https://www.youtube.com/stream?v=9wk2KdSd8to
Here are certain last minute Tips to Clear IELTS Exam I can give you:
- Reverse the way you approach reading section: What I mean is, in exams like GRE or many others, you first read the paragraphs and then approach the questions. In IELTS, it’s the other way around. You read the question and the given answers, and then read the paragraphs to find them. That’s why when you write it on paper (if you are giving the PBT) you write “1A” instead of “A1” (A being the paragraph).
- Don’t get stuck in the listening section: Always make use of the initial 2 minutes you are given to read all the questions and answers, so you can avoid the mistake I made. I got stuck on a question and continued to seek the answer to that in the audio that was playing, while the audio had already moved on to the next question. I wouldn’t have noticed had I not accidentally glanced upon the question right below.
- Grammarly and Hemingway will ensure you get a low score in the writing section: I have been a content writer for a very long while now. Multiple clients have put my articles into such applications and come back to me saying something along the lines of “your write-up is bad” because the applications that check for readability actually ask for “simple sentences” and not “complex sentences” claiming that people find it easier to read simple sentences while complex sentences put them off. Ironically, that’s not true. If you write a bunch of simple sentences, your content will seem incredibly monotonous to the reader who will sooner or later stop reading due to the same. Use a healthy amount of simple and complex sentences, and put one or two questions here and there. Do this much and you’ll probably get a 7–7.5 on writing easily. Also, check a couple of videos on E2 IELTS about how to approach bar graphs and pie charts. That will be helpful for you.
- Solving test papers is a waste of time: I’m not sure about this one, but I feel that solving test papers won’t help much. You cannot increase your writing speed or typing speed in a short amount of time, but you can change the way you approach questions. So multiple test papers won’t help, but instead, multiple YouTube videos will. Use your time wisely.
- There’s a lot of luck involved in the speaking section: I honestly feel I could have gotten an easy 9 band had it not been for the topic I got in this section. It was a bit harsh because I just didn’t know a thing about this topic and had to make a lot of it up. One mistake I can tell you to avoid is – never be overconfident that you will be able to speak without writing down what you intend to speak. I did write down a couple of points, but trust me, 5 points was just not enough. Albeit, in my defense, I didn’t know much about the topic. At the same time, I’d suggest you to write down at least 20 points on that sheet of paper, and keep talking about them. While I am not sure if you need to maintain eye contact with the examiner, I do suggest keeping a finger on the cheat-sheet pointing to what you are speaking about. Don’t be ashamed to look at the cheat-sheet, I’m sure glancing won’t count negatively. Keep speaking until the examiner stops you.