Recently I was having a chat with an IELTS test taker who was really frustrated!
Why were they frustrated you ask? They were trying so hard to improve their band score but nothing was working!
They read all the tips, learned all the vocabulary, and still their band score was stuck at 7! I see issues like this all the time and I completely understand the frustration!
But I also know what you can do to improve your situation and up your band!
The person I was talking to, her English was very good! She wrote very well, spoke very well, and she was a listening pro. She was regularly listening to native English movies with no subtitles! But still, her band score was sticking tight at 7. She was upset.
Now, as we all know, your ability to use English is very important on the IELTS test. However, there was a key strategy that she was missing. Maybe you are too!
What that test taker didn’t realize was that test format is equally as important as your English ability!
The IELTS test is what is called a standardized test. What that means is that, no matter where you are in the world, if you take the IELTS test you will experience the same testing environment and go through roughly the same exact test as anyone else taking the test in the entire world.
Now, this might sound daunting, but this is a good thing for you! Really! Since the IELTS test is a standardized test that means that the questions which appear on it are also standardized.
While it’s unlikely that you will see the same exact question that you worked on in your practice tests, you will see questions that follow the same format and require the same skills and strategies to answer.
This is why studying test format is equally as important as studying the English you’ll need to answer the questions!
Think about it, when you go to take your IELTS test there’s nothing more demoralizing than seeing a question you’re unfamiliar with, right?
You’re not sure how to handle a question you’ve never seen before!
That’s why becoming familiar with the test is so important. When you’ve seen the same types of questions over and over again to the point where you’re seeing them in your dreams then you know you’ve studied test format enough!
Trust me, study test format and come test day nothing will surprise you. Don’t let all that hard work you put in to studying English go to waste because you forgot to study test format too!
If you’re interested in maximizing your band score with some careful, personalized guidance be sure to reserve your lesson today.
