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The IELTS exam is at your door! Are you ready to take it? Are you prepared to apply all your well-planned strategies on the test day? Are you nervous or underconfident whether your preparation for the test will work or not?
We will tell you about the do’s and don’ts you should follow before and on the IELTS test day.
The do’s before and on the IELTS test day
1. Do practice as much as you can
Practice with any family members or friends or practice with yourself. You need to be consistent, and make sure that you speak in English a lot, at home, or wherever you go. Here we have mentioned important books for you to practice: List of Best IELTS Preparation Books and Materials
2. Do speak in a natural way
Most examiners look at whether the student’s English language is in their natural tone. Don’t speak too loud or too low because it might make you more nervous. Candidates should avoid memorizing answers, instead of it they should make an opinion, give examples, talk about the cause and effect, additionally talk about hypothetical situations everything spontaneously and to the point.
3. Do ask the examiner
If you are not able to understand anything or you want to know the meaning of any word which you have never heard of, then you must ask the examiner. But do remember that you should not ask too many questions to an examiner, and not to request them to explain every word or vocabulary.
4. Do stretch the talk
IELTS examiners want candidates to speak for a longer length of time. You should not limit your answers, instead try speaking for a longer duration, covering the how’s, why’s and what’s, along with giving a few examples of the given topic. Read this to understand better: Complete Guide for the Speaking section of IELTS
5. Do give preference to grammar
Often many students get nervous during the IELTS speaking test, struggling to answer in a correct grammatically way. The best way to get rid of the fear of speaking incorrect English during IELTS is to record yourself and listen to how your speech sounds. If you feel there are any mistakes in your speech then again you should speak and record until you achieve perfection.
6. Do correct yourself
While talking at length, it’s quite natural to say a few grammatically incorrect words. But make sure you correct yourself immediately. Many students don’t like to correct themselves but if you do it will help the examiner understand that you have basic knowledge of your grammar.
7. Do take time to think
The idea of pausing and thinking and then answering questions is not bad at all. Thinking will help you collect ideas about a question you are unsure of. But when you pause, you can say the following phrases that might help:
- There is no easy answer to this. I think…
- That’s an interesting question. Let me think…
- I’m not really sure, but I would say…
But make sure you don’t do it repeatedly and start every answer with such phrases because the examiner might get a hint that you have come prepared with memorized answers. And this might result in getting a low score. You should check this out: Time management of 2 hours and 45 minutes in the IELTS
The don’ts before and on the IELTS test day
1. Don’t try to memorize the answers
Some students might think learning answers by memorizing it will help them in impressing the examiner. But an examiner will never be impressed with your scripted answers. This mistake of yours might affect your score negatively.
2. Don't agree if you don’t want to
Many candidates think that if they don’t agree with the opinion of the examiner in the speaking test, they might lose marks. But that’s wrong! Examiners are not concerned with your opinion instead they test your ability to speak.
3. Don't use big words
Many candidates think that using strong vocabularies might bring them good marks, but that’s a common misconception. You must use only those words you are comfortable with, but at the same time also take care to show that you have a wide-ranging vocabulary. The examiner will also judge you by the way you pronounce words so ensure that you give equal importance to the pronunciation of new words. You are in need of this: Important Tips to improve vocabulary for IELTS
4. Don't stay quiet
In the IELTS speaking test, you should not stay quiet. If you don’t have anything to say, then pause a few seconds, think and say something that would relate your sentences, for example, when you don’t know the answer to a question, say ‘I’m sorry, I don’t have much idea about this…’. It’s always good to attempt an answer rather than staying quiet.
5. Don’t divert
You should not go speak which is not relatable to the given topic. When asked your name and hometown, try to answer in lesser words. If the examiner asks you about your hobbies, you must answer his or her question in minimum words, without describing any history or any incident related to your hobbies.
6. Don’t cram
It is impossible to cram in English the night before because you will have no idea what topics will be on the test.so instead of cramping stay calm and be focused.
7. Do not skip ahead.
Ensure to get knowledge of the instruction given. Do not skip ahead, you might skip something important.
We hope this helps you out. Keep all the points of DO’S and DON’TS in your mind and crack the IELTS exam well so that you can achieve admission in the international institutions. All the best!!!!
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