IELTS Academic Module

Hi! We’re IELTS specialists from STBA LIA Jakarta. We are here to help you get 4.5+ in the
IELTS exam.

STBA LIA Jakarta and STMKG have been working together since 2011. One of the
collaboration is in conducting IELTS preparation course to help the cadets at STMKG get 4.5+
of IELTS band.

As a disclaimer, we want to make this clear from the start, although it should be obvious,
we need to be realistic here, if you only have a week or so before your test then you will be
very lucky (miraculous more like) to get the score you need. For most people the optimal
time is three months (more is better obviously) as you not only need to have a good level of
English but you also need to understand everything about the IELTS, how it works, how it
is assessed, the difference between the question types, the common topics, and the
techniques and strategies you need to answer them. What we will outline here is a general
strategy for the four sections and also more specific strategies and links to various resources
which will help you in your preparation.

So, this planner serves as a quick reference guide and is designed to meet the proposed
program of 22 sessions (including 4 sessions of the IELTS exam). Each session is designed to
run in 90 minutes. The number of session, of course, is not really the ideal one as you need
extra hours to reach the minimum passing grade. Therefore, you must give more efforts to
do individual practice as the 18 sessions (6 webinars & 12 coaching sessions) are not
enough to rely on.

Due to the COVID19 pandemic issue, the course will be held online 3 times a week. We’ll
have webinar sessions via Zoom or other similar platforms and the materials will be shared
through Google Classroom. You must attend all sessions and submit all assignments via
Google Classroom Classwork. Cheating on the assignments & tests will be reported to
STMKG’s official.

The study planner will help you:

 get organized and feel confident about the test

 practice all 4 skills and learn strategies to get a higher score

Good luck!
 Welcome to your Academic IELTS
Study Planner

Writing
Writing is a SKILL and all skills improve with practice. Writing something
every day will make you write more easily. Looking at models will give you
plenty of ideas and help focus you on what the examiner expects.

Speaking
Practice speaking every day. Speak for 2 minutes, record yourself and listen
to yourself. You will gain confidence and fluency by doing this.

Reading/Listening
It’s important that you practice a lot on these 2 skills.

Wish you all the best of luck!

STBA LIA IELTS team
 IELTS PREPARATION ONLINE COURSE
STUDY PLANNER

Session Activity Notes

1-3 IELTS LISTENING WEBINAR There will be 3
IELTS Listening assesses a wide range of listening skills, such as classes/rooms.
Students’ will join
understanding main ideas, understanding specific factual
the webinar in the
information, recognizing opinions, attitudes and purposes of a
designated class.
speaker, and following the development of an argument. Join
this webinar to explore the four parts of the Listening test,
review examples of the possible question types, and learn what
task-based activities you can incorporate for success.

4-6 IELTS READING WEBINAR There will be 3

The IELTS Reading Test assesses a wide range of skills, such classes/rooms.
Students’ will join
as reading for gist, reading for main ideas and details,
the webinar in the
understanding inferences and implied meaning, and
designated class.
recognizing a writer’s attitude and opinion.

7 Writing Task 1
8 Writing Task 1
9 Writing Task 1
10 Writing Task 2
11 Writing Task 2
12 Writing Task 2
13 Speaking Part 1
14 Speaking Part 2
15 Speaking Part 3
16 Listening Section 4 & Review
17 Reading Passage 3 exercises
18 Wrapping up all skills (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking)
19 Listening Test (30-40 minutes) & Reading Test (60 minutes) Final test via
Google form
20 Writing (60 minutes) Final test via
Google form
21 Speaking (90 minutes; one pair of students +/- 10 minutes) Online test directly
22 Speaking (90 minutes; one pair of students +/- 10 minutes) with your teacher
LISTENING TIPS
● Wrong spelling loses marks. Check your answer sheet carefully, and double check
for plural forms.
● It’s OK to write short forms of dates – it’s better to write Wed 31 than to mis-spell
it and lose the point
● Always check the word limit e.g. if you are only allowed one word in the gap, keep
the one that fits the gap best
● Try to predict or guess what might come in the gaps – you can often guess
answers without listening!
● Practise the alphabet for Part 1, especially letters which are similar e.g. e/i/y, g/j,
b/p
● Underline key words in the time they give you to read through the questions

READING TIPS
● The questions always come in the same order as they appear in the text apart
from Matching Headings, Matching Information and Matching People
● Timing is crucial. If you can’t find an answer MOVE ON. You have about 1.5
minutes for each question
● With gap-fills, copy the words exactly as they are in the text. Check
spelling on your answer sheet.
● Correct answers are usually synonyms or paraphrased versions of sentences in the
text: this is why vocabulary is SO important.
● Skim the text quickly before you start. Focus on:
- Title/subtitle
- First lines of each paragraph
- Capital Letters - people, places, organisations
- Numbers
- Words in italics or ‘inverted commas’

WRITING TIPS
● Always write a clear OVERVIEW in Task 1. Start the sentence with ‘Overall….’
● Write AT LEAST the minimum number of words in both Task 1 and Task 2.
● Organise Task 2 into clear paragraphs – leave a space between each paragraph.
● Make sure your opinion is clearly stated throughout Task 2
● Finish the Task 2 conclusion with a final thought, recommendation or
consequence
● Don’t memorise long chunks, but do memorise short chunks e.g. ‘It’s high
time that the government took action to tackle (global warming)’.
SPEAKING TIPS
● Don’t wait for the examiner to say ‘Why?’ in Part 1 – show the examiner
that you can speak fluently without help.
● Whatever you do, don’t stop talking, especially in Part 2.
● Always use the 1 minute prep to write a brief plan and to jot down some less
common phrases and adjectives you can use.
● In the 1 min prep, write down all PAST Tenses you will need, especially irregular
ones.
● Be natural and honest – tell the examiner exactly what’s going through your head.
There’s no right answer in the Speaking Test.
● Don’t be afraid to say negative things – e.g. a film you DIDN’T like. This can
help you show a wider range of vocabulary.
● Read widely on a wide range of issues so that you can argue your viewpoint
with plenty of examples in Part 3.

Before the exam:

● Go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.
● Prepare and check your internet connection and your gadget
for doing the test, e.g. your laptop and its battery.
● Make sure a quiet, comfortable and well-lit space to take
your test on your own.
● Check the speakers and microphone on for the duration
of the test.
● Prepare your student’s ID card.
● Have a good breakfast/ take snacks so you don’t get hungry.
● Relax! You’ve done everything you can. You’ll be fine.

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