Hey guys,
This one is for all of you guys who are preparing to take the IELTS test in the near future. As we know in any exam, time is the enemy and as I have stated many times on the 'extremely good feeling' 5steps radio show, you must know your enemy in order to defeat it. :wink:
That means learning some strategies on how to beat the main enemy of TIME in the IELTS test. A lot of students panic and don't get the score they are capable of because they don't have enough time or try to do the tasks too quickly. It is a big problem in the Writing Part, where you have to finish two tasks in only one hour. :lol:
Here is some advice below and try to follow it and make it part of your preparation and practice as the IELTS test date comes near.
Remember : time flies, so make sure that you are able to control your time and are not controlled by time. :lol:
TIME MANAGEMENT IN IELTS
In the IELTS test, time is your enemy. Candidates who have taken the test and did not perform as well as they had hoped often complain that they were unable to give all the answers in the Listening Test because the tape was too fast, and that they ran out of time in the Reading Test.
To begin with, do not worry if you do not finish the tests. Remember, the test is designed to measure candidates over a range of scores from 0 to 9 (0 indicates the test was not attempted). Candidates whose English is near perfect can expect to score 9, but even native English-speaking people would be unlikely to complete every Listening Test answer perfectly or finish the Reading Test a long time before the examination ends. Remember, the test is meant to be challenging.
The IELTS test measures many aspects of your English ability including the speed at which you listen, read, write, speak, and THINK in English. Your personal speed is not something which changes a great deal from day to day, but does change considerably over a longer period of time, as a direct result of practice in working with the English language.
Your personal speed and ability in the 5 areas previously mentioned is pretty well fixed at any given time. The official IELTS Band Scores you receive are extremely accurate, since each test is trialled extensively to achieve standardised results for candidates at all English levels. Nonetheless, there are certainly many things you can do, before and on the day of the test, to help maximise the use of your time and give yourself the best chance of success.
Consider the following situation: although a racing car cannot go faster than its maximum speed, the race can still be won, and its maximum speed maintained for longer, if an expert driver is at the wheel. An expert racing car driver will:
? ... spend a great deal of time practising at the wheel before race day
? ... visit the track so that he or she knows where to go and what to expect
? ... get enough sleep before the day of the big race
? ... eat a good breakfast on race day morning;
? ... check his or her watch constantly to monitor the car's progress
? ... keep moving along the track and not get stuck on a bad corner
? ... breathe long and deeply to relax and keep the oxygen going to the brain
? ... drink water (but not too much!) when the car is at the pit-stop.
The Listening, Reading, and Writing Tests are given in that order, and are usually held on a single morning. The combined length of those three tests is 2 hours and 30 minutes. (The Speaking Test is conducted at an appointed time in the afternoon.) Only one short break is given between the Reading and Writing Tests, so you need to be at your best for a long period of time, which is why you must sleep and eat well before the test. The more effort you put in, the faster your personal speed will be on the day.
Hope that helps, :lol:
Have fun,
Paul :wink:
