There are several learning methods that are deemed to be more effective than the rest. Whilst they differ from one person to another, the fundamentals of learning largely remain the same. The things you need to learn and polish don’t change regardless of the approach you wish to adopt. When studying for an IELTS exam, there are other methods in which you can implement, apart from attending IELTS preparation classes in Singapore. Improve your exam scores by applying the following study tips.
1. Know What You’ll Be Tested On
In The Art of War, the notable Chinese military general Sun Tzu once described to best your opponent, you’ll need to first get to know them. Not as dramatic, the crux of the saying still stands. You need to know what you’d be tested on. The test consists of four parts: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Your listening skills will be tested by listening to 4 dialogues and answer the questions that will follow shortly after. For the reading section, you will be presented with 3 texts and you’d need to read and comprehend to answer 40 questions. The writing section consists of two parts: description and argument. It requires you to describe a graph or diagram for the first, and eloquently answer an argument for the second. You will then need to engage in a conversation with the examiner for 15 minutes or so, for the speaking section.
To get a detailed explanation, head down to British Council site where they break down the IELTS in detail.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
After understanding the different areas that will be tested, you’ll need to practice as much as possible. This means building your English vocabulary by picking new words every single day. Reading is also encouraged, as it helps you to form sound and solid argumentative points for your writing test in IELTS. Opt for newspapers and other academic texts. You can even watch English films and listen to English songs that will not only improve your listening abilities, but also speaking once you try to mimic the way how the language is spoken.
If you head down to the British Council website, you can print and try their past year papers.
3. Work On Your Time Management Skills
Now that you know what you would be tested on, you should also realise that you need to complete the tasks within the time given. Of course, you can never truly prepare yourself for an exam condition but what you can do to alleviate the stressful conditions is to make your body used to it.
When you’re ready, you can start practising the past year papers and do them within a specific duration. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same as the actual IELTS exams. You can slowly ease into it and decrease the time allocated for you to finish the papers. Be aware how long you take each time and soon enough, you’d be able to function at the optimal level, despite the time crunch.
You will be able to ace your IELTS test if you practice each one of the four key factors beforehand. Of course, these factors can only get you so far. The best results achieved is possible when you have somebody to guide you through the entire process and one who can point out your mistakes. You may want to consider enrolling in English courses in Singapore and you’ll significantly improve your IELTS exam scores.
