General English Programs

Here are the Top 3 Tips for your IELTS Exam in the areas of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Come back soon for Top 10 Tips! Or join our Forums

LISTENING

1. Don’t just glance at instructions; read them carefully. They can vary considerably.
2. It often happens that the speaker will give you an answer and then correct what s/he has said - watch out for this ploy.
3. Try to anticipate what the speaker will say. This requires concentration - easy in your own language, but more difficult in English !

READING

1. Leave a question for later if you can’t answer. Spending a long time on one answer is not ideal. Go back later if you have time and guess if you have to.
2. Don’t panic if you don’t know anything about the subject of the passage. All the answers can be found in the passage and you don’t need any specialist knowledge.
3. Remember, unlike the Listening section of the exam, you have no extra time to transfer your answers at the end of the Reading section.

WRITING

1. Highlight or circle key words.
2. Clearly divide paragraphs.
3. Don’t repeat ideas using different words.

SPEAKING

1. We want to test your ability to communicate effectively, and not just your grammatical accuracy.
2. Don’t learn chunks of answers. The examiner is trained to spot this and will change the question.
3. Develop your answers as much as possible.