Maximize Your IELTS Score: Essential Tips and Techniques

IELTS is a short form for International English Language Testing System. It is basically a standardized exam that intends to measure the proficiency of non-native English speakers. Passing this test is essential to relocate to an English-speaking region successfully. But passing a standardized test of this caliber is often challenging, especially for beginners. So, if you want to achieve this mountain of a task, we recommend sticking to this blog post.

Here, we’ll specify the seven essential tips to help you nail a higher IELTS score. So, without prolonging this introduction, let’s dig in.

1. Familiarize Yourself With the Test Format

The IELTS exam consists of various sections and each section in that exam has different numbers of questions, time limits and question types. For instance, the ielts reading section involves various passages and different question formats, such as matching, multiple choice and true/false/not given. Therefore, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the test format, which is the first tip or technique to significantly improve your chances of gaining a higher IELTS score. Why?

When you know the test format, you will not be surprised upon seeing the exam. Besides, familiarizing yourself with the test format will give you an idea about how to effectively plan your schedule and how much time you should allot for each section. So, take assistance from previous years’ question papers to get familiar with the content of each section and overall test structure instead of directly going for the preparation.

2. Improve Your Command of the English Language

As you may know and we’ve briefly specified in the introduction, IELTS is a standardized language assessment test designed for non-native English speakers to test their language proficiency. Therefore, the second tip in this guide entails that if you want to excel in your IELTS exam, you will have to improve your overall English language proficiency. But how can you do that?

Well, the ideal way to develop your English language skills is to read books, magazines and newspapers deeply. However, besides reading, listening to native English speakers on podcasts and radio programs can also boost your vocabulary and comprehension.

Thus, once you’ve done all that, we recommend practicing your speaking skills with a native English speaker by engaging in a real-time conversation. Doing so will help you practice your English-speaking skills and achieve a better accent, which is a dream for most non-native speakers.

3. Enhance Your English Grammar

As mentioned, the IELTS exam consists of various sections, such as writing, reading, speaking and listening. So, if you want to excel in the writing and speaking portion, you must have a good command of your grammar skills. And that’s what this third tip entails. But how can you achieve a better knowledge of English grammar?

The best way to increase your command of English grammar is to study and learn the grammar rules. So, once you’ve learned the necessary English grammar rules, we recommend implementing them in writing and speaking exercises. And while implementing, you must pay attention to common grammar mistakes and identify how you can eliminate those errors. But if you need help in such a situation, you can take assistance from an AI grammar checker. Such a tool can instantly check grammar of the entered text and correct all errors.

Thus, by studying and implementing grammar rules and analyzing the grammar corrections of the AI grammar checkers, you can increase your command of English grammar.

4. Learn the Art of Paraphrasing

While good English grammar is essential to nail the writing and speaking section of the IELTS exam, what about the reading section? That’s where the art of paraphrasing will come in handy. So, if you want to know the answer to the question, ‘how to get good score in IELTS reading,’ this tip is for you.

Library guides have defined the term ‘paraphrasing’ in the following way:

“Paraphrasing means to state something written or spoken in different words, especially in a shorter and simpler form to make the meaning clearer” (Hegarty, 2022).

From this definition, we can understand that when someone uses different words to describe the same information to make it simpler, shorter, or clearer, they perform paraphrasing. So, practice the art of restating the information in your words. But if you don’t know how you can do that, we recommend using the following tips:

• First of all, read the original material thoroughly to get a better understanding of it.
• Don’t try to write the original material in your words until you’ve understood its meaning correctly.
• After grasping the concept of the original text, write it in your words. But don’t look at the original material while writing. Otherwise, the wording of the paraphrased and original versions will look similar.
• Once you’ve written the rephrased version, compare it with the original version. If the paraphrased version resembles the original form, we recommend paraphrasing again.
• You can also take help from an AI paraphrase tool to better understand how paraphrasing happens.

Thus, once you’ve grasped the skill of paraphrasing, it will help you demonstrate a better understanding of the original text and showcase your language skills.

5. Practice With Various Essay-Related Questions

By now, you may have understood that writing is a vital portion of the whole IELTS exam. And although we’ve already discussed how grammar and paraphrasing skills are crucial for nailing the writing portion, they are not enough. So, in order to complete the answer to the question, ‘How to get good score in IELTS writing,’ you will also have to focus on practicing the art of essay writing, which is the fifth tip of this guide.

As essay writing is of different types, you must expect different kinds of questions related to essay writing in the IELTS exam. So, it is better to prepare for such a scenario. And how can you do that?

Well, as we’ve specified in the above tips, you can use the assistance of IELTS essay mock tests to prepare for different types of questions related to essay writing. And while preparing, make sure to practice the art of structuring your ideas and organizing your arguments within an essay because these things assist in writing a better essay. But other than that, you should also focus on using appropriate vocabulary and maintaining grammatical accuracy while practicing for essays.

Thus, when you practice tackling different types of essay-related questions within the specified time limit and using the guidelines mentioned above, you can better refine your essay writing approach according to the requirements of the IELTS exam.

6. Use Strictly Timed Environments to Practice

Like other tests, time management is also crucial in the IELTS exam. That’s because the pressure of completing a task within a given time limit can negatively impact your test performance if you don’t practice proper time management strategies. Therefore, once you are familiar with the structure and content of the test and have practiced using all the tips mentioned above, we recommend practicing under timed conditions. But how can you do that?

While preparing for the exam, you can picture yourself as if you are giving the actual test. Doing so will teach you to allocate time to each section better. But that’s not it, as practicing under strictly timed conditions will also help you learn how to answer various questions within a given time limit. And this will eventually help you steady your pace for the test.

7. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Feedback

Like general writing, feedback can be crucial in maximizing your chance of getting a higher IELTS score. Therefore, the last tip of this guide specifies that instead of going to the test straightaway, you should seek feedback on your writing, reading, listening and speaking practices. But how will this technique prove helpful in gaining a better IELTS score?

When you get feedback on your listening, reading, speaking and writing practices from a qualified English expert or native English speaker, you will identify your strengths and weaknesses. And by addressing your weaknesses according to experts’ recommendations, you can refine your skills even more. This way, you can eventually perform better in the actual exam.

Thus, that’s how seeking feedback and constructive criticism from reliable sources can help you perform better in the IELTS exam.

Conclusion

Overall, if you want to increase the likelihood of achieving a higher IELTS score, you will have to show dedication and consistency in preparing for your IELTS exams. But besides commitment and consistency, you will also need proper guidelines, which you can get by reading the discussion above.

Thus, by following all the tips and techniques discussed in the above blog post, you can confidently enhance your English language skills and tackle each section of the IELTS exam. But remember to allocate ample time for preparation, seek feedback and stay focused on your goals.

APA References

Hegarty, N. (2022, Mar 23, 2022). Library Guides: Paraphrasing – an overview: What is Paraphrasing? The Library, TUS Midwest. Retrieved June 20 from https://lit.libguides.com/paraphrasing