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Got 8 band disappointed

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 7:05 am
by badarfarooq
Here are my results for IELTS general conducted on June 4th 2016
Listening 8
Speaking 8
Reading 9
Writing 7.5
Overall 8

I am extremely disappointed with my speaking and writing score.
I actually thought i was more fluent than my examiner and expected a 9 in speaking.
I messed up the listening part as I wasn't in the zone at the start of the test and missed a couple of questions and 8 was a fair result and i believe I can do better the next time.
My bane of existence is writing. I need a minimum of 8 in writing and my biggest problem is writing by hand.
Over the last ten years, I have developed a habit of looking at a sentence in entirety as I type and make changes if needed to improve the flow and structure of the sentence. This I am unable to replicate on paper.
Any suggestions, particularly from the guys who score 8+ in writing are welcome
Regards

Re: Got 8 band disappointed

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:20 pm
by wannabe
That's actually a good point, I also find myself recomposing a sentence quite often when I'm typing, and when I do writing it takes way more time to erase and write a sentence again following the typing habit. Also, when I see a clear type font it's easier to notice any mistake.

I'd suggest considering another exam like TOEFL/CELPIP if that's applicable in your case. I'll probably give it a try myself, just to compare results.

Re: Got 8 band disappointed

Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 12:25 pm
by badarfarooq
quick update
took the test again on Jun 25th. The result got delayed but finally got it.
Overall band 8.5 this time
Listening 9
Speaking 8.5
Reading 8.5
Writing 8
Overall 8.5
My issue with writing persisted but i managed to somehow improve 0.5 band . Now 8 is at least respectable. :)
I am obsessing over how I missed 9 in reading though. Must be one of those "Not given" vs "True/False" errors because i finished reading in 30 minutes and was confident.
I guess cannot ask for more than 8.5 in speaking so overall, even though I know I can do better if IELTS were a computer based test, so I could type instead of writing by hand, I think i did well enough and band is enough for my purpose. Although community engagement is missing on this forum, reading through, I got valuable information and thank you for that.