You don’t have a defined syllabus for the IELTS exam, and the questions can be from anywhere or anything. Furthermore, there are time constraints while answering the questions. Therefore, you must thoroughly understand the pattern and know the tips and tricks to answer more smartly.
Read the article to get section-wise handy advice.
What are the Tricks to Answer Well in IELTS?
Here are some best IELTS tips and tricks for each section you can implement while giving your exam.
#1. Listening
Don’t Lose Focus
The audio will play only once. So don’t freak out if you missed some words or missed a few questions. Focus on what needs to be done instead of the blank boxes. Review the questions at the end of the section, or else you will miss more questions and lose your place.
Pay Attention to Words-indicators
Take note of words-indicators, such as however, then, finally, etc. By this, you can predict what the speaker will say with their help.
Take Your Time when Answering
Students make a common mistake: they assume the answer they hear is the correct one as soon as they hear it. However, this information is sometimes repeated or corrected in the next section.
Check for Silly Errors
There is a 30-second time interval after each section. So, be sure to check spelling, plural forms, and word forms.
Improve Your Listening Skills in General
In IELTS online preparation, practising mock listening tests alone will not help you get a higher score. Several listening exercises, general listening material, and practice tests for IELTS Listening will be more effective.
Improve Your Topic Vocabulary
In the listening paper, section 3 almost always focuses on education; student and tutor discussing a project, for instance. Learn as much vocabulary as you can about university studies.
Word Types
Decide which type of word best fits in each gap after skimming over the questions. What is it? A noun, verb, adverb or adjective? For nouns, write an ‘N’, for verbs ‘V’, and so on. By doing so, you’ll be able to pay attention to a specific word form as you listen.
Know the Situation
Get a sense of the situation. There will be an introduction to every part before you hear the dialogue or lecture. Note who will be speaking, why, and where. This information is not written on the question paper, so please pay attention. As a result, the rest of the recording will be much easier to understand.
#2. Writing
Make Use of Proper Vocabulary
Using proper vocabulary, you convey your impression to the examiner, avoiding redundancies. The grader will lose interest if the same words occur multiple times in the paragraphs.
Maintain a Formal Tone
Be sure that the language you use in your writing is formal and free of slang words such as “Don’t”, “Won’t”, “She’s”, etc. When you write formally, it is taken seriously. As a result, experts suggest using formal writing in the IELTS examination to increase your score.
Avoid Irrelevancy
The writing section of the IELTS exam measures quality rather than quantity. Instead of delivering the longest answer, strive to make it the best one you can. Make sure you allocate time for planning and checking.
Understand the Structure of the Essay
The following is a major writing tip for the IELTS exam. Understand the structure of a typical essay. Use the same structure as an IELTS essay, which is Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. This will allow you to save time during the test.
Before Answering, Understand the Question
Understanding the types of questions helps you identify them easily. Always consider that this module aims to know your proficiency in English, not just how good you are at expressing your thoughts. Hence, when you see the questions, you should read them carefully and attentively.
Construct Grammatically Correct Sentences
Grammatical errors in IELTS writing make a big difference in speaking and writing. This requires that both the subject and verb be singular or plural. This means that the subject and verb should conform to each other. Furthermore, be sure to use the plural form if the subject is in the plural.
#3. Reading
Become More Skilled at Scanning
The scanning method allows you to find information more quickly. As you scan, you do not read everything word by word. You simply move your eyes in a wave-like motion across the text. No unnecessary information is read, and you do not waste any time. Practice scanning during your IELTS online preparation regularly.
Be stress-free with Vocabulary
If you come across unknown words, don’t panic. Even native speakers cannot comprehend every single word they read in a text, but that’s okay since those words don’t matter most of the time.
Please keep in mind that this isn’t a vocabulary test. As you read texts, you should be learning to read faster and to understand the general message. Despite not knowing every word, you can still understand what a sentence or paragraph means.
Take Advantage of Time
Be sure to fill out the answer sheet as you go. The answers written only in the booklet will not be taken into account and will not be scored. Most candidates write their answers in the booklet first and then transfer them to the answer sheet. However, this wastes a great deal of time. Save difficult questions for the end.
#4. Speaking
Do not Memorise Answers
The examiner doesn’t get a precise sense of how well you speak English from memorised language. If you memorise your answers, the examiner will be able to tell, and this may affect your final band score.
Keep Your Vocabulary Simple and Familiar
Use vocabulary you are familiar with that relates to the topic under discussion. Take a look at the topics listed below and create word lists or mind maps to help you remember more words and phrases related to these topics.
You can practice the following topics for the Speaking test:
#1. Travel and tourism
#2. Environment
#3. Family life
#4. Sport
#5. Crime and punishment
#6. The internet
#7. Advertising and retail
#8. Education
#9. Transportation
Combine these topics in your IELTS online preparation to build up your spoken English confidence.
Pause to Think
It is OK to take a moment to think before speaking. To process questions, we do it all the time. While taking the Speaking test, you might want to use phrases like:
Good point, that’s for sure
This is a tricky question, but I’ll try and answer it
This is the case for some people. However, I disagree…
For a moment, let me think about that
I find that question intriguing
I never considered that before, but…
Please let me see
Don’t Use Fillers
Speak confidently and avoid using filler words, for example, like, you know, umm, ahh, well etc. It’s important to avoid using fillers in your essays if you don’t know what to say. This shows the examiner that you have difficulty expressing yourself, so use the phrases that we provided you above instead.
Your Answers should be Complete
Answer each question fully. Do not rely on the examiner to prompt you with a question. Instead, make your answers as detailed as possible. Your short answers show the examiner that you are unable to discuss a topic in depth. If the examiner asks “Why?”, you are being asked to give a reason for your answer and elaborate.
Smiles Help with Pronunciation
It is important to smile whenever possible to keep your nerves calm so that you can pronounce more clearly. When you enunciate, make sure your mouth is open wide enough so that your words can be heard clearly. When we smile, we have a larger mouth, and it sounds more friendly. The examiner will see that you can use a range of pronunciation features with clear diction and tone.
Get a Complete IELTS Guide from IELTS Ninja
Make sure to read as much English material as you can, as it will help to have an edge on other sections. IELTS Ninja is your one-stop destination for all your IELTS preparation tips and tricks. We know and understand your needs regarding your test preparation, which is why we offer one-on-one sessions.
Our articles and blogs will guide you on what to do and what not to do. Our expert mentors will guide you throughout your preparation journey. We have helped thousands of students get their dream IELTS scores. Don’t miss out on your dream ticket. Check out the free trial classes now.
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