IELTS Test – Do this 1 thing to improve your Band Score

The IELTS test can be stressful, right?

Your IELTS result can mean the difference between going to university or not. Your IELTS Band score can make a BIG difference to your life, so there is a lot at stake and of course, you really really want to do as well as possible when you are taking the exam.

An extremely important part of how to do well during the test is having great exam technique.

You must practise the IELTS questions before you do the exam for real, so that you know the kind of thing that you are being asked.

What students say about IELTS Reading

A lot of students who sit the IELTS exam say after they have done the Reading Test things like:

“Oh, I got stuck on this one question!”

“I ran out of time”

“I couldn’t finish all the questions”

“There was a question that I just didn’t understand. It was so difficult!”

“I couldn’t find the answer to a reading question”

All of these common statements above show that the student had bad exam technique in the IELTS Reading Test.

There is soooo much to do and soooo little time to do everything in IELTS Reading….

IELTS READING TEST FACTS

When you see these Reading Test facts below, you will understand why people run out of time!

  • You only have 60 minutes to complete the Reading test.
  • There are 3 different Reading texts (called ‘passages’) of Academic English
  • The passages will be about academic subjects that you probably do not know anything about
  • Each of the 3 IELTS Reading passages has approximately 13 questions
  • In total, there about 40 questions to answer in 60 minutes
  • But you will also have to read over 2000 words in the 3 passages!

Let me just repeat that last fact – there will be more than 2000 words to read in the 3 texts!

You have to read those huge number of words AND answer 40 questions relating to those texts in under an hour!!! That’s almost impossible, isn’t it?

Tomorrow, in another IELTS Reading Tips article, I will show you HOW you do not have to read every single word to be able to answer the questions, but for now…

IELTS Essential – Do this 1 thing to improve your IELTS band score!

In the IELTS Reading Test:

  • if you can not find the information for an answer
  • if you really do not understand a question
  • if you need more than ONE MINUTE to find an answer

= FORGET ABOUT IT and MOVE ON to the next question.

Why? Why miss out a question?

There are so many advantages to missing out a difficult question!

When you miss out a difficult question, you will:

  1. Save time – and you need every second you can get
  2. Avoid a question that makes you crazy which will increase your stress levels and make you perform badly in the rest of the test
  3. Do questions that you find easier
  4. Do questions that get you points which contribute to a better Band Score
  5. Do questions that you like and quickly know the answers to
  6. Be able to go back at the end of the exam and look at this difficult question again (maybe)

Let’s just imagine that you do not agree with the advice above.

Imagine what will happen if you use up lots of time when you keep trying to find the info for an answer to a difficult question.

When you use up lots of time with a difficult question, you will:

  1. Lose lots of time – you have absolutely NO spare time in the IELTS Reading
  2. Get really stressed and worried – because you can not find the answer
  3. Start to panic that the whole test is super difficult and you can not answer anything correctly
  4. Not even reach the questions at the end of the test – you might have found all of these missed questions very easy and scored lots of points
  5. Not get to look at questions that you like and would have found easy to answer
  6. Be in a really bad mood or depressed for the other IELTS tests you will have to do that same day, like the Writing Test and Listening Test

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IT MAKES SENSE TO MISS OUT A DIFFICULT READING QUESTION

Doesn’t it?

What happens in the IELTS Test?

IELTS Exam Preparation Course in London

At SGI English school in central London, we have lots of IELTS test preparation courses.

The reason why the students who take these course are successful is because:

  1. Every Thursday, every student sits a complete IELTS practice test = “practice makes perfect!”
  2. The SGI Thursday practice test has all IELTS sections: Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening
  3. Every student gets their practice test results back on the next day – Friday morning
  4. The IELTS lessons are taught by highly-qualified and very experienced IELTS English teachers who know what they are doing!
  5. Your teacher will help you correct your mistakes and show you exactly how to improve you IELTS band score

To find out more about our IELTS, or to understand which IELTS course is best for you, email your question to us now.

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