IELTSNetwork.com

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 ...

Hi blacxx,
There are 3 kinds of Task 1 report - data (pie charts, line charts, bar charts, tables), processes (linear or circular usually) and maps (usually illustrating past and present or present and future).
David

Hi Prams,
Yes, there is a slight variation in the difficulty of the listening and reading tests, so the scores vary by a point or so. I agree with you that the official IELTS materials (strongly recommended!) illustrate this.
Best of luck with your preparations!
David

Hi! I think this essay is quite good in that it looks at both sides of the debate and has some good ideas, e.g. workload and supervision. The structure is clear. I would focus on 3 areas to improve your work. 1. Grammar - always a tough one! Thank you Matilda for your suggestions! 2. Vocabulary - Ag...

Hi Gelever,
There is a variance with the scores for reading and listening, i.e. 26/40 on listening does not always equal band 6 (as on the calculator), but this calculator is certainly a good guide. There is no official converter on the net.
Thanks for pointing out a useful little resource!
David

Hello! Ah, the 'bad handwriting' question! My handwriting is pretty terrible, so I'm happy to say that it is unlikely to have an effect on your score. If an examiner cannot read your handwriting, he/she must ask for it to be marked by another examiner. In cases where an examiner cannot read an indiv...

Hello Terry, An excellent question to kick off with! The answer is that candidates must use the exact words from the passage in their answers. (This is the case in the example you mentioned.) If this is not possible (e.g. it would make the answer grammatically incorrect), the correct form of the wor...