Ielts

Dear all

IELTS test is this weekend, I'm doing my revision and have got lots more tests from Gollywobbler (thanks again), hotel booked, directions downloaded, specs cleaned, pencils sharpened and brain most definitely in gear. Any advice or strategies from the PIO crowd would be gratefully received.

There's a great deal riding on this test and I don't want to let my family down.:no:

Thanks

valleylass

Hi Valleylass,

Can I ask where you are doing it? I am doing it at the weekend too, in Brighton, and was wondering if there was anyone else out there going there.

How would I get a copy of the tests that Gollywobbler sent you? Did you pm her? And are they good? I am also worrying slightly as I've got a book and done a few tests but still dont feel fully prepared.

Shaz

Hello Shaz36

Not Brighton but Oxford, I can send you the tests as Gollywobbler emailed them to me. Not sure I can do that from this site though unless you pm me your email address. She sent me three and they are Winzipped, so I can do the same if you want them. Let me know

Good luck !

valleylass

HI there,

We don't have to do one yet for this visa (457 visa, major group 1), but I did a bit of research on it. Everyone says that the real trick is to get used to the type of questions and mainly the process of the test in terms of timing etc. I kept reading again and again that this was the best thing to prepare for regarding IELTS.

Best of luck!

Hi Valleylass,

They will forgive spelling and grammar mistakes in the writing IF it flows nicely as a piece AND you complete the task full, ie include everything they ask for.

My OH is convinced he passed the writing because he had to write a piece about grandparents living with their families or being in homes, and at the end wrote: I'd give anything to have one more day with my granny !!!!!!! He thinks that little bit of emotion swung it for him!!!!! (just his opinion!!!!)

Good luck

Sue x

I just got the results of my IELTS General Test from Westminster University. 8.5 so the application still on track.

Having read lots of comments about the tests I can only say that I did absolutely no practice at all - and I just rocked up and it was pretty simple for an English speaker.

I can see how someone with English as a second language might find it tricky, but not an English speaker. Really the only challenge was having to write freehand for a couple of hours. I use a keyboard everyday so writing longhand is not something I do, so writing again made my hand ache!!

Well done you! Hope I manage to secure it all first time round.

valleylass

My OH got his results this weekend, 8.5, 8.5, 7.0 & 9.0, so overall score of 8.5, so we're really pleased. He did very little revision and found it fine. For his writing test he had to write about public speaking and presenting and the pros & cons of it, and whether public speaking should be taught in schools. He came home feeling fairly confident, but then only got a 7.0 in writing, and as he needed to get 7.0 in all four categories, it was a bit close, but a pass is a pass.

Good luck to all those taking it shortly.

Dear all

 

IELTS test is this weekend, I'm doing my revision and have got lots more tests from Gollywobbler (thanks again), hotel booked, directions downloaded, specs cleaned, pencils sharpened and brain most definitely in gear. Any advice or strategies from the PIO crowd would be gratefully received.

 

There's a great deal riding on this test and I don't want to let my family down.:no:

Thanks

 

valleylass

I took the test and got word this weekend. i scored an '8'. First we did a listening test where they played an audio of a conversation. It started fairly easy where you simply have to put the blanks in having heard a phone number for example. Towards the end of this it still had blanks but you had to show understanding of what was being said and fill in blanks. The reading test was also quite simple but then became some questions that asked if you really understood the text and was able to work out some questions, some which seemed to be a little tricky. The writing one I found to be easy as it required writing a letter. Its advised you use some creativity here not forgetting to dot i's and cross your t's. The it had 250 words on a topic. id learn how to do a short planning of what u will write so you can fill the word requirement. the speaking test is very straightforward and nerves would be the only issue for a uk national. The speaking test doesnt really test your knowledge, they asked me about the environment, not a strong subject. I told them this and explained what i knew about what they asked and I got 8.5 out of 9 for this, writing, and listening. I got 7 for reading which did suprise me.

if theres any more help you need let us know. It would be unlikely someone who has skills to enter oz and is a UK national would struggle to be honest. that said the test does get tricky and in some ways im glad.

did you sit the test in york two weeks ago? if so i was there.

If that question was for us, then OH took the test at Lea Green in South London on 18th April. He said that he and one other man were the only english people there, everyone else was from places like Sri Lanka, Cameroon, Nigeria, they were doing tests for jobs here, they weren't all emigrating to Oz!

did you sit the test in york two weeks ago? if so i was there.

No I've got it this weekend, have been swotting so hopefully that will help. Thanks for info though, it's all useful.

Regards

valleylass

I've got my test in Wimbledon this weekend. I know it sounds straightforward but I panic in any exam so not looking forward to it.

Do you get to write about a topic of your choice or one that IELTS set?

Hi, I've just got my results from the exam a couple of weeks ago and passed with an average of 8.5. Pretty chuffed as its one of those exams I think when you really don't know how you've done! I did better on the sections I thought I hadn't, and worse on the ones I thought I had!

As to the topics, no you don't get a choice and had a really dodgy one (I thought!) on whether children should be taught how to give a speech or presentation to an audience whilst at school!

I was completely taken about though on the topics in the speaking section. Had about 6 different topics to speak about, including the role of museums and art galleries and why we should visit them, whose responsibility it was to teach children to read, why people grow plants and vegetables. I wasn't expecting anything like those at all and thought Id really waffled and not really said much, but I actually got 9 in that section!

All I'd say is be really thorough and if you've time to go over your answers then spend that time wisely, although myself and others all said we didn't really have much time at the end.

Hope that helps and sure you'll be OK.

Hi Dom and Elaine,

well done for passing the test. we have just booked ours at the Uni of Westminster for June. i actually studied engineering there, so i thought a bit of familiarity would help my nerves!

so you found it pretty easy then?! i hate tests, but the when you think of what you're getting out of it i guess it's worth it!

my OH is Czech, so i guess she may find it a bit harder. she only has to score 4 though.

so you found it pretty easy then

well I don't want to play it down given the fact probably some people have worked hard to revise and pass, but for me it was pretty straightforward. In fact some of the sections (the reading for example) were very much like the sorts of English homework my two daughters bring home from school!

I was worried that I had missed something and there were certain key elements you needed to get into the tests, but in the end I just did it logically and sensibly and I came out OK.

I hear what you are saying about exams - its been years since I did any and it wasn't any better with time passing! Plus the IELTS testers make you seem like a criminal doing the test. You have to keep your passport with you at all times and show it to the examiners as you go into all the tests. You get escorted to the toilet and have to show your passport again to get back in!

I guess they must have had people taking the tests for other people in the past, so I can't blame them, but it doesn't help the nerves much!!