Kezzles

Thanks Guys.

I'm sitting mine on the 17th of August so just looking about for the best ways to revise?

Hey froggles

reading is all about technique! I actually found that reading the question then looking for answer was easier than reading passage then the question! Look at paragraphs and get a feel what each one is saying the key messages.

listening do some practice using audio it will help you get used to concentrating the last section is harder than first bits..

writing just remember start middle end! Start is paraphrasing question middle covers what you said you were going to talk about and end you just summarise what you said. Look through past topics to get a feel of the subjects that come up.

speaking test is quite funny if your are a native speaker just relax look at past topics they are not tested your knowledge of subject it's all about fluency and confidence etc.

google ielts Simon it's a useful website!

I get my results on 9th so hoping all of the above advice has helped!!!

No don't remember estimated!! what was the context??

Something to do with numbers of dolphins??

Lol -- I couldn't remember the middle part of the test til Ascended Alteran set it out and then it all came flooding back like a very bad nightmare and I remembered those questions!! Sad yep!!!!!!

 

There was one question about the dolphins at the end SOMETHING???? pattern and I wrote breeding but have no idea whether it was breeding as I guessed it - if anyone does remember put me out of my misery!!!

 

Carmel

Ha ha I can't remember though I said one answer in dolphin bit was 'estimated' ????

Londoners are rude! quite unbelievable sometimes actually. Great place to have fun though

 

The next 2 weeks are going to drag waiting for that letter. Didn't think a poxy little test would end up causing this much stress!

I know it's funny I felt super stressed in the run up to it but had urge to keep laughing when I was there! Just hope I don't have to resit can you imagine aghhhh!!!

Hahahaha! I will go to Mexico to do em if I have too!

 

who marks the speaking? The person who does the interview or do they take the recording and assess it afterwards? If its the person who interviews, I am gonna get 10/9. She loved it!

i hope it's the person who was there he seemed to like me and I bet my recording sounded naff afterwards! Though I slagged off Australia not having a history and Londoners being rude so not holding my breath!!

Had my speaking part this morning! It went really quickly! It was based around music and technology so I was able to babble on for long enough. The examiner really unnerved me though as she didn't really make much I contact and when I was speaking she looked towards my right ear! Wish we got the results starlight away!!!

ha ha you must have an interesting right ear!! Good luck!

Thanks mate. Guess I got one of them wrong as I wrote Management skills (a pure guess as I didn't hear what the narrator said before "skills").

I can't even remember that question!!

Lol, yeah I know!

 

I have been looking at re-booking and will definitely go to a different test center next time.

You're probably barred anyway! If you see this perv don't let him in lol!!

This was the response I got today when requesting the recording from the listening test.

 

Dear Donavan,

 

 

Thank you for your enquiry.

 

 

We cannot supply a recording of your speaking test. This is due to the secure nature of the IELTS test.

 

 

 

 

For further assistance, please contact the test centre where you originally took the test.

Probably just as well you would be mortified listening back to ahem... Explaining that advert lol!!

Hi guys,

I took my IELTS (GT) test on 27th July, 2013. I got confused in the listening section with two questions. The four sections were:

Section 1 - gym membership options

Section 2 - Park (with a map of facilities)

Section 3 - Student Learning Centre (what is offered)

Section 4 - Research about dolphins in Australia

 

I got confused with question 17 (was about location of the garden or something like that) and question 30 (was about what will students work on during the Summer school).

 

Also this is my second attempt at IELTS with previous score as L 8.5, R 8.0, W 7.5 and S 6.5.

Hey ,

I also got confused with one of the dolphin questions plus what classes the gym offers (lost concentration) I put all sorts hahah!! PLus I said the beauty saon offers massages??? does it???

I really think my listening will let me down which is a shame as I think I have done well on all of the ohter exams... i only need 7's so I am hoping even if I get 4 wrong I can still get a 7..??

I'm not gonna lie, it got a bit awkward in there. Especially when my hand started going! Luckily she cut me short after about a minute but she defo saw the funny side!

 

I have emailed them asking for a copy of the recording "for my own development". I just wanna hear how bad it was!

Cringe!!!!! Lol

The speaking is tough if they ask you questions you are not familiar with. When she asked me to talk about an advert I had seen which made you go and buy the product, this ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JTsFzk0x0A) was all I could think of as I had seen it on Friday. The lady was in stitches but thinking about it now, I should have bluffed and said I had bought a big mac!

a

ha ha ha ha how did you describe that ha ha!!

My writing, reading and listening were yesterday, sounds like we had same paper as my writing was same too, it seemed to go ok but thinking back about a couple of things I wrote I want to kick myself!

My speaking part is on Tuesday and I'm a bit panicked as if I get cargo ships, sea fishing or politics I'm screwed!!!

Fingers crossed for you all! Xx

Seriously don't worry speaking bit was fine just keep it simple if you don't know subject then just say so but I'm sure you will draw something from depths of your memory! I got asked who bought my clothes when I was a kid, I almost burst out laughing!! Stupid questions most are really easy just a couple thrown in for your opinion . I got asked why is history important for our country... That's about as hard as it got.

Let me know how you get on, good luck!

The test was ok, except for the speaking. I am not a native speaker, and I think I blew it. The final questions were about politics, and countries relationships; I was not sure what to say, so I got stuck.

That sounds tough for any speaker! Best of luck!

Jeez uses! Boredom is one thing - but do you have any knowledge about this topic?

Nope! None whatsoever!

I actually started laughing when I finished because I just babbled on!!

Ha ha I found whole thing hilarious, think examiner felt like a weirdo asking me questions for sake of it! Why native speakers have to do this test is beyond me!

I wish I had thought of that!

 

I also got stuck on about 3 of the listening questions, something about a health centre and then business and communications but not too worried! The reading, I think (hope) all of them but my stealthy raid of the office stationary cupboard was in vain as we weren't allowed highlighters and just used my pencil to underline where I had found answers.

 

The people in the running the test looked extremely disappointed with life, the guy next too me tried to finish off after they had said time was up and the women went on as if he was trying to murder someone!

 

Anyway all the best kezzles! keep us posted with the results.

you too I'm sure you will be fine! My test guy in the main tests was my speak examiner too! Strange they don't allow highlighters eh!

Anyway it's all done now ill let you know my results on the 9 August! Good luck!!

Hey all I've just done the tests!!! Reading was very easy writing was same dondanells! I thought that was ok went on about job security careers etc. listening I got caught out with about 3 questions do had to guess, damn! Speaking now I wish I'd taken my water in mmy mouth was soooooo dry lol! Got asked about historical event I talked about royal wedding with will and Kate only last year but it's history ha ha! Got asked loads of history questions I just bluffed my way through! Got asked about shopping my favourite subject ha ha! Also about patients and whether I am or not etc.. It was actually quite funny!!

Having pimms now glad it's over..,,for now! Thanks all for support and advice

Hey all I've just done the tests!!! Reading was very easy writing was same dondanells! I thought that was ok went on about job security careers etc. listening I got caught out with about 3 questions do had to guess, damn! Speaking now I wish I'd taken my water in mmy mouth was soooooo dry lol! Got asked about historical event I talked about royal wedding with will and Kate only last year but it's history ha ha! Got asked loads of history questions I just bluffed my way through! Got asked about shopping my favourite subject ha ha! Also about patients and whether I am or not etc.. It was actually quite funny!!

Having pimms now glad it's over..,,for now! Thanks all for support and advice

The speaking test is the easy one. I had 9s in all 3 tests (had to resit 3 times, kept failing the written) just speak slowly and clearly. throw in some big words if you can but you shouldnt worry about the speaking. you will fly it.

get the additional practise in on the written. the listening and reading are ok aswell, just make sure you pay attention to detail!

best of luck, let us know how you go.

Hi donna

Thanks I'm worried about task 2 in writing the most! Speaking I'm fine I work in HR and talk a lot!! Lol I'm a good bluffer too reading I have to pay attention to detail as that's where I make mistakes, listening is ok. I'll be glad when it's 4pm Saturday and it's all over! Praying I pass first time!

So just did reading practice test got 39/40!! Also write essay on global warming that was hard and had to cheat! I've got my structure perfect now just hope I get a familiar subject. Going to brain storm all the subjects I think could come up.

E.g education, global warming, immigration, elderly, computers, crime, travel, technogy, media, health etc...having a beer now

No worries! I just though of some further stuff I did. One thing I'd consider doing is thinking of topics and jotting down a set of points that you'd make. It doesn't really take long but it's a good exercise to make sure you can do it on the day.

 

So for example off the top of my head:

 

Globalisation: has it got more positives than cons?

Immigration: same

foreign travel: same

people living for longer: curse or panacea?

governmental subsidies for cultural activities: waste of money?

etc etc

 

I found that forcing myself to spend 5 minutes planning out what I'd write was not exactly easy but with some rigor I think I was better prepared for the day. Another thing to bear in mind is the length of time you have to write the essay and the expected length. Getting used to the timing of it is essential and on the day, it will all feel quite different and more compressed time wise. The initial idea blitz is a crucial skill to hone but the timing and length of essay is equally so.

Good tip about subjects I'll try that tomorrow night!

Thanks Nik I'll definitely be spending first 5 mins planning it worked for my degree exams way back and helps you think more logically!

Thanks Debs I'll hopefully have time to count words! I sort of know what 250+ looks like! Two Ive written we're just over 300.

I sat it late June and found that probably the most taxing part was the written test if you're a native speaker (as I am supposed to be - I was brought up in France by British parents meaning that for the Australian Medical Council I had to sit the IELTS exam).

 

The oral part was quite straight forward and I don't think I particularly did very good answers but remained fluent throughout and managed to crack a few wry comments. (IIRC the theme was about national holidays in your own country - I discussed the issues of blind nationalism, the fact that it does have good community building elements to it but that younger people probably don't find it too relevant and prefer online hangouts).

 

The written gives you enough time to plan a little so I'd spend a few mins jotting down the points you want to make (pros and cons if that's the overall question being asked) and have a simple but clear structure in paragraphs. This is where my French education kicked in - every essay needs an introduction where you set out the problem and explicitly tell the reader you'll be first exploring the arguments against/for then the arguments for/against (the last part should always be the side you are arguing in favour of). Then a short synthesis and a conclusion.The description of the graphs (I was doing academic) was actually slightly trickier and I felt required more planning to make sure you don't miss any comparison (I think it was part one of the written part).

 

So all in all, I think if you're a native speaker the real banana skin in the written part - it doesn't matter how grammatical your English is, if you head down the wrong alley answering the question incorrectly, you'll struggle to get a good score on it. FWIW, I got 9.0 in all sections though I think I was slightly lucky on some on the listening and written answers as some were delightfully difficult to answer and if you thought too much about it you could make yourself believe that two of the answers were equally valid and depended slightly on your point of view (not on your understanding of the English language).

Just wrote a big reply and then lost it, bloody I pad !!!! So big thanks for top tips!!!

They do but for points purposes you need at least all 7s in each band for 10 points or all 8's for 20. Not sure why they give an overall. My overall each time has been 8.5 but I only got 10 points as kept getting a 7.5 in one :-(

Ahh not good! I need 7 in all for 10 points but was hoping I will get 8's across all 4 so I can claim 20. Less pressure to prove last 8-10 years experience I can settle with past 5 then. I will do my best on Saturday that's all I can do! Did you find writing difficult ? Letter bit looks easy, essay guess depends on the subject (general test)

http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_Band_Scores.html

 

This shows the correct answers needed. Its a bit unfair as need more right answers in general than academic!

thanks nic that's great! Tough mark to get though!

Does anyone know if for example I get R7 W7.5 L8 S8 do they add it all up divide by 4 to give overall ielts mark?