IELTS Preparation Phyo Wai Thaung

Overall Band Score – 8.0 Individual Band Score Listening 8.0 Reading 9.0 Writing 7.0 Speaking 7.0

If you are considering to take the IELTS exam,….. How Long? Self-assessment Requirements for particular study/ university/ country How? Self-study or Tuition Determination & Motivation

Test Duration Listening (30 min) Reading (60 min) Writing (60 min) About 3 hours Speaking test may be on the same day or later Should practice mock tests to be ready before the exam Totally in your hands Should be more informative

Listening and Reading Marking Schemes Band Score Correct Number 9 39-40 8.5 37-38 8 35-36 7.5 32-34 7 30-31 6.5 26-29 6 23-25 Band Score Correct Number 5.5 18-22 5 16-17 4.5 13-15 4 10-12 3.5 8-10 3 6-7 2.5 4-5

Listening Preparation *The more you listen, the more familiar you will be with different accent. Listen regularly to news channel (BBC World News, CNN,…..) and watch documentaries Know yourself and stress on the specific area you are weak in (Monologue, Dialogue, social talk, academic talk) Don’t use earpiece

Listening Tips!!! (During the test) Fully concentrate but don’t be anxious Reading time (Pause) is the golden opportunity for Prediction Never miss the introductory sentence which can give important clues What is it about? Who are the ones to speak? Never think about the missing words while the recording goes on

Reading Preparation Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, Time How to speed up the reading??? Question First, then Passage Read under time pressure Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, Time IELTS Practice books Install a good dictionary into your mobile phone or tablet Practice like a real exam (3 passages within an hour without a break)

Reading Tips!!! (During the test) Time Management Vital Less time in 1st two passages Order of Difficulty More time in final passage Complete Answer Sheet Time management is vital Take less time in the first 2 passages (Passages are arranged in order of increasing difficulty) Don’t leave anything blank

Practice Makes Perfect Writing Preparation Academic Writing Task 1 => Report Writing Task 2 => Essay Writing Practice Makes Perfect Be prepared to fulfil all 4 components of marking scheme Task response (Argumentative/ Thesis-led/ Problem-Solution essays) Cohesion and Coherence Grammar Lexical resources (Vocabulary) General knowledge and Rational/Critical thinking Someone to check and give advice

Writing Tips!!! (During the test) Review Write Plan Introduction and conclusion should be structured in advance Give sufficient time to body paragraphs

Speaking Preparation Speaking Test Part-1 (Social Talk) Part-2 (Card Talk) Part-3 (Discussion) Try to balance in all 4 assessed areas: Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation Practice with a friend or Practice with IELTS Speaking App For Part-2, use a timer for practice and make a gist of talking points for possible topics (Person, Place, Thing, Event, Activity) but not by heart Learn from IELTS Speaking videos from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzzOowpCryw

Speaking Tips!!! (During the test) Be relaxed Emphasize on Part-1 and Part-2 and present your skills since the beginning Don’t give very short answers and reply as completely as possible Don’t make repetition on the same phrase or clause In case of unfamiliar topic, try to answer to the best of your knowledge Use fluency markers wherever appropriate

Avoid unnecessary mistakes Word limit Spelling Longer essay doesn’t mean better mark Obvious grammar mistakes Memorized answers in speaking

Useful IELTS Preparation Aids on Google Play Store IELTS World Power IELTS Speaking

Cambridge IELTS (5-11) >>> IELTS Trainer >>> Reference Books Cambridge IELTS (5-11) >>> Borrow from British Council library IELTS Trainer >>> <<< Barron’s IELTS

Free Online Courses Road to IELTS (Preparation and Practice) http://www.roadtoielts.com/area1/RoadToIELTS2/Start-AC.php?prefix=TD edX IELTS (The University of Queensland) https://www.edx.org/course/ielts-academic-test-preparation-uqx-ieltsx-0#!

Useful websites www.ielts-blog.com (If subscribed, you will receive updated questions on Writing and Speaking from other test centers around the world)

Thank you for your kind attention! Good Luck !!! Phyo Wai Thaung Email: rheo200@gmail.com Facebook: Phyo Wai Thaung