The International English Language Testing System is a standard English proficiency test assessing an applicant’s language skills. Most countries are adopting the English language as their primary communication method. It makes learning and comprehending the English language a must-have skill for applicants looking to work or study in such countries.
Like many other tests, preparing for the IELTS exam requires a thorough training plan that applicants must follow religiously. Although IELTS is relatively more straightforward than English language tests, it still requires constant application to succeed and achieve the desired results. Before we look at how to prepare for the IELTS test in 1 month, we must understand the basics of the test itself.
A Brief Overview of IELTS
As mentioned above, IELTS is an English language proficiency indicator that aims to test the applicant’s reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. These four modules constitute the test components test to the applicant. The grading of the IELTS exam is done on a scale of 0 to 9, where 9 shows native-like English language comprehension and speaking skills.
The four test components include reading and writing, which are 60-minute-long segments. Meanwhile, the other two include speaking which is around 15 minutes long while the final segment is that of listening, which is 30 minutes long.
IELTS is an established brand of standard testing that is acceptable worldwide. The test finds itself as the minimum requirement for certain universities while aiding applicants in their visa ranking in other instances. With over 10,000 plus institutions recognizing IELTS, it is a small wonder applicants are eager to get the certification. Here’s how to ace it in one month.
General Tips and Tricks
General guidelines to ace the test typically include dedicating a fixed amount of time daily to prepare for the test. Moreover, learning the language from scratch is usually optional as everyone has a working knowledge of the English language. The first step towards your preparation is taking a mock test to assess where you stand in the requisite skills.
The mockup test will show which sections you need to shore up, while others you can tweak a little for maximum scores. These diagnostics will go a long way in optimizing your study timetable, ensuring your resources are spent where needed. Once the diagnostics are done, we need to jot down a weekly or daily plan to list the activities for each day/week.
The Month-Long Plan
Here is a month-long plan with weekly activities to ensure you pass the IELTS exam with high scores.
Week 1
- In the first week, focus on analyzing your skills via taking mock tests. Identify weak areas and your strong points. Allocate higher preparation time to the lowest sections but pay attention to other sections. Jot down a plan to deal with the weaker sections of the test.
Week 2
- In the second week, you should follow the plan devised during the mock tests in week 1. You can improve each section in different ways.
- For example, you should extensively read acclaimed news journals and current affairs magazines. These go a long way in improving your vocab and, ultimately, your comprehension skills.
- Practice writing short essays and have them checked by an instructor.
- Speak frequently with your friends and practice speaking in the mirror to gain more confidence.
Week 3
- Practice, practice & more practice. Fine-tune your skills by implementing your plan.
Week 4
- Review your progress by taking mock tests and gauge the improvements from the first week of testing.
- Please pay special attention to things missed during the previous week and rectify them.
Planning to ace the IELTS test has never been more straightforward. Although there is a plethora of online preparatory content, one must look to an experienced trainer/mentor to guide them through this test. ‘Learn with Hafiz’ is your best bet when preparing for IELTS with its competent staff and up-to-date preparatory materials.