Complete IELTS preparation guide
IELTS exam 2020 complete guide
Hi, everyone, the examination is the field where each person tries to prove they the best. To face any situation, the first step is to prepare well enough to face it. As said, by Thomas Jefferson, “I find that the harder I work the more luck I seem to have.” It is beneficial to practice on a daily basis which will help one achieve their goal. In this article, you will find the “Complete IELTS preparation guide” for 2020 IELTS exam.
What we are going to cover in this article:
- Introduction to IELTS
- Benefits of taking the IELTS exam
- IELTS costs and dates
- IELTS registration process
- IELTS exam test format
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Last-minute suggestions
- Do’s and Dont’s during the exam
Introduction to IELTS
IELTS is just an abbreviation that stands for “International English Language Testing System.” It measures proficiency in the English language. It is jointly organized by the British Council, Cambridge English Language Assessment and IDP Education Australia. It is accepted by 8000 organizations from 140 countries all over the world and 3000 institutions and programs from the USA. IELTS exam is taken by thousands of students every day for abroad education or immigration purpose.
Complete IELTS preparation guide
There are 2 versions of the IELTS exam.
- Academic: it is for studying in an English-speaking institution.
- General-training: it is to join a work-place or social situations. It is suitable for immigration purposes to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Both the versions are marked on band score from 1-9 and the sections tested are listening, writing, reading and speaking. The format of the test is slightly different.
There are few prominent countries which accept admissions through IELTS. Students usually prefer USA, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa.
Benefits of taking the IELTS exam
- Accurate knowledge of the English language and skills.
- Motivation to work hard because the goal is clear.
- High chances to study or settle abroad.
- One will get certification which will be recognised worldwide.
- Acquire better information about English that is required.
- Passports can be approved easily by the government.
- It provides a chance to be proficient in English.
- It can introduce to best carrier opportunities in foreign countries.
- It also helps one to migrate to other countries.
IELTS Exam Cost and Test Dates
UK: £160Western Europe: Between € 220 and € 230USA: Between $215 and $240Brazil: R$ 800Canada: CAD 309 (depending on the test centre)China: RMB 1,960India: INR 11,800Indonesia: IDR 2,900,000Philippines: Pup 10,270Russia: RUB 15,000 – RUB 24,000 (depending on the test centre)
It is organized by all centres all over the world. The IELTS Academic exam is conducted 48 times a year (4 times a month). The IELTS General training exam is conducted 24 times a year (2 times a month).
Complete IELTS preparation guide
IELTS Registration process
- Step 1:- Find the nearest IELTS test centre. There is a total of 1,600 test locations all over. You can also register online here www.ielts.org
- Step 2:- Register and pay online, also one can download the application to complete, print and submit it. Along with this provide a valid identity document. The same is needed to be given on the day of the test.
- Step 3:- Once the application is processed the centre will confirm the date and timing of the test. It will be via email or post.
IELTS exam test format
The IELTS test is to check the capability of one’s proficiency in 4 sections of English language i.e. writing, speaking, listening and reading. The duration of the exam is 2 hours 45 minutes.
Listening, Writing and reading are conducted on the same day. The speaking test may be on the same day or a few days before as per the centre. It is confirmed by the centre before the final examination. Listening and Speaking are the same for the academic and general training versions. However, Writing and Reading depends on which version is chosen.
Complete IELTS preparation guide
IELTS Listening Section
This section has 4 parts and it is for 40 marks. Each question is for a mark and the time allotted is 40 minutes. Every part has 10 questions. The questions appear in the same way as the audio is played. They are played only once in different English accents.
- Part 1: It is a discussion between two people about a social situation.
- Part 2: There is a person who presents a social situation.
- Part 3: It is a discussion between two people about academic or educational topics.
- Part 4: It is a monologue. It is a speech or presentation by a person about an academic topic. As the audio is played one must write down answers on a question sheet which is 30 minutes. The last 10 minutes are to transfer the answer to the official answer sheet.
IELTS Speaking Section
This is a small oral test between examiner and student. The conversation is recorded. It is marked on 4 criteria; grammar, lexical resource (vocabulary), fluency and pronunciation. There are 3 parts in this section.
Part 1: Introduction and Interview
The examiner introduces him and asks about one’s ID proof. He asks a few questions based on hobbies, study, and family. Make sure you answer completely because there is no second opportunity given. It lasts for 4- 5 minutes. Driving license, identity card such ID proof documents are to be carried in the room. The office will inform which document is accepted during the registration. This is an ice-breaker round between examiner and the student.
Work:
- What is your job?
- Why did you choose this job?
- What if you get a chance to change jobs?
- Where do you work?
- Is it a popular job in the country?
Study:
- Where did you study?
- What was your first day like?
- What did you study?
- Which was your favourite subject?
Hometown:
- Where is your hometown?
- Which is the famous place there?
- How long have you been there?
- How can your hometown be improved?
Sport:
- Are you interested in sports?
- What do you like the most?
- Who is your favourite player?
- Do you often watch TV?
Part 2: Short talk
The student is given a card with a topic. Few keywords are also written below it. The student is given a minute for preparation. The presentation should be between 1 minute 30 seconds and exactly 2 minutes. The examiner may interrupt and ask a few queries in between. The total time is 4 minutes. The topics are not difficult. They are based on daily topics and knowledge.
Part 3: Discussion
In this part, the examiner will ask a few questions from the previous speaking part. It is the part of an in-depth discussion between examiner and student. It may include comparison, agreement, suggestions and few simpler topics. It is to check language speaking skills. It also lasts for 4-5 minutes.
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Few academic topics which are given:
- Travel and holidays
- Friends
- Technology
- Education
- Food
- Sports
- Books
- Films
- Environment
- Music
- Weather
- Art
- Globalisation
- Youth Crime
IELTS Reading Section
As mentioned above there is a slight change for academic and general- training. Let’s know how does is the preparation done.
Academic training: It has 3 texts to read, each consists of 700 words. These may be from newspapers, magazines and common topics. After each text, there would be a questionnaire to be answered. Each may be consisting of 13-14 questions with a total of 40. Each question would carry a mark. This test is conducted for 60 minutes. There is no extra time given to transfer the answer to the official sheets.
Example: Science is the study of nature and behaviour of natural things and also the information we obtain from them. Galileo Galilei is known as the father of science. Physics is the best example of science. It consists of many strong and abstract theories. William Whenwell first coined the term ‘scientist’.
Read the passage and write whether they agree or not? Answer with true, false or not given.
True – If the statement agrees with the information
False – If the statement contradicts with the information
Not given – If the information is not given.
| True | If the statement agrees with the information |
| False | If the statement contradicts with the information |
| Not given | If the information is not given. |
Questions:
- The scientist was coined by William Whewell.
- Biology is a branch which deals with living organisms.
- Aristotle is known as the father of science.
Answer:
- True
- Not given
- False
In a similar way passage with 700 words will be given for which one has to answer a few questions.
General Training: This is made up of three parts:
- Social Survival: It consists of short texts regarding the practical situation. It is to check the skills to retrieve factual information from signs, tables, announcements, adverts and notices accurately.
- Workplace Survival: It would have texts related to the workplace. The sources would be memos, training manuals, job descriptions.
- General Reading: It is just one long text along with a set of questions. There are 40 questions each worth of a mark. The duration remains 60 minutes for the entire examination.
IELTS Writing Section
This section is for 60 minutes.
The scores are based on the following 4 criteria:
- Task achievement
- Coherence and cohesion
- Lexical resource
- Grammar range and accuracy
| Task 1 | Task2 |
|---|---|
| Task achievement | Task response |
| Coherence and cohesion | Coherence and cohesion |
| Lexical resource | Lexical resource |
| Grammar range and accuracy | Grammar range and accuracy |
Academic Writing:
Task 1: The student is asked to write about the visual graph, chart, diagram in their own words. The word count is 150 words and the time limit is 20 minutes.
Task 2: The student must write an essay about a topic in an academic style. The word limit is 250 words and the time limit is 40 minutes.
IELTS General Writing
Task 1: The student is given an instance to respond. The response must be in the form of a letter. The instance is an everyday topic; it may be about knowing more information or complaining about the situation. The word limit is 150 words and the time limit is 20 minutes. It may be formal or informal depending on the situation.
Vocabulary to write a letter:
Formal letters:
★When the recipient’s name is unknown;
Dear madam…..Yours faithfully
Dear sir…..Yours faithfully
★ When the recipient’s name is known;
Dear Mr James….Yours sincerely
Dear Miss Elsa…..Yours sincerely
Semi-formal letters:
Writing to a good friend or colleague:
★Dear John…Best wishes/ best regards
★Dear Mathilde….Many thanks
Informal letters:
Writing to a friend, family member, colleague
★ Dear Karan….Best wishes
Writing to someone you love
★ Dear Mary…..Lots of love/Miss you/Yours always
- Task 2: The student is asked to write an essay on the given topic. It is a topic related to the everyday aspects of daily life circumstances. The word limit is 250 words and the time limit is 40 minutes.
Complete IELTS preparation guide
Linking words which can be used are as follows:
- Listing: firstly, secondly, finally, to conclude, next
- Generalising: in general, as a rule, in most cases
- Summary: to conclude, in brief, to summarise
- Reinforcement: also, in addition to, above all
- Similarity: equally, similarly, likewise
- Contrast: instead, in comparison, conversely
- Deduction: then, in that case, otherwise
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, it does. The examiners speak with English or Australian accent in speaking tests.
Yes, one can write using capital letters without grammatical error.
There is no limit to taking the exams. It can be any number of times until one passes it.
Listening, Reading and Writing are tested on the same day. Speaking might be tested but depends on the test centre.
No, there is no break. All the tests are conducted for a time period of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
No, one cannot wear a watch during the test. There would be a clock to check the time.
One should contact the IELTS centre before the exam. They would adapt to respective changes.
No, either payment is not accepted. It is at one owns risk.
They are deemed as absent and the cost is not refunded.
The results are announced within seven days of the test.
Candidates below 16 are not allowed to appear in the test.
The validity is for two years from the date written on the resulting form.
Complete IELTS preparation guide
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Last-minute IELTS preparation guide
- Read grammar books to brush up basic grammar.
- Listen to ted talks and BBC.
- Practice speaking in front of a mirror.
- Read the one-hour reading paper from a good source.
- Find out your mistakes and correct them.
- Take online tests and measure daily scores.
- Plan and organise things according to a time-table.
Do’s and Don’ts during the test:
- Take the proper time to understand the questions.
- In writing task 1, paraphrase while writing graphs and charts.
- Stick to an idea. Do not jump from one to another idea.
- Being attentive to every point written on the answer sheet.
- A glance at the sheet before the submission is advisable.
- Proper punctuation marks and spelling must be taken care of.
- The sentences, words used must be simple along with the conclusion.
- Avoid usage of complex words and too many words.
- Don’t go off topic and mix “for and against” arguments.
- Do not use informal language.
- Avoid usage of emotive words: – filthy, cruel, slash, etc…
- Do not focus only on a single task that there is no enough time for other tasks.
- Do not copy words from the question instead use synonyms.
- Do not let anxiety overtake oneself.
The most necessary tool one can carry in the examination is confidence. It will help you face every section of the exam. The practice must be on a daily basis along with hard and smart work. Online tutorials, practice papers can also help to improve basic skills. The only thing is to be aware of fake sites, papers, tutorials. Work with all your concentration, effort and will to get good scores and results in the examination.
Complete IELTS preparation guide
