International English Language Testing System or IELTS is a proficiency level exam that serves as a stepping stone for universities abroad. It is meticulously designed to check the English language skills of non-native speakers.

IELTS score opens the gateway to almost all opportunities worldwide to acquire global education. IELTS is acceptable across more than 160 countries globally.
According to the Economic Times, 1.3 to 1.4 million Indians attempt the IELTS exam annually to acquire global knowledge.
The right preparation strategy and a proper mindset guarantee success in IELTS.
Getting the desired score is not rocket science, and it is achievable if a candidate is focused and determined while preparing. Some students take the test multiple times and cannot understand the correct strategy.

Stay on this page to learn about the magical strategies to ensure success in the IELTS exam.
Read Carefully!!

what your score says about you.
As we all know, IELTS Result is reflected in the form of bands. There is no “pass” or “fail” like in this exam and the band score demonstrates your capabilities to study in native English countries.

Dear IELTS aspirants, it’s time to tell you how to crack the exam in one go!

• Understanding the test format: As the IELTS exam is divided into four modules, it is essential to understand the format of each module, its duration and the marking scheme.
• Practice more and more: It is correctly said that knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. The same goes for the IELTS exam. One would be able to dwell on understanding and strategies of the exam only by practising more.
• Time management: It is highly recommended to adopt time management from the very first day of preparation, especially in reading, so that aspirants can devote equal time to each task of the respective module.
• For overall improvement of the language, one must focus on these areas specified:
  • Learn Paraphrasing– the correct usage of synonyms wherever required
  • Build vocabulary– use of words relevant to the topic
  • Work on Grammar– To maintain accuracy, grammatical errors must be avoided.
  • Avoid mistakes– avoiding errors will ensure accuracy.
• Surround yourself with English– To become familiar with the English language, building up an English environment is necessary. When you try to mingle your daily activities with English, like listening to a song in English, watching English movies, and translating your thoughts into English, it has become a healthy practice to enhance your abilities
• Some of the essential IELTS exam preparation methodologies are as follows:
  Formulate strategies: Once must review and implement techniques for every question type
  Learn about the requirements of the test
  Regularly practice completing the IELTS test under exam conditions on a serious note.
  Daily devote at least three hours
  Develop clarity about the exam pattern

• Listening:
  Listening is all about building up the ability to understand the accents of native countries. Listening is almost similar to reading questions. But here, instead of passages, a recording is played, and the answer is to be picked. A significant challenge the candidate faces is building concentration while listening to the tape. Once the concentration breaks, it becomes challenging to find the relevant answers. The skimming technique works well in this module.

  Preparation strategies before the exam:

  One must practice more and more by listening to the news, TV programs, web series and online videos in English. Firstly watch them without subtitles and then with subtitles to know how the word sounds and how to use it in the sentence.
  One must get familiarized with all the question types in the module, like multiple-choice questions, labelling, match-ups, etc. And the strategic way of attempting them.

  Tips to be followed during the test:

  • Listen to the instructions carefully as they are not printed in the booklet
  • Around 60 seconds are given to read the question-Read the questions thoroughly before listening
  • Underlining the keywords with concentration
  • Visualize the situation discussed in the tape to frame the answers correctly
  • Paying close attention to the negative words such as no, not, never, etc
  • Check answers within 30 seconds pause, the time provided after every section, and be prepared for the upcoming section.
  • Pay special attention to the spellings and grammatical errors while transferring answers to the answer sheet
  • Learn to focus on identifying solutions
  • Keep listening until the recording stops carefully

• Reading:
  The most challenging issue candidates face in reading is time management. As they cannot manage time in reading, their score gets affected. So, special attention must be paid to time management

  Preparation strategies before the exam:

• • • Analyze and apply tricks to manage time and answer questions correctly.
    • Read newspapers, magazines, books in English and underlying less common words while reading.
    • Practice guessing the meaning of difficult words and if you fail to do so, consult a dictionary.
    • As the topics of passages often deal with current affairs, keep up to date with the news.
    • Be familiar with the exam pattern.
    • Try to manage time from the very beginning. Devote 15-17 minutes to each passage to have adequate time for revision after completion.
    • Practice proper techniques like skimming, scanning and intensive reading.

  During the Reading test:

  • • Read the instructions with total concentration.
    • Underline critical information while reading the passage
    • Manage time wisely as we already know how time management is essential for reading
    • Make sure you answer every question and do not leave any question blank; take your best guess
    • Don’t spend too much time on questions that are not understandable. One can get back to that question after completion.

• Writing:
  Categories for writing tasks are already specified. So, it is better to practice them in advance.

  Before the writing exam:

• • Analyze the writing task one in terms of organization of ideas and vocabulary used
  • For task 2 (essay writing), focus on the essay structure, coherence or logic, vocabulary, and sentence usage.
  • One must pay special attention to improving command over grammar.
  • Practice formal writing style, and one must follow the same style throughout the essay.
  • Correct usage of tenses is essential to convey the ideas properly.
  • Practice organizing your thoughts and link sentences accordingly. It must reflect your ability to express opinions with clear explanations.
  • Keep in mind that you would lose marks if you write less than 150 words and 250 words for task1 and task2, respectively. But, there are no maximum words specified for either.
  • Practice and practice ignoring the fear of making mistakes
  • For writing, prepare world issues based on recent and common interests.

  During exam:

  • Read instructions and analyze each task carefully.
  • As time management is crucial, do not indulge in writing excessively. It is better to write 300 words comprising meaningful sentences instead of 400 words having repetitive lines and mis constructed sentences.
  • Avoid monotony, and try to bring variation in a sentence while writing using synonyms or Paraphrasing
  • Use your own words and sentences instead of using words already given in the question.
  • Always complete task 2 first as it carries more weightage of scores.

• Speaking:
  The only way to ensure improvement for the Speaking module is ‘practice’. No one can acquire perfection in speaking overnight, and it is a whole phenomenon of hard work which pays off with time.

  Before the Speaking exam:

• • • Practice more and more without brake
    • Speak in front of the mirror
    • Focus on your fluency instead of vocabulary because it is the parameter on which speaking is judged. Overthinking vocabulary while speaking may result in stammering
    • Read books, watch movies and TV, preferably in English.
    • Adopt conversing in English, especially with your fellow mates and friends
    • Prepare your experience and memories.
    • Develop the ability to speak spontaneously and convey your opinions clearly

  During the Reading test:

  • • • • Overcome hesitation and keep calm. Examiner is just a human-like others
        • Instead of giving answers yes or no, give extended responses
        • Concentrate on providing answers to the best of your abilities instead of thinking about grammar and vocabulary
        • Don’t answer until you understand the question well. Ask the Examiner to repeat questions in such a scenario.
        • Correct yourself in case you make any mistake without hesitating.
        • Pay attention to your gestures while speaking
        • Remember to judge your ability to communicate well instead of your general knowledge.

Preparing for an exam is a continuous process that requires serious effort. If a candidate is willing to crack the exam and regularly prepares, keeping in mind the points discussed above, one will pass the exam with flying colours.
Join the IELTS classes at Chetanya Career Consultants for strategic preparation, ensuring the desired band score. We focus on the ways which could bring the best possible outcome. We strive to make your dreams come true by acquiring overseas education.