crack ielts in 1st attempt
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Democratising quality global education
Crack IELTS in 1st Attempt
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What is IELTS? The International English Language Test (IELTS) is designed to help you work, study or migrate to acountry where English is the native language. This includes countries such as Australia, Canada, NewZealand, the UK and USA. Your ability to listen, read, write and speak in English will be assessed during the test. IELTS is graded on ascale of 1-9. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council and IDP.
Why take IELTS? If you are looking to work, live or study in an English-speaking country, then you must be able todemonstrate a high level of English language ability. Being able to communicate in the native language of the country you wish to work or study in, has a widerange of benefits. It is also essential for job opportunities as well as integration into the community. IELTS is the most popular test for those looking to migrate to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.It is globally recognised by more than 10,000 employers, universities, schools and immigration bodiesincluding 3,400 institutions in the USA.
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SPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULE
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The IELTS Speaking test takes the form of a one-to-one interview. There are three parts to the Speaking test.These allow you demonstrate your spoken English skills through a number of tasks. The tasks are signed sothat you can use a range of language on a variety of topics. The whole interview takes between 11 and 14minutes. Here is an overview of the Speaking test format showing the three parts and the approximate timingof each.
Part 1 :Introduction &Interview4-5mins
You will have the chance to speak on familiar topics. The examiner will ask you a number ofstraightforward questions about yourself and about familiar topics, and you should find these easy toanswer. This is an opportunity to overcome any nerves and demonstrate your basic fluency.
Part 2 :Short talk3-4mins
You will be asked to talk for 1 or 2 minutes on a topic chosen by the examiner, You will have a minute to prepare and then you will have to speak on the topic without stopping. The topic will be based on yourpersonal experiences and feelings, so your talk should be lively and interesting
Part 3 :Two – waydiscussion4-5mins
You will be asked more abstract questions, broadly linked to the topic introduced in Part 2, and you will beencouraged to discuss these more fully. This is where you can demonstrate control of language, your abilityto express abstract ideas, and to support your opinions appropriately. You should aim to give longer repliesthan you did to the Part 1 questions.
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SPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULE
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Approach Reason
Part 1
Use this part to develop your confidence & fluency. The questions are about you and should bestraightforward to answer.
Give full answers but do not talk for too long. Fuller answers are expected in Part 3
Do not memorise answers. Your examiner will recognize prepared answers and youwill not get credit for them.
Part 2
Use the preparation time wisely. Useful notes will help you speak for longer
Refer to the task card as you talk. The points on the task card are designed to help youstructure your talk.
Be aware of how long 2 minutes is. You need to produce a rounded talk that is longenough, but not too long.
Part 3
Make sure you know what the discussion topic is. Your answers need to be relevant to the topic.
Re-phrase the questions in your mind, so that youknow what the examiner expects.
The questions aim to get you to talk about things usingrange of language functions
Support and extend your answers You must show that you can discuss the Part 3 topicsfully
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SPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULE
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IELTS Speaking Tips
You can increase your score by following these simple IELTS Speaking tips and tricks. Here we’vegathered top 10 IELTS Speaking tips to increase your IELTS Speaking score:
1. Be fluent and liberatedSpeak fluently and spontaneously. You will gain more points. Don't worry too much about usingclever vocabulary, it's more important to be fluent. But also don't speak too quick and mind yourgrammar. You should find a "healthy balance" between speaking too quickly and making longpauses.
2. Practise answering sample questionsTypically, you will be asked about everyday topics, such as work, studies, sport, family and so on. Soyou should try answering IELTS Speaking questions before the exam. You will be surprised howsimple they are! You just need to learn appropriate vocabulary and understand what answers youwill give.
3. Ask the question again if you need toDon't be shy, if you want to clarify something. You will not lose points for asking the examiner.
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4. Be emotional!Speak with emotions. Nothing separates the experienced speaker from beginners as tone of the speech.Express your feelings like you would do using your native language.
5. Extend your speechTry to speak at least more than the examiner. If you are asked a question using one sentence, respond with twoor more. And never give short, uncommunicative replies:
Example:
Examiner: Do you do any sport?You: No, I don't like sports... [Don't stopthere!] I'm not a very active person and I'venever liked P.E. In school. But I like playingintellectual games instead. For example, Ifind chess very interesting.
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6. Be coherentUse linking words and structures. Words and phrases like however, nevertheless, all in all, moreover will enrichyour speech.
7. Give yourself time to thinkIf you are unsure how to answer the question, you can give yourself a bit more time to think by using this tip.First of all, you can say: "That's a tricky question...", "I've never thought about that before..." or "That's aninteresting question...". This way you'll have some extra time to plan your answer.
8. Made a mistake? Don't panic!If you made a mistake - don't panic! Try to correct yourself as smoothly as possible. And if you can't - justcontinue speaking, you won't lose many points for a few mistakes.
9. Make a good first impressionLook good, smell good and feel good. Be confident. Although it may not seem very important, a strong firstimpression will go a long way.
10. Don't learn answers by heartExaminers are able to determine whether you speak freely or you memorized the answer before your interview.Learning full scripts is a bad idea. Instead, it is much better to learn separate words and collocations and adoptthem in your speech.
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SPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULESPEAKING MODULE
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Which Words are Used in IELTS
Speaking?
Different kinds of vocabulary are important forIELTS Speaking.We can find out which ones are important veryquickly by looking again at the IELTS SpeakingBand Descriptors
They talk about:CollocationsThese are words that commonly go togetherFor example,• black tea• spicy food• heavy rain
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Idiomatic expressionsThese are expressions where the meaning of the expression isdifferent from the meaning of the individual words.For example,• He kicked the bucket (= He died)• I am tickled pink (= I am very happy)
Vocabulary for Familiar Topics.These are ones you might talk about everyday, and may include, family, home, hobbies, work, everyday life, shopping…
Vocabulary for Unfamiliar Topics.These are ones you don’t usually discuss everyday, and may include, Climate Change, economics, globalisation, law and similar topics or even more specialised topics such as photography, fishing, calligraphy, leadership…
A wide range of vocabulary, enough to discuss a variety of topics, this will include
synonyms (words with similar meanings – e.g. pretty and beautiful)antonyms (words with the opposite meaning – e.g. big and small)word families (words with the same root – e.g. economic (adj.), economy (n.), economise (v.)…)
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StyleThis is includes using spoken rather than written language,and natural conversational language rather than anacademic language.For example, you would say,I get up at sixYou wouldn’t say,I arise from my slumber at six o’clock
Phrasal verbsFinally, I would also add, it is worth spending time learningphrasal verbs, as these are extremely common in spokenEnglish and will help you sound much more natural.Phrasal verbs are basically verbs plus a preposition, forexample,To put off (= to postpone)To take away (= to remove)To cut down on (= to reduce)
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LISTENING MODULE
IELTS Listening Test Information
There is only one listening test for all IELTS candidates.That means Academic and GT candidates will take same listening test with thesame scoring.
1. The IELTS listening test lasts for a total of 40 mins.2. The IELTS listening recording will last for 30 mins.3. There are four parts to the IELTS Listening test:
Conversion between 2 people: social context A speech or talk with just one person: social context. Conversion between up to four people: educational or training context. A talk by one person on an academic subject. The GT candidates take the same listening test.
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LISTENING MODULE
IELTS Listening Test Information4. For the paper based listening test, you must listen and write your answers on the
question paper at the same time. After the recording ends, you will be given an extra10 mins. to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet.
5. For the computer delivered IELTS listening test, put your answer directly into thecomputer. You are NOT given 10 mins. to transfer answers because the answers arealready in the computer. Instead, you have 2 mins. to review your answers and changeanything you need to. This only difference between the paper and computer listeningtest.
6. For each set of questions there will be word count limit – you need to pay closeattention to the limit and how it changes for the next set of questions.For example: write no more than two words and/or a number – you can write oneword, two words OR a combination of one or two words with a number OR just anumber on its own. Always notice if it allows “a number” or “numbers”.
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Top 10 IELTS Listening Tips
Getting band 9 for IELTS Listening is possible?The answer is Yes! There are some things you need to do before the exam, and some things youneed to pay attention to on the exam. By following these tips, you can considerably improve yourscore and even get a band 9! You will find here top 10 IELTS Listening tips to get a desired scoreon IELTS Listening test:
Before the test1.Improve your general listeningskillsThe goal of IELTS Listening section is to test yourlistening skills. Don't use practice tests to improveyour score: it's not enough! They will help you tobecome familiar with the test, but won't muchimprove your listening abilities. It is much moreeffective to do various listening exercises, listento general listening materials (radio reports, TV-shows, documental programs etc) and only afterthat do IELTS Listening practice tests.
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LISTENING MODULE
LISTENING MODULE
2.Polish your topic vocabularySection 3 is almost always about education. For example, students and a tutor talkingabout an assignment. Learn all the vocabulary you can about studying at university. Thisway you will understand this section better.
On the test3.Word typesSkip over the questions and decide which type of word fits in each gap. Is it a noun, verb,adverb or adjective? Write 'N' for noun, 'V' for verb and so on. This will help you to focuson the specific word forms while listening.
4."Plug in" the situationTry to get an idea of the situation. Before each part you willbe given a short introduction: 'Now, you will hear adialogue between…' or 'you will hear a lecture on…' Thisinformation is not written on the question paper, so beattentive. Note: who are the speakers, why are theyspeaking and where are they. This will make understandingthe rest of the recording much easier.
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LISTENING MODULE
LISTENING MODULE
6.Watch out words-indicatorsListen for words-indicators, such as however, but, then, finally. They help you to anticipate what the speaker will say.
7.Don't write answers too quicklyA lot of students fall into this trap: as soon as they hear the needed information, they take it for the correct answer. But sometimes this information is repeated or corrected further in the section. Example:Sam: Thank you! I've received your email. So it is [email protected]: No-no! You have mistaken, it is [email protected], spelled with M.Sam: Oh, I'm sorry...
5.Don't loose attentionRemember, you will only hear the audio once. So ifyou didn't hear some words and passed over somequestions, don't worry! Leave them blank and focuson the actual part. Review those questions at the endof the section, otherwise, you will only miss morequestions and tangle in the recording. You will needto read, write and listen all at the same time.
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LISTENING MODULE
LISTENING MODULE
3.Check for silly mistakesAfter each section you have 30 seconds to check your answers. It is important to checkspelling, plurals and word forms. Remember that only correctly written answers will gainpoints.
4.Transfer answers accuratelyAt the end of the listening test you will have 10minutes for transferring your answers into theanswer sheet. And quite often students get confusedin the numeration! As you write down your answers,check that they fit into the correct numbered space.In other words, make sure that answer for question7 goes into space number 7.
5.Don't leave any blank answers!You won't lose marks for incorrect answers, so evenif you don't know the answer it is better to writesomething in the answers box. Read the questionagain and make a guess!
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READING MODULEREADING MODULE
IELTS ACADEMIC READING
This module takes 60 minutes and has 3 sections. Each section has from 10 to 17questions, making 40 questions in total. Questions become more difficult throughoutthe test.
IELTS Academic Reading information:
Texts are taken from books, journals, newspapers, magazines and web-sites thatcover academic topics for non-specialist audience. All three sections contain 2,150-2,750 words in total. One of the sections may contain graphs, charts, illustrations or other non-verbalmaterial. If text contains some unknown or special vocabulary, the glossary will be given in theend of the text.
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How to prepare for IELTS Reading?
Learn reading strategies for IELTS Reading test
You may be used to read every word slowly and carefully to understand every sentence of the text.However, on IELTS Reading test you're limited in time, so you have to learn such reading techniquesas skimming and scanning. Skimming is quickly reading the text to get only its main idea. Scanning meanssearching for specific phrases in the text to answer some questions. The best way to learn these readingtechniques is to complete IELTS Reading samples, practising to read and answer the questions quickly.
Develop techniques for different types of IELTS Reading questionsOnce you've practised doing IELTS Reading samples, you should know what types of questions you're good
at and bad at. For example, you may easily complete true/false/not given questions, but have problems with matching paragraphs. So you should practise each type of questions that are difficult for you separately, and develop your skills for those question types.
Try out IELTS Reading tips & tricksA lot of test-takers lose points on IELTS Reading because of making simple mistakes. To avoid this, it's a
good idea to check IELTS Reading tips that will help you to learn some useful tricks to increase your IELTS Reading score without making much effort.
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READING MODULEREADING MODULE
Understand & Develop these IELTS Reading
Skills to achieve High Score
SkimmingSkimming refers to reading the entire text or some large part of the textquickly in order to get the generic idea about it.Let’s take an example of newspaper here.While reading a newspaper, we usually read the headlines. If it attracts us, weread the entire story. This helps us cover every news published in thenewspaper within 10-15 minutes. Thus, it saves time.
Similar is the case with IELTS Reading module. You are given a long passageand some questions related to it. You need to find the correct answer fromthe given passage. Here, skimming helps you take a quick look through thepassage and understand what it is about, its structure and the way in which itis written.Remember, you are not finding any particular information while you skim thepassage. It is just meant to obtain an overview.
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Useful Tips for Skimming
• If provided, read the title of the passage
• Read the topic sentence and last sentence of each paragraph
• Encircle or underline the important words (bolded, italicized,
date, name…)
• Note down titles, subtitles or headings, if given
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Understand & Develop these IELTS Reading
Skills to achieve High Score
ScanningScanning refers to finding a piece of specific information in the given text.The information can be a name, address, place or date.Here is an illustration to help you understand it in a better way.Suppose, you are looking for a particular contact in the telephone directory.Let’s say, ‘Joe’. You will first search for the page that contains the contactsstarting with the alphabet ‘J’. Following this method will certainly ease yoursearch.The same applies for IELTS Reading module. You first need to skim the text sothat you can get an idea. Then, read the questions. Then after, you can scanthe text to find the details.However, scanning alone is not competent to help you find the correctanswer. It only tells you the location of the details you are looking for.
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READING MODULEREADING MODULE
Useful Tips for Scanning
• Read the title of the passage, if given
• Find the keywords. Try to note their synonyms.
• Highlight names and numbers, if any
• Take action words into consideration
• Mark the words that are repeated periodically in the passage. These
words may help you locate the right answer.
• Note down the headings, subheadings, or other important information,
if provided
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IELTS Reading Tips for band 9
“Scoring 9.0 on IELTS Reading is very hard for those, whose first language is not English. They simply cannotknow all that tricky vocabulary”. Of course, you will encounter some unknown words on the IELTS Reading Test.But you shouldn’t worry – it’s completely normal!The main goal of IELTS Reading is to test your ability to understand what you have read. So even if you don’tknow some words, it’s OK, as you can guess their meaning and still get band 9!Ridiculously, most of the test-takers lose marks not because of lack of knowledge, but because of making verysimple mistakes!
Getting band 9 in IELTS Reading is possible! That’s why in this guide we’ve gathered 10 IELTS Reading tips thatwill really help you to get a high score in IELTS Reading:
1. Skim over and watch for the answersSkimming refers to looking only for the main ideas.You don't need to read attentively every word.Remember, you just need to answer the questions,nothing more. So skim over the text and then startlooking for the answers.
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READING MODULEREADING MODULE
2. Watch your timeDon’t forget you have only 60 minutes to read three texts and answer 40 questions. You won’t getadditional time for filling your answer sheet, so make sure manage your time properly.
3. Is your spelling correct?Check your spelling before writing your answer on the answer blank. You will get zero points for the answerif it's spelled incorrectly.
5. Underline!When you skim over the text, underline the most important phrases. It will help you to save some timewhen you will search for answers.
4. Keep the orderRemember that the questions follow theorder of the text in most cases. So theanswer to question 5 will come after theanswer to question 4 and so on.
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9. Cross out the wrong answersIf you saw answer that you're sure is wrong, cross it out. This way you won't get confused and save your time.
10. Choose your own techniqueIt may sound strange at first, but... There is no ultimate advice which technique fits you the best. You should chooseyourself how to search for right answers and what to do first: read questions or text. A lot successful candidates prefer toread the text first, and only then answer the questions. But some say it's better to do the other way.
6. Unfamiliar vocabulary? That's OK!Do not worry if the text seems unfamiliar to you or you don’t knowsome words. Every answer can be found in the text, you don’t need anyadditional knowledge to succeed.
7. Pay attention to the detailsLook thoroughly through the text. Any special features such as capitalletters, underlining, italics, figures, graphs and tables are likely tomatter.
8. No blank boxesAnswer all the questions, even if you’re not sure in your answer. Youdon't get penalty for wrong answers, so try your luck and write the mostprobable answer.
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WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE
To achieve a band 8 in IELTS Writing Task 2, you will need to produce an essay that contains all thepositive features contained in the band 8 writing assessment criteria. Let's take a look at these inthe table below.
Task Response sufficiently addresses all parts of the task presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas
Coherence and Cohesion
sequences information and ideas logically manages all aspects of cohesion well uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
Lexical Resource uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings skillfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be occasional inaccuracies in word choiceand collocation produces rare errors in spelling and/or word formation
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
uses a wide range of structures the majority of sentences are error-free makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies
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Write an answer using the following structure:
INTRODUCTION Paraphrase the topic and briefly give your opinion.
BODY Develop your point, giving reasons and supportingthem with appropriate examples. Write at least 2 andno more than 5 paragraphs.
CONCLUSION Sum up what you have written and give your finalthoughts on the problem. They should not differ fromthose in the introduction.
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IELTS Writing Tips
So you want to score a band 8 on IELTS Writing?Many IELTS test-takers spend a lot of time training to write top-notch essays. Toachieve a desired score, they stuff their essays with uncommon vocabulary, overusecomplicated grammar or write too many words. But are these means reallynecessary? The answer is NO.There are a lot of much simpler writings that score 8.0 and higher! This is becauseyou don’t need any special knowledge: the examiner will assess your writing, notyour thoughts. Even simple but accurately expressed ideas score better than toocomplicated ones. To succeed in IELTS Writing, you need tobe accuratewrite simple things wellRidiculously, even well trained candidates often lose points on IELTS Writing becauseof making simple mistakes: from going off topic to writing too many words.
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On this page we’ve gathered top 10 IELTS Writing tips that will help you score band 8+ on IELTS Writing:
1. Read the questionUnderstanding what the question asks you to do is crucial for achieving a good score. That's why, always read your question thoroughly and cover all the points you're asked to write about. For example:
In this question you're asked to do two things:Write pros & consGive examples
Failing to complete one of the requirements of the task results in a lower score!
2. Read what you have writtenGo back and read the paragraph you have just written before you start the next one. You may think that this is a waste of time. If so, you’d be wrong. It’s important to link your paragraphs together – what easier way to do that than just read what you have written?
The government should pay to the parents of very young children, so that oneof them can stay at home and look after their children.What do you think are the pros and cons of this policy? Justify your answerand include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
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3.Be clearThe practical advice here is to select your best idea and write about that. That meansnot writing everything you know – leave some ideas out. Don’t worry if it is not yourbest explanation, worry about whether it is your clearest explanation.
4.Write about what you knowYou are being tested on the quality of your English, not on the quality of your ideas. Soyou shouldn’t worry about finding the “right answer”. You need a simple idea that youcan clearly describe and justify.
5.Follow the standard structureTo get maximum points, you should follow the standard structure. IELTS Writing task 1 should be written as follows:
1.Introduction: briefly describe what your graph shows.2.Overview: state main trends.3.Specific details: describe specific changes, providing data.
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IELTS Writing task 2 answer should have such backbone:1.Introduction: rephrase the topic + give your opinion.2.Body paragraphs: each should have its central idea, which is generally stated in thefirst sentence.3.Conclusion: just rephrase your opinion from the introduction.
6.Don’t write too many wordsIt’s a bad idea to write more than 300 wordsin task 2 and more than 200 words in task 1.Firstly, it’s difficult for the examiner to readlong essays and he/she will check your writingless carefully. Secondly, you are likely to makemore mistakes and have less time to checkwhat you wrote.
7.Choose your writing styleNever use informal language in academicwriting or in essay. Only in general moduletask 1 you may be asked to write an informalletter.
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WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE
8.Don't learn model answers by heartDo not memorize model answers - you will receive less points for such essay. The chance of gettingexactly the same essay as you've learnt is very small. And going off topic will result in achieving alow score. So instead, spend some time learning to adopt advanced vocabulary to make it fit intoyour answer. This way you'll be able to use various words phrases in different writings and showyour broad range of vocabulary.
9.Don't branch off!Write only according to the theme. Do notinclude irrelevant information. If you wanderfrom the subject, you'll get a much lower scoreeven for a well-styled answer.
10. Write clearly and coherentlyDo not repeat yourself with different words,avoid being redundant. Also, make sure thateach paragraph in Writing task 2 has a centralidea. It's very important for IELTS Writing thatevery paragraph in you essay is clearlyseparated and has its main thought. This simplething makes your essay neat and coherent.