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IELTS Exam Tips 📀

🔔 Make sure your headphones are working.

🔔 Raise your hand if you have a problem.

🔔 If no headphones are used, make sure you can hear the recording. If you need to increase the volume, raise your hand immediately and someone will come to ask what the problem is. Explain that you would like to increase the volume.

🔔 Use the time given to prepare the questions. Always read through all questions before the recording starts. You should practice doing this at home.
Focus on listening for answers rather than trying to understand everything.

🔔 Write your answers on your question paper (or a plain sheet) while you listen.

🔔 Make sure you notice how many words you can have for each answer.

🔔 You will be given 10 mins after the recording has ended to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

🔔 Always check your spelling and grammar.

PARTS OF SPEECH : CONJUNCTIONS

Conjunctions are linking words or phrases which connect ideas and sentences. Some of the most important academic conjunctions to inform the reader that the ideas are changing include:

However
On the one hand
Another argument is
By contrast
In addition
Finally
Overall

There are also conjunctions to show that the ideas are being illustrated with examples:

These range from . . . to . . .
For example
Examples can be seen in

Try to use some of them in your essays. But don't forget to use properly and precisely (NOT Over/Under-use)

7 GRAMMAR RULES

1. The Simple Aspect

We use the simple aspect to talk about general, permanent or repeated actions.

Here, the present simple is used to refer to a general, habitual action:

I often read business magazines online.

In the above example, it is implied that you read these magazines online all the time. This is something you do regularly.

We use the continuous aspect to focus on progressive actions that usually happen around the moment of speaking.

Here, the present continuous is used to refer to an action that is happening at the moment of speaking:

I am reading an interesting book.

The same rule applies to all the verb tenses, past, present and future. If you want to focus on the continuity of the action, use the continuous aspect. If you are more interested in the result of the action, then use the simple aspect.

Why is this useful?

In your speaking exam, you will need to make sure you use the right verb tense and the right aspect—simple or continuous—depending on what you want to say. If you want to talk about general things that you do regularly, then you need the present simple. If, however, you want to refer to actions that are temporary and happen around the moment of speaking, then you need the present continuous.

You may also need this grammar rule in Writing exams especially when describing trends shown in graphs or charts (like in the IELTS Academic). You are probably going to use the past simple quite a lot because in this part you report on situations that happened in the past.

Examples:

Between January and March, the profit rose by 10%.

They produced twice the amount of cars in June.

Hungary accounted for 10% of the students involved in the competition.

QUICK EXERCISE
Let’s practice this rule by putting the verbs in the right tense and aspect:

1. I ___(exercise) every other day, but I ___(not like) going to sports competitions.

2. The graphs ___(show) how the total number of students ___(change) in the past 5 years.

3. I ___(do) an internship this spring, so I _(not want) to take another job just yet.

4. John _(watch) a movie when I ___(arrive).

To help serve y'all better, we have decided to specify a different day for every skill we will be working on..

🔵Monday for Grammar.
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🔴Thursday for listening
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🔵Friday for speaking
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🔴Saturday for vocabulary
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No two comprehension passages are exactly the same.

For such exams as the IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, IGCSE, GRE and GMAT, it's very rare (almost impossible) to find a passage repeat itself.

The key, therefore, is understanding!

Knowing the tone, purpose and course of any passage is fundamental to understanding how to answer the questions that come with it.

Interested in writing the IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, IGCSE, GRE or GMAT?
Kindly reach out to us on 09050565438, 08154989035, 08130202112.
All our classes come with a free diagnostic test.

✅You must review!

⚜Our brains are lazy. They quickly forget anything that they don't need.

⚜If you learn something once and don't review, you'll probably forget it in a day or two. By the end of the week, it's totally gone.

⚜You're probably busy, so you have to use your time smartly. You can't practice something completely different every day. You have to spend some of your time reviewing what you learned before.

REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!!

Interested in writing the IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, IGCSE, GRE or GMAT exams?
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7 TIPS TO HELP YOU REMEMBER NEW WORDS:

1⃣ LOOK IT UP

🔸If you come across a word you don't know, try to find out what it means.

🔸Look up the meaning in a dictionary or ask someone for help to understand it.

🔸Write down the meaning in English and in your own language.

2⃣. USE IT

🔹It's easy to remember a new word for a few minutes – but how can you remember it after a day, or a week?

🔹The trick is to use it. Use it in a sentence. Try to make a creative, memorable sentence, something you can picture and that will stay in your mind.

🔹Write down three creative sentences using the new word, then read them out loud. If it helps, you can even draw a picture to help remember the meaning of your sentence.

🔹Can you tell a story using different forms of the word? It's very hard to remember a list of words – but it's easy to remember a story.

3⃣ TRY OUT PHRASES AND DIFFERENT FORMS

🔸Sometimes it can be easier to learn a phrase than learn each word individually.

🔸So if you're learning the word 'focus' you could write down the meanings of 'focus on' and 'out of focus'. What does it mean to 'focus your mind on something' or 'focus your attention on something'. What does it mean if you 'lose your focus'?

🔸Now that you have the bigger picture, it's easier to understand the full meaning of the word.

🔸Don't forget to try using it in different tenses as well.

4⃣. TALK ABOUT IT

🔹We often remember things better when we learn 'actively'. That means instead of just listening, or just reading, you should be active in trying to speak, read, write and listen.

🔹Now that you know what the word means and you've tried writing it down in different ways, tell a friend about the new word. Sometimes teaching someone else can help you remember, too.

🔹If you're nervous about trying out a new word, practise at home first. You can even record yourself explaining the new word on your phone before you try telling someone else.

5⃣. USE GAMES AND TECHNOLOGY

🔸Many people find playing games is a good way to help build their understanding. You could write words on flashcards and test yourself or a friend to make a sentence with each word.

🔹Or you can try describing the meaning of the word to your friend without showing them the card.

🔸Or maybe try a role play? That's when you act out a scene, for example if you're trying to learn words related to shopping, you and a friend can take turns pretending to be the shop owner and a customer – how much is this?

🔹Remember you can play these games with friends anywhere in the world: Use your phone to record your voice or make a video and send it to a friend.

🔸Or record a conversation with a native speaker so you can listen to it later.

6⃣. DON'T GIVE UP

🔹Don't try to do too much too quickly. It's very hard to remember a long list of words. Maybe it's better to learn one word a day, or a list of eight words a week. It all depends how much time you have to practice.

🔹Be realistic about what you can do each day. You don't have to be perfect; remember that even native English speakers make mistakes.

🔹Successful learners have clear goals, are motivated, and stick to their plan – so keep trying!

7⃣. SLEEP!
🔸Did you know that if you sleep within a few hours of learning something new you'll be better at remembering what you've learned?

🔸So that's a great reason to practise new words before bed time. Let your brain do the work while you sleep!

🔸But don't forget to review your new words and phrases in the morning too.

Interested in writing the IELTS?
Call us today on 09050565438, 08154989035, 08130202112
All our classes come with a free diagnostic test!

IELTS Writing Assessment Criteria - explained in a simple way! What do IELTS examiners look at?

Task Achievement
1) Your ideas should be relevant. This means that if you were asked about one specific thing, for example, about the way computers influence children's academic success, don't write about the advantages and disadvantages of using computers in general. Stick to the point!
2) Your arguments should be extended. This means that a reader shouldn't be an expert in this topic, but your explanation should be so detailed that this person wouldn't have any questions after reading your essay.
3) You must state your position, and it should be clear throughout the essay.

Coherence & Cohesion
1) Your essay should be well structured. It should include the introduction, supporting paragraphs (usually 2 or 3) and the conclusion. Your reasoning should be presented in a logical way.
2) Your essay should be really easy to read. So if there are too many long and complicated sentences which come one after another, the examiner will have to re-read some parts several times. As a result, you will be marked down.
3) You should use linking words and phrases such as 'As a result' or linking devices such as 'This will lead to...' in order to help a reader follow your train of thought.

Vocabulary
1) You should use topical vocabulary. This is vocabulary that is suitable for some particular topic and cannot be used in any essay. For example, you can use the verb 'to argue' in all essays, so it's not topical, but the expression 'exhaust fumes' IS topical as it can be naturally used only in essays about environment or traffic.
2) The more complicated words, the better. But, again, don't overdo. It is enough to use 2 or 3 uncommon words per paragraph to show how clever you are. If there are too many of them, your essay will not read well, and the examiner will just think you are trying to impress them.

Grammar
1) The fewer mistakes, the better. But don't think that examiners read your essays with a magnifying glass and pay attention to every minor mistake. Stop worrying about it.
2) The more diverse and complicated structures you use, the better. I always say to my students that examiners do not have a clairvoyant ability. So if you don’t show in your essay that you can use a variety of grammatical structures, how can they know that you are a very knowledgeable student and deserve a high score? They can assess just what they can see.

Interested in writing the IELTS?
Call us today on 09050565438, 08154989035, 08130202112
All our classes come with a free diagnostic test!