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IELTS Speaking and Listening: Have you prepared well?

Written by  Rachit Agrawal, MBA

Published on Tue, November 14, 2017 10:58 AM   Updated on Mon, December 16, 2019 6:39 AM   5 mins read

Source: Learn English with Emma

IELTS speaking and listening tests are as important as other sections: reading and writing. This post will be listing out tips that can be followed for both these sections for your IELTS exam.

Speaking Test

The IELTS speaking test is recorded and conducted with one examiner. The test has been divided into 3 sections.

Section 1 (4-5 minutes)

  1. In section 1, candidate will be asked some general introductory questions.
  2. It will be similar to the type of questions when meeting someone for the first time.
  3. After general introductory questions, examiner will ask questions on personal information.
  4. Finally, the examiner will ask some questions on 2 topics of general interest.

Section 2 (3-4 minutes)

  1. Section 2 involves speaking only by the candidate.
  2. The examiner will give the candidate a subject on a card and also, will give some questions on it.
  3. The candidate needs to talk for 1 to 2 minutes on this subject.
  4. Candidate will be given optional 1 minute to prepare for this talk.
  5. After the talk, examiner will ask 1 or 2 brief questions and finish off the section.

Section 3 (4-5 minutes)

  1. In section 3, examiner will ask the candidate more questions related to subject spoken about in section 2.
  2. These questions will demand some critical analysis on the part of the candidate.

IELTS speaking tips:

  Practice, Practice, Practice Like the saying, ‘practice makes a man perfect’, it is necessary for you to practice well for IELTS speaking test. You need to be prepared with common questions, common topics, favorite things, how to greet the examiner or how to ask questions to examiner etc.  To get to know all these, you need to practice speaking tests and review it after recording. IELTS speaking practice tests are available online and make most use of them.

Simple Ideas with Excellent English When you are answering, they are not testing your ideas or knowledge. So while answering, try to be confident and showcase your language skills

 Speak and don’t be shy Don’t hesitate to talk as not talking will do more harm than talking something.

 Learn to express in your own words and language Talking in your own words can help you to express your answers better.

 Know the marking You will be marked on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Each one carries 25% weightage. So, while preparing you need to focus on each of these to score well. You may correct your mistakes if you have made any. But ensure that it will not affect the fluency of your speaking.

IELTS Listening Test

In the IELTS listening test, the candidate will listen to a recording and answer a series of questions. The recording will be played only ONCE. The test has four sections with 10 questions in each. It will last for about 30 minutes.

Usually it has below given variety of question types:

  1.         multiple choice
  2.         sentence completion
  3.         notes/diagram/flow chart completion
  4.         short answer

IELTS listening test tips:

Multitasking You will need to listen for the answer, read the questions and write down words at the same time. So, you need to practice well before for this by taking IELTS listening practice tests online.

Listen to relevant things You will be listening to lots of extra information also. But keep focused on relevant details which will help you to answer the questions.

Writing down your answers Sometimes you will get many answers at a time for the question. So, write down all the answers you get in a paper. You may select the right one afterwards.

Attention In listening test, you need to be focused and attentive on what you are listening to. Because if you don’t listen to some words to sentences, you will not be hearing an answer and will lose one mark.

Transferring your answers to the answer sheet You need to practice transferring your answers to the answer sheet at home. Also, you need to check if you have made any spelling mistakes while transferring answers to answer sheet.

Make use of space available You will not be getting an extra sheet to note down your answers. So, you need to practice how to utilize minimum space for maximum efficiency.

Listen to different accents You will be listening to different accents in the recording. So, better to be prepared with listening to different accents.

You can score well in the IELTS speaking and listening sections if you prepare in the right way. Develop your English language speaking and listening skills by following tips, improving your grammar and vocabulary and practicing sample tests as many as possible. As always the Golden rule is the same- practice is the key to success in any exam. So, plan and prepare well for your IELTS exam.

In case you may require our expertise’ help in resolving any query regarding your IELTS test, always feel free to reach out to us @ [email protected] or +91-120-653-3966 or check out http://bit.ly/2uzQiJw.

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About the Author & Expert

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Rachit Agrawal

Author • MBA • 20 Years

Rachit believes in the power of education and has studied from the top institutes of IIIT Allahabad, IIM Calcutta, and Francois Rabelias in France. He has worked as Software Developer with Microsoft and Adobe. Post his MBA, he worked with the world's # 1 consulting firm, The Boston Consulting Group across multiple geographies US, South-East Asia and Europe.

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