How to prepare for IELTS at home quickly | Band 7 in 7 days

Summary

In this video, Asiya offers strategies for effectively preparing for the IELTS exam at home. She emphasizes the importance of taking official practice tests, understanding the assessment criteria, and mastering each section of the exam. Asiya also discusses the significance of time management and provides tips for improving writing and speaking skills, including the use of IELTS band descriptors and the necessity of practicing under timed conditions. She concludes by recommending her IELTS study plan and courses to structure and expedite the preparation process.

Takeaways

• 🏠 Preparing for IELTS at home is currently the only option, and the speaker will discuss how to do it efficiently.
• 📝 Taking an official IELTS practice test is crucial for understanding the exam structure and is the quickest way to get familiar with the format.
• 🔗 The speaker provides a PDF IELTS study plan with resources, which will be linked for easy access.
• ✅ Official practice tests are recommended over unofficial ones found online to avoid confusion and ensure accuracy.
• 📚 For additional practice, the speaker suggests purchasing the latest 'Cambridge IELTS' book, which contains authentic tests.
• 📊 IELTS Listening and Reading are scored by a computer, with a point system based on the number of correct answers.
• 📝 The lowest scores in IELTS are typically in Writing and Speaking, which are assessed by human examiners using specific criteria and band descriptors.
• 🎯 Developing a strategy for each section of the exam is essential for maximizing your score, given the time constraints.
• 🕒 Time management is critical in IELTS, especially with the pressure to complete tasks within a limited timeframe.
• 📖 Understanding different types of tasks in Listening and Reading can save time and improve accuracy.
• 📝 Vocabulary size significantly impacts IELTS scores, with knowing around 4,000 words likely resulting in a score between 5.5 and 7.
• ✍️ Writing skills are as important as English skills in IELTS Writing, where structured and coherent responses are expected.
• 🗣️ In IELTS Speaking, knowing the requirements and practicing answers can help meet the examiners' expectations more effectively.
• 📈 Consistent daily practice is more beneficial than sporadic, intense study sessions for effective preparation.

Q & A

What is the recommended method to prepare for the IELTS exam at home according to the video?

The video suggests taking an official practice test as the quickest way to understand the IELTS exam structure and to assess one's current English level.

Why should one take official IELTS practice tests rather than others found online?

Official tests are exactly like real exams, ensuring accuracy and preventing confusion that may arise from incorrect tests found on the internet or YouTube.

How many official practice tests are available for free, and where can they be found?

Two official practice tests are available for free and can be found in the study guide linked in the video description.

What is the latest book recommended for additional IELTS practice, and when will its successor be published?

The latest book recommended is 'Cambridge IELTS Academic Number 14', and its successor, Number 15, is set to be published in June 2020.

How are the IELTS listening and reading sections scored, and what is the scoring reference?

IELTS listening and reading are scored by a computer, with one point for each correct answer. The score is determined by the number of correct answers according to a specific scoring table.

Which sections of the IELTS exam are typically the most challenging for test-takers, according to statistics?

Statistics show that the lowest scores in IELTS are in writing, followed by speaking, indicating these are the most challenging sections.

What are the four criteria assessed in IELTS writing and speaking, and what documents outline the requirements for each criterion and band score?

IELTS writing and speaking are assessed on four criteria each, and the requirements for each criterion and band score are outlined in the IELTS band descriptors.

What is the significance of mastering the strategy for each part of the IELTS exam?

Mastering the strategy for each part helps to maximize the score potential based on one's current English level and ensures the best possible performance on the exam.

How does understanding the types of tasks in IELTS listening and reading help save time during the exam?

Knowing the types of tasks and their order helps in efficiently navigating the exam, allowing for quicker responses and better time management.

What is the approximate vocabulary size needed to achieve a band score of 5.5 to 7 in IELTS, and what about for a score of 7 or higher?

Knowing about 4,000 English words may result in a band score of 5.5 to 7, while knowing about 8,000 words could lead to a score of around 7 or higher.

How does the video suggest one should practice for IELTS writing and speaking sections, and what are the key components to focus on?

The video suggests practicing writing essays for IELTS writing and timing responses for IELTS speaking, focusing on fully answering the questions, providing well-structured coherent answers, and meeting the specific requirements outlined by the examiners.

What resources does the video offer to help with IELTS preparation, and how can one access them?

The video offers a PDF IELTS study plan and links to resources mentioned, which can be accessed by downloading the study plan from the provided links in the video description.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Preparing for IELTS at Home

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on self-preparation for the IELTS exam using official practice tests, which are crucial for understanding the exam's format and assessment criteria. The speaker emphasizes the importance of using authentic materials and provides resources, including a PDF study plan and book recommendations like 'Cambridge IELTS academic number 14'. It also touches on the scoring system for listening and reading sections, and the common misconception that these are the most challenging parts, while statistics show writing and speaking are where candidates often score lower.

05:00

🔍 Understanding IELTS Scoring and Task Types

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of IELTS scoring, highlighting the human assessment of writing and speaking sections based on four criteria each, with the use of band descriptors. It also discusses the importance of mastering each section of the exam, with a focus on strategies to maximize scores. The speaker shares insights on time management and the types of tasks in listening and reading, such as questions that appear in order and those that do not, as well as the complexity of true/false/not given and matching headings tasks. The paragraph also addresses the significance of vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that a larger vocabulary can significantly impact one's score.

10:06

📝 Strategies for IELTS Writing and Speaking

In the final paragraph, the focus shifts to the practical aspects of preparing for the IELTS writing and speaking sections. The speaker discusses the expectations for task completion, structure, and coherence in writing, and the importance of understanding and meeting specific requirements. For speaking, the paragraph outlines the types of questions and the necessity of practicing with timing to meet the exam's time constraints. The speaker also mentions the development of a new IELTS speaking course and existing writing courses, which are designed to provide comprehensive preparation and structure for candidates. The paragraph concludes with advice on the distribution of study time and an invitation to download a study plan for further resources.

Keywords

💡IELTS exam

The IELTS exam, or International English Language Testing System, is a globally recognized test of English language proficiency. In the video, it is the central theme as the speaker discusses strategies for preparing for it at home. The script mentions taking an 'official practice test' to understand the exam format, emphasizing the importance of using authentic materials for accurate preparation.

💡Practice test

A practice test is a simulated version of an exam designed to help candidates familiarize themselves with the test format and assess their current level. The video script highlights the necessity of taking 'official practice tests' for the IELTS, as they are the most representative of the actual exam and are crucial for effective preparation.

💡Cambridge IELTS

Cambridge IELTS is a series of books that contain authentic IELTS practice tests. The speaker recommends these books as a resource for additional practice, specifically mentioning 'Cambridge IELTS academic number 14' as the latest book at the time of the video. These books are instrumental for self-assessment and for understanding the exam structure.

💡Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria are the standards used to evaluate performance. The video explains that IELTS listening and reading are marked by a computer, while writing and speaking are assessed by human examiners based on 'four criteria' and 'IELTS band descriptors'. Understanding these criteria is vital for candidates to know what is expected to achieve a high score.

💡Band descriptors

IELTS band descriptors are documents that outline the requirements for each criterion at different band scores. They are essential for understanding the level of performance expected for each band in the IELTS exam. The script suggests downloading these descriptors to study and align one's preparation with the assessment standards.

💡Time pressure

Time pressure refers to the challenge of managing time effectively during an exam. The video script mentions it as one of the biggest problems in IELTS, where spending too much time on one task can lead to not completing others. The speaker advises knowing the types of tasks and strategies to save time and manage it effectively.

💡Task types

Task types in the IELTS exam refer to the different question formats that candidates must address. The script provides examples such as 'true false not given' and 'matching headings', emphasizing the need to understand and practice these to efficiently tackle the exam under time constraints.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the set of words known to a person. The video script discusses the importance of vocabulary size for IELTS success, suggesting that knowing 'about 4,000 English words' could result in a score between 5.5 and 7, and 'about 8,000 words' could lead to a score of 7 or higher. Expanding one's vocabulary is presented as a key aspect of preparation.

💡Writing tasks

Writing tasks in IELTS involve composing essays within a specified time frame. The video script explains that candidates must answer two tasks within 60 minutes, with specific word count requirements. It underscores the importance of not only English skills but also writing skills, including structure and coherence.

💡Speaking tasks

Speaking tasks in IELTS assess a candidate's ability to communicate effectively in English. The script mentions that while there are requirements for this section, it is often easier to meet them naturally compared to writing. It also highlights the importance of practicing with timing to manage responses effectively under exam conditions.

💡Study plan

A study plan is a structured approach to preparing for an exam, outlining resources, strategies, and timelines. The video script encourages viewers to download a PDF IELTS study plan, which includes links to all the resources mentioned, to help organize and optimize their preparation process.

Highlights

Preparing for IELTS at home is the current only option, emphasizing the importance of self-study.

Official practice tests are crucial for accurate IELTS exam preparation, avoiding misleading internet resources.

Two free official practice tests are available, with additional tests accessible through books like Cambridge IELTS.

IELTS listening and reading are computer-marked, with scores determined by correct answers according to a specific table.

IELTS writing and speaking sections are scored by human examiners based on four criteria each, with band descriptors available for study.

The lowest IELTS scores are typically in writing and speaking, indicating a need for focused preparation on these sections.

Developing a correct strategy for each part of the IELTS exam is essential for achieving the best possible score.

Understanding the types of tasks in IELTS listening and reading can save time and improve accuracy.

Mastering IELTS requires knowing the task types and their approaches to efficiently manage time during the exam.

Vocabulary size significantly impacts IELTS scores, with 4,000 words estimated for a 5.5-7 score and 8,000 words for a 7+ score.

IELTS writing involves answering two tasks within 60 minutes, emphasizing the need for structured and coherent responses.

Learning to write well quickly is beneficial for IELTS, as writing skills are as important as English proficiency.

IELTS speaking requires meeting specific requirements and practicing answers to different types of questions.

Strategic preparation in IELTS speaking can significantly affect the score, as demonstrated by the speaker's personal experience.

Practicing timing for IELTS speaking is crucial to manage the time pressure and ensure complete answers.

The speaker is working on a new IELTS speaking course to provide comprehensive preparation materials.

Consistent daily preparation is more effective than cramming, emphasizing the importance of a steady study routine.

A study plan and resource links are provided to assist viewers in starting their IELTS preparation efficiently.

Transcripts

hi there it's Asiya at the moment you have only one option to prepare for your

IELTS exam at home on your own and that's what I'm gonna talk about in this

video how you can prepare in less time and achieve the best score you can

achieve with your current level of English all the materials and resources

I'm gonna mention will be linked in my PDF IELTS study plan and I'll tell you

how to download it later but now let's get started

the quickest way to find out what the IELTS exam is about is to take an

official practice test you should take official tests because only those are

exactly like real exams and some of the tests you can find in the internet or on

YouTube are simply incorrect and they will confuse you rather than help you so

two official practice tests available for free they are linked in my study

guide if you feel you need more you can buy a book like this

Cambridge IELTS academic number 14 that's a latest book for now you can get

a general training book it looks the same way and each book contains four

tests if you get number 12 or 13 those are fine too and number 15 will be

published in June 2020 once you've taken the practice test it's time to find out

how the exam is assessed IELTS listening and reading are marked by

computer you simply get one point for each correct answer and depending on how

many questions you answer correctly you get a certain score according to this

table so if you take the official practice test you know exactly what

score you're gonna get in listening or reading and I know that many people

concentrate on those two sections because they take a practice test they

see every mistake they're made and they think those two sections are the hardest

but if we look at the statistics we see a different picture actually the lowest

score in IELTS is IELTS writing and the second lowest is IELTS speaking and

that's where it's much harder to assess yourself so those two sections are

marked by human examiners and they assess you on four criteria in IELTS writing

and four criteria in IELTS speaking and they use IELTS

band descriptors those documents list requirements for each criterion and each

band score you can download public versions of IELTS band descriptors and

study them but I personally think that those two sections require more

attention you should spend more time preparing for them because they're not

just about being able to write or speak in English they are also about being

able to meet those specific requirements the next step is to master each section

of the exam if the moment your English skills at a certain level and your IELTS

score may vary up or down depending on how well you perform at the exam and the

goal is to get the top score the best score you can get at the moment and not

the bottom score and in order to be able to do that you need to have the correct

strategy for each part of the exam I've taken paper-based exam I've taken

computer-based exam and I have videos on how to approach each section how to

approach different types of tasks how to allocate your time to answer as many

questions as you possibly can answer at the moment and to avoid all these silly

mistakes because you know every time you retake the IELTS exam it's about $100 in

this academic year it seems like you may not have time to retake the exam even if

you want to one of the biggest problems in IELTS is time pressure if you spend a

bit of extra time doing something you're not gonna finish something else that you

could have finished and when you're preparing for IELTS listening and

reading it helps to know what types of tasks are used and how to approach each

task then when you see it you'll know exactly what you're gonna do and it

saves time for example in IELTS reading some types of questions come in order it

means you can read the first question find an answer read the next question

keep reading the text until you find the next

answer and so on but some question types don't come in order so you should know

which do and which don't it's a huge time-saver you should also

pay attention to the most difficult types of questions such as true false

not given when you're given a statement you need to find the correct sentence in

the text and then you need to say if the statement is true or its false or you

can't say because it's not given another complex type of task is matching

headings then you are given a list of headings and you need to match each of

them to the correct paragraph it's quite a tricky task to do which requires the

correct strategy and I have videos about all of them but basically in IELTS

listening and reading once you know different types of tasks how to deal

with each type you do some practice tasks you're good to go and if you still

don't get the score you need then perhaps you don't know enough words I

did some research and I think that if you know about 4,000 English words then

your score is going to be between 5 point 5 and 7 and if you know about

8,000 words it's going to be around 7 or higher and I have a separate video where

you can learn how you can measure how many words approximately you know and if

you don't know enough words which words will give the biggest benefit if you

learn them of course this type of preparation takes

much more time and it's not something you can do in a 1 week as we discussed

before most people get their lowest score in IELTS writing and that's where

preparation matters most and actually gives best results in IELTS writing

you're expected to answer 2 tasks in 60 minutes and write more than 150 words

and tasks 1 more than 250 words and tasks 2

and that's already a challenge but if you just write something your score is

gonna be terrible that's because in iOS writing it's not just about your English

skills it's about your writing skills as well and it may so happen that you have

to learn how to write well the good thing is you can do it quite quickly so

IELTS examiner's expect that you're gonna fully answer the question and

you're gonna provide well-structured coherent answer so you need to find out

what you expected to do you also need to learn all the different requirements for

example ayats examiners will be checking for a variety of linking words such as

nevertheless furthermore however and how are you gonna include them if you don't

even know that's a requirement so learn those find out all the types of tasks

you may get and what you're expected to do in each type of task what are the

differences between different types of tasks and of course just listening is

not going to help you with your writing you must practice writing your essays to

in IELTS speaking ayats examiners also use a set of requirements to mark your

answers but I would say it's easier to naturally meet those requirements than

in IELTS writing but if you know what those are it will be even easier to

fulfill them right so you should find out what types of questions are asked in

part 1 2 & 3 and practice your answers you should find out what the

requirements are and what you are expected to do because having the

correct strategy matters I experimented with my strategy and once I got only six

only seven point five and I are speaking while usually at eight point five so

there is a big difference depending on how you approach the both ounces and

that I am speaking is a time pressured exam if you practice at home reading

from the list of questions it's one thing when the examiner keeps on asking

your questions and you must quickly answer the next question

switch and so on it's much more challenging so you should practice

timing yourself to find out how long your answers should be and how much time

you actually have particularly in Part two and at the moment of finishing work

on my brand new IELTS speaking course that will contain all the information

you need and I already have similar courses for IELTS writing I'm gonna link

them in the description below and those courses provide you with all the

information you need for your preparation so you could get started as

quickly as possible but of course if you're ready to invest your time you can

prepare without cost as you don't have to buy anything to pass your exam but

those courses will definitely help you to structure your preparation and save

time when preparing remember that spending one hour a day for five days is

much better than spending five hours in one day so spread your preparation and

right now please download the study plan get links to all the resources I

mentioned in this video and start your preparation thank you for watching me

today good luck with your exam