It is strongly advised that you should pay attention to the key words only to get the right answers. Trying to understand everything may lead you to nowhere as you cannot focus on the right locations for the answers.
In the first place, you should read the instruction carefully:
You are given a sentence and you have to write YES if it is true according to the text, NO if it is not, NOT GIVEN if the information is not in the text. Remember: ACCORDING TO THE TEXT. You have to be very precise: sometimes just a word in the passage can make you have to decide between two alternatives.
Don't spend too long on a single question as that will lose you time for answering questions that could be easier for you. Sometimes leaving a question and coming back later can help you answer it too. Leave any questions that you have spent too long on, and come back at the end of the test if you have time. Sometimes, if the question has a yes/no/not given answer, the answer you are looking for does not exist as it could be a not given. Be aware so you don't waste time looking for something that isn't there.
Read the questions and instructions so you don't make a silly mistake. For example, people often will mix the yes/no answers with the true/false answers and write yes as an answer instead of true or vice versa. Strictly speaking you are wrong although you have understood the question and answer.
It is important to explain the difference between ‘no’ and ‘not given’ (or ‘false’ and ‘not given’). In the first variation of the task, ‘no’ means that the opinions or claims of the writer explicitly disagree with the statement – i.e., the writer somewhere expresses a view or makes a claim which is opposite to the one given in the question; ‘not given’ means that the view or claim or statement is neither confirmed nor contradicted. (Students need to understand that any knowledge they may bring with them from outside the passage should not play a part when deciding on their answers.)Similarly, in the second variation, ‘no’ means that the passage states the opposite of the statement in the question; ‘not given’ means that the statement is neither confirmed nor contradicted by the information in the passage
3. In reading, when I come across too many new words, I am confused and I seem to get lost so easily. What should I do to combat this?
A: Working out unfamiliar vocabulary
When reading a passage in the IELTS test, it is most likely that you will come across words with which you are unfamiliar. Be prepared for this. You may not need to understand the exact meaning of an unknown word, unless there is a question directly related to it.
If you do need to know the meaning of an unfamiliar word, don't panic. There are various strategies that you can use to work out the meaning of the unknown words.
Check the context
Are there any clues in the surrounding words or phrases? Look particularly at the words just before and just after the unfamiliar words.
Look for a definition
Sometimes the writers realise that the word is an uncommon one so they define, restate, explain or give an example of it. Words that signal meaning often include ‘is', ‘means', ‘refers to', ‘that is', ‘consists of'. For example, ‘Snoring is a noise generated by vibrations of the soft parts of the throat during sleep.' The word ‘is' signals a definition.
Remember, too, to check if there is a glossary.
Identify the word's place and purpose
Is it a noun, adjective, verb or adverb in the sentence? Are there any punctuation clues, for example, semicolons or question marks?
Look for connective words
They are often near the unknown words and will usually help to identify the general direction of the argument which will help to give some understanding of the unknown word.
Break the word down into syllables
Sometimes knowledge of common roots, affixes and possible similarity of words in your own language can help you to identify the meaning.
Treat the unknown word as an algebraic entity ‘X'
Observe the relationship of the unknown word,‘X', to other words and concepts with which you are more familiar. Often this is enough to answer questions that include‘X'.
4. Dear teachers, I am terrified. IELTS is so strange. I am afraid of listening. Could you give me some hints about listening?
In the IELTS Listening Module, the recording is played once only. You must, therefore, use a number of strategies to help you listen closely. There are a few main skills you will need to do well in the IELTS Listening Module:
Understanding the instructions
Instructions are both written on the question paper and spoken on the tape. Read and listen to every word in the instructions very carefully. Ensure that you follow them exactly and answer in the correct way.
Previewing and predicting
An announcer will briefly outline:
Try to listen carefully as this will help you to preview the questions.
Before the recording begins for each section, you will be given up to 30 seconds to read and become familiar with the questions. Use this time efficiently so that you can prepare yourself to listen for the information you need.
Here are some hints for previewing and prdicting:
In addition to the 30 seconds before each section, you will also be given 30 seconds after each section to look over your answers. If you are satisfied with your answers in the section you have just finished, move on to the next section and use the full 60 seconds for previewing.
Listening for specific information
Use of previewing and predicting skills will help you listen for the specific information you need to answer the questions in the Listening Module. Listening for key words and common connective words often helps to signal the specific information that you need in order to answer the question. Make sure that, while you are actually writing your answers, you continue to listen to the information given in the recordings as there will not be a second opportunity to hear it.
Checking and rewriting
You are given about 30 seconds after each section to check your answers. Check that all your answers correspond with the given instructions.
Make sure that you have answered every question. Marks are not deducted for incorrect answers so, if you are unsure of a particular answer, you should guess by writing down what you think is the most likely answer.
Check that you have included only what is necessary in the answer.
At the end of the Listening Module, you are given about 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question paper onto the answer sheet. Scan your answers to ensure that you have transferred them correctly so that the number on the question paper corresponds with the number on the answer sheet. Be especially careful when transferring answers from tables as sometimes the items are not linearly ordered.
5. In IELTS speaking, for part 1 and 2 how many answers should be given to each question? What should I prepare for a successful oral test?
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4-5 mins |
IELTS Speaking Test
Good morning/afternoon. My name is _____________. Can you tell me your full name please?
Thank you.
Can I see your identification, please?
Thank you, that’s fine
Now I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself.
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Let’s talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student? Work§ What’s your job? Why did you choose that kind of work? § How long have you been doing it? § Are there things your don’t like about it? What are they? Study§ What subjects are you studying? § Why did you choose those subjects? How long have you been studying them? § Do you enjoy them? Why? |
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Let’s talk about your home town or village. § What kind of place is it? § What’s the most interesting part of your home area? § What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do? § Would you say it is a good place to live? Why? |
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OR |
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Please note these are possible questions. Practise these, as they may come up in the test!! |
The examiner will now choose two of the following boxes. These are examples
FestivalsLet’s talk a little about the festivals in your country What are some festivals in UAE? Any special food or activities? What do you enjoy most? Are festivals important? |
Daily RoutineI’d like to talk about your daily routine. Are all your days the same? Typical day? Typical weekend? What would you like to change? What is the balance of work/study? |
FoodMoving on to talk about food… What kind of food do you like? What are typical UAE foods? Is cooking a man’s or woman’s job? How do you like foreign food? |
VisitorsNow I’d like to talk about visitors to your country. What should visitors to UAE see and do? What kind of tourists visit UAE? How has tourism changed the UAE? |
LeisureLet’s move on to what you do in your spare time. Hobbies and interests? When/how did you become interested? How do you spend your holidays? Is there anyplace you would like to visit? Why? |
AccommodationLet’s move on to talk about accommodation. Where do you live? How long have you lived there? What kind of accommodation would you like? |
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Language Learning Let’s talk about learning English. How long have you been learning English? Where did you learn? What is easy/difficult? What opportunities do you have to speak? Is it important? |
FamilyCan we talk about your family? Do you have a small or large family? How much time do you spend with them? What things do you do together? |
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3-4 mins |
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Please note these are examples only. The question in the exam may be different! |
Now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one or two minutes. Before you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you will say. You can make some notes.
Here is a paper and pencil for you to make some notes if you wish, and here is your topic.
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4-5 mins |
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The topic in Part 3 is related to the topic in Part 2. So if, for example, Part 2 was about a teacher, then Part 3 might be about Education |
We’ve been talking about a teacher who influenced you and I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this
Other examples
Describe a parent What is the role of parents in today’s society
Describe a friend Is friendship the same in every country?
Describe a place Should we spend money on national parks?
Describe a book Are writers respected in your country?
Describe a movie Is censorship of movies a good idea?
Describe a problem Is modern life becoming easier or more complicated
Describe a happy event How can we increase the role of the family?
Actually sit and write out tasks 1 and 2 while practising. It is very tempting to think of what you would write and not do the actual writing. You will appreciate the importance of using a structured format and avoiding being repetitive only if you practise writing.
Task 2 carries more marks. Spend more time on it. Twenty minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2 would be a good balance.
Since task 2 is more important, it may be a good idea to do task 2 first and task 1 later. However, make sure you write for each task in the allotted area since the answer sheet has separate areas designated for each task.
For both writing tasks, it is a good idea to jot down your ideas on the question sheet so that you know the outline of what you will be writing. It may take 2 or 3 minutes but the time spent is worth it.
Writing task 1 requires you to describe a graph / table / diagram in AT LEAST 150 words. I had practised on a lot of graphs but the task we had was to describe the data in a table! So practise describing all kinds of graphs / tables. See how much of your writing is 150 words. If you write less that 150 words, you lose marks. If you write more, you are likely to make more mistakes. Try and stick to around 150 words.
For task 1, first spend some time looking at the graph / table and understanding the information given. Don't start writing immediately. Make sure you know what each axis of the graph represents and in what units. The following structure is suggested for writing:
A sentence describing what the graph / table shows.
Another sentence describing the broad / important trends shown.
Description of the data. It may not be possible to describe all the data as there may be too much data presented. Describe the relevant and most important parts. If there is more than one graph / chart, describe any comparisons or trends that can be made out.
A concluding sentence which sums up the data / trends.
Practise using a variety of phrases to avoid being repetitive.
The best practice for task 2, which asks you to present an argument, is to read newspaper editorials and magazine articles on current topics. This will help you develop your ideas. For example, a suggested structure for writing expressing your point of view is:
Để có thể nói tốt về những chủ đề mà bạn cho là khó và chán, trước tiên bạn phải trau dồi vốn từ vựng, kiến thức nền, sự hiểu biết về các vấn đề khác nhau của xã hội. Trong khi học, bạn không nên chỉ học và tập trung vào các chủ đề mà bạn thấy hay và thú vị. Bất kỳ chủ đề nào cũng sẽ hay và thú vị nếu bạn biết cách khai thác và có sự hiểu biết về lĩnh vực ấy. Bạn có thể nâng kiến thức nền bằng cách đọc sách, báo, truy cập Internet, hỏi thầy cô, bạn bè... Khi có kiến thức nền và vốn từ về chủ đề đó, bạn sẽ không thấy khó và chán nữa. Như vậy để nói tốt, bạn cần cả 1 quá trình chuẩn bị về kỹ năng, ngôn ngữ, và sự hiểu biết về nhiều lĩnh vực khác nhau.
9. Thi IELTS chứng chỉ quốc tế có khó hơn thi IELTS của trường mình không?
Không
