How To Prepare for IELTS: Complete Guide 2023-24

What is IELTS?

If you are aspiring to study abroad, IELTS is one of the most important tests you must take to get admission into top global universities.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an English language proficiency test conducted by IDP. It is one of the most popular English language proficiency tests, trusted by top universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the US.

IELTS is conducted in over 140 countries. It helps thousands of international students get admission into top global universities. There are two IELTS exams based on your intent to go abroad: IELTS Academic and IELTS General. The Academic test is designed for students applying to universities abroad, whereas the General test is for individuals looking to settle abroad.

It is recommended to opt for IELTS Academic if you want to pursue higher education in an English-speaking country. This is because most of the top global universities accept IELTS academic scores.

IELTS Exam Highlights

Why is the IELTS exam required?

IELTS is a widely taken, standardised test of English. Here are the two reasons why it’s so popular:

• Top global universities consider IELTS scores during admissions
• It can help clear visa interview in a hassle-free manner

How to Register for IELTS

If you plan to appear for IELTS, you can register online on the IELTS website or reach out to our counsellors to get guidance on how to register and prepare.

IELTS Online Registration

• Visit the official IELTS website
• Select the “Register for IELTS” option
• Fill out the form, specifically adding your preferred test date, city, and time slot
• After filling the form, pay the test fee using a valid authorised credit/debit card, which is MasterCard/VISA approved
• Upon submitting, confirmation will appear on the screen. Print the confirmation page for your future reference
• Send a photocopy of your passport’s first and last page to the IDP head office before the exam

IELTS Exam Fees & Dates

You can pay the IELTS exam fee online through net banking. If you plan to reschedule your exam, you will have to pay additional charges. Check the details of the IELTS Exam fees below.

IELTS Exam Pattern

IELTS comprises four sections; unrelated and carrying an equal percentage to the overall band score:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

Let’s have a look at each section’s format:

How to Prepare for IELTS?

Here are some actionable tips to prepare for the IELTS exam at home:

Understand the Test Format

Once you know the sections, the next step is understanding the test format. A good score is difficult to achieve if the context of the test is unclear to you. All you need is to familiarise yourself with the test pattern and review the context of the test, including the task types for each section.

Remember, each section of IELTS has a time frame, for which you need to practise individually. Prepare for them under the time limit to get accustomed to the test.

You will not be able to concentrate if you don’t spend enough time on them. It would help if you take full-length mock tests to practise managing time and getting familiarised with the sections.

Practice Your Listening Skills

Listening is the most challenging of the four sections of the IELTS exam.

The listening module has four different recordings and 40 questions to complete. These questions include tasks such as sentence completion, form completion, and multiple-choice questions.

What makes it even more challenging is that the recordings are played only once. So, it would be best if you listened very attentively. Besides practice tests, you can also watch English movies or daily news to practise active listening in English.

Practise Reading

Reading modules should be paid attention to, as they have multiple sections. After reading the material, you must understand the logical arguments and recognize the writer’s attitude, opinion, and purpose. Then, you have to answer questions related to those modules like complete sentences, provide short answers & inferencing diagrams.

One of the major positives of this module is that you will have a lot of time to read the texts. If it is done correctly, you can score high in this module by following a few strategies. These include a few practices, such as skimming through the text, focusing on the keywords, and more.

Enhance Your Writing Skills

The writing module tests your writing skills and creativity. The module is divided into two tasks

• Task 1: The test takers are asked to understand the data and prepare charts on the topics
• Task 2: Test takers will be writing an essay on a given topic

Practice writing essays containing content types such as 

• Agree or disagree
• Discuss two opposing opinions
• Advantages and disadvantages 
• Problems and solutions
• Causes and solutions
• Causes and effects, etc.

Practise Speaking & Communication

This will enhance your fluency in the English language. The speaking module is only 15 minutes long and has three sections.

The first part is the discussion between you, the test taker, and the examiner. In the second part, you have to speak on a topic assigned on a task card.

The best way to practise this section is by taking notes on all the important topics and practising what to speak about. You should also deliberately practise answering a question spontaneously, even when you don’t know what to answer.

Here are some commonly asked IELTS Cue Card Topics and how to answer them.

Describe a Creative Person Whose Work You Admire

Describe an Object You Find Particularly Beautiful

Describe a Law on Environmental Protection

Describe a Skill that was Difficult for You to Learn

Talk About a Traditional Object of Your Country 

Describe a Difficult Thing You Did

Describe a Course that Impressed You a Lot

Describe an Ambition that You Haven’t Achieved

Take IELTS Practice Tests

To assess your skills, you should take practice tests. It can help identify your weakness and manage time.

How Do You Score in IELTS?

The IELTS scoring pattern is based on cumulative performance in all the sections of the IELTS exam, and a minimum score is required in each section to clear the test.

Hence, you must not have a selective approach while attempting each section rather you must focus on all of the sections equally. Most popular universities require a minimum band score of 6.0+, with at least a 5.5+ band in each section.

All the best with your preparation!