How to Prepare for IELTS?

Are you wondering how to prepare for IELTS? What skills you might need for success in the IELTS Academic? Do you want to know how to improve your score? Or how many hours you should study for IELTS per day? We will help you find the answers! To help you understand how to develop your English skills and how to study and prepare for the test with Cactus.

IELTS is an internationally recognised test of English proficiency. It is a test for non-native English speakers. The test is designed to help you work, study and live in a native English-speaking country. It will enable you to do it in places such as the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The test has four different sections: writing, speaking, reading and listening. First, you need to improve your English. Second, you will need to understand the test format. Finally, prepare for the test and make a plan to achieve your goal. We have taken a look at the test and have given our tips to on how to prepare for IELTS.

How can I prepare for IELTS?

Practice, practice, practice. Practising your English in all forms is the best way to prepare for IELTS. But, there are certain extra things you can do to increase your chances of getting a good score on your exam. You can find the 3 things most important things to help you prepare for IELTS:

Improve your English and prepare for IELTS

If you are looking to take an IELTS exam, you probably already have a relatively good grasp of English as a second language. The better your English skills prior to taking the exam the better grade you can expect. IELTS is an English test so you should have a good knowledge of the language.

But even those with a good level of English can benefit from a refresher course. Be it a general English course or a conversational course. Improving your general English skills is an easy way to prepare for IELTS. It might take time but will bring great results.

Take an IELTS Preparation Course

Taking an IELTS course is a good way to familiarise yourself with the exam itself. The course focus on the exam and what you can expect to do in each section. You will be focusing on each area in separate lessons. They also range in length depending on how familiar you are with the IELTS exam already.

A course is almost essential to guaranteeing a good score due to their content and structure. They will take you through each section and offer you tips and advice on what is expected to reach top marks in the exam. You will be preparing for IELTS with experts before the test.

Mock Tests

Taking mock tests is a great way to improve your chances of passing IELTS with a good grade. These mock tests include all 4 sections of the exam and will allow you to get used to the structure of the test along with timings for each section.

There are many sources available for mock IELTS exams for you to use and download. While you might be tempted to skip completing these exams, they are an amazing tool to help improve your chances of passing and knowledge of IELTS.

How to prepare for IELTS at home?

Are you wondering how to prepare for IELTS at home? You will need to improve your English skills. Then you can improve prepare for IELTS at home. On the list below you can find some tips. From watching tv and films to join an IELTS online course. There are many options to help you get started!

1. Watch TV and Films

The listening section of the exam can be tricky. One of the most popular ways of improving your listening skills outside of lessons is to watch tv and films. While this may sound a bit strange, it has proven to be very effective! If you watch an English film or programme without subtitles and note down what you hear you will be improving your listening skills.

This will also directly help your IELTS listening section preparation. Due to the different accents used in English productions you will become familiar with different accents. IELTS doesn’t specifically use American or standard British accents in their listening exam. So, getting used to regional accents is very important.

2. Read Everything

From newspapers, leaflets and even food labels, take the opportunity to read everything you can. Reading as much as you can in English will help improve your overall reading level, even if the content may seem irrelevant.

A great next step from reading articles etc is to then write down a paraphrased version of the story you have ready. This use of your own words to re-tell a story is important in IELTS and allows you to get used to using synonyms and your own phrases to tell the same story.

Which Book is Best for IELTS?

Reading general text is a great way to improve your English skills and in turn to prepare for IELTS. Yet, dedicated IELTS books are a great way to study the exam format and content from home. These course books break down the course into its different sections. Will also offer you advice, practice questions and examples. There many IELTS books which can help you improve your preparation for the exam outside of any course you may be taking. So, which book is best for IELTS? There are many on the market, but we have listed three of our the best books for IELTS:

• National Geographic IELTS preparation
• The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS
• Mindset for IELTS

3. Read to Write

For the writing element of the exam a key preparation is to read other peoples writings. Reading well-written pieces in newspapers and magazines can open up a world of vocabulary to you. Make a note of words you like, highlight sentence structure and linking devices and then use these in future pieces you write.

It is also a good idea to write as much as possible in English to develop your skills. Be it on social media, a blog or even just a notebook. The more you write in English, the better your English will become.

4. Speak to everyone

Using your skills in speaking English is a key way of improving them. Whenever possible use your English skills, be it in shops, restaurants or when meeting friends.

When speaking to friends, take note of the words and phrases they use. If you are unsure as to what they mean by a certain phrase then ask. Speaking to a native English speaker is the quickest and easiest way to improve your speaking skills and confidence.

5. Join IELTS Classes

Whilst it is important to do much of the work – often, some help from a tutor can bring great results! English courses can help you build on the basics of the English language and improve your skills. Then, IELTS courses can help you prepare for reading, writing, listening and speaking sections of the exam.

These IELTS preparation tips will help you achieve your goal. Not only they provide guidance they prove to be useful to prepare for IELTS at home.

How many hours should I study for IELTS per day?

There is no such thing as over studying for an exam like IELTS. You can study for as many hours a day as you feel you need to. But the average consensus is to study at least 3-4 hours per day in the lead up to the test. This will give you plenty of time to practise for all 4 sections of the exam adequately.

Studying at home alongside a preparation course is the perfect combination. You will be maximising your chance to pass the exam with the grade you need. With preparation courses usually running for a couple of hours in the evening, topping up your studying with a couple of hours of homework is the perfect way to cover all bases. It will also allow you to hone your skills in areas you feel are weaker.

So, how many hours should you study for IELTS per day? Research shows that it takes between 3 hours and 4 hours of study and practice per day.

The best way to prepare for IELTS

The tips and advice above are some of the best ways to prepare for IELTS exam from our academic team. The most popular and successful way however is to take part in a IELTS preparation course. These courses are run by qualified tutors who can provide you with all the knowledge and skill. They will help you pass the exam with a high score. But remember, the more you put into your learning and preparation, the higher the grade you can expect to see when you get your results.

Ready to Prepare for IELTS?