How to Prepare for the IELTS Exam Aug. 1, 2023
Traveling abroad is a dream for many Nepalese residents. The reasons can vary from education, employment, tourism, and settlement. Regardless of the reasons, if you want to travel to a foreign nation, it is important to be proficient in the native tongue of the nation you intend to travel to. Among many nations across the globe, one particular group of dream destinations is English-speaking nations. The good news here is that there are plenty of English-speaking nations you can travel to. However, before you travel to these English-speaking nations, you must take an English language proficiency test. One such test is the IELTS exam. Now, when we talk about the IELTS exam, one of the most frequently asked questions is "How to prepare for the IELTS exam?"
In this blog, we provide some of the tried and tested tips on preparing for the IELTS exam. So, without any further ado, let's get started!
How do I prepare for the IELTS exam?
The simple and best answer to this question is, "It depends on your English language proficiency." The specific preparation method for the IELTS exam will vary between individuals. However, there are a few general guidelines that you can follow.
Some of the core guidelines that you can use to prepare for the IELTS exams are as follows:
Understand the Exam Format and Scoring
One of the best ways to prepare for your IELTS exam is by understanding the format of the text. By doing so, you will understand the types of questions asked in each test and how they are scored. Furthermore, you will also have a general idea regarding the time limits and sequence of sections. Additionally, you can focus your practice by familiarizing yourself with the test format.
Set Realistic Goals
Another good tip to prepare for your IELTS test is to set a goal you can achieve. If you are a beginner, setting high goals for your IELTS puts you under much pressure. Similarly, if you are decently fluent in the exams, setting low goals can make you careless. Therefore, depending on your language proficiency, you should set realistic goals. This helps you prepare adequately regardless of your language proficiency.
Practice English Regularly
One of the best ways to prepare for IELTS is by making English a part of your everyday life. For this, you can read various English texts, such as papers and blogs, listen to English audio, write English blogs and journals, and practice speaking English with a companion. The key point here is to make the English language a part of your everyday life. By doing this, you can become more fluent in all aspects of English.
Now, note that even if you are fluent in regular usage of English, you still need to practice the technical aspects to some extent.
Set up a Study Plan
Along with making English a part of your daily life, you can also set up a study plan to enhance the efficiency of your preparation. While making this schedule, be sure to separate the schedule into four aspects. These aspects include the following:
- Reading to English texts
- Listening to English audio
- Learning the vocabulary and using it in written sentences
- Speaking to colleagues in English.
By doing this, you can make efficient use of your time while practicing English.
Practice Tests
Another popular way to prepare for the IELTS exam is by taking mock tests. There are many mock tests that are available online. By taking these tests, you familiarize yourself with the format and the question types. Furthermore, through mock tests, you can get feedback on your performance. Therefore, taking a mock test is a great way to enhance your overall performance for an IELTS exam.
Work on Time Management
Since IELTS is an exam, it has a strict limit. Therefore, you need to learn how to manage time while giving the test. You can practice mock tests under timed conditions to improve your pacing. Furthermore, you can also time your practice sessions. While this method of practice does indeed put you under a bit of pressure, it simulates exam conditions. Therefore, when you take the exam, you will feel less pressure.
Listen to Accents and Practice Note Taking
In the listening part of the IELTS exam, you need to listen to a recorded audio. The thing is, the recorded audio can be of various English accents. Therefore, if you are not prepared enough, the listening test can be a bit hard for you. To prepare for this, you should listen to various accents such as Welsh, Scottish, and Cockney accents. Furthermore, you should also practice taking notes while listening. This is because, during the listening test, you do not just listen to audio but take notes and answer questions based on the audio. Therefore, knowing how to take notes while being familiar with various accents helps you a lot during this aspect of the IELTS test.
Learn to Skim
Skimming is an extremely helpful skill to have during an IELTS exam. If you don't know what skimming is, it is essentially a form of reading where you jump between the words to get the general idea of the text without reading all forms. The goal here is to identify a text's main topics and key points. Following is a general way on how you can skim:
- Read the title
- Read the subheadings and
- Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph
- Look for keywords and phrases
- Pay attention to lists and points
- Ignore the less relevant information
Once you learn skimming, you can read through a test quickly and efficiently. This, in turn, saves your time during the reading test.
Conclusion
The IELTS exam is an important hurdle to travel abroad to an English-speaking nation. Therefore, you should prepare for this exam well. But how do you prepare for the IELTS test? The specifics vary from person to person. However, the basic gist is to be familiar with the test format, practice the skills regularly, and learn to manage time.
We hope you found this helpful. If you want some of the best IELTS classes and immigration consultancy services, check out our other blogs. And as always, thank you for reading till the end.
FAQ on IELTS Preparation
Q: How do you start preparing for IELTS?
A: If you want to start preparing for IELTS, you can start by familiarizing yourself with the test format, learning time management skills, and practicing the various forms of tests regularly.
Q: Is IELTS very difficult?
A: The difficulty of IELTS exams varies from person to person. If you have a good foundation for the English language, IELTS should not be hard for you. However, if you are a beginner in English, then you can find IELTS hard for you.