- g u i d E - - I E l T S -

HOw to start

ielts
preparation

- E N G L I S H -
HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

Hello! My name is Darian Sandmartin, and I am an International

IELTS Trainer and founder of the World Speaks English Community.

My mission is to help as many people as possible worldwide to pass

IELTS with 7+ and pursue their dreams abroad.

My goal is to provide high-quality educational content with my

personal tips and strategies on how I became fluent in English.

I know that many people struggle with the initial planning when it comes to
the IELTS Preparation. Frequently, they do not know where to start and how
to plan activities. Therefore, I created this guide to help you navigate your
next steps.

First of all, let me congratulate you on this bold and brave decision – to take
IELTS. Whether you want to do it for a job, a university, or even for yourself –
you have indeed made a decision that is most likely going to change your life.
IELTS is a tool that opens many doors and provides various opportunities to
people from all over the globe regardless of their background or education.

World Speaks English is a

community that unites English IELTS IELTS VIDEO
enthusiasts from all over the world.

PODCAST LESSONS
Listen to IELTS Watch free video
Speaking tutorials for
There are more than 100 000 people samples and tips IELTS and English
in the WSE community who not only
receive high-quality educational
information completely for free but
also share experiences about taking
SPEAKING IELTS PREP
IELTS, moving abroad, studying in a PARTNERS COURSE
foreign country, getting a job, etc. Get a practice Join an intensive
partner who 100% online
Click on the tiles matches your
criteria
course to boost
your score

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

1. SET A CLEAR GOAL

Why are you taking IELTS? For migration? For education? For work? All
of these reasons require different kinds of exam taken. There are 5 IELTS
types whose usage depends on what purposes you have in life.

Test Purpose
IELTS This test is for test takers wishing to study at
Academic undergraduate or postgraduate levels, and for
those seeking professional registration in the UK.

IELTS
This test is for test takers wishing to migrate to the
General UK and for those wishing to train or study below
Training degree level.

IELTS Life This test is for those who need to prove their
Skills A1 English Speaking and Listening skills as part of
their application to UK Visas and Immigration for
'family of a settled person' visas.

IELTS Life This test is for those who need to prove their
Skills A2 English Speaking and Listening skills as part of
their application to UK Visas and Immigration for
extension to family, Spouse or Partner visa.

( This test is only available in the UK).

IELTS Life This test is for those who need to prove their
Skills B1 English Speaking and Listening skills as part of
their application to UK Visas and Immigration for
indefinite leave to remain or citizenship.

Click on the links

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

IELTS for UKVI tests are designed to meet specific administrative

requirements outlined by the UK Home Office and are taken at a UKVI
approved test centre.

IELTS Life Skills can prove your Speaking and Listening skills for the
family visa, indefinite leave to remain or citizenship visas.

The source of this information is the official British Council website. Visit
it for more details about test types.

Remember, each test purpose makes you set a different target band
score. For example, if you take the test for studying abroad, you must
note what requirements universities have for your IELTS result. My
business school accepted people with not less than 7.5 overall.

Remember, the majority of universities require namely the traditional

IELTS (both Paper-based and Computer-based). Even though there are
IELTS Indicator (available to take from home, as a response to the
COVID-19 pandemic) and even Duolingo tests – they are usually not
accepted by higher education institutions worldwide.

2. Define preparation materials

When you have established a goal and chose which test to take, it is now
time to look into preparation materials. They must suit the chosen IELTS
type and be of high quality.

Many books out there are written by ambiguous authors and have no
connection with official Cambridge English guidelines. So, I advise you to
be attentive when choosing what materials to rely on. You can either buy
the books online on Amazon or your local e-commerce shop or in a
physical store.

Another great way to get your hands on authentic materials is by going

to a library. I personally took the books for prep from there. It is free and
quite convenient if there is a rich library nearby.

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

3. Take a placement test

It is important to carefully assess your initial level before starting
preparation to make sure you are moving in the right direction.

For example, you can take this grammar test. It will help you to
understand what topics you are not familiar with and what grammar
needs to be worked on additionally. Find the answers here.

Another great placement test for your vocabulary is called “Test your
vocab”. It is a website where you can challenge yourself and see how
many words you already know in English. While reading all the words
there you will also notice new ones that I advise to write down and learn.
You do that to gradually improve your grammar and vocabulary that are
inseparable from a good IELTS band score.

Remember, it is not enough to just work on your IELTS tasks. What is

more important is language development. These placement tests will
help you understand what grammar topics and what vocabulary you
need to focus on.

4. Do a mock IELTS test

It is also necessary to try a mock test at the very beginning of your
preparation to familiarize yourself with the test structure and get the
main idea of how the test works.

Please note, it is perfectly okay to completely fail for the first time. Most
importantly, you will learn how to deal with the test and what to pay
attention to. You will clearly see what are modules that went easy and
what was more difficult. Therefore, you will be able to create a plan of
what to focus on — step-by-step.

Click on the links

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

You can safely use the two mock tests that we host at WSE – the
Speaking Mock Test at the end of which you will get a comprehensive
report with your mistakes, band score, and areas for improvement. As
well as the Writing Correction where you can submit your Task 1 or Task
2 essay and get a fully corrected text back, with a band score given.

For example, in the very beginning, I quickly learnt that Listening and
Reading were my strongest parts, so I allocated much more time to
Writing and Speaking. Then, on the real test, I got 9.0 both in Reading
and Listening, but the other 2 modules were harder to conquer.

5. Create a planner
It is of massive importance to track your progress as you go. If you
managed to get a certain band score in the beginning when taking your
first mock test, write it down to your planner. This will be a starting point
to gradually build on.

Make sure to base your planner on the available timing that you have
until your test day. Every English level requires a different time for growth
until you get to Advanced / Proficiency. For instance, the
Upper-Intermediate level is enough to allocate a couple of months before
you will be able to hit 8+. When you start from Intermediate and below,
the timings will be longer. Take this into account.

Another useful thing to add to your planner is a target band score. Your
everyday work becomes more intentional when you know what score
exactly you work for. You can draw a planner in any way you prefer or
download for free the ones that I created for you here.

Click on the links

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

6. Understand what you take IELTS for

This is not just a band score.

You take this test to show how well you use the language. The
preparation period helps you to become even more fluent in speaking
and advanced in writing. This is what you are ultimately aiming for in the
end – for better language abilities. Essentially because the language will
be the main means of communication when you move abroad for your
dream job or university.

It is the life you are building for yourself, not just a test score.

People with better operational command of English tend to look more

trustworthy, professional and reliable than those who cannot get their
words out. They also are more likely to get a job promotion or run an
international business. Think of what future you are creating for yourself,
as English is the basis of our modern professional world.

Do not treat IELTS as an obstacle in your way. Treat it as a tool to become

more professional and improve yourself.

7. Switch all your information sources to English

To feel more comfortable when speaking a certain language, you can try
immersing yourself into the language completely. One thing that I did
before my IELTS exam to speed up the preparation results was switching
everything to English. It’s amazing how fast you can start thinking in a
foreign language when forcing yourself to consume information only in
this language.

I had to take the IELTS Academic test, so I googled scientific articles via
Google Scholar – it is an amazing extension of Google that lets you find
scientific papers of any sort.

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

I started reading my daily news in English, changed my phone language,

switched to English versions of books I was reading, subscribed to a
couple of English newsletters and magazines. This allowed me to start
thinking in English as fast as possible. Which completely transformed
how I used the language.

For example, I have been loving these two subscriptions - I usually read
them on my way to the office. They are so captivating and full of really
useful information - I can easily stay on top of the news. They include
amazing reading materials about the latest news in the corporate world,
business, e-commerce, IT and trends.

The Hustle ️[a more detailed one]

️Finimize [a shorter one]

And they are completely free!

8. Find a friend
Once you have successfully identified your preparation trajectory, find a
supportive friend who will help you with the challenge you‘ve set up for
yourself. It is very cool to practice Speaking and Writing with someone
who can give you a task and track how you are responding. You can look
for study buddies in our WSE Telegram Chat.

Remember to always strive for better, never give up on the goal you have
established, and move forward to your dream.

On my YouTube channel, you will find many videos where I explain

specific strategies and tasks from real IELTS tests. I hope that will be
useful.

Click on the links

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

9. Join the Rocket Speed IELTS Preparation Course

This is a course that comprises all the strategies that I used to
successfully prepare for IELTS Academic in under 1 month (3.5 weeks, to
be precise) and is created to help people who are just starting off their
IELTS Preparation or for those who are in the last stretch before the test.

The intensive course lasts for 30 days and covers all IELTS modules +
advanced vocabulary. I conduct the whole programme 100% online in a
closed Facebook group, so you don’t need to install any software or
register anywhere (except for having a Facebook account, of course).

You will get only exclusive materials that I don't publish anywhere else,
authentic mock test sources, all checked homework, interaction with
other course members, band scores given and explained!

Also, B1 and B2 are the perfect levels to join the Rocket Speed IELTS
Preparation Course! For people at A1-A2 it will be quite challenging to
grasp the content of the course (it's all in English) and properly work
towards 7+ IELTS band score.

IELTS is not so difficult as many people see it. It looks daunting when
there is no plan of action - but luckily, this doesn't concern the students
of my course! In the course we:

Build clear understanding of what IELTS examiners expect from you

Learn how IELTS works and what strategies to use for each module
Find out how to tackle all kinds of IELTS questions
Practice all modules with authentic IELTS materials
Practice speaking with another group member or with the trainer
Learn effective vocabulary for the test
Check out participation options
and join the new batch here Book a place

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection

HOW TO START IELTS PREPARATION

10. Constantly measure your progress and see the

target ahead of you
Learning a language is a journey that can become too long and it is easy
to lose a sense of purpose along the way. Therefore, I always recommend
creating a list of things that motivate you to learn English and take IELTS.
These things must always be in front of your eyes, talk about them with
your family of language partners, think about how your life will change
when you achieve them. Never lose sight of your initial target and
remember why you started. It’s easy to get lost in the overwhelming
amount of daily tasks and forget about your dream. Don’t let it happen.

What really drives motivation is measuring your progress. Make sure you
take mock tests from time to time and write down your results - the
positive difference in your knowledge and skills will ignite your desire to
achieve more and the confidence in yourself.

11. Not all tips / strategies / approaches work for everyone

There is plenty of advice about IELTS out there. People share their own
experience, materials that worked for them and specific actions that
allowed to get the target band score. However, not everything works for
everyone. Please, keep in mind that if someone finds it easier to first read
questions of the Reading passage and only then proceed to the text - it
doesn’t matter that all the other people will benefit from the same
apprach. Someone else might find it more effective to read the passage
first and only then work on the questions.

Therefore, always strive to find what works for you personally. Don’t copy
blindly other people’s success and listen to your own self - untilize what
proves effective and don’t be afraid to ditch what is not.

GOOD LUCK!
Click on the links

Podcast | IELTS Course | Scholarship Selection