IELTS: Things You Need to Know

One of the 4 key areas IELTS examinees will have to take is the Writing Exam. Passing the Writing exam will have great bearing on your application to the university because most of the universities will require a high degree of academic writing once you are already enrolled in their university.

What to expect in your IELTS Writing Examination

The Academic writing exam consists of two parts. The first part is a 150-word essay and the second part is a 250-word essay. For both exams, you have to showcase your skill in writing a response that is of great content, correct grammar, good vocabulary and coherence of ideas.

Your IELTS Preparation

Your IELTS preparation courses will be of great help to orient you on how to write correctly and efficiently. Aside from the teachings you’ll learn from your IELTS course instructor, you have to make some preparations as well on your own.

Many people, as well as your #IELTS course instructors or even your IELTS preparation courses would usually suggest that best preparation you can do for your Writing Exam is to READ. Read publications such as newspapers to see how the articles are written in response to question or opinions. Make it a habit to read daily and observe.

In addition, you can also do some practice tests on your own by using the sample test materials found online.

Tips to Write Effectively

With all the teachings you have learned from your IELTS preparation courses and your IELTS course instructors, you should be prepared to make a good essay. In addition to your learnings, here are some tips to help you write effectively:

Carefully read the questions. Sometimes, you are faced with questions that will require you to do three or more things. Write them down so you can gauge your answers from them.

Plan your answers first. Yes, there is time limit but this shouldn’t get into your nerves. Take a few minutes to plan your answers. Think what you are about to say into writing and how you can further elaborate them. When you already have your plans laid, you can start writing them.

The essay should be structured. Your essay should contain these 3 essential parts: introduction, the body and conclusion. When the question asks for your opinion you should be able to ask these questions: what the question wants to describe, do you agree or disagree with it, and give reasons why. The next paragraphs should contain at least three arguments. To end your essay, just simply recap everything you had stated briefly and state again your opinion.