IELTS Preparation

Author

23-06-2025

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the standardized English proficiency test that is used to assess the language skill of non-native speakers. This IELTS test is scored on a band scale of 0-9 and is accepted by more than 3000 universities across the globe. As the IELTS test assesses your overall linguistic skills, your IELTS preparation must include training for all 4 skills namely, Reading, writing speaking, and listening

The IELTS band score plays a vital role in your abroad education admission and visa clearance process. Thus you must have proper preparation guidance to boost your band score. In this article, we will discuss the various factors involved in IELTS preparation. Make use of the lessons and tips shared here for a band 7 and above.

Check Out our YouTube Channel to Practice Full-Length IELTS Listening Tests Daily

How to prepare for the IELTS test?

Are you wondering about How to prepare for the IELTS exam? Then you are in the right place. Here we will be discussing a few points that will guide you in your IELTS preparation. They are as follows.

The IELTS test has its exam format. Understand the exam format to know what and how to prepare for the IELTS test.
You must have a clear understanding of the marketing criteria, the band descriptors, and the scoring pattern.
Make sure you are practicing the language in all forms.
Schedule your preparation plan in advance.
Required you opt for joining an IELTS coaching class
Have a regular practice with sample question papers and mock tests.
Improve all your IELTS skills, reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
Evaluate yourself to check your preparation progress.
Register for the IELTS test. You must choose a date that suits your admission deadline.
Appear for the test once you are fully prepared.

Why is it difficult to prepare for the IELTS test?

For hassle-free college admission and visa processing an IELTS score of band 7 and above will be sufficient. However, a higher band score might look difficult to achieve due to various reasons like continuous three-section exams, with a huge number of questions to be answered, and the time limits you face in each section.

These obstacles can be easily overcome by improving the following skills

General English language skills
Test format understanding
Knowledge of marking criteria.

Know more about the IELTS band requirement for Canada visa processing.

General English skill improvement

IELTS being the language proficiency test, you must concentrate more on enhancing your language skills. For clearing the exam with a good score, good English knowledge alone is not enough, you must understand the tactics to clear the questions smartly within the time limit.

Language proficiency cannot be improved over a night, it requires a lot of practice and determinants to improve your skills. This is a slow process and can be achieved only through persistent training.

Test skill improvement

When it comes to IELTS test skills, you need to concentrate on four different skills, reading, writing listening, and speaking. Since there are two tests namely IELTS academic test and IELTS general test, students should know the difference between the both before stating their IELTS preparation. Let's discuss this in further parts.

In the reading section, you will have 14 different types of questions and each question type requires appropriate skills to answer. The same applies to listening as there are 10 question types in this section.

Skill improvement does not mean, knowing the high-level complex words but it is knowing the correct strategy to answer each question type within the time limit. This can be easily achieved by knowing how to prepare for the IELTS exam correctly and using suitable IELTS study materials and practice materials.

Use these best IELTS preparation books to improve your performance and aid in achieving your target score.

Understand the marking criteria

Another important point in your IELTS preparation is to understand what the examiners are expecting from you. Giving a suitable answer in the perfect form is exactly what the examiners are looking for to score you. Each section has its scoring pattern and the overall IELTS score depends on the average of the sectional cut-off.

For instance, in reading and listening the number of correct answers will contribute to your band score. In the writing section, your task will be assessed on 4 marking criteria, coherence, and cohesion, lexica resources, vocabulary, and grammar. In speaking sections, the marking criteria will be vocabulary, fluency, pronunciation, and grammar.

Thus we can understand for a perfect IELTS score you not only need to have good language skills and test knowledge, but you must also have good IELTS training to excel in each section of the test.

Check out the Ideal IELTS preparation time required to score a band 8 and above in the first attempt.

Step-by-step approach for IELTS preparation

To prepare for the IELTS exam, you need persistent practice and regular training to focus on your goal. IELTS is the most common exam for language competency, clearing the exam in the first attempt may be looking tedious. To easily cross through this exam, we have shared with you a few expert-proven tips, that might guide you in your IELTS preparation.

Decide the type of IELTS exam you are going to take

The IELTS exam is of two types, the IELTS academic test, and the IELTS general test. The AC IELTS test is taken by aspirants who are looking forward to high education in the universities of English-speaking countries. The GT IELTS test is taken by individuals who are seeking job opportunities or planning to migrate abroad.

IELTS academic test vs IELTS general training test

Check out the difference between the IELTS general test and the IELTS academic test.

2. IELTS test format

The IELTS test duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes. There are 4 sections in the test and each section will be timed individually. The reading, listening, and writing section will be conducted continuously on the same day. The speaking test alone will be conducted on a separate day in front of the certified trainer.

ielts test format

Have a clear understanding of the IELTS exam format to score a higher band score.

3. Set your target score

You must set your target score and start preparing for the IELTS test based on your score. The score you intend may be different from the score you can actually secure. Thus you must have a realistic goal, that will match the university requirement as well as your skill level.

If there are any discrepancies between them, you have to work hard to improve your overall IELTS skills and practice regularly with good IELTS study materials. Evaluate yourself regularly to monitor your preparation progress level.
Learn more about the IELTS score validity to know how long can you use the IELTS score for your admission process.

4. Understand the marking criteria

The IELTS band score is calculated based on the average score obtained in each section. Thus the score will be given in a band range of 0-9 in increments of 0.5. The IELTS score is valid for 2 years from the day you receive your TRF.

To know more about the band score and how each section is scored based on their respective band descriptors, visit the IELTS band score.

5. Familiarize yourself with the IELTS exam question types

Each module has its own set of question types. In the reading section, there are 14 question types and each type has its own answering strategy. In listening, there are 10 question types and in speaking, there are 3 question types. In the writing task also there are more than 5 question types in each task.

For answering these question types, you must have a clear understanding of each question type and the ways to answer them. Pay attention to the instructions given in the question to identify the question type and give the answer accordingly. Follow the IELTS exam syllabus to know the official syllabus.

6. Improve your IELTS skills

For answering each question type you need a different approach and skill set. Enhancing this skill is an important skill in IELTS preparation. Language skills like good vocabulary, strong grammatical skills, fluent speaking skills, perfect pronunciation, coherent writing, etc. are the few skills required to clear the exam.

To improve these skills, you must understand the exam format and start preparing for the IELTS course using the best preparation materials and quality practice tests. IELTS is not only about language knowledge it is all about the skills that are required to answer each of the questions.

If you wish to improve your IELTS band score after the first attempt, you can also reappear for the exam. Learn about the IELTS exam retake here.

7. Enhance your vocabulary

The main skill that is required to excel in every section of the IELTS exam is good vocabulary. To improve your vocabulary, you must have regular training and equip yourself with new words every day. This is important because having good word knowledge helps you in understanding the questions and identifying the correct answer in the reading and listening section.

Vocabulary contributes to 25% of your speaking and writing sections as it is one of the band descriptors. Thus improving your vocabulary is an essential step in your IELTS preparation.

8. Practice your English skills every day

The best way to improve your English skill is to have a regular practice. You can not achieve professional-level language skills just in a few days, you need persistent training and the right training to enhance your skills.

When it comes to the IELTS exam, your English skills include your ability to read and understand the given content, listen to and interpret the answers, essay writing, and fluently speaking. These skills can be easily enhanced by training using the correct exam format and knowing the facts required to reach your target score.

Here are a few links you can use to enhance your

IELTS skills.
IELTS writing task 2 topics
IELTS speaking topics

Learn about the IELTS score requirement for Canada PR to enhance your language skills.

9. Take a regular practice test

To self-evaluate yourself and assess your preparation level, practice tests will be of great help. The important point to be noted while taking a practice test is that the test must follow the official IELTS pattern and must give sufficient coverage to all the topics covered under the syllabus.

Make sure to use only trustworthy sources that will provide you with complete guidance for your preparation. The official sites you can use for taking the practice test are

British council
IDP
Cambridge

As we are in the IELTS training field for more than 25 years, we have come up with a complete preparation guide for the aspirants. You can make use of the IELTS resources to know about each section, its question types, sample answers, practice questions, etc. This will serve as a single-point preparation guide for your IELTS test.

You must also remember that, these tests will be a part of the preparatory process to know about the question types. Use these samples as an example and learn the strategy to answer the questions within the time limit. Along with these tests, you must also spend equal time enhancing your IELTS skills.

10. Assess your writing and speaking skills

Evaluating yourselves and identifying your weakness and area of improvement is vital to monitor your preparation. You can take the IELTS preparation online test and start assessing your skill level. You can also obtain assessments from certified trainers and get feedback from them regarding your drawbacks.

With these monitoring results, you can identify the areas where you require more attention and modify your preparation schedule accordingly. After a period of time, you can again take the evaluatory test to find out your progress. You can also use the online preparatory materials available to prepare for the IELTS from home. You can also make use of the best books for the IELTS general test to prepare for your IELTS exam.

When can I say I am ready for the IELTS exam?

Every year there are a number of students appearing for the exam and are failing to achieve their target score because they are taking the exam before they are completely ready to face it. You can tell you are ready for the exam only when you are confident enough to face all the questions and you are familiar with the question types.

Your readiness for the exam can be identified using the following steps,

Take the consecutive full-length tests and you are able to achieve the target score repeatedly in all your tests.
Another way to check your preparation level is to take a CEFR test. The score obtained will indicate your final IELTS score.

Once you are all set for the exam, you can pay the IELTS exam fee and register for the exam on the official website.

IELTS Writing preparation

The most important IELTS section is writing. Here you will be assessed for your idea generations, planning, grammatical skills, sentence formation, etc. You will be given 60 minutes to write the two tasks. To improve your writing skill you can make use of the following documents.

IELTS writing task 2 preparation

In the IELTS writing task 2 you will be given a statement and asked to give a response to the statement in form of an essay. This essay has to be written with a minimum of 250 words in 40 minutes. The IELTS writing task 2 is similar to the academic writing test and general writing test.

Writing task 2 skills

Your writing task 2 will be evaluated based on the 4 marking criteria, namely task response, coherence and cohesion, lexica resources, and grammatical skills. There are 5 different types of essay types in writing task 2.

To know more about the writing task 2 essay in detail, you can use the following links.

Writing task 2 full lesson

Having a clear knowledge about the task type, will guide you in securing the target score. So to gain an understanding of the task type and strategy to clear them successfully you can make use of the following links.

Writing task 2 samples

These IELTS writing task 2 samples will guide you in securing a higher band score. Here we have given a number of sample answers to aid you in getting familiarized with the different question types and strategizing your answers.

Summary

IELTS writing task 2 preparation

IELTS writing task 1 (academic) preparation

In the IELTS academic writing task 1, you will be creating a minimum of 250 words essay in response to the given visual representation. The task will be conducted for 20 minutes and here you will be reporting about the given chart in your own words.

IELTS writing task 2 preparation

Writing task 1 lessons

To excel in the IELTS academic writing task 1, use the following pages to boost up your scores. These lessons will be giving you brief information regarding writing task 1 and the different question types.

IELTS writing task 1 (General) preparation

The IELTS general writing task 1 is a letter writing task, where you will be given with a situation and asked to write a letter explaining the situation. The letter has to be written in 150 words in 20 minutes. There are 3 types of letters in the IELTS general test. A detailed explanation of general writing task 1 is given below.

IELTS speaking test preparation

The IELTS speaking test is a face-to-face round, where the candidate and a certified examiner will be interacting with each other. There are 3 parts to this section and the section will be conducted for 11-14 minutes. The speaking test will be conducted on a separate day and the entire speaking test will be recorded for further examination.

Know more about the IELTS speaking test to understand the exam format and answering strategies.

IELTS speaking part 1

The IELTS speaking part 1 is the introduction round, where the candidate and the examiner will be introducing themselves. Then the candidates will be talking about common topics like education, hometown, hobbies, etc. which will give information about them to the examiner.

IELTS speaking part 2

The IELTS speaking part 2 is the long run speech or the cur card round, where you will be talking about the topic given in a cue card. You will be given a minute to prepare for the topic and expected to talk for 2-3 minutes about the topic. The examiner will silently listen to your speech and assess your skill based on the marking criteria.

Check out the details about the IELTS speaking cue cards, to understand its format in a better way.

IELTS speaking part 3

The IELTS speaking part 3 is the follow-up round, where you will be discussing the topic given in part 2. The examiner will be questioning you to infer how well you can build your response and language fluency. Here the answer need not be true based on the fact, but a reliable answer with a suitable example is expected. This part exceeds 3-5 minutes.

IELTS speaking skills

The examiner will be scoring you based on the way you are able to build the answer revolving around the given topic. You cannot give any memorized answer instead a realistic answer with a suitable example and correct sentence structure may give a higher band score.

Keep calm and answer the questions clearly without any hesitation. Do not rush with your answers. Since there is no set accent, you can speak in your own flow. Make use of these
IELTS speaking tips to improve your speaking skills.

Speaking marking criteria

The speaking test will be assessed by two certified examiners. They will be listening to your recording and assess your speaking skills based on the band descriptors. There are 4 different band descriptors and each contributes to 25% of your score. They are as follows

Vocabulary
Fluency
Pronunciation
Coherence and grammar.

IELTS reading preparation

The IELTS reading section is one of the important sections, where you will be given a passage and asked to write answers based on the information provided in the passage. The reading test will be usually conducted for 60 minutes and you have to answer 40 questions. The IELTS reading section is different for academic tests and general tests.

Learn more about the reading section,

IELTS academic reading test preparation

The academic reading test is conducted for 60 minutes and you will be given a passage taken from the articles, publications and journals related to the educational field. The academic reading test is considered tough as the language level is high. There are 14 question types in this section.

Know more about the IELTS academic reading test, using the following

IELTS general reading test preparation

The general reading test is comparitively easier due to the simple language used and the passage will be related to our daily life in the English-speaking country. In the General reading test, there are 13 question types and each question needs to be answered with the content taken from the passage.

You can know more about the IELTS general reading section using the following

IELTS listening preparation

The IELTS listening test is used to assess how well you can listen, understand and interpret answer for the questions. Here you will be played three recordings of monologues or discussions of the native speakers. The audio will be played only once and you need to listen carefully to answer the given questions. You will be provided 30 minutes to listen and answer the questions and an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

There are different question types in the IELTS listening test, they are as follows.

Multiple choice question
Matching questions
Short answer questions
Plan, map, and diagram labelling
Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary
completion
Sentence completion

Test day tips

Once you know you are ready to attempt the exam, be confident and prepare ourself for the exam day. Here are a few tips you need to keep in mind before leaving for the exam.

Have sufficient and calm sleep. A good amount of sleep is required to keep your mind refreshed on exam day.
Have a healthy breakfast in the morning. As this is a continuous exam, you need to have enough energy to be alert in the exam hall.
Choose appropriate cloth in which you will be comfortable all day.
Always remember to carry all the necessary documents and the ID card to the exam.
Plan out how you are going to travel to your exam center and the test timings.
Make sure to reach the exam center well ahead of time. A last0minute rush may disrupt your preparation
Once in the exam hall, find your exam hall, restroom location, etc.
Carry a water bottle with a sufficient amount of water. Never drink too much of water as the breaks will consume your exam timings.
Never get nervous. Whatever you have prepared is going to appear in the questions. Thus keep yourself calm and prepare for writing the exam.
If you have any queries you can directly ask the examiners without hesitation.

Preparation action plan

You must have a perfect study schedule that will guide you in preparing for the IELTS exam effectively. The schedule may change based on an individual’s skill level, English knowledge, preparation timing, tests taken, etc., however, a few points that need to be considered while scheduling your study plan are mentioned below.

1. The IELTS exam date:

The IELTS exam date must be fixed in advance of the admission closure. Thus you must start preparing for the exam well ahead of the date. If you are not satisfied with the score on the first attempt you must be able to reattempt the exam before the admission closes.

2. Your daily study schedule:

Pay attention to the amount of time you are going to spend every day preparing for the IELTS exam. Being a non-native speaker, you may require more time. Thus plan your schedule based on your time availability and you must follow the planned schedule.

3. Evaluate your English level:

Before starting your preparation, evaluate yourself to identify your skill level. This identification will provide you with the necessary details on how to schedule your study plan. More time is to be allocated for the areas where you are weak and the required skills that need to improve along with your exam preparation.

4. Learning style:

Strategize the way you are going to learn. Are you going to study every topic and take a practice test or take a mock test for each section or question type etc? The study method is completely dependent on your own comfortabIlity.

You can decide upon any study pattern that will help you to enhance your exam skills. There is no set rule for you to follow it purely depends on your individual preparation level. However, following a steady standardized study plan will help you in completing the syllabus well ahead of time and has separate time for mock tests.

IELTS preparation course

You may wonder, why you need an IELTS preparation course when you can prepare for the exam at home. The answer is simple. You are appearing for the exam for the first time, but our trainers are being in the field for more than 25 years and are providing the best IELTS training in India.

Through our highly competitive training, we have guided more than 1 lakh students across the country to clear their IELTS exams. You can also be a part of our coaching by registering with us through our official website.

The features that make us unique are mentioned below for your reference.

We are in the IELTS training field for more than 25 years and are guiding the students to score a band 7 and above in their first attempt.
Our trained and certified trainers offer the best coaching in the city with best IELTS study materials and preparatory test series.
Before we start our coaching, we conduct an evaluation test to identify the student’s skill level and the training program will be based on their individual skill. We provide personalized training to all the individuals associated with us.
We conduct regular monitoring tests and give constructive feedback to the students to improve their performance. We identify their shortcomings and train them to excel in all the sections of the exam.

Hope you have got all the information regarding the IELTS preparation. Make use of the information and the lessons provided in this article to enhance your overall performance.

IELTS preparation FAQ

1. What is the IELTS exam?

The International English Language Testing System is the standardized exam for assessing the English competency of non-native language users. In this test, you will be evaluated for all the basic linguistic skills including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The test duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The test will be graded on a band scale of 0-9 on the increment of 0.5.

2. What is the registration cost for the IELTS exam?

The registration cost for the IELTS exam in India is INR 15,500. There are only online transaction methods to pay the registration fee. You can also change the exam date, reappear for the exam, or cancel the exam after paying the necessary exam fee.

3. How can I register for the IELTS exam?

You can easily register for the IELTS exam through the official websites of the British council, IDP, and Cambridge. You will be creating your login ID, and filling the application with the necessary details. Finally, you will pay the registration fee and submit the application.

4. Is there any qualification score in IELTS?

There is no qualification score for the IELTS exam. This test only assesses your language skills. Thus your score will be indicating your language competency. However, having a score above 7 is considered to perfect as most universities are having this band score as their required score.

5. How do I begin my IELTS preparation?

Your preparation starts with knowing what type of IELTS exam you are going to appear in and then understanding the exam format. You must also take an evaluation test to understand your skill level.

6. Is it possible to get the IELTS test certificate without appearing for the exam?

No, it is not possible to get an IELTS certificate without appearing for the exam.

7. Can you get a Band 8 in your IELTS test?

Yes, you can get a band 8 in your IELTS test, if you are fully prepared and know all the question types. You must also know to manage your answering time in a way to have an extra few minutes to recheck your answers.

8. Is a study plan required to prepare for the IELTS exam?

Yes, a perfect study plan is required to prepare for the IELTS exam. As the syllabus is vast, preparation without a study plan might lead you to miss out on any exam topics.

9. What exam should I take IELTS Academic or IELTS general?

You must take the IELTS academic test if you are aiming for a higher education program in any English-speaking country. If you are seeking a job opportunity in any of the abroad countries you will be required to appear for the IELTS general test.

About Author Nivethitha

Nivethitha is an experienced IELTS trainer based in Chennai, who has helped over 1000+ students achieve their desired band scores and gain admission to their dream universities. With over 3 years of experience and a strong educational background in English literature, she is an expert in the language and its nuances. She holds both TEFL and Business English communication certifications, further enhancing her skills and knowledge in the field. Nivethitha believes in the importance of practice tests and incorporates them heavily into her training to help boost her students' confidence and skillset. She aims to provide practical tips and actionable advice to make the aspirants achieve their academic and career goals through her trusted authority in the field of IELTS training.

About Kanan.co

Kanan International is an IRCC-certified global education partner that offers reliable services, products, and solutions for students and education institutions. We support students throughout their study abroad journey, ensuring a hassle-free experience. Our expertise and commitment to excellence make us the go-to partner for expanding global horizons. The company provides coaching for IELTS, GRE, TOEFL, and SAT exams and services like visa consultation, accommodation, scholarship assistance, and education loans.

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