Get Ready For Your IELTS Test

6 months before
• Make sure you know what IELTS score you will need to get.
• Do you know what your current level of English is?
o If you are B1, it might be a good idea to do a General English course before
doing an IELTS preparation course.
o If you are B2 or higher, think about taking an IELTS preparation course to
make sure your IELTS score truly reflects your level.
• Register for your IELTS test well in advance to make sure you get a place.
• Tell the British Council if you have any specific needs, e.g. if you are a wheelchair
user or you suffer from dyslexia – the British Council can make the necessary
arrangements. Make sure you get a doctor’s note, too!
• Start speaking in English, listening to English and reading and writing in English as
much as possible and start NOW rather than leaving it until the last minute!

3 months before
• Start doing some ‘serious’ exam practice. There’s plenty of material on the
Internet, for example:
o the British Council’s free LearnEnglish resources;
o Take IELTS (http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/), which includes free practice
tests;
o Road to IELTS, which is free if you register for your test with the British
Council.
• Think about the topics which frequently occur in the speaking test.
• Do you know, and can you pronounce, the important or key words? Use a
dictionary, look them up, write them down, practise saying them.
• Do you find some accents more difficult to understand than others? For example,
Australian. Find examples of these (e.g. news reporters on Al Jazeera) and listen as
often as you can.
• Time your reading. Can you answer 40 questions in 60 minutes?
• Which questions types do YOU find most difficult? Give yourself more time to
practise these.
• Time your writing. Can you write:
o 150 words in 20 minutes?
o 250 words in 40 minutes?
• If you are writing too little, ask yourself what information have I left out?

www.britishcouncil.org/takeielts IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council. IDP:

IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge
ESOL Examinations
• If you are writing too much, ask yourself what irrelevant information have I
included?

Last minute
• Make sure you know:
o what the 4 sections of the IELTS test consist of;
o how long each section lasts;
o the order of the sections.
• Immerse yourself in English! Read anything (and everything) in English. Turn your
TV, radio and computer to English-medium programmes. Have English music
blaring from your speakers in your room!
• Finally, don’t panic. It is the last minute, but you can do it!

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