1. Stop scouring the Internet for questionable IELTS advice and tips.
Unless the source of your tutorials, posts, videos, etc. is Cambridge Assessment English, or the British Council, you should take everything with a pinch of salt at best. Basically, seeing as how any Tom, Dick and Harry can post to their heart´s content, it doesn´t mean you should take this content at face value.
2.The Speaking Paper looks deceptively “straightforward”, but is it truly?
There´s a reason why candidates yield varying scores from the same test. There´s 3 converging factors you need to take into account: your certified level-not the one you presume you have, your performance on the given exam date-which can be derailed by an amalgamation of reasons, and your actual preparation-which can range from poor to non-existent if you are one of those misguided souls that believe a C2 level excludes you from prepping altogether. It´s not about what you know, but what you have to show for in terms of overall assessment in those 10min. that matters. We are not talking about fluency and accuracy in its clinical sense, but more about vocabulary and discourse .
3. Show me your exam prep material, and I´ll tell you what you will score!
Many candidates tend to underperform on the day of the exam. A common thread of feedback revolves around the perceived “difficulty” of the test, or parts of the test. The IELTS is a graded exam, correct? You should treat your exam material as such then. There are numerous publications out there for IELTS. A student cannot possibly gauge the level of difficulty of practice tests, for example. A trained professional, however, is in a better position to evaluate what material to use for a B1 student to make the leap to a B2 score and so on.
4. Set realistic goals and do not leave things to last minute!
So, you need a minimum 7.5 score across the board, and your certified level is B2. That´s not gonna happen unless you prep; and it most definitely won´t happen if you decide, let´s say, a month before your exam date to bother looking at what you got yourself into. Unless your level is C1 or C2 and you cram really hard that one month and perform without any glitches on the day of the exam, the likelihood of walking away with anything less than a 7.5 increases exponentially. Of course, there are exceptions, but just to be clear that´s not the norm. And treating exam dates like trial runs is an even worse attitude. Going back again to sit for the exam in a month is counterproductive. Prep adequately, then register. One test, one score, and that´s it.
5. It´s all about testing, not learning.
Realistically speaking, IELTS prep is all about exam skills. You will be investing time, energy and money into honing your exam skills. Do not expect to walk away with “more” English. You will not increase your proficiency level by taking IELTS classes, or TOEFL for that matter. Ideally, you can improve your vocabulary and, of course, brush up on your existing macro skills. The 2-year expiration cap on this certificate serves a distinct purpose. The score you yield is proof of your competency on the given date. You cannot possibly expect to use it 5 or 10 years down the road as proof of your language acquisition. And remember: Going down the IELTS path makes more sense if you have experience with Cambridge exams. Otherwise, go for the TOEFL.
On a final note, do not be disheartened if you underperform on exam day. Plenty of C1 or C2 students miss the mark, but that´s testing for you. It´s not about what you know, or how well you know it; graded exams are about how you perform on a given date. That´s why you shouldn´t undertake this endeavour alone!
by Kelly Aslanidou
