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Varun scores band 8!

Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:18 pm
by Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE1iVB25pp8

My talk with Varun was an interesting one. In this interview, he shares a few testing strategies I had not head of. For example, Varun's band 9 in Listening was helped by using the pauses given early in the test to preview Sections 3 and 4. As you know, the first few questions of Section 1 are usually fairly easy and straightforward, so Varun decided he would put the early pauses towards previewing the harder listenings.

Varun was also kind enough to share a breakdown of the pause timings he experienced on the exam. They are:
Time before the example question plays: 1 min 55 sec

Pause between first and second half of section one: around 30 sec

Time to review section one: 30 sec

Time to preview first group of questions of section two: 30 sec

Pause between first and second part of section two: around 25-30 sec

Time to review section two: 30 sec

Time to preview first group of questions of section three: 30 sec

Pause between first and second part of section three: around 20-25 sec

Time to review section three: 30 sec

Time to preview questions of section four: 30 seconds
Using these pauses to preview the other sections of the exam is vital to performing well.

Thanks very much, Varun. This was an enlightening conversation.

Re: Varun scores band 8!

Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:26 pm
by Zarema
Last year I also did all 9 ielts practice books, I got 8 in reading and listening at home, but after real exam my score was l-6, r-5.5 ((

Re: Varun scores band 8!

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:23 am
by Ryan
Zarema wrote:Last year I also did all 9 ielts practice books, I got 8 in reading and listening at home, but after real exam my score was l-6, r-5.5 ((
That is disappointing. What could have caused the disparity? Did you eventually get the mark you need?