Today you’ll learn about 5 IELTS preparation approaches that destroy your score.
We’ll show you why it’s almost too late for one listener to get their target score but we’ll show you how you can turn it around if you are in this situation too.
“To tell you the truth I have never been that bad in English but IELTS is bringing out the bouts of anxiety within me.
I feel I am lagging behind in all four modules.
In the mock tests I have just about managed to score Band 6 in Reading which makes me panic about the whole situation.”
We get a lot of responses like this one.
First of all, he needs to take a step back.
Slow down.
Think about how you are going about this.
It sounds like you have a high level of English.
Mistake #1: Your first mistake was in thinking that your high level of English was enough. It’s not. You need strategies and you need to know what the examiner is looking for.
Mistake #2: Maybe you thought you would practice a few times to see what the exam looks like with the Cambridge practice tests.
Mistake #3: You don’t have any reading strategies. You don’t have time management skills on reading.
You are now in a downward spiral of anxiety which is taking your further away from your target score because of your first three mistakes. Here’s more from your letter….
“Writing is something which obviously has no standard marking and so is the Speaking part, both of which I do hope to pull of with ease and get a 7 in both.
My biggest fear is the Listening module.
My problem with Listening is the recording is too fast for me to follow and jot down the answers.”
You have awesome vocabulary so that’s a huge advantage for you that you could use on your next test, but…..
Mistake #4: You have done NO research on IELTS. How can you say that Writing and Speaking have no standard marking system? Of course there is a strict standard marking criteria that examiners must follow and you MUST learn it to score high.
We know that you are trying to prepare and the mistakes that you have made are common for so many students but you need to realize that you must ask for help sometimes.
Even for a native speaker, you need to know what the examiner is looking for on Writing Task 1 and in Speaking Part 2.
It’s not logical or obvious.
The instructions can actually be misleading.
If you are studying with an IELTS professional then you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get the score you need because we know what you need to do to get that score.
And it gets worse….
“I’ve watched several videos with tips on Listening and Reading but I find it hard to improve since I am doing self study and I only have 20 days left I feel that I am panicking more than ever.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
I hope I get Band 8.5 in my first attempt but my innermost desire is to get Band 9.”
Mistake #5: You are doing self study and you have said that it’s not working. You can’t prepare for IELTS by yourself. Why are you continuing to use those self study videos if they aren’t working? STOP and change your approach!!!
Mistake #6: Now that you only have 20 days (and no plan) you are panicking and looking for help. It’s basically too late. If you had 30 days you would be OK but if you continue on the track you’re on for the next 20 days you WILL NOT get your target score.
This situation reminds of a situation that a native speaker would get in.
This person has the English level he needs but he cannot do it by himself.
A native speaker would probably assume they could prepare by themselves too but they also wouldn’t get a great score.
What do you think about this situation?
Are you in a similar situation right now?
Let us know in the comments below.
