The International English Language Testing System, commonly known as IELTS is one of the most famous international tests in the world. It has a universal appeal and is given by students as well as professionals alike.

IELTS is not an easy nut to crack as it is concerned with the English language. Languages cannot be mastered in a day or a week. They have to be learnt phrase by phrase, sentence by sentence and sometimes, word by word.

Students who want to score as high as band 7 or above should know that preparing for the IELTS requires dedication and planned preparation. Following are some tips which can help you in preparing for the test.

1. Go beyond the study books

There is a lot of material like books and journals on how to score band 9 in IELTS. While such resources can be beneficial, depending only on them may be unwise. In order to get a good score in IELTS, students must explore all the possible ways of learning English and practise them.

Going beyond books means students must not restrict their target to the test; instead, their target should be mastering the English language. They should utilise all possible means to master it.

It includes accessing web portals which can help in learning English, interacting with people who know good English through social media. Internet can be used as a highly effective resource to learn English.

2. Prepare for all sections

There are 4 sections in the IELTS exam, listening, reading, writing and speaking. All four need good preparation and practise. It should also be remembered that different sections need different ways of preparation. For example, in order to hone listening and speaking skills, one must listen to English in its actual accent and practise speaking it.

One of the common mistakes done by students while preparing for IELTS is ignoring a particular section of the test. Some students may think that –for instance- they are good at reading or listening and may not consider it necessary to prepare for it resulting in marks lower than what they had anticipated. So, it’s necessary that students take all the four sections of the exams seriously.

While preparing for a particular section, students should focus all their energies for that particular section only. For example, if a student is preparing for reading, then they should dedicate a day or two just for reading and should not deviate to other sections during that time.

3. Previous papers are a treasure : use them

It’s very essential that students get accustomed to the test pattern of IELTS so that they can prepare accordingly. It’s always a good idea to go through previous papers of the tests to get familiarised.

Previous papers, if solved, will give students an edge and they will be able to react to the real paper much faster.

There are study resources available on the British Council’s official portal too which can be utilised to prepare for the test.

4. Get help

People who have passed the IELTS are resources themselves. Those who are attempting the test can get help from those who have passed it as they can provide insights, especially about the listening and speaking sections of the exam in which preparations cannot be done merely by studying.

By asking advice from those who have appeared for the test, students will know what kind of questions to expect in the various sections of the test. They will also get guidance as to which resources can be used during the preparation and how to use them.

Students can also avail the services of professional trainers and get trained for the test. Professional trainers have much greater expertise and experience in training and can guide the students more effectively.

Going through newspapers, reading novels and books will prove to be a huge boost to enhance the reading skills. A good reader can also become a good writer. Writing short passages and getting them reviewed will also help. It must be remembered that punctuation and grammar is very important in writing.

As far as the listening and speaking sections are concerned, students must practice speaking in English with someone who is well versed in the language. Watching English movies with subtitles, listening to English radio stations will also help.

Due to the popularity of IELTS, professionals have taken the reigns of guiding and training students for the test. Students can now get in touch with experts so that they can be guided and instructed on how to prepare for the test and how to improve on their weaknesses in all the four sections.

Source: http://www.malaysia-students.com/