Why you should take an IELTS Practice Test

Are you planning to write IELTS soon? How do you measure your test readiness? 

The International English language testing system is commonly known as IELTS. It measures the language proficiency of candidates who wish to immigrate or complete higher education in native English speaking countries. Preparing for IELTS is a challenging task. Candidates usually take up IELTS coaching or prepare on their own. Both actions indicate only half the journey. They need to tread carefully for the rest of the way. And the best way to do this is to practice the IELTS practice test. There are many advantages to taking this test. Few of them include:

• The practice test will allow a candidate to understand the standard IELTS exam pattern, IELTS syllabus, and the scoring pattern.
• A practice test will help candidates to understand the four modules of the test like Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
• As a beginner, the IELTS practice test may help assess the areas of strength and weakness.
• During the middle of training, the IELTS mock test will reflect on the progress made by the student.
• Taking an IELTS practice test just before the actual test will provide an idea of what kind of scores to expect from the real test.

Still not convinced to take up the practice test? Read further

The practice test provides an insight into the challenges IELTS has designed in its question types. For instance, in the listening section, many distractors and paraphrases are commonly used. A practice test would allow a candidate to adapt to such challenges more quickly than an unprepared test taker. Additionally, test takers need to know that the audio is played only once. Their sense of hearing needs to be sharp and focused. Such a practice test will contribute to this.

Further, candidates need to be aware of the pacing issues faced by test takers, especially in the reading section. This section has three passages and forty questions. Twenty minutes is available to read, understand, and answer each passage. A smart test taker will know his/her speed of reading and accordingly manage time to answer the questions. Similarly, the writing module can be effectively practiced when done along with the listening and reading sections.

Finally, remember to practice the papers at one stretch. Do not exceed the time or pause the test. It will impact actual test performance. Candidates who practice sufficiently have an edge over the others and score better.

All the best!