Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents Page
Thank you for attending the IDP IELTS live test preparation session. We have collated
your questions and answered them below along with some useful links.
Reading...............................................................................................................page 6
Listening ..............................................................................................................page 9
Speaking .............................................................................................................page 11
Writing .................................................................................................................page 14
What’s the difference between taking IELTS with IDP or with the British Council?
IELTS is jointly owned by IDP: IELTS Australia, the British Council and Cambridge
Assessment English.
When you take IELTS, you take a global test. This means the test and the assessment
criteria are the same, no matter where you take the test.
All IELTS results are analyzed by Cambridge Assessment English, regardless of who
you take the IELTS test with - British Council or an IDP test centre. This ensures IDP
and British Council’s results are consistent, fair and accurate.
My IELTS test results have been withheld. What does that mean?
Strict quality control procedures are in place to protect the integrity and security of the
IELTS test. As part of these procedures, test results are routinely analyzed by the
IELTS partners before they are issued to test takers.
I have a learning disability. Can I get any assistance on test day? Yes. You should
book your test at least 6 weeks in advance and provide your medical documentation. This
will be reviewed to determine any accommodations that can be provided on test day.
Learn more here: https://www.ielts.com/about/special-requirements
I did well on Reading, Listening and Speaking, but only my Writing score was low.
Can I just take the Writing test next time?
No, you must take all 4 parts of the test.
How many correct answers are needed in Listening and Reading to get bands 5,
6, 7 and 8?
You can see the full score conversion for IELTS Reading and Listening here:
https://www.ielts.org/ielts-for-organisations/ielts-scoring-in-detail
Listening
Band score Raw score out of 40
5 16
6 23
7 30
8 35
Academic Reading
Band score Raw score out of 40
5 15
6 23
7 30
8 35
Can I write all the answers in capital letters on the Listening and Reading test?
Yes, you can. It doesn’t make any difference whether you use capital letters or not on
the Reading and Listening Answer Sheets. You will not lose marks for incorrect
capitalization.
In the paper-based test, can I use a pen in the Reading & Listening sections?
No. You must use a pencil.
In the paper-based test, can I make notes on the Listening and Reading question
papers?
Yes, nobody will look at your question papers, so underline key words and phrases to
help you do better on the test.
On the Reading and Listening tests will the whole answer be wrong if I make a
spelling mistake?
Yes, it will be marked wrong. Sometimes the word may be written in the question booklet,
so if it is, make sure you copy it accurately.
On the Listening Test, sometimes names are spelled out for you letter by letter e.g. L-U-
I-S so make sure you know how all the letters of the alphabet sound when they are spelled
out [e.g. the letter ‘w’ sounds like ‘double you’]
Is it important to write the currency symbols (e.g. £ and $) or can I only write the
number for a price?
The symbols are important, so make sure you know how to write them down. However,
if the currency symbol has already been provided, you should not repeat it. (In English,
the currency symbol comes before the number e.g. £6 not 6£)
When I practice IELTS Reading, I always run out of time and can’t answer all
of
the questions. How can I manage my time better on the Reading test?
Think of the IELTS Reading test as three 20-minute tests rather than one 60-minute
test. Allow yourself 20 minutes per reading passage. There are easier questions on
all
3 passages, so it is important to answer all of the easier questions.
Start at the beginning of the test and work through it. If you cannot answer a question,
mark it up and go on to the next. You can return to that question later if you have time.
Never leave blanks – it’s always better to guess! You can find more tips on managing
your time here:
https://www.ielts.com/about/news-and-articles/article-manage-time-in-ielts-
reading
Should I look at the questions first or just start reading the passages?
Skim the questions first before reading the text so that you have a purpose for reading.
Find out what you must do and then use the right reading skill. For example, if you need
to find the main idea of a paragraph, use your skimming skills. If you need to find
specific information e.g. numbers, dates, times, places etc, use your scanning skills.
Both skimming and scanning are types of quick reading. If you can practice these skills,
it will help you manage your time better on the test. Remember you may only need to
read one or two short sections of each text slowly and carefully.
On the Reading test, are the questions in the same order as the information in the
reading passage?
Some questions are in the same order as the information in the reading passage, and
some questions are not; therefore, it is important to practice all the different types of
questions. For example, multiple choice, matching sentence endings, and sentence
completion questions are in the same order as the information in the passage. On the
other hand, Diagram-label completion and Summary, note, table, flowchart completion
questions may or may not be in the same order as in the passage, but they usually
come from only one section of the passage.
I’m taking my IELTS test soon. How can I improve my reading skills?
The best way to improve your reading skills is by reading a variety of English texts as
much as you can in the months before you take the test. This will help you develop the
ability to read quickly under test conditions.
However, if you only have a short time to prepare, then make sure you are familiar with
the different types of questions, and practice using your skimming and scanning skills to
help you answer them efficiently.
Is it a good idea to read all the True False questions first, before I read the
passage?
Yes, read the questions first to find out what you have to do. Then, use your skimming
and scanning skills to help you find the answer. Learn more here:
https://www.ielts.com/about/news-and-articles/article-a-closer-look-at-true-false-not-given
Where can I find more tips and free practice questions for the Reading test?
For the Academic Reading test:
https://www.ielts.com/prepare/academic-reading
https://www.ielts.com/about/news-and-articles/article-academic-reading-free-practice-questions
For the General Training Reading test:
https://www.ielts.com/prepare/general-training-reading
https://www.ielts.com/about/news-and-articles/article-general-training-reading-free-practice-questions
How can I do a practice IELTS Reading test and get personalized advice about
how I can improve my reading skills?
You can purchase IDP’s Reading Assist here: https://www.idpielts.me/ielts-reading-assist/
Is the Listening test different for Academic and General Training test takers?
No. Everyone takes the same Listening test.
At the beginning of each section, you will hear a short description of the situation
you are going to listen to. This may give information about who the speakers are,
where they are and what the general topic is. Listen to this information carefully.
Are the questions in the same order as the information in the recording?
Yes. This is true for all question types in IELTS Listening, so keep up with the recording.
Where can I learn about using discourse markers to improve my score in Fluency
and Coherence in the Speaking test?
https://www.ielts.com/about/news-and-articles/article-discourse-markers-ielts-
speaking
For Part 1, is it a good idea to memorize a short speech about my home or job?
No, you should listen carefully to the Examiner and just respond to the questions. If you
say something you have memorized, you probably won’t answer the Examiner’s
question exactly.
In Part 2, can I start speaking before the 1-minute preparation time is over?
Yes. If you don’t need the whole minute, you can begin speaking when you are ready.
However, it is a good idea to use the full one-minute preparation time.
In Part 2, do I have to write notes?
No, making notes is just an option. Some test takers prefer just to think about what to
say whereas others find that making notes helps them to organize their ideas and to
keep talking.
In Part 2, is it OK to talk for only 1 minute?
The test is designed to measure the full range of speaking abilities so that’s why the
instructions say to speak for between one and two minutes. However, you should try to
speak for the full 2 minutes if you possibly can.
I have trouble pronouncing the R sound. Will I be lose marks for this?
Examiners are looking for various features of natural speech when they assess your
pronunciation, such as stress and intonation, and how clearly you pronounce individual
words and sounds. The answer to your question depends on whether your
pronunciation of the R sound impacts the clarity of your message. Remember - the most
important thing is how clearly you can communicate your ideas in English as opposed to
the amount of effort the listener has to put in.
Will the Examiner tell me if I have done well or not? No, the Examiner is not allowed
to give feedback, so you should not ask them.
How can I do a practice IELTS Speaking test and get personalized advice about
how I can improve my speaking skills?
You can purchase IDP’s Speaking Assist here: https://www.idpielts.me/ielts-speaking-assist/
Alternatively, you can contact your local IDP IELTS test centre.
In paper-based IELTS, will I lose marks for making corrections on the Writing
Answer Sheets?
No, there is no penalty for making corrections to your work. If you make a mistake, just
cross it out completely and write the correct word clearly above.
In my last Academic Test, in Task 1 the pie charts didn’t have any figures or
percentages, and I found it difficult to compare them. How are we expected to
manage in this scenario?
Follow the same approach: Decide what the most important features are and write an
overview that summarizes them. Then describe the most important features. Compare
and contrast the features wherever it is relevant using words like [however, but,
whereas] to show differences, and [similarly, like etc.] to show similarities.
In the Task 2 essay, how much time should I spend on planning what to write?
It’s a good idea to spend about 3-4 minutes planning your essay before you begin writing.
You should think about the question carefully first, and make sure you know how
many parts there are to the question that you have to write about. In your plan, make sure
to answer all parts of the question and decide how you will organize your ideas into
paragraphs.
The Academic IELTS course on EdX covers Writing as well as Reading, Speaking and
Listening. If you are going to register for the General Training IELTS test, ignore the
Academic Task 1 part of the Writing course, but everything else is relevant for you:
https://www.edx.org/course/ielts-academic-test-preparation
I don’t have a teacher to help me with my writing. Is there an IDP IELTS expert
who can correct my IELTS essays?
Yes, IDP offers a service called Writing Assist. You can practice writing an IELTS Task
1 and Task 2 essay (Academic or General Training) and email it to us. Please note that
global IELTS rules prevent us from awarding an IELTS band score for your Writing
Assist essays, but you will get a very helpful personalized report explaining how you can
improve your writing skills.
You can purchase IDP’s Writing Assist here: https://www.idpielts.me/ielts-writing-assist/
Wishing you all the very best when you take your IELTS test with IDP.