It’s not only about the IELTS exam but about all the exams you have given in your life. When you first decide that yes you are going to appear for the exam, then usually many days rather months are still left for the actual exam to happen and then suddenly one day, you wake up in the morning and see that the exam day has really come.
The time between the day you decide to appear for an exam and the day of the exam actually passes just in a blink, so if you’ve already made up your mind to appear for the test then, you should buckle your shoes right now and gear up for the IELTS test preparation.
For all those aspirants asking how much time is required to prepare for IELTS and how to prepare for the IELTS exam? Read this article till the end.
What is the IELTS Exam?
If you have just made up your mind to appear for the test or have already booked your slot for the test but do not have much of a clear idea about the test, then you should first understand what the exam is all about.
The International English Language Testing System is a jointly managed English language proficiency test for English speakers who are non-naive. The British Council and IDP are the joint managers of this international standardized test.
A candidate has to go through four sections of the test to prove his/ her English proficiency. The four sections are listening, reading, speaking and writing. To pursue higher studies abroad or to get work permits there, one has to achieve a good band score and for that, one needs to manage his/ her time and prepare well for each of the sections.
What is the IELTS Academic Band Score?
There are two types of exams, one is general and the other is academic. The general test is for those who want to settle in an English speaking country. The academic test is for people who want to go for higher studies in an English speaking country.
The score obtained in the general test is called the general band score and in the same way, the marks obtained in the academic test is known as IELTS academic band score.
How to Prepare for IELTS at Home?
The most common question that arises in the candidate’s mind is How to prepare for IELTS at home? Given below are a few easy tips that you can follow to strengthen your basic English language sitting at home.
IELTS Preparation
You just need to follow the below basic steps for IELTS preparation:
Examine Yourself with Practice Questions
You can examine yourself by practising test series questions. Rotate between doing measured practices and enabling yourself as far as you require to certainly comprehend the queries and topics. If you possess any of the International English Language Testing System Practice Tests papers from authentic sources, there are ideal explanations and professional comments to assist you to examine your own work.
If you do not retain access to the Cambridge International English Language Testing System series of test papers you do not have to stress yourself, you can easily search for it in the official International English Language Testing System sample exam series on the International English Language Testing System website.
To Test Your Speaking Skills Record
You can find a friend or a family member who wants to help you with the International English Language Testing System Preparation, doesn’t matter online or offline, and ask them to hear you out in order to improve your speaking skills.
That will ultimately help you in your Speaking examination. If you want to practice by yourself you can record yourself, listen to it and find out the points which you feel needs more improvement, try being the interviewer and candidate by yourself.
Listen to it back and forth, analyze your own skills. You should as well attempt to make notes on all the things you spoke about, like a script, that might enable you to observe any errors that you might have made. If you need to recognize the International English Language Testing System Speaking test, follow through the entire article.
Time To Look into Your Bookshelf
Have you ever had a look on your bookshelves, if not it’s time you look at it and check out what previous years textbooks you got? This is an excellent moment to ultimately work through those books of grammar you had when you were in high school and couldn’t even finish them!
If you have exam practice stuff then why don’t you try out a few questions from them. Even if you have already finished reading a grammar book, reread because the text is a certainly useful resource that is filled with vocabulary related topics that you should learn.
Keep Track of Time
Managing your precious time is important, so try to learn more about each section deeply and do good research about it. So that later on when you are preparing you have a good knowledge and you won’t waste time on understanding the basics again. Search more about every skill to learn more effectively:
| Reading Skills |
| Listening Skills |
| Speaking Skills |
| Writing Skills |
Improve the Level of Your General English Language
Try to engage yourself more with the world and grab the English language skills from your surroundings like movies, newspapers, news, friends and relatives. You don’t have to keep on sticking to the books. Try something fun in the middle to relax your mind and try to make learning fun.
It will become easier for you to understand and you won’t stress out yourself with the burden of completing the syllabus. If you need a few ideas of what sort of things you can do, check out IELTS Ninja. You will get detailed information about how you can improve your general English language.
Check Out IELTS Computer Delivered Option
Even if you do not have the motive of opting for an IELTS computer-delivered exam there are a few surely beneficial practice materials that you can find on the net. The International English Language Testing System is similar whether you appear it on a paper or computer so these actions could be effective to you.
So by trying the computer-based practise exam you can get an actual idea of how the paper-based questions can be raised. It will help you understand the exam pattern, and you can prepare more effectively for the International English Language Testing System exam. You will get a good idea about each section (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening).
Also Read: Computer Delivered IELTS Practice Test: Check This Out to Boost Your IELTS Preparation
Go Through The Academic Word List
At Victoria University of Wellington, at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, the academic word list was created by Averil Coxhead in New Zealand. The list includes 570 term families which were chosen because they arise with huge regularity in a vast range of academic exams. To learn more about these crucial vocabulary words you can visit the page of the RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). Where you will get free information on it.
Stay Positive
The last thing that you should keep in your mind while doing International English Language Testing System exam preparation at home, is to stay calm and positive. The preparation process is exhausting, there is no doubt about that.
So take it easy on yourself. Encourage yourself from time to time, self motivation is the best way to keep yourself on track. Take proper care of health because if you fall sick you won’t be able to concentrate and your preparation won’t be effective. But always keep one thing in mind, nothing is more important than your health, health is wealth.
You need to have a healthy mindset and body to deal with issues that are ahead in your life. Be optimistic, always think you can clear the examination and you can do it. It puts a great impact on your preparation.
IELTS Preparation Online
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situations are not normal. We can’t follow a normal lifestyle that we used to follow but it is always said the show must go on. So if you are preparing for the International English Language Testing System exam, you don’t have to worry about going out and joining a coaching centre risking your life. You can easily get access to an excellent learning platform like IELTS Ninja, which makes IELTS preparation online easy.
You are provided with the guidance that you are required to clear the exam. All the sessions are done through online mode so you get an option of recording the lectures which you can play anytime anywhere you want. Trained professionals will analyse your work and help with your weak points by clearing all the doubts that you might have. Private sessions are there if you want to have your own learning space. All this effort is done so that you can prepare for your examination from home in a safe manner.
Also Read: October IELTS Exam Dates 2021 in India: Check Out the Eligibility, Pattern, Exam Tips & More
IELTS Preparation Time
When it’s about the IELTS Preparation Time, it’s tough to tell a fixed time because this depends on various factors like what is the candidate’s English level? How is the candidate planning to prepare for the exam? What kind of IELTS coaching are they taking? Does the candidate have enough reliable IELTS study material? So, these are things that matter when you have decided how much time is required to prepare for IELTS.
But on average, 10 to 15 weeks should be enough for a candidate to prepare well for the exam considering the fact that she/ he is serious about the test and is following the right methods.
Other than these factors, another most important factor that affects the time required to prepare for IELTS is the target band score. A candidate aiming for band 8-9 obviously has to prepare more and for a longer time than a candidate who is setting for band 5-6.
Minimum Time Required for IELTS Exam Preparation
As already mentioned above, the test has four parts and it is absolutely mandatory to prepare for each of the sections because the overall band score in IELTS will depend on the individual scores obtained in each section.
So, even if a candidate is not aspiring for high scores, he/ she should at least study and practice for 6 to 8 weeks which is the minimum time required for IELTS exam preparation.
If someone does not have much time in hand and wants to prepare for the exam in the minimum possible time, then she/ he should make a proper timetable and focus on each of the sections equally.
How many Days of Preparation is Required for IELTS?
Any candidate who has decided to go for the exam should at least take 1 to 2 days to understand the exam pattern and subjects well. Once the candidates understand the format, they should consider dedicating at least 14-21 days for each part of the test.
The exact time required to prepare for the test will depend on the ability of the candidate along with the coaching he/ she is referring to also matters a lot.
Also Read: IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions and Answers from Previous IELTS Exams
How to Prepare for the Exam in a Scheduled Way?
By now you have already known how much time is required to prepare for IELTS, now let’s see how you can prepare for the exam in the proper way so that neither your time nor your effort gets wasted.
Understand the Pattern
As already mentioned, it is absolutely necessary to understand the pattern well to score well in the test. Go through previous year papers, try your hands on full-length free tests and observe the pattern.
IELTS Study Material
To taste success in any exam, study material plays an important role. This English proficient test is no exception. There is plenty of IELTS study material available both in online and offline mode. Students must judge the sources properly and select some good sources for IELTS study material.
IELTS Preparation App
These days almost everything has been digitised and so is the mode of study. Students now can prepare for their exams with the help of various mobile applications. There are many IELTS preparation apps available in the application store that can help to get a better band score
Practice Tests
Practice is a must for any examination and for skill testing examinations like this, one has to practice on a regular basis to achieve a good band score in IELTS. Look for mock tests, go for those, analyse your performance and work on those.
IELTS Coaching
This is another most important thing when it comes to doing well in any exam. Students need to be careful while choosing the right IELTS coaching centre because choosing the wrong institution will not only waste their time but may also misguide them.
Below mentioned are some of the main factors that one should consider before choosing an IELTS coaching centre.
Personal Mentor
To prepare for the test in a scheduled way and in a proper time structure, good mentorship is very much needed. The band score in IELTS can be improved to a good hike if proper guidance is found. So, try to go for coaching institutions that offer personal mentorship so that you get someone constantly guiding you through your preparation journey.
Flexibility
If you are a homely person or want to do IELTS preparation at home, then go for classes that will offer flexibility. Nobody wants to enrol in classes and then miss important practice sessions or special classes for external reasons, so it’s better to go for flexible classes where the student can schedule the classes at his/ her convenience.
Customized Study Plan
Not every student is equal. For some, it might take 2 weeks for each section of the test, whereas for some the required time for IELTS preparation can go up to 4 to 5 weeks. So it’s important that each student get training based on their ability, strength and weakness and this can only be possible when the chosen IELTS coaching will offer customisation of the study plan.
Conclusion
If you have reached this point of the article then it can be assumed that by now you have become well aware of the exam pattern, the time required to prepare for IELTS and your doubts regarding how to prepare for the test have also been cleared. So, when are you planning to appear for the exam? Have you already booked your slot? How much are you aiming to score? Do share your thoughts with us by commenting in the below box.
Also Read: IELTS Writing Task 1 Line Graph Questions: Guide to Write Report of Line Graph
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great content shared, Loved reading it, very well written.
Thank you for providing this blog, this was very helpful and useful one and it was well written, can you also help with time managment?