Oxford Education Helpline

31/12/2012

25/12/2012

1. Focus more on your areas of weakness. I had some difficulty with reading, which is why I devoted more time to it.

2. I also paid more attention to both the listening and reading skills, because they will be graded objectively. The writing and speaking are both subjectively graded, you may not know what you will get regardless how much you prepare.

3. Time is your greatest enemy. Practice answering the reading passages within the allotted time limit, because 1 hour may not be enough to answer 40 questions.
4. In the writing part, always do task 2 first because it bears more marks than task 1. Also practice finishing essays in less than 1 hour.

5. When doing sample drills, always train yourself to follow instructions.

6. Always build up your stamina, try doing a simulation exam, wherein you have to answer 3 modules (listening, reading, and writing) continuously within 2 hours and 40 minutes.

7. On the night before the test, have a good night’s sleep, for it can help you concentrate on the day of the test.

8. Eat your breakfast in the morning before the test; you might fail to concentrate when you are hungry.

9. The speaking test is the most difficult part for me, so try to do “one on one” with a friend or a mentor. Simulate what happens in sections 1-3 of the speaking test. It helps you build your self-confidence.

10. Lastly, what really helped me a lot in the speaking test was the feedback from other test takers. Gather some information on what came out as their questions, and try to formulate your own answers.

28/11/2012

Cambridge English: Key, also known as Key English Test (KET), is a basic level qualification that shows you can use English to communicate in simple situations and have achieved a good foundation in learning English.
It is accepted by UKBA for family (dependent) Visa.

20/11/2012

The following sentence contains all 26 letters of the alphabet:
"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
This sentence is often used to test typewriters or keyboards.

19/11/2012

IELTS Exam Dates 2012
1. 24/11/2012
2. 08/12/2012
3. 15/12/2012

01/11/2012

STUDY IN CYPRUS @ American College
Free seminar at Oxford by college director on 3rd NOV2012

06/09/2012

IELTS SPEAKING TIPS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*SPEAKING TIP: For section three of the test, try to think of both sides of the argument to help extend your answer. Try to think of an example of positive effects and negative effects and give examples of what you mean.

* SAMPLE QUESTION: ‘What kind of effect do you think technology has on the nature of friendship?'

*SAMPLE ANSWER: "Mobile phones and computers can have a negative effect on friendship. For example they mean that we do not talk to our each other face-to-face as much we used to. On the other hand, technology and social media make it easier to stay in touch. I can contact my cousins overseas every day via email and Facebook at very little cost. In the future, it will be even easier to stay in touch."

By extending you argument to cover a range of angles you are able to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary and grammar in your answer.

13/05/2012

IELTS TEST DATES