The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the world’s most popular English Language Proficiency test for higher study and migration to a country where English is the major language. IELTS is the recommended English proficiency examination for prospective students, professionals, and migration seekers, and it is trusted and recognized by a wide range of educational institutions, employers, governments, and professionals. The IELTS exam is structured and designed to measure an applicant’s competency in four English language skills: IELTS Reading, IELTS Writing, IELTS Speaking, and IELTS Listening.
There is very little difference in the marking pattern and criteria for the two sections; ACADEMIC and GENERAL Content, Vocabulary, Organization, and Grammar will be the four main aspects that will be assessed by IELTS examiners.
In this article we are going to take a deep look into how to prepare for IELTS 2023 with the best strategies possible to clear your IELTS exam in first attempt.
A good score is essential for candidate to qualify for admission to a good college, allowing for work or immigration, where English is the primary language used for communication. Preparing for the IELTS test becomes a challenge for non-English speakers or those who know English as a secondary language.
Here are 7 points to keep in mind while attempting the writing tasks of the Academic and General Training modules.
An important thing to do in ACADEMIC TASK 1 is to analyze and understand the graphic information carefully. More focus should be given to pie charts or bar diagrams or tables of information presented in newspapers or business articles. Alternatively, you can draw a pie chart to show what percentage of time you spend on the following activities in an average week: watching TV, working, studying, sleeping, using the internet, doing sports, and doing other activities. The next step would be to write a summary of the information you have provided in the chart.
IELTS Preparing at home needs some strategy, without a plan of action is like a marksman without a target. IELTS is an international-based assessment that is required to take admission or for the migration process to English-speaking countries. This test is designed to take the performance evaluation of non-English speakers, and native English-speaking countries take it very seriously.
That’s why it is considered one of the hardest papers for students, so the question is whether opting for a study abroad consultancy is necessary. The answer is no but recommended. IELTS preparation at home requires a sense of devotion and ambition. Spend a well-calculated amount of time, without any distractions.
The aspirant should start the day by preparing to keep the priorities first, then followed by the pending work, and last, the extra subjects like newspapers, or optional subjects. Therefore, the schedule must be divided into 3 parts. The IELTS aspirant totally focuses on preparing for verbal communication in English, watching English movies will help you to understand the phonetic note.
Below we have prepared a personalized plan for IELTS Coaching at home to help the students toward the first step of IELTS self-preparation. First, we have divided the IELTS course into four-week plans according to the four IELTS sections. Listening test for one week, writing test, for the second week, etc.
Then we design each day considering a particular section, then set a focus task within a time boundary. We use a special rule called 25% CCR (Content Consume Rate), which is to mean, you have to finish a book or subject of 25% within 1hr, now the CCR may vary, it could be 30%, 50%, or any combination as you like. The sample looks like this, attached below:
| Section of IELTS Course | Month | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Listening Section | Week 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| CCR 25% | 12:00 A.M
1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 P.M |
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| Try to simulate 70% of the IELTS exam | 12:00 A.M
1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 P.M |
Just like the above tables you can create or customize one for yourself, in Excel or in google sheet, just copy the table and paste in any office sheet app.
It usually takes 3 months of IELTS Exam preparation, but it depends on dedication and ambition. IELTS is seen as one of the toughest exams and the number of students who appear in this exam increases annually. Candidate needs to develop speaking skills, and writing skills, and have a lot of practice tests. Therefore, below are some tips to prepare for IELTS at home without coaching.
The test will also reflect on the areas of strength and weakness. And giving constant mocks will keep you fresh and boost your confidence. You will identify your mistakes and a path to work on them. Some students prefer to take professional IELTS coaching at home to help them prepare without hassles.
There are two types of tests in the IELTS Exam pattern
Academic IELTS is for students who wish to pursue their studies abroad.
IELTS General training is for people who want to immigrate to native English-speaking countries.
| Types | Time | Skills Tested | Scoring Pattern |
| Paper-based | Approx. 2.45 hours | Reading, listening, writing and speaking | Band scores 0-9
Overall average and each section scores are given |
| Computer-based |
The listening and speaking sections are the same but the reading and writing section is slightly different in academic and general training papers. The best strategy to succeed is to be familiar with the test pattern.
One of the most common mistakes students make is to focus only on the test. They take many practice tests and forget to develop their English. Focusing on the verbal and communication parts, develop a basic understanding of English as a second language, which you can develop through constant practice of IELTS sections.
40 questions as they listen to four different audios. Since the recording is played once, it’s easy to get lost during a conversation. A good strategy for IELTS preparation would be to practice listening to various types of audio and familiarizing oneself with the question types.
Writing is assessed based on four criteria. They include task achievement/task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resources, and grammatical range and accuracy.
Task 1 in the academic section requires students to develop report-writing skills without adding their opinion. Stating the facts given in the picture with numerical is assessed.
Task 2 in the IELTS academic section requires students to curate and narrate a short story on a given topic.
Task 1 in the general training paper is letter writing. A topic with specific instructions is given. Adhering to the task given will help in getting a good score.
Task 2 in both papers carries more weightage in terms of score. Hence, it’s necessary to familiarize oneself with the structure of an essay.
| IELTS Academic Paper | Task 1 | Describe data represented by a graph, chart, map, table, and so on |
| Task 2 | Write an essay on a given topic. | |
| IELTS General Training | Task 1 | Write a letter (formal/informal/semi-formal) |
| Task 2 | Write an essay on a given topic. |
Due to the length of passages and the types of questions. Usually, the academic reading section is more difficult than the general test. This section requires a range of reading skills like reading for gist, main ideas, and details.
Strategically to be your own IELTS coach would recommend students identify the types of passages and questions. Learn various nuances of finding the answers. Pacing is important as you cannot spend more than 20 minutes on a passage. Thus, learning to skim, scan, and focus on what information is required would be the best way.
Speaking is one of the most significant skills required in IELTS. Although the shortest of all the sections. This is sometimes the most intimidating part for IELTS students. Do a regular practice of 15 minutes for IELTS preparation at home, this section is divided into three subsections.
Initially, you will be asked to introduce yourself and answer questions based on a familiar topic. Next, your ability to speak on a random topic is assessed. The topic is given on a task card and time is provided to write notes before speaking. In the last part, you will be asked more questions related to the topic given.
Give yourself the IELTS coaching at home by daily reading the newspaper, and you can watch English movies to refine your speaking skills and writing skills for the IELTS exam. This is not included in the Official IELTS courses, but for personal grooming and updated with current affairs.
Do you have any agenda on how to prepare for IELTS and take ahead your IELTS preparation? Or what resources do you need to prepare for IELTS at home and do IELTS Coaching at home? Well, there are some top tips to guide your preparation further.
First: is to include ENG in your daily life, choose English novels or newspapers, etc.
Second: make yourself updated with current affairs because, in the IELTS paper, there are general questions also included.
Third: do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.
Fourth: Solve Puzzles and problems to improve your logical thinking.
Fifth: follow the exam instructions to develop a habit.
Sixth: practice the word limit.
There are two types of IELTS: Academic and General Training. Listening and Speaking are the same for both tests, but the subject matter of the Reading and Writing sections differs depending on which test you take.
The Listening, Reading, and Writing sections of all the IELTS tests are completed on the same day. The Speaking section, however, can be completed up to a week before or after the other tests. The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.
IELTS uses a nine-band scale to score and identify the proficiency levels of the test-takers. Band score 1 means a non-user and band score 9 indicates an expert user.
Irrespective of your proficiency level, before starting the preparation for the exam always take a test to see where you stand.
A diagnostic test will help you identify the areas you are strong in and the ones that need attention, to help you improve your final band score. Being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses is vital before starting the preparation for the IELTS exam as it will help you maximize your efforts in the right direction.
For non-native speakers, preparing for the IELTS exam through self-study may become a challenge at some point or the other as candidates need constant guidance on the progress they are making. Taking prep classes can help candidates prepare better on many accounts. Certified trainers, the right learning tools, and co-learners to discuss and engage with will prove to be more productive during the preparation phase than trying to guess and learn alone.
Reading is an essential element in the preparation. Make it your goal to study at least two good articles from leading newspapers daily on different subjects such as current affairs and finance.
Additionally, you can read short –stories if you are a beginner or non-fictional books from renowned authors. Be careful of books written in sub-standard English. They will do more harm than good.
While practicing reading, underline the words you do not know the meaning of. Look for them in the dictionary or Google to immediately understand their meaning in the context they have been written. This will help you increase your vocabulary and understand its usage too.
Once you come across new words and their meaning, make it a point to start using those words. Your goal should be to use a new word daily in your verbal or written communication. If you quickly want to enrich your vocabulary, putting the newly learned words to practice in your daily conversations is the only way to go.
Watching American/British English movies or series with subtitles is a good way to learn and improve upon your proficiency in the language. While watching a movie or series keep the following in mind:
After you are done watching, elaborate on the points mentioned above. You can write or converse. Following this practice regularly will help you improve your ability to express yourself in the language, and will simultaneously help you in your understanding of different accents.
As you speak to practice in preparation for the IELTS exam, recording your audio will greatly help you. As you listen to yourself, besides vocabulary and grammatical mistakes you will become aware of your tone and speaking style, which you can improve upon gradually.
Your trainer can help you identify the mistakes you may not be aware of or may have missed in the recording. Looping the feedback given by your trainer, re-record yourself to track the progress you made.
Graph or data-based questions are the ones students struggle with the most in the written section. Make it a habit to practice these questions regularly. Other than test prep books, read financial newspapers to understand how a given graph or data-based diagram is described in the article. Pay close attention to how and where data points have been used to support a point.
This practice will help increase the understanding of data-based questions and improve the ability to answer such questions in a concise and clear manner.
Whether you are practicing reading, writing or listening do not forget to time yourself. Make it a habit from the very start of your preparation, but without stressing yourself out. Timing is vital, especially for writing as you need to ensure that you don’t just answer all the questions but also have enough time to proofread your answers on the test day. Proofreading is important to correct the mistakes you may have made in the first draft. This being a language test, you cannot risk grammatical mistakes, no matter how small.
A vital aspect of preparation for the IELTS exam is to take regular mock tests. These tests will help in getting familiarized with the test pattern, style, and question topics. They will also help you improve your timing. As you keep practicing, you will improve the total time taken to complete the test.
IELTS is a test trusted by over 10,000 organizations, including universities, professional bodies, employers, and migration authorities. Especially for those aspiring to study abroad, the IELTS qualification is considered a reliable indicator of one’s ability to pursue higher education in English. Hence, a good performance on the test will be a deciding factor in one’s success.
Cracking the IELTS, especially, on the first attempt needs a plan. The plan needs to include signing up for an IELTS online course, understanding the structure of the test, and practicing the necessary test skills. Therefore, the checklist for your IELTS preparation is as follows:
First of all, the candidate needs to know the duration of the actual test. Understanding the IELTS structure and format of the test will give an individual a perspective of the difficulty of the test. The IELTS exam pattern tests you for four skills in the English language, that is listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The total time of the test is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes excluding the Speaking section that is undertaken on a separate day. The order of the test is listening, reading, and writing. The speaking can be scheduled anywhere between a week before or after the listening, reading, and writing.
The IELTS is predominantly available in both paper and computer-based tests. It is wise to choose the paper or computer format after trying tests in both formats. It is basically about being comfortable with reading on a computer screen for an hour and being able to type at least 30 words per minute for the writing task. The speaking is the same for both test formats, they are done on a separate day with an interlocutor and not a computer. You need to be aware if you need to take the General IELTS or Academic IELTS.
The unique scoring pattern should be understood well to help you have a target in mind while preparing. The listening and reading have a raw score from 0-40 based on the number of answers that are correct with each question given 1 point. There is no negative marking and all questions receive an equal score. However, the raw score is converted into a band score from 0-9, a sample of the approximate conversion can be found on the official website.
Now the writing and speaking sections are different, unlike the listening and reading sections which have 40 questions each. The writing and speaking sections have a unique criterion based on which candidates are given a band score from 0-9.
Once you understand the structure and format of the test, it is time to decide how to plan your practice. The IELTS exam syllabus would require general English knowledge to be able to improve the required skills according to the test structure. You could simply prepare yourself with online material or decide to enroll in online IELTS classes to help with your preparation. An experienced and qualified tutor will significantly impact your test plan. It is ideal to give yourself one to two months’ time to prepare but it’s best to enroll yourself with a tutor and create a study test plan.
Your plan can just be to join a course but it is important to join the right course, the right tutor, and understand how that course could benefit you. Such as how are the classes conducted. Is it a batch or personal session? Does the course have a diagnosis and mock tests? You should be aware before choosing the best IELTS online course.
An individual who might be an expert in the English language still struggles to get the desired results or band score in multiple attempts. The reason might be that the candidate is not in line with the skills required for the IELTS exam syllabus. This is an example where choosing the right IELTS preparation course plays an important role.
Most students are unaware of the type of material they need to practice. The IELTS is jointly owned and administered by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English. These institutions spend a lot of money and effort to create the tests that are taken by students. So, not every reading paper or listening test online would match the actual IELTS exam syllabus. Most students practice with unauthentic material and believe they are doing well to only be unpleasantly surprised in the actual test when the questions seem different. During the planning of your IELTS preparations, look for authentic material like the IELTS test series to ace the test.
You cannot expect an IELTS online course or IELTS tutor to fetch you a magic score on the IELTS. Remember that you are writing a test that tests you in the English language. So, a course would help you speed up the process of understanding the test and preparation, however, becoming proficient in general English does not happen overnight. Tutors can help you to practice but it’s your duty to go above and beyond to develop your language proficiency outside the classroom. For instance, using the IELTS strategies in real office work or using new vocabulary in a casual conversation with a friend or colleague.
Although the main purpose of enrolling for an IELTS course is to get feedback to improve your skills. Self-evaluation is an important way to retrospect your preparation. Assess how much you have improved since the first practice test. Have the online classes and IELTS practice tests been helpful?
Register your test well ahead of the test date, give yourself at least a month. Select the medium of the test in which you are comfortable. Also, check the location and transportation. Make sure you take the required documents on the test day. Make sure you have had all your queries addressed while booking the test. Don’t worry about the formalities because the staff will be there to help you.
Candidates are often in a dilemma on how, to begin with, IELTS exam preparation. Here are a few pointers that can help.
To begin with, take a practice test to understand the format of the paper. The test will also reflect on the areas of strength and weakness. You will be able to identify your mistakes and a path to work on them. Some students prefer to take professional IELTS coaching to help them prepare without hassles. This coaching facilitates students to access authentic learning resources (IELTS books) and learn the best ways to approach the test.
There are two types of IELTS tests
| Types | Time | Skills Tested | Scoring Pattern |
| Paper-based | Approx. 2.45 hours | Reading, listening, writing and speaking | Band scores 0-9
Overall average and each section scores are given |
| Computer-based |
The listening and speaking sections are the same but the reading and writing section is slightly different in academic and general training papers. The best strategy to succeed is to be familiar with the test pattern.
One of the most common mistakes students make is to focus only on the test. They practice many practice tests and forget to develop their English. The best way to prepare is to find an IELTS coaching center that helps with English development and IELTS strategies. English language proficiency can be developed by doing various activities like reading, listening to native speakers, understanding rules that regulate writing, and speaking in English with known acquaintances. In the IELTS test, the language proficiency test is not knowledge-based.
The IELTS listening section can be demanding as one has to answer 40 questions while listening to four different audios. Since the recording is played once, it’s easy to get lost during a conversation. A good strategy would be to practice listening to various types of audio and familiarize oneself with the question types. Understand what type of answer is required whether it’s a name, a number, an address, an adjective, a verb, and so on. IELTS coaches will often recommend using the first few seconds carefully – read and understand the question clearly.
The reading section can be challenging for test-takers in the beginning. It is due to the length of passages and the types of questions. Usually, the academic reading section is more difficult than the general test. This section requires a range of reading skills like reading for gist, main ideas, and details.
Strategically an IELTS coach would recommend students identify the types of passages and questions. Learn various nuances of finding the answers. Pacing is important as you cannot spend more than 20 minutes on a passage. Thus, learning to skim, scan, and focus on what information is required would be the best way.
The writing module is the section where most candidates struggle. There are two tasks and candidates must write a formal response.
| Academic Paper | Task 1 | Describe data represented by a graph, chart, map, table, and so on |
| Task 2 | Write an essay on a given topic. | |
| General Training | Task 1 | Write a letter (formal/informal/ semi-formal) |
| Task 2 | Write an essay on a given topic. |
The best way to prepare for this section is to be aware of the structure of each task and the assessment criteria. Also, knowing the basic grammar rules would help. A preparation course with an IELTS coach would help students to practice and get feedback on their writing skills.
Writing is assessed based on four criteria. They include task achievement/task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resources, and grammatical range and accuracy.
Task 1 in the academic section requires students to develop report-writing skills without adding their opinion. Stating the facts given in the picture with numerical is assessed.
Task 1 in the general training paper is letter writing. A topic with specific instructions is given. Adhering to the task given will help in getting a good score.
Task 2 in both papers carries more weightage in terms of score. Hence, it’s necessary to familiarize oneself with the structure of an essay. A candidate needs to know how to write an introduction, develop ideas in the body paragraphs and write an appropriate conclusion. Also, one must be aware of the word limit and adhere to it. Additionally, practice writing different essays such as agree or disagree, and discuss advantages or disadvantages, problems, solutions, causes, and effects.
The practice section lasts for about 15 minutes and it’s a live interview with an IELTS evaluator. Although the shortest of all sections it may be intimidating for a few candidates. The section is categorized into three subsections. Initially, you will be asked to introduce yourself and answer questions based on a familiar topic. Next, your ability to speak on a random topic is assessed. The topic is given on a task card and time is provided to write notes before speaking. In the last part, you will be asked more questions related to the topic given. These questions are usually detailed and abstract.
Practicing each part is important. It will ease the pressure and you can avoid making mistakes in this section. The examiner will record the interview and assess you based on pronunciation, lexical resources, fluency, and clarity. A style and tone should be formal. Practicing with someone, especially with an IELTS coach will help identify common errors and develop your language proficiency.
It’s good to expose oneself to the language along with test preparation. Encourage yourself to read articles that interest you. Practice writing in English every day. There are many IELTS books and online resources which help improve writing skills. Listen to the audio of native speakers and try to repeat what they said. This will help in improving pronunciation.
Self-preparation requires good planning and execution. An alternate way would be to find an IELTS coaching center so they can guide you and ease the preparation process.
Online class is a wonderful platform that one could make use of so that it would aid in understanding the strategies involved in each of the competencies. There are different question types in the listening and reading sections. The strategies also vary from one question type to another. At the initial stages before the start of the training, time management will be of concern, especially in the reading section. Some of the useful tips taught in class can make a huge difference and thus significantly improve the accuracy level.
Although the tips and strategies are taught in class, without implementing the same in practice tests, score improvement is hardly observed. With more and more mock tests along with valuable feedback on each competency, one can clearly identify where they have been going wrong. In time, they become fully cognizant of the minor gaps in tackling questions. Following the right strategies and approaches to ensure accuracy is the key to success.
The writing and speaking skills specifically require expert feedback in order to guide you through the different criteria for grading these elements. Taking into consideration the four competencies the writing section is considered the hardest to attain a high band score. In the writing section, the feedback would be helpful mainly to identify and work on specific areas such as modifying the essays in the proper format, grammatical range and accuracy, lexical resource, organization, and so on.
Similarly, as far as the speaking section is concerned, students once again would require expertise in their speaking skills on the basis of the ideas presented pertaining to the topic, the delivery, vocabulary, and grammar. Very soon, one may excel in the skill by following the advice of the examiner.
The training would not only lead you to a great score as per the university requirement and for the VISA procedure but also be of great help in building one’s communication and writing skills.
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Book your Free Counselling Session now!No, it’s not necessary, but it can be helpful, especially if you are not confident in your English skills. It can provide you with structured study material and practice tests.
Practice taking timed practice tests to get a feel for how much time you have for each section. Learn to skim and scan passages quickly and effectively to save time. Also, make sure to answer all the questions even if you are unsure, as there is no penalty for incorrect answers.
Practice speaking English every day, either with a native speaker or a language exchange partner. Record yourself speaking and analyze your mistakes to identify areas to improve. Also, pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.
Common mistakes on the IELTS exam include not reading the instructions carefully, not managing time effectively, and not fully answering the question or task. It’s important to be familiar with the exam format and to practice with samples to avoid these mistakes.
Yes, it is possible to improve IELTS scores with self-study. However, it is essential to have a structured study plan, access to reliable study materials and resources, and to regularly practice and assess your progress.
Why you should take an IELTS Practice Test
