IELTS-Blog::Daphne from Singapore shares simple but practical tips for Band 8

Daphne from Singapore shares simple but practical tips for Band 8

Posted: 07 Nov 2013 02:30 AM PST

Daphne is a 26 year old lady from Singapore who took the IELTS exam and scored Overall Band 8 with a perfect 9 in Reading. As a winner of our monthly results competition she shared her tips. Here is what helped her, and may help you, get a great IELTS score:

Listening

Make use of the free resources on the web and keep practising. Try to get hold of past years exam papers. This will help to be familiar with the various listening scenarios. Focus only on the particular set of questions before each scenario is played so that you will know what to look out for.

Reading

Try to do speed reading. Also, reading the questions through before attempting the paper might help. Practise and practise so that you will get the hang of it and time yourself throughout the paper. As the passage gets more difficult, allocate more time accordingly.

Writing

I did not practise writing during my revision. However, my tip is to read different sample essays/reports, as many as you can. Be familiar with the format and structure of writing the essay/report. Learn some useful vocabulary and sentence connectors.

Speaking

Listen to past recordings. Practise speaking based on previous years questions. Time yourself during practice so that you know if you speak too fast. Do it in front of a mirror or with someone so that you can receive feedback. Give a smile, feel confident and stay relaxed during the test.

Hope it helps!