How to prepare for IELTS at home?
How do you get over IELTS preparation at home? If this is the question terrifying you, get a mug of coffee & chill – this blog is for you.
Preparing for IELTS is as simple as ABC if you go with a fixed plan. Focusing on the basics of IELTS preparation is one of the keys to success in the IELTS exam. The most important element is the mindset of a candidate, and your willingness to adopt the right process.
Step 1: Diagnose Current English Level
It all starts from where you stand at the present or you face misfits in the journey of preparing for the IELTS and curse your fate later.
Imagine a class 7 child attending a philosophy lecture in a degree college or a cricketer-turned-politician asked to run a country! These are misfits. Unfortunately, more than half of the IELTS aspirants are suffering from such misfits. Learning any new skill should progress gradually – stage by stage – be it driving or cooking.
There are 6 levels of language proficiency identified under the CEFR scale which certifies at what stage a candidate is with 6th being the highest proficiency.
Before you start your practice with IELTS materials, it is very crucial to identify at what level your English skills are at present. Once a candidate figures out where he stands, he will get more clarity on how to study IELTS on his own.
It’s time to plan your IELTS roadmap considering your strengths and weaknesses in each IELTS module. Remember, not to compare yourself with anyone.
Find out what skills you need to work upon – to reach your target IELTS band score, what you need to do for that and what resources you would require to improve yourself.
For example, if you find your writing score is the lowest during diagnosis, what IELTS writing parameter is responsible for that? Let’s say you score well in grammar and vocabulary but you are missing out on Task Response. That means you need training on how to improve the quality of your Task Response in IELTS. In other words, find a way for you not to deviate from the topic.
Again there might be different reasons for your deviation from the actual topic. It might be because of a lack of concentration or due to a misunderstood topic. Find out, what it is that makes your writing out of context. Unless you find this answer, the chances of your improvement in IELTS writing are very low.
Likewise, perform a detailed analysis of each IELTS module keeping the band descriptors in front of you that the IELTS examiner is looking for. Based on the volume of your mistakes, set a realistic band score goal you want to achieve within a set timeline.
Get down to the IELTS syllabus and gather IELTS official materials preferably the Cambridge IELTS series. You can also get IELTS-ready preparation resources and many other useful resources that cover all aspects of the IELTS test from ieltsidpindia.com.
Paper | Content | Time |
Listening | 40 Questions | Approx. 30 Min + 10 Min |
Reading | 40 Questions | 60 Minutes |
Writing | 2 tasks | 60 Minutes |
Speaking | 3 Parts | 11-14 Minutes |
Besides, there are many online IELTS training available on YouTube, delivering IELTS workshops, podcasts & IELTS exam tips. However, you need to be cautious about its authenticity and avoid receiving bulk information
IELTS is divided into four core modules, i.e. listening, reading, writing and speaking with each carrying equal weightage, (9 bands).
Further, each module is divided into sub-parts, for instance, IELTS writing has two tasks where writing task 1 is graph writing or letter writing (for IELTS General) and writing task 2 includes an essay.
Moreover, understanding each question type and what skill it tests is the key. Therefore, while going through each type of question, try to get an idea about what English skills it tests; for example, whether it tests your vocabulary skill, grammar skill, reasoning skill, general skill or understanding author’s perception
The IELTS exam is conducted in two modes. Paper-Based & Computer-based. Of course, there are a few advantages/disadvantages over the other mode test
Understand IELTS band descriptors
Going through writing and IELTS speaking, band descriptors can provide a comprehensive idea about scoring areas even if you are not well in those modules.
Kindly refer to the band calculator to find out the exact IELTS score in academic reading, general reading & listening along with how to calculate the overall IELTS band score
Don’t jump onto solving IELTS exam papers. Practice stage-wise in each IELTS module and analyze your performance against time after attempting each type of question or each section.
Analyze your wrong answers in IELTS listening and IELTS reading using correct answers and try to understand the traps. For writing and speaking, analyze your weak areas using band descriptors and find their solution.
You might want to take IELTS expert feedback to nurture your skills, particularly relating to ielts essays and ielts speaking topics performances. Seek external help or resources at this point if you think your performance is below par. This can save you a lot of time.
Step 5: Attempt IELTS Mock Tests
Organize your mock test – the same way you get in the exam hall. Sit for long hours and attempt all 3 modules at once. This will allow you to sit for longer hours ensuring your concentration remains constant.
Time management & Pressure handling are the hidden factors that test your ability to perform under exam conditions. Many IELTS candidates fail to perform according to their potential in the actual IELTS exam. This is because they have not practiced under exam conditions while attempting mock tests.
Therefore, practicing under exam conditions is one of the crucial stages while preparing for the IELTS exam. You can book your IELTS exam date once you achieve your target band score consistently.
