Is your IELTS preparation answering these 15 essential questions?

Preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) can be both exciting and challenging. As you gear up to showcase your English proficiency, it’s crucial to ensure that your preparation is comprehensive and strategic. A lot of students go through the various IELTS preparation materials but often forget to ask themselves the most crucial questions regarding the exam preparation. 

So, here are the 15 questions that one should ask oneself while preparing for the IELTS examination:  

• What are the assessment criteria?

It’s like shooting in the dark when you don’t know what is expected from your IELTS answers. Begin your preparation by familiarising yourself with the IELTS exam structure as well as the assessment criteria. One should not only be familiar with all the different sections but also with the different factors that add up to your overall score. Moreover, one can use these factors as a checklist for their answers because these are exactly the points that the examiner is going to look for in your answer. 

• How do you develop time management skills?

Do you practise by keeping a timer or do you keep writing till you finish your answer? A crucial strategy is to practise managing your time during each section, whether it’s reading, listening, writing, or speaking. Always remember to put up a timer for each task and allocate sufficient time for reading, answering, and reviewing your responses. It will not only increase your speed in each task but also prepare you for exam-like scenarios. 

• How to enhance vocabulary?

 When one goes through the assessment criteria, it becomes obvious that vocabulary is one of the key elements that is going to add to your overall band score. It’s integral that you portray a range of vocabulary in your IELTS examination. One of the key strategies is to replace common words with synonyms so that one does not end up repeating similar words again and again. Try to Incorporate academic and formal words into your daily language, which will help you present your ideas more precisely in the Writing and Speaking sections.

• How to increase reading speed?

To solve the reading module within 60 minutes, one needs to Improve one’s reading skills by practising skimming and scanning techniques. Skimming refers to reading your passage quickly but paying attention to the important points being mentioned, and scanning means that you specifically look for the important keywords in your questions or paragraphs. Using these skills not only increases your reading speed but also makes sure that you find accurate answers. 

• How to understand different accents in IELTS listening questions?

Understanding different speakers can be a pickle but to overcome this, one must Expose oneself to various English accents through podcasts, movies, and online resources [you can even stream content on Netflix or YouTube!]. This will enhance your ability to understand different accents during the Listening section. Also, make sure that you practise as many listening tasks as you can by accessing free IELTS study material online.

• How are you practising the speaking module?

There can be different ways to practise the speaking module, but to simulate exam conditions when practising the speaking module, make sure that you record yourself as this will accustom you to expressing your thoughts coherently within the given time limits. This will allow you to also observe yourself for grammatical mistakes, pauses, fillers, tricky words, and more. 

• Are you modulating your voice?

If you are not working on refining your pronunciation for the Speaking section, then you are missing out on one key factor that is going to determine your band score. To take it up to the next level, try focussing on the important keywords and put more stress on them to modulate your voice. It not only makes your speech much more interesting but also highlights the key vocabulary words in your speech. Without a doubt, it attracts the listener as well, which, in this case, is the examiner.  

• How to build strong foundations in grammar?

Grammar is one of the key aspects in all modules and to understand and come up with the right answer, make sure that you revise all the grammatical rules related to tenses, subject-verb agreement, parts of speech, etc. Especially for the speaking module, make sure that you understand the time frame of the question and then answer the question using the right tense. 

• How to utilise practice tests wisely?

One should completely utilise the IELTS preparation materials and take as many practice tests as possible to familiarise oneself with the exam-like difficulty. This will also allow one to analyse one’s performance to identify weak points and tailor your study plan accordingly.

• How to develop critical thinking skills?

One should try to cultivate critical thinking skills such as interpretation to enhance one’s performance in the Reading and Writing sections of the IELTS exam. When one starts to analyse the text to understand it better, it helps one to develop certain skills [such as paraphrasing and skimming] that will enable a learner to approach reading comprehension with more clarity and insight. 

• How to seek expert guidance?

Whenever facing doubt or when you come across a difficult concept, you should seek guidance from a subject matter expert, whether it’s by streaming content, reading articles, or attending live classes. Guidance from a subject matter expert will not only provide clarity but also allow you to gather some tips and tricks to boost your preparation for the IELTS examination.

• How to build coherence and cohesion?

When it comes to the writing section, your task 1 and task 2 must be well connected and linked together. Try using different linkers such as moreover, in addition, also, furthermore, along with this, on the other hand, etc, to connect your sentences. Even if you are stating any contradictory point, make sure to use a comparative linker to maintain coherence such as on the contrary, in contrast, on the other hand, conversely, as compared to etc. 

• How to cultivate effective note-taking strategies?

Note-taking can do wonders while attempting the Listening and Reading sections. Make sure to jot down any important points that might come in handy while selecting the right answer. Also, make sure to make notes in part 2 of the speaking module as it will help you to maintain fluency in case you stumble or run out of ideas while speaking. 

• How to improve your score in reading comprehension?

Try to regularly engage with newspapers, magazines, and articles to expose yourself to diverse topics and writing styles. When you pay attention to the important points and grasp the main ideas, it will help you to navigate through your reading passages too! 

• How to assess yourself?  

Lastly, Incorporate regular self-assessment into your study routine because it’s important to evaluate your performance across all sections. To do this, one must identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Make sure to access 200+ free IELTS study materials for online IELTS preparation to practise as much as you can. 

To encapsulate, preparing for the IELTS examination is more than just knowing language skills, asking these 15 essential questions will help you to boost your chances of doing great in each part of the test. Log on to YunoLearning to access free IELTS study material and kick-start your IELTS preparation journey today!