solving a test, check which questions you faced the most difficulty with; let’s say that it’s the MCQs wherein you face a challenge. Target more tests that are based on MCQs so that you can overcome your weaknesses. By practising skill-based IELTS tests, you will be able to prepare yourself for all the tricky questions you might come across.
Step 5 : Take online IELTS mock tests
Once you gain confidence in your skills and preparation, you should take up the IELTS mock test to understand your performance in real-time by attempting IELTS mock tests as they provide exam-like difficulty. Moreover, taking up the IELTS mock test allows one to understand how to divide their time in all the modules, which in turn builds up time management skills. Make sure that you seek someone to assess your speaking abilities so that you can improve your speaking skills as well.
Step 6 : Take feedback and guidance
Getting the same score again and again can lower our confidence. In such situations, one must seek guidance from a subject matter expert to truly understand the gap that lies in our skills or approach. Whenever you feel stuck in any particular area of the IELTS exam, reach out to an experienced instructor or subject matter expert who will be able to explain the concepts with the utmost clarity.
Step 7 : Practise Recent IELTS questions
When it comes to browsing IELTS learning materials, always keep an eye out for an authentic source from which you can gather the recent IELTS questions for each module. This will allow you to observe the different types of questions that are coming up and help you prepare for those topics accordingly. Practise the recent questions for the speaking and writing module, as they give you an edge as a student.
To encapsulate, Preparing for the IELTS examination may seem overwhelming in the beginning but if you have access to authentic IELTS practice materials and approach it with a step by step agenda, you will be able to navigate through and attain your desired band score
