Easy Techniques for Clearing IELTS
The International English Language Testing System is a popular examination that non-native English speakers take to prove their proficiency in the language. While you may think that an English proficiency test would require you to know virtually every word there is in a dictionary, it is not the case. Nonetheless, while the test is fairly simple and easy, many individuals struggle to get a high score. This article will share some of the easy techniques you can integrate in your practice to not only clear IELTS but also get a good score.
Read instructions carefully: even when you are completely sure of your answers, not paying attention to the instructions can pull you down. For instance, if you are asked to write your answer in “two words and/or a number”, anything that does not comply with this condition will be marked wrong. Sadly, it wouldn’t matter if what you wrote was “technically” correct. Therefore, always read the instructions carefully.
Reading the right way: the reading section of the exam does not have texts from a completely different universe. Therefore, you don’t need to practice reading some specialised texts. The reading section has texts from widely accessible sources like newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, etc. Thus, you should make a habit of reading texts from such sources. The aim of your reading practise should be to read actively. This means that you take a pencil, understand and underline the main ideas of the text and try to retain as much information as possible.
Use synonyms while writing: while the writing section seems a high-scoring arena, many test-takers are not able to crack it. One of the main mistakes made by them is that they don’t use a wide range of words in their texts, even when they have a good vocabulary. You can avoid this problem by trying to not use the same adjectives, conjunctions, adverbial conjunctions, etc. multiple times. For example, if you used “but” to present an argument in a sentence, use “however” the next time there is a need to use “but”.
Check for silly mistakes: the most amount of silly mistakes are committed in the listening section as test-takers often write quickly to avoid forgetting the information later on. Thus, you should always check for spelling, grammar and whether your handwriting is legible.
Quality over quantity: the speaking test does not examine how fast, how much or how sensibly you speak. Along with that many test-takers are worried whether they would know enough about the topics of the speaking test. However, you should realize that the speaking test is to determine how clearly, fluently and accurately you use the language. So, even if you don’t have a detailed understanding of the topic, you can express your uninformed nature in regards to the topic clearly and accurately.