IELTS Tips - Reading

 To know whether you should read the IELTS Reading passage first or the
questions first, experiment with both strategies and see what works best for
you. Many students have found it helps to skim through the questions first to
get an idea of what to pay attention to in the reading passage. This method may
work for you too, but in reality, it depends on a number of factors. These include
how well or how quickly you read, the type of questions, how difficult they are,
how much time you have, and so on. So, never mind what your teacher
recommends, or what your best friend is going to do. Try both ways and see
what helps you the most.
 Read the IELTS Reading instructions carefully. Don’t try to save time by
skipping this part. The instructions give you critical information about how many
words the answer should be, what exactly you need to do, and so on. Always
read the instructions, even if you have done hundreds of practice tests already!
 In many cases, the questions follow the order of the information in the
reading passages. This will help you find the required answers quickly.
 Spelling matters, so take care while writing in the short answers. You will lose
points for incorrect spelling. Take special care when copying words from the text.
 Grammar counts too, so make sure you pay attention to this aspect as well.
 In sentence completion tasks, focus on the meaning to select the right answer.
 Do many practice tests to familiarize yourself with the test format, the types
of questions, the level of difficulty and more.
 Read widely from a variety of sources to strengthen your general reading skills
and enrich your vocabulary.
 Look out for key synonyms used in the text or question, to help you identify
where to find the answer quickly.
 Use only the stated number of words in your answer or you will lose the
mark. Hyphenated words count as one word.

IELTS Tips - Listening

 The accents of the speakers on the tape are primarily British. This means
you must become accustomed to understanding the nuances of such accents. If
you have been watching a lot of American television, (shows such as Friends, for
example) it will not really help you. British accents are quite different and it is
better to spend time in the months before the test listening to British radio
stations and podcasts or watching the BBC, British shows, and movies. This is
one of the major difference between the IELTS exam and the TOEFL, which
features more American accents.
 Get used to the way letters and numbers are pronounced in British (and
American)English. Sometimes, in the listening section, you are asked to write
down the spelling of a name, place, or address. If you make a mistake in the
spelling while writing it down, you will get the answer wrong.
 The expressions used also tend to be taken from British rather than
American English. This means you may hear unfamiliar idioms, which can
confuse you. Speakers may also use British words for common items such as
"flat" for "apartment", "lorry" for "truck", or "advert" for advertisement. Make
sure you study the most common differences in British and American vocabulary
and listen to as many IELTS exercises as possible before your exam to prepare
you for the actual test experience.
 Learn to distinguish opinion from fact. In the third and fourth listening
passages, you will probably be tested on what one of the speakers thinks or what
his / her view is. This may or may not be stated outright, but as an underlying
 theme in the whole conversation or in the tone of the speakers voice, rather than
the words themselves.
 Don't worry if your classmates or friends get higher listening scores
than you. Each one has his or her strengths and weaknesses, just like you. Each
one also has his or her own language goals. Just focus on your own needs and
don't compare yourself to others.
 Follow instructions very carefully. If the instructions state, "Write no more
than three words",then you must not write more or you will receive no marks for
your answer, even if some of the words you wrote were part of the correct
answer. Similarly, read each instruction carefully. Sometimes, you are asked to
circle two answers, sometimes three, and so on. You must read the instruction
each time as it may differ from the previous ones. Remember, the ability to
follow instructions in English is a test in itself.
 The questions follow the oral text.Remember this - it will make it easier for
you to focus on the current question, or to know when you've been left behind,
in case the speakers have gone on to providing the answer to the following
questions.
 Familiarize yourself with charts, graphs, flow-charts, bar charts and pie
charts, etc. These often appear as part of the answer choices in the fourth
section. The more comfortable you are with interpreting the data represented in
them, the easier your exam will be.

IELTS Tips - Speaking

1. Give a full answer. Don't just give one word answers. Include more information.
For example, when asked where you're from, instead of just saying the name of the
place, speak in a sentence which states the name, the location, and how long you've
been there. This shows the examiner you are confident speaking in English. But don't
speak too long or the examiner will think you've misunderstood the question!
2. Speak clearly and don't worry about your accent. Everyone has an accent
when they speak English. The important point is that you enunciate the best you can
so the examiner can understand you. Rehearse in advance to overcome any obvious
pronunciation problems. If you make a mistake, don't worry, just correct yourself
and keep going.
3. Use descriptive words. Don't use boring words like good, bad, nice, or
okay. Use exciting words that covey emotion. Practice using higher level words
for every simple word you know – such as thrilled instead of happy, or depressed
instead of sad.
4. Speak up. Sometimes, students mumble and speak very softly because they are
nervous or unsure of their words. Use simple, correct language rather than
complicated vocabulary and speak loudly enough that the examiner does not have to
strain to hear you. This indicates self-confidence and command of the language.
5. Don't use slang. You have 11 minutes to display the best English you know in all
the years that you have been learning English! Choose to be formal rather than
informal.
6. Keep a steady pace. Don't speak too fast or too slow.
7. Don't try to memorize answers to sample subjects. The examiner has enough
experience to recognize that you are not speaking naturally and spontaneously and
will change the subject or give you a lower score. Use the sample subjects to give
you practice speaking on a variety of topics, but not to memorize.
8. Explain names or words which are in another language. For instance, if you
are asked to speak about a festival, which involves using words in your language,
say the words clearly and give the meaning if any afterwards, so the examiner can
follow your explanation.
9. Ask questions, if necessary, in Part 3 only. You cannot ask questions in Parts
1 and 2, but you can do so, if necessary in Part 3.
10. Practice speaking with a watch. Get an idea of how long two minutes is and
approximately how much content you will have to cover.
11. Stay on topic. Don't change the subject or the examiner will think you have
misunderstood and may give you a lower mark.
12. Have daily discussions with friends.Take turns asking each other questions
about current events and develop your ability to speak about various topics, using
varied sentence structure and vocabulary.

IELTS Tips - Writing

 Work with a teacher. Write several sample essays and have them corrected by
a teacher. You cannot prepare for the writing section of the IELTS alone, as you
have no way of receiving feedback on your errors. If you are short on money, at
least invest in a teacher or class to prepare for the writing and speaking sections
of the IELTS, and then do the listening and reading sections on your own by
working with a good preparatory IELTS guidebook.
 Read the questions very carefully. Often the question will ask you to do three
or four different things, aside from the main question. Jot them down and make
sure you address all of them in your answer. The IELTS examiner will be
checking for this.
 Practice writing tasks within the given time limits. It really doesn't matter if
you can write a beautiful answer in two hours. Always recreate the conditions of
the exam as closely as possible, when doing any kind of practice exercises.
 Plan before you write. Even though you feel under pressure for time, spend
the first few minutes planning your writing. Decide what you're going to say and
how you'll expand on it. When you know whatto write, you can concentrate
on how to write it best. Experiment with the great variety of outlining and mind-
mapping techniques to help you sketch out a plan quickly.
 Write in an organized way. When you've planned in advance, you'll end up
with a more organized, logical piece of writing, which will earn you higher marks.
There are many ways to be organized – linear, circular, etc. – but in the end the
final product must be cohesive.
 Stay on topic. You will be penalized if you stray off topic. This is where the
initial few minutes of planning can help you a great deal.
 Divide your writing into paragraphs. It is confusing to be faced with a block of
writing, with no divisions. You wouldn't expect to read a magazine article or book
like this. Always divide your writing into paragraphs.
 Write clearly. This is not the time or place to experiment with new vocabulary
or idioms. Use simple, clear English to get your ideas across in a powerful way.
 Write legibly. Though marks are not granted or taken away for poor or messy
writing, the examiner should be able to read what you have written without
undue difficulty.
 Spell correctly. Yes, this does affect your score so avoid careless mistakes. A
careless mistake is when you have spelt the same word in various ways in the
same piece of writing or when you misspell a word which is already given in the
exam topic and all you have to do is copy it correctly. That's not okay. Watch for
this when you're practicing and resolve to overcome it.
 Don't use slang. This is the time to show off the best English you know. Find
the correct way to express your thoughts and convey your ideas, without
resorting to slang. Be aware that certain expressions, such as "kids" instead of
"children" and "guys" or "gals" instead of "men" or "women", also fall into the
category of slang and should be avoided.
 Don't use contractions in the Academic Writing tasks. In English, contractions
are used in informal writing, and the Academic tasks demand formal writing.
 Use rich vocabulary. You have learned English for many years and this is the
time to use what you know. Stay away from over-used adjectives such as "good"
or "bad". Instead, use more dramatic, expressive words, such as excellent,
wonderful, superb, or adverse, horrible, terrible, etc. Choose the more precise
word over the more general one. This will make your language come alive, in
speech or in writing, and earn you higher marks.
 Don't write more or less words than you need to. Writing too many will take
too much time, and there is a greater possibility of making mistakes. Writing too
few is worse – it will cause you to lose marks.
 In the essay, don't repeat major chunks of the question in your answer.
Instead, state what you understand of the questions and what you plan to
include in your answer.

YOU  Do you think your country has an

Describe yourself. effective education system?
FAMILY STUDIES
 Describe your family?  What are you studying now?
 Do you have a large or small family?  What is your area of specialization?
 How much time do you spend with HOMETOWN
your family?  Describe your hometown.
 What do you like to do together as a  What’s special about it?
family?  Where is your hometown located?
 Do you get along well with your  Is it easy to travel around your
family? hometown?
 Are people in your country generally  What is it known for?
close to their families?  What do people in your town do?
WORK  What are the main industries in your
 What do you do? hometown?
 What are your responsibilities?  What problems face your hometown?
 How many hours do you work each  What languages are spoken in your
day? hometown?
 Do you enjoy your work?  What are the advantages of living in
 Is there some other kind of work you your hometown?
would rather do?  What are some problems faced by
 If you could change your job or your hometown?
profession, what would you do?  Compare your hometown with another
 Describe the process of getting a job city.
in your country.  What are some environmental
 Describe the company or organization problems faced by your hometown?
you work for. WEATHER
 What is your position?  What’s the weather like in your
 What do you like about your job? country?
 What do you dislike about your job?  Does the weather affect your mood?
EDUCATION  How do rainy days make you feel?
 Describe your education.  What’s your favourite season of the
 What kind of school did you go to as a year?
child?  What do you like to do when it’s hot?
 Did you go to a co-educational school?  What do you usually do in the winter?
 What was your favourite subject as a  How many seasons does your country
child? have?
 Who was your favourite teacher? HOME
 What is the education system like in  Describe your home.
your country?
  What kind of building do you live in?  What language is spoken here? Do you
 How long have you lived there? speak this language?
WEDDING SMOKING
 Have you ever been to a wedding?  What do you feel about smoking in
 Whose wedding was it? public places?
 Where was it held?  Do you think smoking should be
 What clothes do people wear? banned in people’s homes?
 Describe the wedding ceremony. MARRIAGE
 What sort of gifts do people buy for  What is the attitude toward marriage
the bridal couple? in your country?
 What kind of clothes did the bride and  Do most young people plan on getting
groom wear? married in your country?
TRAVEL  What are some of the advantages of
 Do you like to travel? marriage?
 What kind of places have you visited  What are some of the disadvantages?
in your life?  Is the divorce rate high in your
 Which place would you really like to country?
visit? Why?  Do you think people should be allowed
 What’s the best place you’ve ever to get divorced?
visited? HOBBIES
COMPUTERS  Do you have any hobbies?
 Do you think computers help society?  What are some of your hobbies?
 Do you think computers are bad for  When did you first develop this hobby?
health?  What are some of the advantages of
 How do you think computers have having a hobby?
changed the world?  How much time do you spend on your
INTERNET hobby?
 Do you use the Internet much during FILMS
the day?  Do you enjoy watching movies?
 What do you usually do on the  What’s your favourite film?
Internet?  Who are your favourite actors?
 What are some advantages of the  How often do you watch films?
Internet? SHOPPING
 What are some disadvantages?  Do you enjoy shopping?
 Do people in your country use the  How do you feel about shopping?
Internet a lot?  Do you like shopping on the Internet?
 Do you do any shopping on the  Do you have any favourite stores?
Internet?  What don’t you like about shopping?
EMAIL  Which is the most popular place to
 Do you send and receive email shop in your hometown?
regularly? SPORTS
 Who do you usually communicate  Do you like sports?
with?  Do you enjoy watching sports?
 How often do you check your email?  Do you enjoy participating in any
 Do you think writing email has sports?
strengthened or weakened people’s  Which sports are most popular in your
writing skills? country?
 What are some disadvantages of  What’s your favourite sport/
email?  When did you first become interested
FRIEND in sports?
 Describe a friend.  How often do you participate in
 How long have you known each other? sports?
 What do usually do together?  What equipment do you need for your
 What do you like the most about him / favourite sport?
her? FOOD
 How often do you see each other?  What are some of your favourite
PLACE foods?
 Describe a place you like to go.  What foods are popular in your
 Why is this place special to you? country?
 When did you first visit this place?  What are some of the famous dishes
 Where is this place located? of your country?
  Do you enjoy cooking? CLOTHES
FESTIVAL  What type of clothes do you like to
 What’s the most important festival in wear?
your country?  What kind of clothes do people in your
 How do people celebrate this festival? country usually wear?
 What special food is associated with  How important is fashion to you?
this festival?  What kind of clothes do you dislike?
 What special activities are associated  Do you think people behave differently
with this festival? in different kinds of clothes?
 What do you enjoy most about this  What kind of clothes do people wear to
festival? work in your country?
 Do you think festivals are important  Are clothes expensive in your country?
for a society? GOING OUT
TELEVISION  Do you like going out or staying at
 Do you watch television a lot? home?
 What do you usually watch on  What do you like to do when you go
television? out?
 How many hours of television do you  How often do you go out?
usually watch?  Do people in your country go out a
 What are the most popular shows in lot?
your country?  How and where do people in your
 What kind of shows do you like to country usually socialize?
watch?  What kind of entertainment is popular
 What are some advantages of in your country?
television? GAMES
 What are someof the disadvantages of  Do you enjoy playing any games?
television?  What kind of games do you play?
 What did you last watch on television?  Do you think adults should play
 Why do you think certain TV shows games?
are so popular?  What do children learn from games?
TOURISM  What kind of games did you play when
 Which places would you recommend to you were a child?
a visitor to your country?  What games are popular in your
 Do a lot of tourists visit your country? country today?
 What do they usually do there?  What kind of games were popular
 How has tourism changed your when you were young?
country?  Do you think mental games like chess
 Is your country expensive for most are good for you?
tourists?  COLOURS
 What are some famous landmarks in  Do you have a favourite colour?
your country?  What are your country’s colours?
DAILY ROUTINE  Do you think colours affect our
 Describe your daily routine. moods?
 What do you usually do?  Can you learn anything about a person
 What do you do on the weekend? from the colours he / she likes?
 What is you typical weekday like?  Do you like the same colours now as
 Does your life change much from week you did when you were a child?
to week? MUSIC
 Do you have any free time during the  Do you like music?
week?  What kind of music do you like?
YOUR COUNTRY  When do you usually listen to music?
 Which country are you from?  What kind of music did you like when
 Where is this country located? you were younger?
 Which part of the country do most  What kind of music is popular in your
people live in? country?
 What are the main industries in your  Do you play any musical instruments?
country?  Do you wish you could play any
 Is it easy to travel around your musical instruments?
country?  Which is your favourite instrument?
 Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.
You should say: Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
 Who they are and what they do You should say:
 How they became successful  What you do
 How you found out about them  Where you do it
 And explain why you admire them  Who you do it with
 And explain why you think doing this is
Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at healthy
school.
You should say: Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
 When and where you started studying it You should say:
 What lessons were like  What kind of sport it is
 What made the subject different from  Who you play it with
other subjects  Where you play it
 And explain why you enjoyed the subject  And explain why you enjoy playing it

Describe an important choice you had to Describe someone in your family who you
make in your life. like.
You should say: You should say:
 When you had this choice  How this person is related to you
 What you had to choose between  What this person looks like
 Whether you made a good choice  What kind of person he/she is
 And explain how you felt when you were  And explain why you like this person
making this choice
Describe a museum or art gallery that you
Describe a job you have done. have visited.
You should say: You should say:
 How you got the job  Where it is
 What the job involved  Why you went there
 How long the job lasted  What you particularly remember about
 Describe how well you did the job the place.

Describe an area of countryside you know and Describe an enjoyable event that you
like. experienced when you were at school.
You should say: You should say:
 Where it is  When it happened
 What its special features are  What was good about it
 What you and other people do in this  Why you particularly remember this
area event.
 And explain why you like it
Describe a song or piece of music you like.
Describe an object you particularly like. You should say:
You should say:  What the song or music is
 What it is and what it looks like  What kind of song or music it is
 What it is made of  Where you first heard it
 What it is for  And explain why you like it
 And explain why it is special for you
Describe a festival that is important in your
Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy country.
reading. You should say:
You should say:  When the festival occurs
 What kind of newspaper / magazine it is  What you did during it
 Which parts of it you read regularly  What you like or dislike about it
 When and where you read it  And explain why this festival is important
 Explain why you enjoy reading it