How to prepare for IELTS?

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Since IELTS is graded on a scale 1-9, you can start preparing for this exam even if you have only general knowledge of English. The lower level of English you have, the more you need to work to get the desired grade. However, your IELTS grade depends not only on your general level of English, but also on your awareness of different strategies and approaches to various question types used in IELTS.

There are many ways to prepare for IELTS. Some candidates choose to enrol on a special course; the others prefer taking individual lessons or study on their own. Regardless of what your way is, there are some things you should always include into your study plan to ace IELTS.

Choose several textbooks which can give you an overview of the test format and explain you how to approach various question types. We advise to choose several, because one may contain some tips which are not mentioned in the others. The more tips you know and use, the more you improve your IELTS performance. When you know how to approach each task, you are ready to do practice tests.

Since you are penalized for any spelling mistakes on your answer sheets, we advise you to pay attention to your vocabulary. There are special books which are aimed at improving your vocabulary for IELTS and it may be a good idea to use one of them if you do not have much time before the exam. However, the general recommendation is to read as many English newspapers and magazines as possible.

Do not forget about the grammar. It is very useful to revise it when preparing for IELTS as it will directly influence your grades in Speaking and Writing modules. If you do not have much time to prepare for the exam, the best way to find out which grammar topics you have to revise is to write some essays and ask your teacher to check them. Your mistakes will demonstrate which grammar topics you have to work on.

In order to prepare for the Listening module, try to listen to as many English podcasts and TV programmes as possible. A great exercise is to listen to your practice tests after you have already done them. Try to listen to the recordings as many times as you need to catch all the phrases.

The best way to develop your speaking skills is, of course, to practise. However, if you are preparing on your own, try to record yourself talking on various topics taken from the Speaking practice tests. When you are finished, listen to the recording and pay attention to your pronunciation, grammar mistakes and how detailed your answers are.