English is not a first language in India, so being born and raised in a country with English being second language, one needs to work hard to achieve success in IELTS. English exams in school have the pattern of reading comprehension followed by questions which helps to familiarize one with the IELTS pattern to a certain extent. IELTS test is all about how comfortable and fluent you are with this language. In this blog, I will discuss tips to be successful in upcoming exams.
Decent Vocabulary
To ace this exam, one does not need fancy words or jargons. Instead, one can use compound and complex sentences and common synonyms of certain words in the writing and speaking section. For example- Steady increase or steep decline in task 1 and words like furthermore, moreover, besides, than etc. to ace your writing and speaking scores.
Familiarize yourself with different question types in writing
One needs to be familiar with all types of questions in each section. For instance, one needs to practice different images in task 1 of writing for academics like pie chart, line graph, bar graph,table, process cycle etc. Similarly for general candidates, they need to be familiar with different types of letters like formal, informal and semi-formal and subcategories like application, complaint, request, apology etc.
Essay writing template
Create a template for different essay types asked in exam viz: problem solution, merits-demerits, opinion and discussion. Also practice minimum 3 essays from each category and have a proper structure for essay. One should begin with introduction, have two body paragraphs with proper explanation and examples followed by a concluding paragraph. This will help to increase the scores.
Practice different reading question types
There are 13 different question types which are asked in Reading section so one needs to be adept with each type by learning the techniques to crack this section.
Get familiar with different accents for listening.
To ace the listening section, one needs to be familiar with different accents like Australian, New Zealand, British, North American and Canadian.
Speaking section
Listen carefully how and what the examiner ask during the speaking interview. If, for instance the examiner is asking talk about your place where do you stay then answer should be your current place. Look for the tenses in which the examiner is asking you the questions in.
Choice between computer based and pen and paper
You should choose the mode of exam in which you are more comfortable. If your typing skills are good, go for computer based. If you are not well versed with computer and your handwriting is also good, go for paper based exam. Decide which pattern should suit you.
Practice long hour sitting
This is very important as the you need to practice sitting for at least 3 hours so give complete mocks in one go so that you get into the habit of sitting and this way you will be able to face the real exam.
With the above techniques, you will definitely achieve success in the IELTS exam.
