If you are planning to study, work or even immigrate to any western country (Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada, UK – to name a few), you will most likely be required to get a good IELTS score to get the requisite entry visa. Typically, this means that you should get a score of band 7 or higher to maximise the chances of getting the visa approval. The IELTS score contributes significant points to the points-system used by many countries for their entry visa requirements and therefore, you should try to get as many points from the IELTS test as possible.
Some people have this misconception that if they have studied in an English medium school or if their general conversational English is good, then their IELTS score will automatically be good and that they don’t require much preparation for the test. If you are serious about scoring a band 7 or higher in an IELTS test, then the sooner you get rid of this notion, the better it will be for you. This is because, like any exam, the IELTS test requires adequate and right kind of practice; it is not only about whether your English is good or not but having a clear understanding of the expectations from the test.
Preparing for Speaking and Writing tests
As you know the IELTS test comprises of 4 different tests: reading, writing, listening and speaking. For listening test, you have to get used to listening carefully with great concentration. Similarly, for reading, you can practice by going through several test passages and getting an idea of the kind of passages that can come up during the actual exam. Your current knowledge of English can be very helpful in getting a good band score in these two tests.
It is the speaking and writing tests where a lot of candidates tend to lose marks and have a net low score. This can be avoided by preparing to appear for these tests with the right kind of preparation.
The writing test in the IELTS looks to evaluate the quality of the language used by the test taker which includes grammatical correctness and the use of a good vocabulary. The IELTS writing test does not check for factual accuracy of the writing.
Similarly, the speaking test evaluates the speaker’s language and vocabulary- the person’s ability to communicate clearly with correct use of the language, without struggling to make sentences . Natural pauses during the IELTS speaking test are perfectly fine. No matter how good one’s English is, speaking fluently and coherently on any given topic in extempore fashion can be challenging. The only way to avoid slipping up on the actual IELTS test date is to boost one’s confidence by having prepared and practiced several such extempore talks.
Preparation can also be in the form of creating a standard structure or framework to follow. Remembering the framework and following it enables the test taker to easily structure one’s thoughts into the speech, irrespective of the topic that is assigned.
Band 7 in IELTS is achievable
Yes, irrespective of your educational background, you can easily achieve band 7 and above in an IELTS test, provided you have put in the requisite preparation.
There are several free resources available on the Internet to facilitate the practice, and they work reasonably well for the reading and listening tests. However, you will be better served to seek professional help from an English tutor specializing in IELTS test preparation to give you feedback on the writing and speaking tests. Such feedback will be invaluable in guiding you through the process and ensuring that any costly mistakes are rectified during the preparation stage itself.
Get set and start preparing for your IELTS test now – and get in touch with eAgeTutor for professional help to enable you to score a high IELTS score band.
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