9 common myths about IELTS & tips to crack them.
9 common myths about IELTS & tips to crack them.
Though most of us try to converse in English these days particularly in school or in office but in countries like India, China etc where English is not a native language, most of us may not be proficient in the language. Speaking English comfortably does not mean that we are we proficient. And the best way to prove one’s proficiency in English language, whether it is for working in a different nation or securing better job opportunities in the home country, is to have an IELTS certification.
Cracking IELTS is a combination of both hard work and smart work. A well structured and a planned preparation can help a candidate crack the exam in the first attempt itself.
There are some common myths about IELTS that the aspirants carry in their mind. Their biggest challenge is however, apart from preparation what are the basic tips that go into cracking the exam? Some of the most common myths and tips to overcome them are mentioned below for your benefit:
1. Myth: “Speaking” part is the most important part in the IELTS exam.
Tip: You need to give equal focus on all the four parameters – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
2. Myth: Multiple Choice questions will kill me.
Tip: Stay calm and focussed. You need to understand that you cannot learn or master a language overnight. There is no short cut to practice. Hence “persistence” is the key word. During preparations, most of the students lose hope. This is because due to the different format of exams in different universities and countries at large, some students are not very comfortable with the “multiple choice questions” kind of exams. And wrong grammar, generally leads to low scoring in MCQ sections due to which the performance in the MOC exams is very low and number of students drop out after the same. The key is to brush on your grammar by going back to the class 7th and 8th grammar books.
3. Myth: It’s not the speed, just the quality matters.
Tip: Efficient “time management” is a must. All the 4 sections of IELTS exams: Reading Writing, Speaking and Listening are time bound. 60 minutes, 60 minutes, 15 minutes and 40 minutes are respectively allotted to each section. Most of the students fail to adhere to time limits effectively thereby losing a better band.
4. Myth: Ability to write well is what matters even if you are a slow writer.
Tip: Ability to write fast is a pre-requisite to cracking the writing section. These days, right from the school days, we start making typed assignments and projects due to which ability to write fast is reduced. Practice to write fast, in order to, complete the exam in time.
5. Myth: At this stage, I cannot improve my basics of English Language.
Tip: Having correct grammar is a must along with strong vocabulary as speaking test involves recording your voice and the same is then scrutinised for voice modulation, pitch and paralanguage. Revising parts of speech, tenses, punctuation etc will be of great help. It is possible to master a language at any stage and English is no exception.
6. Myth: It’s just a language exam and does not require same level of concentration as Maths or other quantitative papers.
Tip: High concentration level is required since all the sections are time bound. Come with a de-toxed mind and mentally prepared for a long process which may involve lot of thinking and re-thinking.
7. Myth: It’s just a language exam. Hence, all I need to practice is spellings and grammar.
Tip: The reading section does involve questions based on simple curves and graphs. Hence, basic knowledge of graphs is a must. You may spend some time to getting familiar with how to read graphs and curves.
8. Myth: I need to flaunt my Western accent.
Tip: Speak in your natural ascent. Do not imitate Western accent. It leads to huge deduction in marks.
9. Myth: I shall never know what the exam is like before actually appearing for it.
Tip: Some IELTS exam paper samples are available online. Referring to them will help you to understand the non – conventional exam structure.
