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IELTS Preparation Guide
IELTS Preparation Guide
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Preparation
guide
Register for the test: To find a test centre near you Free support tools
or to book your test, visit IELTSessentials.com Free test sample: The free IELTS test sample gives you
Set your ‘score goal’: Confirm the IELTS score a chance to see sample test questions and practise your
required by your chosen university, institution, employer responses: IELTSessentials.com/prepare
or organisation. Knowing your ‘score goal’ gives you a Free computer-delivered IELTS practice materials:
clear target to work towards. You can look up the criteria Know what to expect on the day with videos, FAQs and
for each score here: IELTSessentials.com/results/about-ielts- sample questions to help guide you through the computer-
scores so you understand what you need to prepare for. delivered Listening, Reading and Writing tests:
IELTSessentials.com/oncomputer
Additional support options
02 Boost your English skills IELTS Progress Check: Take a full practise test, which
gives you an indicative band score plus personalised
The best way to succeed in any English language test feedback from an official IELTS marker — so you can identify
is to improve your English. Here are two great ways to your weaknesses and improve for the real test. You can
build your skills. practise anytime, anywhere: IELTSprogresscheck.com
An English language course: This is one of the best Official IELTS Practice Material books: Available in
ways to improve your English. The feedback you receive Volume 1 and Volume 2, the Official IELTS Practice Material
from your teacher will help you improve the specific books give you a chance to try sample questions. They
skills involved in Listening, Reading, Writing and include example responses and examiner comments to
Speaking English. help guide you, plus there are CDs and DVDs to assist
with the Listening and Speaking tests. These are available
An IELTS preparation course: This can help you
online or from your local test centre.
familiarise yourself with the types of tasks included in
an IELTS test. Ask your local IELTS test centre for more
information about a preparation course near you.
Book your IELTS test and get FREE access to an online 05 The day before the test
preparation course for 30 days!*
Recap on the rules: Re-read information provided by
your test centre to ensure you understand the test format
and rules.
03 Use your English every day
Plan your journey: Ensure you know how to get to the test
venue so that you arrive on time. Also get plenty of rest the
Practice makes perfect, so use your English as much
night before your test to help you feel more relaxed on the day.
as you can well in advance of the test.
Listen: Listen to English language radio, television and
film. You should try to listen to a variety of English accents
including American, Australian, British, Canadian and
06 Test day
New Zealand.
Read: Read English publications such as newspapers
Allow time: Allow plenty of time to travel to the test venue
and magazines regularly.
to ensure you arrive on time.
Write: Write letters, emails or notes in English
Bring your passport/national identity card: Please
whenever possible.
make sure you bring the same identification that you
Speak: Speak English with your friends and family. provided on your IELTS Application Form, as we need
to match these for you to be able to sit the test.
*T
he Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.
How is IELTS scored 07
How is
IELTS scored?
Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic
8 Very good user inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar
situations. Handles complex, detailed argumentation well.
Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most
5 Modest user situations, although is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle
basic communication in own field.
No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using
2 Intermittent user isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate
needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
1 Non-user Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.
Listening test
Question types and tips
The Listening section is the Section 1: A conversation between Section 3: A conversation between
same for both IELTS Academic two people set in an everyday social up to four people set in an educational
context (e.g. a conversation about or training context (e.g. a university
and IELTS General Training. accommodation). tutor and a student discussing an
There are four parts. You will assignment, or a group of people
Section 2: A monologue set in an
hear the recording only once. planning a project).
everyday social context (e.g. a speech
A variety of voices and native- about local facilities or about arrangements Section 4: A talk (e.g. a university lecture).
speaker accents are used. for meals during a conference).
Tips
01 At the beginning of each section read 03 You will sometimes have a list of 05 Try to listen for key words or synonyms
the questions for that section carefully, options to choose from as answers. (words that have the same or nearly
before the recording starts. This will The possible answers may be listed in the same meaning as another word)
help you to follow the recording and alphabetical order and not necessarily from the question to help you identify
identify the answers. in the order you will hear them. the answer. For example, in the
recording you might hear: “She likes
02 After completing a section, it is better 04 Be careful to note word limits. If there
going to the gym and playing tennis”.
to look ahead and read the questions is an instruction: Write no more than
On your answer sheet/screen (in
for the next section than to worry two words, writing more than two
computer-delivered IELTS), this could
about the last section. words will mean you will receive no
appear as “She is an active person”.
marks at all for your answer, even
if some of the words are correct.
Listening test 09
Question types
A variety of question types are used, chosen from the following: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram
labelling, form/note/table/flowchart/summary completion, sentence completion.
How it works
Sentence completion
Sentence completion focuses on
In this question type, you are required the ability to listen for concrete
to read a set of sentences summarising facts, such as places, prices or
key information from all the listening text times, within the listening text.
or from one part of it. You will then fill a
gap in each sentence using information
from the listening text. A word limit is
given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN
ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER’.
You will be penalised for writing more
than the stated number of words. You
should check this word limit carefully for
each task: the limit is either ONE, TWO
or THREE words. Contracted words will
not be tested. Hyphenated words count
as single words.
How it works
Reading test
Question types and tips
There are three sections, The texts are all real and are taken Texts range from the descriptive and
each containing one from books, magazines and newspapers. factual to the discursive and analytical.
They have been written for a non-specialist Texts may contain non-verbal materials
long text. audience and are on academic topics such as diagrams, graphs or illustrations.
of general interest, which means you do
If texts contain technical terms,
not need specialist knowledge to do well.
then a simple glossary is provided.
The texts are appropriate to, and
accessible to, candidates entering
undergraduate or postgraduate courses
or seeking professional registration.
There are three sections. Section 1: Contains two or three Section 3: Contains one longer, more
short factual texts, one of which may be complex text on a topic of general interest.
composite (consisting of 6–8 short texts
You will be reading real passages taken
related by topic, e.g. hotel advertisements).
from notices, advertisements, company
Topics are relevant to everyday life in an
handbooks, official documents, books,
English-speaking country.
magazines and newspapers.
Section 2: Contains two short factual
texts focusing on work-related issues (e.g.
applying for jobs, company policies, pay
and conditions, workplace facilities, staff
development and training).
Tips
01 To improve your performance in the 03 When you come to reading the 05 If you are copying words from
Reading test you need to practise passage, read it quickly the first time a question or reading passage
reading a variety of English texts. in order to get a general idea of what to use in your answer, remember
This will help you develop the ability it’s about. Don’t worry about words that your spelling must be accurate.
to read quickly. you do not understand. Then read each In computer-delivered IELTS, you
question again to remind yourself which can use Copy (Ctrl C) and Paste
02 Read every question carefully
parts of the passage you will need to (Ctrl V) on your keyboard to move
first before reading the passages.
read again in detail. your answers to the answer box,
This will make it easier for you to
reducing room for mistakes.
find the answers. Underline possible 04 The Reading passages always contain
answers as you go. In computer- the information you need to answer
delivered IELTS, you can highlight the question. You won’t have to use
or make notes on a section of text. your own knowledge of a topic.
12 IELTS Preparation Guide
Question types
Writing test a b c
There are two parts. Responses Task 1: You are presented with a graph, Task 2: You are asked to write an essay
to Task 1 and Task 2 should be table, chart or diagram and are asked in response to a point of view, argument
to summarise and report the information or problem. Task 2 contributes twice as
written in an academic, semi- in your own words. much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
formal or neutral style.
You may be asked to select and The issues raised are of general interest
compare data, describe the stages to, suitable for and easily understood
of a process, describe an object by test takers entering undergraduate
or how something works. or postgraduate studies or seeking
professional registration.
There are two parts. Task 1: You are presented with a Task 2: You are asked to write an essay
Topics are of general interest. situation and are asked to write a letter in response to a point of view, argument
requesting information or explaining the or problem. The essay can be less formal
situation. The letter may be personal, in style with a more personal response
semi-formal or formal in style. than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.
Task 2 contributes twice as much as
Task 1 to the Writing score.
Tips
01 In your Writing test there are no right 03 Notice the minimum word limit. If you 05 You must write both your answers
or wrong answers or opinions. The write less than 150 words for Task 1 in full, not in note form or in bullet
examiners are assessing how well and less than 250 for Task 2, you will points. You must arrange your ideas
you can use your English to report lose marks. In computer-delivered in paragraphs to show the examiner
information and express ideas. IELTS, the screen shows your word that you are able to organise your
count automatically. main and supporting points.
02 Analyse the questions carefully to
make sure your answer addresses all 04 Be careful to use your own words
the points covered by the question. because the examiner will not include
words copied from the question in
the word count.
16 IELTS Preparation Guide
Question types
IELTSessentials.com/prepare/
preparation-course/writing
Academic writing test 17
Write a short letter The formal letter Use polite, formal language and
for a specific purpose DO NOT USE CONTRACTIONS
You live in a room in college that you
OR SHORT FORMS:
Task 1 in the General Training Writing share with another student. However, there
section is a letter of correspondence are many problems with this arrangement “I am writing to thank you . . . ”
where you demonstrate your ability to and you find it very difficult to work.
“I apologise for missing the
communicate using English letter-writing
Write a letter to the accommodation birthday celebration . . . ”
conventions.
officer at the college. In the letter,
“I would like some more
You will be given a common, everyday
• describe the situation information about . . . ”
situation such as writing to apologise for
missing a friend’s party, or complaining to • explain your problems and why “Would it be possible for us to meet . . . ”
a company about bad service, writing to it is difficult to work
give advice to a friend about where to go • say what kind of accommodation The informal letter
on holiday, or writing to express your you would prefer
interest in a new job. A friend has agreed to look after your
Begin your letter as follows: house and pet while you are on holiday.
In addition to being given the situation,
three bullet points will outline exactly what Dear Sir or Madam, Write a letter to your friend. In the letter:
information you need to include in your • give contact details for when
A key indicator of a formal letter is when
letter. You might, for example, have to you are away,
you are given the salutation of “Dear Sir
describe details, give reasons, express
or Madam,” which shows that you do not • give instructions about how
likes and dislikes, or make suggestions or
know the person you are writing to. to care for your pet
recommendations.
The following are some suggestions • describe other household duties.
You will need to choose and use the
for how to create and keep a formal
correct tone in your letter. Tone is the way Begin your letter as follows:
tone in your letter:
you communicate with people that shows
the kind of relationship you have with them. Openings and closings: Dear . . .
In letters it is clearly indicated by a proper Notice that you have to choose the
salutation and closing and it should also • Begin with: Dear Sir or Madam, or
Dear Mr. Smith, or Dear Mrs. Jones salutation, unlike the previous task sample.
be conveyed by your choice of words or This does not automatically mean it is
phrasing as well as the kind and amount • End with: Yours faithfully
an informal letter. You should look to
of details you include. or Yours sincerely
see who you are writing to and why.
Different relationships require different This example is a letter to a friend and
Kind and amount of detail:
levels of respect which is probably true in the situation is a positive one (not a
your language as well. IELTS letters are Get to the point or purpose of your letter complaint or a serious apology), so
usually either formal, or informal in tone. right away, include the necessary and an informal tone can be used.
Generally, if the letter is to friends, people relevant information only and make sure
you know well, or family, and the reason you cover the three bullet points in the
for writing is positive, the tone is informal. question accurately (if you are asked to
Letters to everyone else and for all explain your problems (plural), give more
complaints or negative messages should than one and stick to the facts).
be more formal.
Here are examples of the two main kinds
of letters that can appear on the test with
advice on how to create tone for each.
General writing test 19
Writing an essay Analysing the essay task High-level essays do not simply list
possible answers; they make a couple
Essays in the General Training test Force yourself to look carefully at the
of good points and provide reasoning
are about general interest topics such prompt by underlining key words. Then
and examples to support them.
as whether it is better to homeschool identify exactly what the questions are
children, whether the drinking age should asking you to do. For example: Here is an example of a point being
be raised, who is responsible for the effectively developed. This is a sample
Traditionally, elderly people have lived
care of the elderly or how families could body paragraph that might appear in
with and been cared for by younger
be brought closer together. an essay responding to the first question.
family members. In modern society,
Given a statement about a topic, you more and more elderly people are Modern families today often do not have
may be asked to agree or disagree or living in special homes for the elderly. the time or energy to care for the elderly
you may be required to answer one or two at home. In most places today people
Why do you think families choose to
questions about the topic. For example, have demanding jobs and can barely
have their elderly relatives live in
given the statement that families are not take care of themselves let alone an
special homes away from family?
as close as they were in the past, you older relative who may be sick or infirm.
might be asked to respond to the following What do you think is the best way In most countries, special residences for
questions: Why do you think this is so? for modern families to care for the ageing are designed to care for the
What can be done to bring families closer their elderly relatives? needs of those who have medical issues
together again? related to getting older and they provide
This essay has two parts: wholesome activities and social stimulation
Organisation 1. E xplain why modern families send for the elderly who otherwise might be
their elderly relatives away to live sitting alone at home while their younger
An IELTS essay is usually composed
in special homes. relatives are off working. That is why some
of 4 – 6 paragraphs.
families feel their relatives are safer and
The first paragraph introduces the subject 2. Say whether you think it is better happier living away in these care centres.
of your essay and what you plan to say for elderly parents to be cared for
by younger family members at home Notice that the paragraph begins with
about it. The last paragraph summarises
or to be sent away or whether you the answer to the question and is followed
your point and restates your main findings
have an even better alternative. by further explanation, an example and
about this topic.
a concluding sentence.
The body or middle paragraphs should If you fail to answer either one of these
answer the main questions you have questions, you will lower your score.
identified in the task with a clear You could use a paragraph to answer
explanation for your response and each part in the body of your essay. Note For more question types
examples to support your thinking. that if you had two very good reasons, and writing tips, visit:
If you have analysed the task before for example, for why families send their
writing, you will know exactly what relatives away, you could devote a IELTSessentials.com/prepare/
to write in these body paragraphs. paragraph to each, which would allow you preparation-course/writing
The following example will illustrate how. to provide further extension and support.
20 IELTS Preparation Guide
Speaking test a
Tips and advice
After Part 1, the examiner will give you a topic and ask The questions in Part 3 will be loosely connected to the topic
you to talk about it for one to two minutes. that you spoke about in Part 2. They will become more complex
and abstract as you go along. You will need to be able to express
The topic will be handed to you on a card and you will also
and justify your opinions, analyse, discuss and speculate on
be given a piece of paper and a pencil for making notes.
given subjects.
On the card, you will see the speaking prompt and some
points you can cover in your talk relating to this. If your long turn was about a beautiful place to visit in your city,
this section might begin by talking about beautiful places and
You will have exactly one minute to prepare and make
the first question might be, “Do you think it’s important to
notes before you speak.
maintain beautiful places in cities?”
Here is a sample Part 2 task: The examiner will speak more with you in this section and
may challenge your opinions to see how well you are able
Describe a beautiful place to visit in your city. to converse about abstract ideas versus the personal
You should say: topics contained in Parts 1 and 2.
• where it is
• how to get there
• what there is to do when you are there and Tips for doing well in Part 3:
explain why you recommend this place.
After the one-minute preparation, you will be asked to • Support and extend your answers. State your opinions clearly
begin and the examiner will listen to you for two minutes. and provide examples and reasoning as you talk.
They may ask you a couple of follow-up questions when
the time is up before going on to the next section. You do not have to believe your opinion, or you might not
have one, so turn to what you think others are saying about
the subject and create a line of reasoning from that.
Remember the more you say, the more you show how
you can use English to communicate.
Tips for doing well in Part 2:
• Avoid long pauses. It is okay to pause to think but don’t
let too much time pass without speaking.
• Take notes! The initial thoughts you jot down will help
you remember what you have to say. It is good to have some fillers or stalling phrases that will give
you time to formulate your answer. Phrases such as, “That’s
• Try to structure your talk with a simple beginning, an excellent question…”, “Where should I start, let me see…”,
middle and end. “I need a couple of seconds to think about that but…”
You can use key words from the prompt to form • Ask for clarification. Be sure you understand the question
an introductory sentence: before you answer so that your response is relevant. It’s okay
to say something like — “I’m sorry, can you please repeat
For example, take the words “beautiful place” “visit” and “city”
that?”, or “If I understand you correctly, you want to know…”,
from the above prompt and begin your talk with: “I would like
or “Do you mean…?”
to talk to you today about an area of my city that everyone
should go see because its beauty is outstanding.” • Paraphrase or explain what you are trying to say instead of
giving up if you forget a word in English. If you forget the word
Then, use the three bullet points to help you organise the
for “iron”, for example, you could say, “the tool you use to take
middle of your talk and conclude by explaining why this is
the wrinkles out of your clothing, you know, it heats up and
the place you most recommend.
you press it on the material, oh yes, it’s called an iron”. You
• Extend each part of your answer with some details. You have will be rewarded for finding ways to express what you are
two minutes to fill and you need show that you can enlarge on thinking rather than penalised if you just say that you don’t
a topic and use a range of expressions, grammatical structures know how to say it.
and vocabulary.
• Use the full two minutes. Practise talking in front of a mirror
on a subject for two minutes so you get a sense of the timing.
22 IELTS Preparation Guide
Official support to
help you succeed
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Listening Reading
a b c
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24 IELTS Preparation Guide
Receiving
your results
You will receive a Test Preview your results online IELTS Progress Check is an official practice
test that gives you an indicative band
Report Form, which We know you have a lot riding on your
IELTS test, so you can preview your results
score and personalised feedback on
your performance.
reports a score for online as soon as they become available.
You can also look in more detail at the
each of the four skills Your results will be available within:
marking criteria so that you know what
• 5–7 days for computer-delivered IELTS
(Listening, Reading, • 13 days for paper-based IELTS
you’re aiming for. Our IELTS preparation
planner (see page 5) provides a range of
Writing and Speaking), Your results will remain online for 28
tips for improving your skills and boosting
your score.
as well as an overall days at: results.ieltsessentials.com
Appendix — Assessment
criteria for each band score
Speaking assessment criteria
1 • no communication possible
• no rateable language
9 • fully addresses all parts of the task • uses cohesion in such a way
that it attracts no attention
• uses a wide range of vocabulary
with very natural and sophisticated
• uses a wide range of structures
with full flexibility and accuracy;
• presents a fully developed position
in answer to the question with • skilfully manages paragraphing control of lexical features; rare rare minor errors occur only
relevant, fully extended and well minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ as ‘slips’
supported ideas
Notes
30 IELTS Preparation Guide
Notes
Free support tools 31
Academic or
a b c
General
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