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Hello again, Gelever, There are no rules regarding this, so my basic answer is 'go ahead'. However, do be a little careful! I think that the examples you gave are reasonable, but I have seen essays where they are less so and it often makes the arguments confusing. Moreover, if your arguments cannot ...

Hi Avijit, Great bunch of questions! 1. Writing more words does not automatically get you a higher score, but - if you are writing the additional words to develop good points, using quality vocab and grammar - it certainly helps. 2. You should change as many of the words and phrases from the rubric ...

This is very good advice!

Hi Anto, Assuming that it's your only mistake, I would say that band 8 is achievable. The added 's' counts as a grammar mistake and does not affect the other 3 scores. To achieve a band score, you must FULLY achieve the requirements of that particular level, so I think you can say that scores are ro...

Hi Mamo,
It used to be that you had to wait 3 months, but the rule was dropped several years ago. You can now take the test as often as you can afford ... er ... want to.
David

Hi Precious, That's actually sometimes a tough question even for examiners! The task response is VERY developed. The examiner is looking for insightful arguments made very clearly. This is where knowledge of the topic (general, not specialised) becomes quite important (not at bands 5-6 as many candi...

Hello! There seems to be a suspicion that some materials were leaked prior to the test. IELTS will be checking whether the results for that version are substantially different from previous results and pre-testing results. They are also likely to check the scores for candidates who have taken the te...

Hi Gelever, My understanding, having checked this with people at the BC and IDP, is that wrist watches are not permitted. The penalty is death :twisted: ... er ... sorry, I mean "being expelled". However, the lack of a clock in the room is a concern. IELTS regulations clearly state that su...

Hi Precious, Moving from 6.5 to 7 usually requires a much higher standard of grammar (few basic errors and a wide variety of both simple and complex sentence structures). You will probably need to develop your answers more too. This means extending the key points and ensuring that there is nothing i...

These are links to some useful information published by a friend of mine - copy and paste. In section 1, there is an explanation of how to achieve bands 5 to 7.5 in speaking and writing. Let me know if the links don't work, but they worked for me. https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/ielts-speaking-and-wr...

These are links to some useful information published by a friend of mine. In section 1, there is an explanation of how to achieve bands 5 to 7.5 in speaking and writing. Let me know if the links don't work, but they worked for me. https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/ielts-speaking-and-writing-guide-febru...

These are links to some useful information published by a friend of mine - copy and paste. In section 1, there is an explanation of how to achieve bands 5 to 7.5 in speaking and writing. Let me know if the links don't work, but they worked for me. https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/ielts-speaking-and-wr...

These are links to some useful information published by a friend of mine - copy and paste. In section 1, there is an explanation of how to achieve bands 5 to 7.5 in speaking and writing. Let me know if the links don't work, but they worked for me. https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/ielts-speaking-and-wr...

Hi Precious, Moving from 6.5 to 7 can be a big jump. First you need to identify the areas where you need to improve - task response, coherence/cohesion, vocabulary, grammar. My personal experience is that the likely culprits are task response and grammar. Task response - Make sure that you FULLY ans...

Of course, every examiner will tell you that they LOVE essays with zero words! Literally 'money for nothing' as we still get paid for them!

Hi Terry,
There is no upper limit on the number of words - only on the amount you can write in 20 or 40 minutes!
Don't add meaningless words just to make your report or essay longer.
I recommend that candidates aim for about 170-180 words in T1 and 280-290 words in T2.
All the best,
David

That's correct. Candidates should also remember to change words in the rubric using synonyms whenever possible (e.g. 'advantages' to 'benefits' and vice versa). I have some General candidates on my courses and I always recommend that they look at the issue presented in Task 2 from both sides, even t...

Hello! There's really very little difference from the examiner's point of view. The General questions are somewhat easier and usually have a shorter rubric compared to the Academic ones. The biggest difference is that the Academic questions almost always require the candidate to examine the question...

Hi IAAO, Examiners in the local centres will remark the results. Looking at the four scores, I would not recommend that you request a remark. Three of the skills areas have almost exactly the same score and it is only the listening that gives you a band 7 overall. Spend your time and money on improv...

Hi Jesus,
Try to listen for the context - is the noun being referred to in general (Squirrels eat nuts) or in the particular (The squirrel ate the nuts). Also try to learn the common uncountable nouns (which have no 's'), e.g. information.
Hope that helps a little!
David

Hi Prams,
I think you mean the listening test (there is no audio played in the speaking test) and, as I mentioned in my previous answer, you MUST wait for the voice to tell you to open the test booklet.
David

Hi!
I have never seen a real IELTS speaking test on YouTube. If you want to direct me to a particular video, go ahead.
David

Hi Sam, To be perfectly honest, being a band 4 in reading and listening, but a band 7 in speaking and writing would be extremely unusual. For example, a band 4 would barely understand the questions in part 3 of the speaking test, so answering them at band 7 level would be almost impossible. Are thes...

Hi! Many of my students ask the same question. The simple answer is that you can say whatever you like as long as you answer the main question (Describe ...). The sub-points are suggestions only. However, very often, the sub-points should be included to be logical, e.g. "Describe a teacher. You...

Hi Gelever, Another great question! You can do what you like during those 30 second breaks. I have frequently seen candidates looking at the next section and during the last break at the end of section 4 most candidates start writing answers on the answer sheet. At the beginning of the test you may ...