IELTS:

Tips and Tricks

Miftahul Munir

Ninuk Ragil Prasasti

Listening Reading Writing Speaking

01 02 03 04
Content
•Overview
•Listening
•Reading
•Writing
•Speaking
•References
Overview
General Strategies
• Familiarize with test
• Practice
• Time management
Computer Based vs Paper Based
• More locations and schedules for computer based
• Result in 5-7 working days (computer) vs 13-15 working days (paper)
Summary
• Main accents are British or Australian
• Accept both British and American spellings
• Accept both capital or lower case letters
• No penalty for incorrect answers
Listening
•30 mins → 4 sections → 40 questions
•Real world situations for conversation
•Format
Section 1 : conversation – 2 speakers
Section 2 : monologue
Section 3 : conversation – 4 speakers
Section 4 : lecture
•Gradual Difficulty : section 1 (easiest) → 4 (hardest)
•Tasks
> Identify specific information (names, dates, times, places, numbers)
> Understanding point of conversation
> Resume opinion or attitude of speaker
Listening (Questions and Strategies)
•Questions
→ Multiple choice
→ Matching
→ Labelling (plan, map, diagram)
→ Completion (form, note, sentence, summary, table)
→ Short-answer question → one/two word(s), one/two number(s)
•Strategies
→ Read Question carefully before recording starts
→ Familiarize with page look and question types
> Completing a chart
> Selecting pictures
> Taking a note
→ Skip to next question if previous one is missed
Listening (Computer vs Paper)
COMPUTER
•Using headphone for listening
•Listen and type at the same time
•Additional time 2 mins for checking
•No instruction for different type of
questions
•Tab key shortcut for moving
between sections
•Remaining time on screen
PAPER
•Using speaker for listening
•Listen first then write
•Add time 10 mins to transfer
answers
•Have instruction for different
sections
•No shortcut between sections
•Manual Time keeper
Reading
•60 min → 3 passages → 40 questions
•Taken from books, magazines, newspapers, journals
•Questions
> Heading/Paragraph Information/Sentence Endings matching
> True/False/Not Given or Yes/No/Not Given
> Summary/Sentence/Table/Flow Chart/Diagram completion
> Multiple choice
> List Selection
> Title Choosing
> Classification
> Short Answer
Reading (Tasks)
→ Understanding general content of paragraphs/information in the
passage
→ Identify main idea and supporting points
→ Find specific information
→ Understanding opinions/ideas/details
→ Words selection
→ Locating/categorizing information
Reading (Strategies)
• Practicing reading skills
> skimming and scanning the passages
> scrolling up and down
• Read question first then the text
• Read the headings first before the passage
• Understand the meaning of answers → Yes/True – No/False – Not Given
• Paraphrase the statement/question
• Identify the type of word (noun/verb/adjective)
• Focus on the beginning and ending of the passage
• Check the grammar of complete sentence
• Pay attention to the spelling
Reading (Computer vs Paper)
COMPUTER PAPER
•passage and question are on •Text and question may be on
side-to-side different sheet
•Highlight and note features •Manual underline and note-taking
•Font size can be increased for •Fixed font size
comfortability
•Type-based with copy-paste •Handwrite-based, no copy-paste
feature feature
 IELTS
Writing and Speaking
TEST TIPS
IELTS Writing and Speaking Test

WRITING SPEAKING

• 60 Minutes • 11-14 Minutes

• 2 Tasks • 3 Parts
 Writing Test
Task 1 Task 2

• Writing about visual • Writing an essay in response

Information which are to a point of view, argument
or problem.
presented on a graph, chart,
table or diagram • Write over 250 words

• Spend under 40 minutes

• Write at least 150 words

• Spend up to 20 minutes
WRITING TEST: Task 1
WRITING TEST: Task 1
Strategy in 6 Steps

01 Understand how the test is marked.

Knowing the marking criteria

02 Understand the data.

5 minutes for looking and
thinking about the data

03 Paraphrase the question.

Do this in the first paragraph by using
synonyms
WRITING TEST: Task 1
Strategy in 6 Steps

04 Write the overview.

Pick 3 or 4 of the main features and
write about them generally

05 Support the main features.

Write the key features with the data
in the information given to you

06 Check your work.

Check your report for spelling and
grammar mistakes. Make sure that the
data you mentioned is also accurate.
 Writing Task 1

Paragraph 1: Paraphrase Question

Paragraph 2: Overview
Paragraph 3: Details 1

Paragraph 4: Details 2
Practice Writing: Task 1
Paragraph 1: Paraphrase the Question

The synonyms we used:

chart line graph

shows displays
changes alterations
different areas of crime burglary, car theft and
robbery
Manchester city centre the centre of Manchester
from between

“The line graph displays alterations for burglary, car

theft and robbery in the centre of Manchester
between 2003 and 2012.”
Practice Writing: Task 1
Paragraph 2: Overview

1. Burglary decreases dramatically.

2. Car theft increases steadily.
3. Robbery remains steady throughout the period.

“The most noticeable trend is that burglary fell

dramatically over the period. Car theft fluctuated
until 2008, upon which it rose steadily; whereas
the number of robberies remained relatively
stable between 2003 and 2012.”
Practice Writing: Task 1
Paragraph 3 and 4: Details

1. Burglary goes up a little first, then there is a

big drop until 2008 when it goes up slightly and
then remains steady

2. Car theft goes up and down slightly (fluctuates)

until 2008, when it rises steadily.

3. Robbery also fluctuates throughout the period

but not by much. It rises slightly and drops, then
remains steady for a number of years, before
rising and falling slightly again.
Practice Writing: Task 1
Paragraph 3 and 4: Details

“Burglaries started at just below three and

a half thousand in 2003 and apart from a
small rise of around five hundred offences
in 2004, fell drastically to just over one
thousand incidents in 2008. 2009 saw a
slight rise to just below fifteen hundred
and it remained in and around this figure
until the end of the time period.”

“From 2003 to 2008 the number of car thefts

shifted between just below two thousand five
hundred and just over two thousand, before
rising steadily to nearly three thousand in 2013.
Over the entire period robbery never rose above
one thousand and did not go under five
hundred.”
 Writing Task 2
Q: Government should spend money on railways rather than roads.
To what extent do you agree or disagree

PLAN WRITE CHECK

Question type, Introduction,

Question analysis, Idea Grammar,
Main body, Vocabulary,
generation, Structure Conclusion.
planning. Everything else.
Practice Writing: Task 2

Q: Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads.

To what extent do you agree or disagree

01 Introduction: “States should allocate more funding to

1. Paraphrase the question
2. Clearly state opinion
3. State main ideas
railways lines instead of building new
highways. This essay agrees with this
statement because trains are
environmentally friendly and benefit a
greater number of people.”
Practice Writing: Task 2

02 Main Body 03 Conclusion

1. Main Body Paragraph 1: idea 1 • No new ideas

2. Main Body Paragraph 2: idea 2 • No general statements

• Clearly state your position
• Summarise your main ideas
• Topic sentence (main idea)
• Explanation (reason/why?)
• Example (supporting evidence)
Check #1: Grammar

Read after every Read after you’ve

completed sentence completed the essay
1 3

2 4
Identify your main Read after every
areas of weakness completed paragraph
Check #2: Vocabulary

05
04
Level
03
Variance
02
Appropiacy
01
Collocations

Meaning
Check #3: Everything Else

Paragraph Word count

Is your paragraph clear? 250 words?.

Coherence & Cohesion

Is your essay easy to

understand? Connected
Position clear? together? Answer specific question

Is your opinion clear? Did you answer the

question?
 Speaking Test

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3

is about YOU is the long turn is more abstract

• 4-5 Minutes • a cue card • 4-5 Minutes

• Family • 1 minute to prepare • Linked to topic in
• job or studies • 1-2 minutes to speak Part 2
• a note to help
IELTS Speaking Test Tips

01 Practice as much as possible

02 Know what the examiner is looking for

03 Surround Yourself with English

04 Use Vocabulary Wisely

05 Be Patient
References

https://ieltsliz.com - https://www.youtube.com/@ieltsliz (General)

https://www.ielts-writing.info/EXAM/ (General)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgELCOfrcYA9jWF4TOJUnQ (Listening)

Book: Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

References

https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/
Thank you!