IELTS - Understanding the Question

This sounds very easy, but many students make a big mistake here. In IELTS, if you start writing about the wrong topic, you do not have enough time to change your direction - 40 minutes is very short! 

IELTS Academic Reading test 1

IELTS Academic Reading test 1

This page will help you practice for the IELTS Academic reading test.

Read about the settlement at Skara Brae and answer the questions.

Skara Brae

Off the Northern tip of Scotland, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea, lies a group of 70 or so islands called the Orkneys. These largely treeless isles are frequently battered by Atlantic storms, gales, and rain. It was during one such storm in the winter of 1850, when the combination of wind and high tides stripped away the grass from the top of a small hill called Skerrabra on the west side of the largest island known simply as ‘The Mainland’. This revealed a number of stone dwellings.

IELTS - Test Dates 2019

Here are all the dates for IELTS this year - 2019

January 2019
Saturday, 5 Jan. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 12 Jan. 2019 Academic only
Thursday, 17 Jan. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 19 Jan. 2019 Academic and General Training

February 2019
Saturday, 2 Feb. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 9 Feb. 2019 Academic only
Thursday, 14 Feb. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 23 Feb. 2019 Academic only

March 2019
Saturday, 2 Mar. 2018 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 09 Mar. 2019 Academic only
Thursday, 14 Mar. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 23 Mar. 2019 Academic and General Training

April 2019
Saturday, 6 Apr. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 13 Apr. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 14 Apr. 2019 Academic
Thursday, 27 Apr. 2019 Academic only and General Training




May 2019
Saturday, 4 May 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 11 May 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 18 May 2019 Academic only
Thursday, 23 May 2019 Academic and General Training

June 2019
Saturday, 1 Jun. 2019 Academic and General Training
Thursday, 13 Jun. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 22 Jun. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 29 Jun. 2019 Academic and General Training

Saturday, 6 Jul. 2019 Academic and General Training
Thursday, 18 Jul. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 20 Jul. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 27 Jul. 2019 Academic and General Training

August 2019
Thursday, 01 Aug. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 10 Aug. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 17 Aug. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 24 Aug. 2019 Academic only




September 2019
Saturday, 07 Sep. 2019 Academic and General Training
Thursday, 12 Sep. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 14 Sep. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 28 Sep. 2019 Academic and General Training

October 2019
Thursday, 10 Oct. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 12 Oct. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 19 Oct. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 26 Oct. 2019 Academic and General Training

November 2019
Saturday, 02 Nov. 2019 Academic only
Thursday, 07 Nov. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 16 Nov. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 23 Nov. 2019 Academic and General Training
Saturday, 30 Nov. 2019 Academic only

December 2019
Saturday, 07 Dec. 2019 Academic and General Training
Thursday, 12 Dec. 2019 Academic only
Saturday, 14 Dec. 2019 Academic and General Training

Tips for Achieving High Score in IELTS

Important things to remember before and during the IELTS Tests

Listening 

Before the IELTS Listening test:
Listen to radio programmes, news, and lectures; watch films and online videos in English. Familiarize yourself with each listening test question type such as multiple choice, matching, and labeling.

How to improve your IELTS Speaking at Home

IELTS Speaking: Learn the best way to improve your IELTS speaking for free at home. This lesson gives advice and tips to develop your fluency and other speaking skills to get a better score in your IELTS speaking test Learn how to improve your IELTS speaking answers based on the criteria used by the examiner in your IELTS test. Check out the video below:

IELTS - QUIZ

Warning: Beware of fake IELTS certificate offers

We have noticed an increase in online advertisements offering fake IELTS certificates (otherwise known as IELTS Test Report Forms). They are often advertised as ‘verified IELTS certificates’ or ‘scores without taking an IELTS test’. Some of these offers even make false claims that  they have ‘insider help’ from IDP or British Council try to make their false offers look more convincing.

What happens on the day of the IELTS exam

IELTS exam day procedures can be a little confusing and nerve racking for some students. In this IELTS video lesson you will know some exam day procedures. Also included is information about what happens before, during and after the exam.

IELTS General Reading, part 1 - Test

IELTS General Reading, part 1

This page will help you practice for the IELTS General reading test. This is section 1 of the general reading test.
This section has two reading passages about swimming pools and 13 questions.

Questions 1-5
Look at the information about Camberwell College's swimming pools. Then answer the questions below.

Camberwell College Swimming Pools
Camberwell College has one 50m (Olympic sized) pool with a constant depth of 2m throughout, and one 25m pool with a 1m shallow end and a 4m deep end. Both pools may be used by the general public at certain times.

50m Pool
The pool is often used for classes, but the general public may use two lanes for lane swimming at the following times.
Monday: 0630 -1130 and 1900 - 2100
Tuesday: 0630 -1130 and 1800 - 2100
Wednesday: 0630 -1330 and 1730 - 2130
Thursday: 0630 -1330
Friday: 0630 -1330
Weekends: 0900 - 1700
Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note that during College holidays, these times will vary. Contact the swimming pool on 04837 393560 for up-to-date information.




25m Pool
The 25 metre pool is available for recreational (non-lane) swimming from 0700-0900 and 1230-1330 on weekdays, and 1000 – 1600 on Saturdays. 

Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied.

We regret that the 25m pool will be closed for refurbishment between 21st July and 18th August. The men's changing rooms will be closed for the week beginning 18th August, and the women's changing rooms will be closed the following week. Alternative changing facilities will be made available. We apologise for any disruption this may cause.

Questions 6-13
Look at the information about swimming classes. Then answer the questions below.

Camberwell College Swimming Classes
It’s an essential life skill, it can make you fit and it provides fun for all the family.  Camberwell College’s offers swimming classes whatever for your needs, whether you want to swim competitively, you are trying to stay healthy or you want to learn. 
We offer separate classes for adults and children, following the National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS).  We will guide you from your first splash and help you develop your confidence in the water.

Swim-A-Long
This class is suitable for parents with children aged up to the age of 1.5 years.  This class allows very young children to gain confidence in the water, by way of songs and music.

Tadpole to Frog Classes
This series of classes is suitable for children aged 1.5 upwards.  There are six levels in the series.  The first level is suitable for non-swimmers and teaches basic techniques and safety, using aids and floats.  By the time students reach the sixth level, they will be able to swim independently and will be eligible to join the Swim Star classes.




Swim Star
An opportunity for able swimmers to earn the Bronze, Silver and Gold swimming awards.  These classes teach children the ability to swim for prolonged periods of time, and teach skills such as diving, turning and different strokes.  Children who successfully complete the Swim Star programme will be invited to join the Youth Squad and learn competitive swimming techniques.

Swim School
The swim school offers classes for adults.  There are three levels, beginner, intermediate and advanced.   The beginner’s class is suitable for people who are new to swimming; the intermediate level is designed for swimmers who want to brush up on their swimming style, and the advanced level offers in-depth advice on stamina, breathing and technique.

Aqua Health

We offer a range of levels of fitness classes for able swimmers who wish to keep fit, socialise and have fun to music.  Aqua-Light offers gentle exercise and is suitable for the elderly.  Aqua-Pump is a high energy class which builds your strength and tones your body.

Take me to the test

IELTS General Reading, part 1-Quiz

Read The Passage about Swimming Pools - Click Here

IELTS Writing Task 1 - What to write!

How to succeed in Task 1 of the IELTS Academic writing section. One question that often comes up in Task 1 is "What should I include in the report?" In this lesson, we'll go over some of the key elements to look for in the infographics you will be given, as well as how to present them in a clear structure. Should you write an introduction? What about a conclusion? Should you put in your personal opinion? If you're talking the IELTS, you *must* watch this class!

IELTS Speaking Test - Band 9

• The IELTS Listening test will take about 30 minutes, and you will have an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
• Listen to the instructions for each section of the test carefully. Answer all of the questions.
• There are 40 questions altogether. Each question carries one mark.
• For each part of the test, there will be time for you to look through the questions and time for you to check your answers.
• When you have completed all four parts of the Listening test you will have ten minutes to copy your answers on to a separate answer sheet.

IELTS TIPS FOR READING – EXAMINER APPROVED

Brought to you by IDP Education

INTRODUCTION

If you’re reading this guide, chances are you’re either preparing for IELTS yourself, or supporting someone who is going to sit the test. You know that preparation is the key to success in IELTS and you’re ready to put the time and effort into improving your English and perfecting your test technique. Whether your goal is to study, work or live in an English-speaking environment, this list of examiner approved test tips will help you to understand what examiners are looking for and provide helpful insights and reminders to help you do your best in the IELTS Reading test.



READING TEST FORMAT
Academic (60 minutes)
There are three sections, each containing one long text. The texts are all real and are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They are on academic topics of general interest which means you do not need any specialist knowledge to do well. The texts are appropriate to, and accessible to, candidates entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration. Texts range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. They may contain nonverbal materials such as diagrams, graphs or illustrations. If texts contain technical terms, then a simple glossary is provided.

General Training (60 minutes)

There are three sections.

• Section 1: contains two or three short factual texts, one of which may be composite (consisting of 6-8 short texts relatedby topic, e.g. hotel advertisements). Topics are relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country.
• Section 2: contains two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues (e.g. applying for jobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development and training).
• Section 3: contains one longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest. You’ll be reading real passages taken from notices, adverts, company handbooks, official documents, books, magazines and newspapers.

READING TIPS
1. To improve your performance in the Reading test you need to practise reading a variety of English texts. This will help you develop the ability to read quickly, as is required under test conditions.

2. Read every question carefully first before reading the passages. This will make it easier for you to find the answers. Underline possible answers as you go.

3. When you come to reading the passage, read it quickly the first time in order to get a general idea of what it’s about. Don’t worry about words you do not understand. Then read each question again to remind yourself which parts of the passage you will need to read again in detail.

4. If you are copying words from a question or reading passage to use in your answer, remember that your
spelling must be accurate.

The Reading passages always contain the information you need to answer the question. You won’t have to use your own knowledge of a topic.

5. The Reading test may sometimes include questions which test your overall understanding of a passage. For example, the question may ask what the topic of a particular passage is. Try underlining key words and ideas in each paragraph as you read to help you understand the key message of each passage.




6. If you are asked to label a diagram, you will find the words you need in the text. Be sure to copy them carefully from the text with the correct spelling.
Circle or underline key words as you read. For example, if a reading passage contains many place names or dates, circle them as you go along. This will make it easier to find these details later, if they come up in any of the questions.

7. If there are questions you cannot answer, leave them and move on to the next 

question. This will help you to stay calm and positive. Go back to those questions at the end, if you have time.

Make sure you write down your answers for the Reading test on the answer sheet - not the question paper. There will be no extra time to transfer your answers after the Reading test 

IELTS TIPS FOR LISTENING – EXAMINER APPROVED

Examiner Approved Tips

For each section of the test, our examiners have compiled their top tips to help you perform your best. Click on the image to open up the tips!

LISTENING TIPS

1. At the beginning of each section read the questions for that section carefully, before the recording starts. This will help you to follow the recording and identify the answers.
2. After completing a section, it is better to look ahead and read the questions for the next section than to worry about the last section.
3. You will sometimes have a list of options to choose from as answers. The possible answers may be listed in alphabetical order and not necessarily in the order you will hear them.
4. Be careful to note word limits. If there is an instruction: Write no more than two words, writing more than two words will mean you will receive no marks at all for your answer, even if some of the words were correct.
5. Try to listen for key words or synonyms (words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as another word) from the question to help you identify the answer. For example, in the recording you might hear: “She likes going to the gym and playing tennis”. On your answer sheet, this could appear as “She is an active person.”

6. You may be asked to write down words that have been spelled out in the recording. In order to do this well, you need to know the English alphabet and how each letter is pronounced (for example, the letter ‘W’ is pronounced as ‘double-u’).

7. Listen carefully for words which indicate which stage of the recording you are listening to, e.g. ‘firstly’, ‘my next point’, ‘to sum up’. These words will help you identify which question you have reached.
8. As you are listen to the recording, cross out options that don’t fit. This makes it easier for you to find the right answer.
9. If you are writing dates as an answer to any question, remember that there are several correct ways to write them (e.g. 24th April, April 24 and 24 April are all correct).

10. If there are questions you cannot answer leave them and move on to the next question. This will help you to stay calm and positive. Go back to those questions at the end, if you have time

11. After the last recording has ended you have ten minutes to transfer your answers from the Listening booklet to your answer sheet. Don’t make the mistake of copying these answers across to their answer sheet in between sections or you may miss important information about the next section of the test. Wait until the end of Section 4 before transferring your answers.

Brought to you by IDP Education

The Difference Between a Band 6 and 7 on the IELTS

July 20, 2018 by Lauren McKenzie

If you fall into the category of many candidates, those with a band score of 6 and pushing for a band 7, then you may find the path to a 7 is peppered with obstacles. The most important thing to remember is that it's possible to go from a 6 to a 7 with the appropriate time and effort.

How To Pass The IELTS Speaking Exam

I'm frequently asked how to pass the IELTS speaking exam. So I thought it would be helpful to summarize the IELTS speaking exam for candidates. Candidates must learn the key aspects of the exam. In particular they need to understand how the exam will proceed and where they should place their emphasis for maximum marks.

Here is my advice:

The exam is approximately 14 minutes in length and there are three parts to the exam. Part 1 is between 4-5 minutes in length and is designed to help candidates settle in to the exam. The examiner begins recording and will ask their name to confirm their name and IELTS number. He or she will also ask the candidate to state their nationality. Then the examiner will ask questions about them. These may include; where they live, their country of origin and the country in which they study. They will ask what the candidate does, whether they work or study.



The examiner will then ask questions about one or two topics. This completes Part 1.
In Part 2 of the exam, which lasts between 3 and 4 minutes, initially, candidates are given a topic to talk about. They are given the topic question and then one minute to prepare and make notes. Typically for a question candidates have three points to mention and should develop a concluding sentence. In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Exam they have a maximum of two minutes to speak.



Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Exam lasts 4-5 minutes and the examiner asks a selection of global topics related to their presentation.

Understandably IELTS Test candidates are very keen to understand how they are assessed.

The examiner will be listening to see how fluently the candidate expresses themselves. They will listen for use of language and for any hesitations in speech. The examiner also listens for how logically ideas are put together e.g. the candidate's use of linking and whether what the candidate says is easy to follow. The examiner also assesses the grammatical accuracy of the candidate's speech and the clarity of the pronunciation.

A question often asked is whether candidates lose marks for a strong accent if, for example, they sound noticeably Spanish. The unequivocal answer is no, as long as they can be easily understood.

Other questions include whether candidates can ask the examiner to repeat or explain the question. The answers are yes and yes. The examiner will repeat the question for candidates, if asked, and is also allowed to paraphrase the question to aid the candidate's understanding. The candidate will not lose marks for this unless they misunderstand the question and answer incorrectly.

Frequently candidates know nothing about the topic they are given for presentation. They may know little or nothing about architecture, for example. During their preparation for the IELTS Test, candidates must develop and learn a range of natural expressions which say that they "don't know". Examples could include; "I'm really sorry, I don't know anything about that topic", "I'm sorry, I haven't got a clue about architecture", "I'm really useless at talking about topics like that" or "That's a difficult one, would you mind expanding a bit?" This will guide the examiner to try to elicit ideas from the candidate.

When planning their preparation candidates who are aiming for IELTS Band Score 7 or better should remember that if they use more complicated grammar and more natural expressions, this goes a long way along the path to obtaining a band 7.

Candidates should remember that it is all right to be adventurous and make mistakes. This does not necessarily lose them their band 7, although using simple but perfect English will not earn them much more than band 6.

If you would like more help, tips and techniques for the IELTS Speaking Exam and other aspects of the IELTS Test, James I England is passionate about teaching people to speak English and has developed online preparation materials and resources to suit all pockets.

Find out how you can obtain these by going to our website to learn more about our IELTS Test free and premium resources.





Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6587386

IELTS Speaking: Greeting the examiner

IELTS Speaking: Greeting the examiner. Learn useful tips for the 4 questions asked by the examiner for the greeting and ID check at the start of the IELTS speaking test. Make sure you are fully prepared, confident and ready to give the examiner a good first impression.

IELTS SPEAKING VIDEO || 2018 || ULTIMATE || BAND 9

The IELTS Listening test will take about 30 minutes, and you will have an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

Listen to the instructions for each section of the test carefully.



Answer all of the questions.

There are 40 questions altogether. Each question carries one mark.

For each part of the test, there will be time for you to look through the questions and time for you to check your answers.

When you have completed all four parts of the Listening test you will have ten minutes to copy your answers on to a separate answer sheet.

General writing tips for TOEFL and IELTS

While writing your TOEFL or IELTS essay, avoid using unfamiliar vocabulary. In a bid to impress the examiner with complex vocabulary, many students commit this mistake.

Understanding IELTS test format.