Self-preparation for IELTS. How to pass IELTS with a perfect score Is it difficult to pass IELTS with a 7?

In our difficult times, it is worth investing time and money in yourself. Why? Well, there are several options: we want to improve our lives by moving abroad, find an additional source of income, or increase our significance in the labor market.

This is why learning English is the best investment. Getting an IELTS certificate confirming your English proficiency will be a smart and wise decision. It will not depreciate in value under any inflation, it will help you on all counts, and you will occupy your head with something useful and productive. So let's talk about it!

What is the English IELTS exam or The International English Language Testing System and why take it?

• First, it is a globally respected document that proves your English language proficiency. The IELTS certificate is recognized in all English-speaking countries, as well as in European countries. The exception will be the USA, where TOEFL is more respected (by the way, here’s more about international exams). In any case, such certificates sometimes mean more than a diploma from a domestic linguistic university.
• Secondly, if you are planning to emigrate to another country, then such a certificate will not help you - it is mandatory. When obtaining a residence permit, looking for a job, and other everyday little things.
• Thirdly, without a certificate it is almost impossible to receive a grant, or simply enroll in a foreign university. It doesn’t matter whether you want to enter the first year of university or continue your studies there in a master’s program, you must provide evidence that you can comprehend information in English.
• And fourthly, even if you are not going to leave anywhere, the IELTS certificate can be useful when applying for a job in an international company.

How to prepare for IELTS

Experience shows that thorough preparation for the international IELTS exam, starting from the English Intermediate level, requires from 3-4 months to 1 year - it all depends on the intensity of your studies. 4 months of preparation, during which it is only possible to submit the exam itself, is considered the minimum period of time that allows the candidate to raise his score by one or more, i.e. significantly change the potential exam grade.

You can prepare for the exam in the following ways:

• On your own, while scouring a bunch of sites on the Internet and digging through a huge amount of material to prepare for IELTS. You can also purchase one of the study guides. For example, Objective IELTS from Cambridge University Press.
• Find a tutor who will individually guide you through all the thorns of preparing for and passing the exam itself. But do not forget to make sure that the tutor has passed the test himself and knows all the necessary subtleties.
• Sign up for IELTS preparation courses at any language center. They usually take from 2 to 4 months.

If you choose to prepare for IELTS on your own, we can recommend using the following books:

1. "Insight into IELTS", Vanessa Jakeman and Clare McDowell;
2. “How to pass IELTS”, E.P. Protasenya;
3. "101 Helpful Hints for IELTS", Garry Adams;
4. "Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests 1-9";
5. "IELTS Preparation and Practice", Oxford Collection.

If you prefer language courses or one-on-one tutoring, we offer an IELTS preparation course through our online platform ED Class.
In individual lessons with a teacher, you will be able to review only the most necessary material for preparing for IELTS from vocabulary, speaking, listening and writing, which will be 100% useful to you. The course is designed for 30 lessons of 50 minutes. Required language level before preparation: Intermediate (take our level determination test).

You can also take advantage of our IELTS Exam Preparation Course to help you prepare for the IELTS exam on your own. This course will be an excellent assistant in your preparation for one of the oldest and most prestigious exams in the world. You will learn about structure, proper preparation and get essential practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

IELTS structure

There are 2 versions of the test - Academic &General. Those planning to emigrate will need to obtain a General IELTS certificate. To study abroad you must take Academic IELTS.

The test consists of four sections or modules that assess basic language skills:

. Listening- listening (30 min).
. Reading- reading (60 min).
. Writing- letter (60 min).
. Speaking- conversation: interview, interview (11-14 min).

Listening and Speaking are the same for both Academic and General versions. But reading and writing will be different.

The total duration of the exam is 2 hours 45 minutes.

How the exam works

Typically, the IELTS exam is conducted in the morning and afternoon. You must arrive half an hour earlier in order to register in time. It is important to have your passport with you. You will then be taken to the auditorium where the test itself will take place. There will be a card with your name and photo on your desk. One person at a time sits at a desk. At the very beginning of the exam, you will be told about its rules and the essence of the tasks will be explained.

Listening part

After the examiner has clarified the organizational issues, the listening test begins. You will receive booklets with questions and answer options. For half an hour you will listen to various dialogues, situations, etc. The difficulty is that after each text you will be given only 30 seconds to check your answers. This means that you will have to answer while listening to the materials. When all the texts have been read, you will have 10 minutes to enter your answers on a special form.

Reading part

Immediately after listening, you will begin reading the texts. In 1 hour you will have to analyze 3-5 materials (depending on whether it is an Academic or General test). All answer options should be carefully considered. Take your time and try to understand what exactly they want from you.

Part Writing

You have to complete 2 written tasks: write an essay and express your opinion (give an example from life, etc.). No more than 30 minutes are allotted for each task. As practice shows, many simply do not have time to write texts due to the fact that they first transfer their thoughts to the draft. But it is extremely important to maintain a clear structure with a logical introduction and conclusion.

Speaking part

First, you will meet the examiner and talk about general topics, and then you will have to discuss a specific life problem. Nothing complicated, the main thing is not to be silent and speak confidently.

How IELTS is scored

The IELTS exam uses a 0.0 to 9.0 scoring system and your IELTS score will consist of scores in each of the four skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking, as well as an overall average score.

The evaluation criteria are as follows:

IELTS Score Chart

Level	Points (per ability)	Test results for each ability
		Speaking	Listening	Reading (General Training)	Writing (General Training)
High	First official language: 4	6.5 - 9.0	7.5 - 9.0	6.5 - 9.0	6.5 - 9.0
	Second official language: 2
Moderate	Either official language: 2	5.5 - 6.0	5.5 - 7.0	5.0 - 6.0	5.5 - 6.0
Basic	Either official language: 1 (maximum of 2)	4.0 - 5.0	4.5 - 5.0	3.5 - 4.5	4.0 - 5.0
No	0	Less than 4.0	Less than 4.5	Less than 3.5	Less than 4.0

Listening- assessed by the number of correct answers to listening questions. You should pay attention to the correct spelling of words, since a mistake in a word will lead to the fact that the point for this answer will not be counted, even if you essentially answered correctly.

Reading- is assessed in the same way as Listening - by the number of correct answers to questions about the texts.

Writing is assessed according to several criteria:

• TA/TR (Task Achievement Task Response): Fulfillment (Context). In a word - content.
• CC: Clearance (Cohesion/Coherence). How clearly thoughts are expressed.
• LR: Vocabulary (Lexical Resource). Vocabulary and ability to use it are assessed.
• GRA: Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The grammatical structure of sentences and spelling are assessed.

Speaking— a person’s communication skills are assessed, i.e. It is not so much the knowledge of the English language that is assessed, but rather the communication skill during which English is used. Speaking is assessed based on four parameters, each of which carries 25% of the score: Fluency and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation.

Assessment of communication skills (Speaking)

Fluency	Talking at length Talking without pauses or hesitations Talking without self-correction Able to be understood Using linking devices
Lexical Resource	Using a range of words & paraphrasing Using collocations Using less common vocabulary Avoiding errors
Grammar Range & Accuracy	Using a range of sentence structures Using a range of grammar tenses Avoiding errors
Pronunciation	Able to be understood throughout the test Able to use intonation Accent does not affect understanding Accurate word and sound pronunciation

Exam results are valid for two years.

Where can I take the exam?

The British Council is the official organization that accepts and issues certificates of successful completion of the exam. On the British Council website you can select the country where you live and the city in which it is easiest for you to take the exam. You can also find out how to choose an exam date, register, pay, and other organizational issues.

There is also additional information that you should review before you begin your preparation. Of course, you should visit the official IELTS website.

Conclusion

Who is the IELTS exam for? The international IELTS test is designed to assess the level of English language proficiency of everyone wishing to study or work in English-speaking countries. Only IELTS takes into account the different objectives of the candidate, offering 2 exam formats: Academic Module (IELTS Academic) and General Module (IELTS General).

Why IELTS? The IELTS International English Language Certificate is now recognized by more than 9,000 organizations in 140 countries, including universities, professional bodies, immigration agencies and other government agencies in countries such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand and many more.

The developers of the IELTS exam are international organizations, leaders in the field of knowledge testing: Cambridge English Language Assessment, IDP: IELTS Australia and The British Council.

We hope that we have helped you understand the nuances and now you can prepare for IELTS. Best regards and good luck!

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

The maximum score that can be obtained for this English proficiency exam is 9. The minimum score that a student needs to enter a British university is 6.5. I passed IELTS Academic with 8 points and I want to tell you how I did it.

IELTS is an exam whose results are accepted primarily by British universities. In 2010, I seriously considered enrolling in the Master of Communications program at the University of the Arts, London. I didn’t have two million rubles for study and living expenses, but I believed that I would receive a scholarship. The opportunity was indeed very likely, and the prospect of hanging out in London for a year was enticing, so I decided to start with the most time-consuming stage - taking IELTS. I’ll say right away that I entered the master’s program, but didn’t have time to get a scholarship, so I had to abandon the whole idea. But I don’t regret it: having instead gone to the Fashion Magazine Business summer school at the university’s fashion college, I realized how pointless additional media education in Britain is from a practical point of view.

What you need to pass IELTS

Iron motivation. Taking IELTS simply to prove your English proficiency is pointless. This is a rather specific exam that focuses on mastery of academic vocabulary, the ability to write research essays and read scientific literature. In addition, like all exams, IELTS is paid and its certificate is valid for two years, but you will have to prepare for it from a month to six months. Too unjustified a waste of resources for a check mark on the list of achievements, no?

Awareness of the ultimate goal. You should know what grades are accepted by the university you want to enroll in. I expected to pass the exam with 6.5 points, but when I wrote this goal on my vision board, I thought: “What, I’m not going to pass with a 7?” And then I thought a little more and decided: “Why waste time on trifles! I wish I could pass IELTS with 8 points!” That’s what I wrote, although I didn’t take it seriously. Three months later, when I saw the result of my test in the online service, I literally jumped out of my chair - my surprise was so great. This was another amazing incident in my life when the power of visualization worked wonders (the first time this happened was when I printed out the first photo of a sewing machine from the Internet and pinned it to the board, and after a while my mother accidentally bought this particular model for home. But this is not as impressive as an IELTS score of 8, which is why I don't tell this story often).

Rigid system. I don’t know how things are with other exams, but IELTS is a test that assesses not students’ ability to be creative, but their ability to use long-established patterns. There are a lot of such patterns in IELTS: you need to analyze a text according to specific rules, you need to write an essay using certain vocabulary, while listening to audio you need to pay attention to previously known features. It is even advisable to speak the way the examiner wants to hear. In general, IELTS is a clear system that you won’t be able to understand the first time. If you want to do well in this exam, don't rely on your English skills. Most likely, your level will not be enough for you, unless you have already read a mountain of scientific research in English and defended a diploma in economic sciences in Britain. Otherwise, you will have to prepare, and not just leaf through a couple of books and do a dozen tests, but systematically: regularly, practicing the same canons, delving into what the examiners want to get from you.

Attending courses. I'm not a fan of courses, but in this case I simply cannot deny their benefits. I went to a special IELTS preparation program at the BKC language school, which took three months with classes three times a week. The most important thing that the course gave me was understanding the pitfalls during the exam and eliminating the need to rush between textbooks, not knowing which one is best. Well, the feeling that I just know English badly.

Decent English. The level at which it makes sense to take IELTS is intermediate or even upper intermediate (you can determine what level you are at, for example). With a lower level, you will simply spend too much effort and time on extracurricular material during preparation and will be confused in the exam. I took IELTS in my final year of university, during which I had virtually no English seminars. However, my school specialized in languages, so upon graduation I had a confident upper-intermediate, and then for four years I simply tried not to forget what I had “acquired through back-breaking labor.” As a result, it was difficult for me when preparing for the exam, since, as it turned out, I had forgotten some language nuances and lost my vocabulary. IELTS courses do not teach English: they only teach how to compose yourself and quickly navigate the exam and what special vocabulary you need to master. Of course, if the teacher sees that most of the group does not know some complex tenses or the use of prepositions, he can quickly write down the main points on the board. But otherwise, your bad English will only be your problem and the problem of your family, because you will sit over books at night.

Books. The principle “less is more” applies here. Choose one good textbook and go through it carefully. Its author most likely took care to consistently talk about all the features of IELTS and give tips on the main blocks of vocabulary. If you carefully complete each task proposed by the author, you will certainly have the necessary base. I studied using the book and workbook New Insight into IELTS by Vanessa Jakeman and Lare McDowell, honestly bought at a bookstore. But if you want to download them for free, try doing so on a root tracker.

Examples of tests. But here, on the contrary, the more, the better. Just don't try to master the basics for IELTS with them, because tests are only a way to check whether you have understood the textbook tips well, and an opportunity to highlight common "gotchas".

How I prepared

In total, it took me about three to four months to prepare for IELTS. Three times a week in the evenings I went to courses, and between them I studied at home. My training (there is no other way to describe it) consisted of reading texts from a textbook, listening to audio, describing charts about the dynamics of global warming, the gender and age structure of Internet users in Britain, forecasting rising oil prices, and also writing a two-page essay on the importance of motivation or the harm of public reprimands in companies. I filled a large notebook, and some of its pages were completely occupied by lists of introductory phrases or words characterizing the increase or decrease of some phenomenon. What is important is that I filled out the notebook not randomly, but in segments - a writing block separately, a speaking block separately, and this part contains useful words for each of the topics that may appear in the exam. Such a clear distribution helped me a lot when, a couple of days before the exam, I needed to brush up on the work of the first months. I laid out the most important pages from my notebook in photo album, so that you can also look at and remember the vocabulary, necessary figures of speech and phrases for logical oral and written statements.

About halfway through the course, I had already learned to guess what approximate word should stand in place of a space in a listening task, which points of the text would later be touched upon by questions, and what essay structure should be followed when discussing the reasons for the low performance of individual children. I also learned the basic rules for working with each stage of the exam. I will briefly share them with you.

• You first need to read the text without stopping, then study the tasks for it, and then read it again, highlighting logical blocks, underlining words that fit the gaps and noting points that can be understood in two ways in tasks like “true or false.”
• When listening to an audio recording, it is useful to immediately make something like a transcript, writing down the most significant numbers, details and key words for context. If some words are not clear, it is important not to panic and try to catch them the second time.
• When working on a written assignment, you must first determine which essay structure will be optimal in this case. The logic of presentation depends on this, which the examiner will definitely pay attention to. You can jot down a list of words that fit the topic on paper and cross them out as you use them in the text. The use of various introductory constructions, words that connect parts of a sentence and express the author’s personal attitude is highly encouraged. Looking ahead, I will say that for the writing stage of IELTS I received 7.5 points - this would be enough to enroll in a master’s program in journalism at a British university.
• During a conversation with an examiner as part of a speaking block, you must remember that the interlocutor does not evaluate what you say. He cares about how you do it. Therefore, when preparing my oral mini-speech, I was even ready to sacrifice the truth or my own opinion if it was more convenient for me to tell a different version. After all, who cares what I think about rising sea levels, as long as I have a good command of vocabulary about pollution and can logically move from that topic to the topic of social inequality, which I have a better command of.

How I took IELTS

It takes almost the entire day to pass the exam. The hardest thing was getting up at six in the morning and, having arrived at the place, waiting for the start. It’s almost impossible to bring something into the audience, and I didn’t even try. I felt that I was well prepared and watched with curiosity the other exam participants, most of whom were school graduates. During the reading block, I sometimes even had a few seconds to glance sideways at my desk neighbor. He was clearly panicking, and it was clear that he did not know the "matrix code" because he rushed from one task to another and behaved inconsistently. I did everything very quickly and was one of the first to leave the audience, feeling views. I remember the rest of the exam very vaguely. Only the word coach (“couch”) was clearly imprinted in my memory, which was one of the key words in listening. I hesitated for a long time whether I had misheard, but the context about the car museum still hinted.

It's funny that up until now I still doubt whether the word coach is translated exactly like that (and not as “coach” or “bus”, for example). However, my doubts did not play any role during the audition, because IELTS does not test language proficiency. It tests how well you can adapt and play by the given rules. And although I passed the exam with 8 points and can write a text about the state of the Russian shoe market for work, working last spring in an African reserve and selling bags of giraffe food to tourists, I periodically experienced language difficulties. I believe that this was due to fatigue and the terrible Danish-Dutch accent of the South Africans, but the fact that my English is still not perfect is for sure.

Some quick tips on how to prepare for one of the most popular language tests. Ours and others, but all, I want to believe, useful.

This post is completely subjective. If you see an error or know better, just point it out in the comments. The information is relevant for today and is not the ultimate truth. Photos of graffiti taken in the East End.

The very first question that arises when entering a foreign university is the need to confirm your language level. By and large, at the moment there are two main certificates that are issued based on test results: the American TOEFL and the British IELTS. Most universities accept both results, so you have a choice of which test to take.

TOEFL - taken on computers, is perhaps a little easier and costs less.

If you nevertheless choose the British test, you face a new fork in the road: prepare yourself or spend money on preparatory courses. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, and there is no universal advice. It all depends on your characteristics and capabilities. The main advantage of self-training is that you save money and fit classes into your schedule. The main disadvantage: not every person is able to organize themselves sufficiently to devote several hours a day to independent learning. And in this case, the intensity of preparation plays a fairly important role.

As is the case with many tests, in IELTS knowledge of the test itself is essential, perhaps even excessively important. Having not very good language skills, but being well trained in the structure and procedure of the test, you have every chance of passing it better than a candidate with a significantly higher language level who did not bother to understand the nuances of the assessment system. So, having a limited amount of time, the first misconception that you should get rid of is that you need to prepare by studying the language “in general.”

Self-preparation.

Reading.

Besides the obvious advice to read more in English, there are several significant details. You may not understand what is being said at all, but still get quite good points. The texts are given quite specific, for example, you could easily see an article about a certain chemical process that influenced the development of industry, about which you know nothing even in your native language. And guessing the entire text, whether it’s a reaction, whether it’s the material, or the fact of the discovery itself, is a direct path to nowhere.

It makes sense to prepare using specialized texts prepared specifically for the test. As a rule, the paragraphs in them have the same iron structure as everything else in this test. There are two tips: pay special attention to the first and last phrases of the paragraph: they contain the whole essence of this fragment of text and, with a high degree of probability, the answer to one of the test questions.

Second: you will be given writing materials; you can make any notes on the assignment: use it. It makes sense to circle all names and dates and underline all points. In the margins, write keywords that describe this paragraph. After working through at least a dozen texts, you will learn to do this really quickly. This type of text analysis should not take you more than five minutes. After this, the process of answering questions comes down to finding the required piece of text in your marking system. To do this, you don’t even have to really understand what we’re talking about. Trying to read carefully and comprehend the entire text is a sure way to run out of time, and half of the questions will remain unanswered.

Listening.

It's simple: listen as much as possible. Preferably not audiobooks, but podcasts, radio programs, some kind of dialogue programs. The only caveat: the test writers make great money and, in general, will be happy if you return. Therefore, there are a lot of pitfalls in this part. Write in pencil, this is allowed. And don’t get distracted, even if you think you’ve already heard the answer. There may be a clarification through the phrase that you should have noted. And pay close attention to capitalization and other grammatical subtleties: any spelling mistake reduces your correct answer to “no.”

In particular, LinguaLeo has a service for training and preparing for IELTS. An audio recording specific to the test is played for you once. All that remains is to enter the answers in the boxes. A great opportunity, firstly, to try to meet the allotted time, and secondly, to internalize the fact that any typo leads the system to consider it an error.

Reading, by the way, is also provided there. Same time limit as the real test. Same structure of questions. In general, if you want to feel like you are taking a test, this is one of the options. In total, the site has four different options for those taking Academic (for study) and the same number for General (residence permit, work).

Writing.

For many, the hardest part. Again, besides the obvious, you need to remember the following. Evaluation consists not only of how competent and reasonable your thoughts are. It's hard for us to understand, but it's only a third of the estimate. You can write complete nonsense (what else can you write about a graph of the dependence of the age of people on the number of people in museums), but if your text in structure corresponds to the formal requirements of the test and is connected (that is, there is an abundance of linking words), then most likely everything is not bad . At the same time, if you are a native speaker and have written a wonderful story, but the formal requirements are considered unworthy of attention, you will most likely have to return.

Speaking.

Finally the three hour test is over. You are released, there is still a conversation part ahead. It will have to be submitted either on the same day or a day later. Often, in another place. What you absolutely cannot do: remain silent or admit that you don’t know. This is not a formal part of the test, unlike the written stage; here you can and should speak as you have to do in real life. But, as at all stages, a scheme according to which you need to act will help you a lot. Everything flies out of your head, vocabulary remains far in the past, smart thoughts are rapidly leaving the country, only a scheme for answering any question remains: say what, explain why, give an example.

- What color is your favorite vegetable?

In my country there is a long tradition of growing tomatoes, and for the region I’m from, this vegetable is practically sacred; it’s not for nothing that it is depicted on the coat of arms of one of the most ancient families of our princes. Tomatoes come in many colors, but I love the classic red ones.
They owe their color to a specific pigment, which is produced in the required quantity only when the vegetables have enough sun.
Perhaps that is why this vegetable was so important for our ancestors, not only as a source of vitamins, but also as a symbol that the sun is always with us.

When you can immediately respond to any absolutely stupid question with a similar text, everything is fine. Here we are talking not so much about the dictionary, not about specific vocabulary, not even about pronunciation. Perhaps the most difficult thing is the barrier that prevents us from carrying such nonsense mixed with lies, which in this case can become a life-saving solution.

Do you like surprise parties?
Bad honest answer: no, we don’t.
A good answer: a three-minute story of continuous text about a loved one who came while you were living in Paris for work. You had a birthday that you had to spend alone. But when you returned from work, you suddenly saw him/her in your room. He/she climbed up the pipe. Well, etc., until they tell you the long-awaited “thank you.”

Training option: ask someone close to you to come up with several dozen such questions. Choose randomly and use a stopwatch to ensure that you can answer any question for two minutes. Details. With examples. And even with conclusion.

Spoken language training: find native speakers on Skype who are ready to communicate with you for a few hours a week for relatively little money. There are native speakers who earn extra money this way, and this is a very good option. How to find? Google to the rescue.
What are you more afraid of: speaking in a language or talking nonsense, only you know better. But this is what we should focus on.
Of course, self-study does not in any way replace additional training at school, if you have such an opportunity.

Preparation for courses.

If you honestly admit that organizing yourself and studying for several hours a day is difficult for you (and this is the case for most of us), a good option is courses.

If you have the opportunity to go to a course in England, this is an ideal plan. Immersion in the language environment itself allows you to have a completely different mindset when taking the test. In addition, the test is changing quite quickly and it is not a fact that our teachers will even just get the latest textbooks on the test, if only because they are not cheap at all. In addition, you can take the test itself right there. At the latest prices, it turns out that it is a little cheaper than, for example, in Moscow.

In general, when choosing a place to take the test, it is worth considering the fact that the center may discredit itself in the system, and the certificates issued by it will be cancelled. In particular, therefore, in this post there is no advice to go to Albania and stupidly buy the results. Although such a service is also provided in our colorful world.

And the most important advice that cannot be overestimated: don’t be nervous. There are a hundred people around you, many of whom depend on the results for their entire lives. You are fingerprinted throughout the journey and your passport is checked at all times during the test. Relax and have fun: it's just an adventure, and not that expensive.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is a serious British test that is accepted at IELTS centers around the world. You have to take this test in many cases: when applying for a relevant job, for admission to study at many universities around the world, for emigrating to Australia.

1. Never panic.

If you feel like your nerves are on edge, take a deep breath and exhale slowly, counting to ten. You should be relaxed when answering an exam because your brain works more efficiently when you are not under stress. Set yourself up to the fact that passing this test is a quick and exciting process, fill yourself with only positive emotions.

2. Remember that this test is not just about testing your English language skills.

It simultaneously tests the level of development of your logic and intelligence, evaluates your standard and non-standard thinking in a variety of situations. Even in the simplest topics for dialogue, there are bound to be tricky questions that can confuse you.

For example, when I took IELTS, I was at first happy that of the proposed topics there was one surprisingly easy one - FAMILY.

But as soon as questions started pouring in about the problems of divorce proceedings and children in single-parent families, I fell into a slight shock, so the third commandment:

3. Don't be afraid to fantasize plausibly.

Show how you can talk, fantasize, communicate about everything. When presenting a topic or engaging in dialogue, you should appear very confident, even if you are not very well prepared. When answering, use as many introductory words and phrases as possible, which will give you time to organize your thoughts. For example, such as:

I wounder if - interesting...
As for me - as for me
From my point of view - from my point of view
I’d like to say that - I would like to say that...

4. Do not write the expected answers to all questions on the sheet.

If in a SPEAKING exam you are given a card with a list of questions and given two minutes to think about it with a pencil and a rough draft in your hand, then you should not write down the expected answers to all the questions on the paper.

Briefly note down all the questions and return the card to the examiner. The importance of this point is that in the process of answering you may forget half of the key questions and, accordingly, will not answer them. This will be a big minus! Even if you have time to briefly write the answers to half of the questions, you still won’t be able to read them easily and naturally (as in a conversation), you will still have to connect and intertwine them. Therefore, if you have a list of questions in front of you, then by looking at it, you will have a better chance of answering them better, more accurately, without missing a single question.

5. WRITING. Do not strive to write more than established standards.

The more you write, the more mistakes you can make. The main thing is to slightly exceed the minimum standard! You may lose a point for an unfinished word!

The plan should be something like this: Letter (150-160 words) = introduction (30-40), body (80), conclusion (30-40). Essay (250-260 words) = introduction (50-60), body (150), conclusion (40-50).

6. Do not write entire texts in draft form.

It's better to sketch out a plan. If writing a letter seems like a simple task to you, then according to the plan, start writing from a draft straight to the final copy (or you risk not meeting it on time). If the organizers provide for writing essays and letters in pencil, then forget about the draft (make only a plan on it) and write in the final version, this can save you up to 10 minutes of time that you would need to rewrite and check the final version.

7. Important: do not “spread water”, especially in writing.

Clearly address ABSOLUTELY all the questions and problems raised. There are entire paragraphs of standard phrases, which, having memorized, you can automatically write half of the required volume, for example, a standard introduction, greeting, gratitude, complaint, etc. Be sure to stick to the style (formal or informal). Write a paragraph in pencil, count the number of words and mark it in the margins so you know how much more you need to write. As soon as you write a letter, immediately write an essay. You will check it later with a “fresh mind.”

8. WRITING. We are writing an essay.

If you are stumped about how to start, then start smartly. Rephrase the essay topic in other words (reflect the same meaning without rewriting the text from the title!). And make a half-conclusion (I agree with the statement, I disagree, the question is controversial...). From this it will be possible to deftly push off in the main part.

In the main part we generously provide examples: reasoning, personal experience. Forget about honesty! The main thing is to write believably and so that you like it from all sides (grammatical structures, vocabulary, spelling...). Conclusion - a general conclusion from what has been written.

The main thing: - The topic must be disclosed. - Grammar is as simple as possible, but don’t get carried away with the primitive. Write your sentences briefly, but not monosyllabically, and clearly.

9. READING. Don’t put your logic on the far shelf here.

Get ready for the fact that all the questions here will be confusing, and even if you come across a piece of text written word for word as in a question, it is not a fact that this sentence will contain the correct answer! It just doesn’t happen here! Traps are placed in the most unpredictable places.

The main recommendation is to go through all the questions from beginning to end, thus answering all the simple questions. Don’t sit on complex questions for a long time; it’s better to come back to them after some time! Even if you don’t know the answer at all, be sure to check the box for good luck.

10. The golden rule of the test is not to dwell on one task for an inordinately long time.

Manage your time without wasting time on your main business! This is especially important for LISTENING. If you fiddle with one question, you risk missing the next ones. No one will repeat anything to you. If you feel that you cannot answer a question, leave it, forget about it, accept the loss and quickly move on to finding the next answer!

For some, the big obstacle to studying at foreign universities is the English language. In reality, this is not as big a problem as it might seem. It was the same with me; I once didn’t know how to pass IELTS and considered it a lifelong endeavor. The main thing when preparing for an exam is the right approach, which I did not immediately find. I will share useful tips , how to pass the language exam to study abroad.

First, you need to understand what exam the educational institution accepts. As a rule, these are the main IELTS (academic) and TOEFL. Certificates from these language exams are accepted by 99.99% of universities and colleges in English-speaking countries. In principle, the exams are similar and test 4 sections: listening, reading, writing, speaking. The difference between IELTS and TOEFL is that you take TOEFL entirely in front of a computer and you do not have an examiner. Everything is typed on a computer, listened to on headphones, and spoken into a microphone for recording. When taking IELTS, you talk to a live person, write by hand on paper and listen to speakers. Since, then I will describe this particular exam further.

The most important- Don’t start preparing on your own, as I once began to do. Firstly, it is almost useless since only a few manage to learn English on their own. Secondly, the exam has a bunch of nuances that you will 100% miss without a teacher. If you don’t know English well, you can sign up for general language courses for a month + study extra intensively at home (watch movies and read websites in English). During this month, it is necessary to strengthen the base as much as possible, study tenses and basic rules: how sentences are constructed, word formation, frequent figures of speech. After this, you need to immediately go look for a tutor or training courses specifically to IELTS!!! I’ll say right away that knowing English and passing IELTS are not always the same thing. I think that not even every native English speaker will be able to pass this exam with a high score. For example, in the writing section you need to know exactly the structure of the essay, since without it you will not be given a high mark, even if you wrote everything without errors and used complex figures of speech. During the first few lessons you will think that this exam is super difficult, but it is not. You just need to understand its principle and what skills need to be improved. For example, you definitely need to know how to pronounce all the letters in the alphabet. This is necessary in order to be able to write down surnames when they are spelled (you will definitely see this in the exam).

1. Reading.
   There will be 3 texts, 40 questions and an hour of time. For each text you need to measure 20 minutes yourself, this is your task. The texts are in order of difficulty. They are taken from magazines, articles, scientific sites. These are difficult to read, they are not adapted. As the teachers themselves say, this section is not called reading, but searching for information in the text. You will not have time to read, understand the text and answer questions in 20 minutes. This is physically impossible. As they taught me: skim the text for 2 minutes and understand the general meaning. Necessarily Underline all dates and proper names. IELTS preparation courses will explain all this to you. I can personally recommend reading scientific articles on CNN at home and practicing reading quickly. Skim and try to understand the general meaning. I received 8 points in this section. I focused on this part from the very beginning.
2. Letter
   There are 2 essays here, the first is 150 words, the second is 250. How to write will be taught in more detail in the courses, this cannot be explained quickly. Considered the most difficult part. There is a life hack– for the first part of the essay you need to prepare standard sentences for the introduction and ending. Then you can immediately insert this template for any task, changing only the data. This will save a lot of time. For the second essay, you also need to prepare a number of standard sentences that need to be memorized and be sure to be used in the right places. If anyone needs it, write me, I still have my preparations, although they are given them at the courses. I received 6 points in this section
3. Listening
   There will be 4 texts, read once and you need to immediately answer the questions while listening. There will be 40 questions, 10 for each text. The difficulty is that if you haven’t heard something, you start to “float”, get nervous and miss the rest of the task. It may turn out that you didn’t hear something at the beginning and got distracted, and while you were trying to collect your thoughts, you didn’t answer all the other questions. Although these missed questions may have been simple and you would have answered them without difficulty, there will not be a second chance. There is only one option - if you didn’t hear the answer, how can the robot continue listening and answer the next questions, since all tasks are worth the same number of points. DO NOT be nervous, as soon as you start twitching - everything is gone. I received 6 points for listening ( although I was hoping for more) .
4. Speaking
   It will be approximately 10 minutes and 3 sections. First, they ask standard questions, to which you give short answers. In the second section, you are given a topic and one minute to prepare. After that, you speak in a monologue for 2 minutes and expand on this topic. The third part contains questions on the topic of the second section, but the answers are more complete than in the first part. I found an excellent way to prepare - there are about 35 topics for speaking in IELTS, just write out a dictionary of words for each topic and learn them by heart. It’s just that sometimes there may be a non-standard topic for which you will need to have at least a minimum vocabulary. For example, there is the topic “flowers”, about which I knew nothing at all. I had to write down the main types of plants and verbs associated with flora. I got 7.5 points in IELTS speaking.

Thus, my average score came out to exactly 7. Admission often requires a 6.5 overall, and at least 6 in each section. According to my calculations, you can prepare for IELTS in 8-9 months if your English base is at an elementary level. But in this case you will have to do a lot of work. For people with an intermediate level, preparation for IELTS will take approximately 5-6 months. How I prepared and passed the exam