What’s the status of your IELTS exam preparation? Do you have everything you need? Do you have a habit of making the same mistakes over and over again? Every IELTS candidate who takes the exam may encounter obstacles that demotivate them. This has an impact on their belief in their ability to produce excellent results. Let’s put an end to this. Let’s look at the most common mistakes people make when studying for the IELTS exam and how to avoid them.
So, what exactly happens?
You are calm and peaceful while studying for the IELTS exam since you are aware that you are still practicing. When you take the main IELTS exam, however, things are very different. You’re worried, stressed, and nervous about how you’ll perform, which makes things more difficult for you and causes you to make a lot of mistakes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing for the IELTS Exam
- IELTS Listening Exam
Don’t Ignore the Instructions: If the instruction says to “respond in no more than two words,” you must write either one or two words. If you write your answer in three or more words, you will not be scored.
Don’t Leave Blank Answers: You won’t get a bad grade if you give incorrect answers. Make a guess and answer the question even if you don’t know the answer.
Avoid Misspellings and Grammatical Errors: Any response that is misspelled or grammatically incorrect will be marked incorrect. So, pay attention to the sounds and then give your comment.
Don’t write on the Answer Sheet While Listening: Because you only get one chance to listen to the tape, it’s critical to focus solely on it. For a paper-based test, you will have 10 minutes to transfer your responses to the answer sheet, and for a computer-based test, you will have 2 minutes.
- IELTS Reading Exam
Maintain Word Formatting: It is strongly advised to write in all capital letters (e.g., ANSWER) or all tiny letters in the IELTS exam (e.g., answer). Because capital letters are more visible, many candidates prefer to utilize them. This principle applies to the IELTS Listening Exam as well.
Use the Skim & Scan approach instead of reading the entire passage: Look for related keywords and connectors, and skim over the text to gain a sense of the issue. You can cut out words and information from the section that isn’t necessary. Make a note of the significant words by underlining or circling them so you can refer back to them when you’re reading the section again.
Keep an Eye on the Question Order: The questions are usually in the same order as the text. If you receive the second and fourth answers, you must find your third response somewhere between those two. The paragraph matching activities, however, are an exception. You’ll become used to searching the questions in order after a few IELTS practice exams.
Don’t Get Caught Up in Complex Vocabularies: If you can’t locate the definition of a word, it’s best to move on because it’ll take a long time. Even if you don’t understand a few words in a passage, it’s fine.
- IELTS Writing Exam
Don’t Use Unnecessary Words: Candidates frequently use more words than are specified in the instructions. This is one of the IELTS Exam Common Errors in Answer Writing, and it can lower your score.
Know When to Write in First Person: If you’re working on IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, it’s best to offer details of the data in the graph, table, or chart without adding your commentary. You can write in the first person in IELTS Writing Task 2 depending on the question type. If the question specifically requests your viewpoint, you can write in the first person.
Time Management: You’ll need extra time for writing task 2, so don’t waste it on IELTS Writing Task 1. Task 1 requires 20 minutes of practice composing replies. During your IELTS exam preparations, you will be able to practice this.
Don’t Change the Topic: You must completely write on the exam topic. In the IELTS exam, no matter how well you present your ideas and work, there is no point in choosing the wrong topic.
- IELTS Speaking Exam
Don’t Repeat the Question: It’s not a good idea to repeat the examiner’s question in the IELTS Speaking exam.
Don’t speak with a Flat Intonation: Vary your pitch, loudness, speed, and intonation to keep the listener’s interest and attention. You will not appear natural if you use a flat intonation. Be fluid and natural in your speech.
Don’t Use Advanced Vocabulary: If you’re not comfortable with advanced vocabulary, stop there and don’t make things more difficult for yourself. Advanced vocabulary does help to impress the examiner, but if you are not confident, you should avoid utilizing it. It will be obvious that you are attempting too hard, and this will have a negative impact on your Speaking score. This is one of the reasons why better IELTS exam preparation sessions are necessary. You can find the best IELTS institute in Surrey, IELTS institute in Vancouver, or IELTS institute in Abbotsford.
Speak only for the Needed Question: Only speak for the required question in the IELTS Speaking Task 1 Introduction round. For example, what is your address? In Canada, I live in Surrey. There’s no need to mention that I reside on the fourth floor or that I live near the school, and don’t fill in the blanks with unnecessary information. Maintain briefness and simplicity in your writing. This is merely a warm-up exercise. You must speak for two minutes on the assigned topic or until the examiner tells you to stop in the Cue Card round.
Conclusion
We’ve gone over the most common IELTS mistakes, and we truly want you to give this a try. Only then will you be able to tell what to avoid and what not to. Now, to acquire the target result, remember to incorporate all of these tactics into your IELTS Exam Preparation. Also, when taking the exam, make sure you follow each approach.
You can take any FREE Mock Test available online. Take the practice exams and attempt to improve your skills with each one. IELTS Coaching in Surrey, IELTS Institute in Vancouver, and IELTS Institute in Abbotsford can also provide you with extensive IELTS exam preparation advice, assistance, and practice sessions.
If you have any questions, please contact us. We’re here to assist you!
