Most IELTS candidates seem to get stuck somewhere around 6.0 in the test, specially in speaking and writing. Why is this the case? The most obvious reason is a majority of IELTS aspirants possess an average knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary and they manage to obtain 6.0 through practice as they prepare themselves for the test. Pushing their command of English beyond this threshold requires gaining additional knowledge and further practice. This brief article is meant to help IELTS candidates attain a band 7.0 in the IELTS academic module.
As you all are aware IELTS listening test is in four sections each carrying 10 question items making a total of 40. If you want to achieve 7.0 in the test, you are required to answer 30 questions correctly out of the given 40. As each recording is played once only, you need to have a sufficient amount of practice and must follow the given tips.
IMPORTANT TIPS
- Read the instructions carefully to make sure how you should write the answer.
- Read the questions carefully to know what the recording is about.
- Take a careful look at the gaps and the options to learn what kind of answer is required.
- Write/Mark your answer as you listen and you may change your first choice with more information you hear.
- Write your answers as quickly as possible using your own techniques without worrying too much about spelling (You can make corrections as you transfer your answers to the answer sheet.)
READING STYLES
- Scanning for specific pieces of information
- Skimming though the text to get the gist of it
- Reading the text for full comprehension
- Reading the text in order to critically evaluate it (not addressed in IELTS)
READING TIPS
- Read the instructions carefully to learn how to write your answer.
- Based on the type of question you should change your reading style
- Read the first one of each set of questions and find where that information is
- Don’t worry too much about new words (guess the meanings).
- As you go through the text you may underline what you think is important (You shouldn’t practice reading with PDFs on digital screens)
- Questions are usually based on specifically highlighted facts expressed in different wording, so you shouldn’t guess anything from your experience.
QUESTION TYPES
- Gap-filling
- Sentence Completion
- Yes / No / Not Given
- Choosing from given options
- Choosing headings for paragraphs
- Which paragraph contains the given information
- Who said/did it
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (100%)
- Task achievement (task 1) / Task response (task 2) - 25%
- Coherence and cohesion - 25%
- Lexical resource - 25%
- Grammatical range and accuracy - 25%
WRITING BAND 7.0 DESCRIPTOR FOR TASK 1
Task Achievement
- covers the requirement of the task
- presents a clear overview of main trends, differences or stages
- clearly presents and highlights key features/bullet points but could be more fully extended
Coherence and Cohesion
- logically organizes information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
- uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under/over use
Lexical Resource
- uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision
- uses a less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation
- may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- uses a variety of complex structures
- produces frequent error-free sentences
- has a good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors
WRITING BAND 7.0 DESCRIPTOR FOR TASK 2
Task Response
- addresses all parts of the task
- presents a clear position throughout the response
- presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to over generalize and/or supporting ideas may lack focus
Coherence and Cohesion
- logically organizes information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
- uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under/over use
- presents a clear central topic within each paragraph
Lexical Resource
- uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision
- uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation
- may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- uses a variety of complex structures
- produces frequent error-free sentences
- has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors
The candidate has a talk with an examiner in the IELTS speaking test. There are three parts in test. In the first part the examiner asks the candidate a few questions about his or her life. The second part is a 1-2-minute speech made by the candidate on a given familiar topic with 1 minute for preparation. The examiner has a detailed discussion with the candidate in the third part. The speaking test usually lasts for 13-15 minutes.
USEFUL TIPS
- Listen to the question carefully and respond
- Always try to explain your answer or give more information
- Try to create vivid pictures of what you talk about
- Speak clearly
- Speak loudly enough
- Use correct pronunciation and rhythm
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (100%)
- Fluency and coherence - 25%
- Lexical resource - 25%
- Grammatical range and accuracy - 25%
- Pronunciation - 25%
SPEAKING BAND 7.0 DESCRIPTOR FOR TASK 2
Fluency and coherence
- Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence
- may demonstrate language related hesitation at times, or some repetition and/or self-correction
- uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility
- uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics
- uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and shows some awareness of style collocation with some inappropriate choices
- uses paraphrase effectively
- uses a range of pronunciation features
- shows some effective use of features
- easy to understand throughout, L1 accent has minimal effect on intelligibility
