Mr Jamland Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I sat the test yesterday. It was my second attempt after achieving L9 R9 W7 and S9 the first time around.....and it was another disaster for me... I just can't get my head around the writing task and again my brain went to mush. I was really disappointed with the 7 the first time around and so have spent a lot on revision materials etc. I have been writing practice essays for the past month but still panicked in the exam. Any tips from those achieving 8 and above (how do you get 9?) gratefully received. I should say I am a teacher and write letters and reports all the time. Just getting incredibly stressed as visa has to be lodged before May next year when I turn 45. Also this is adding considerably to the expense...:no: In the writing, were you trying to write from experience or just making it up? I find it harder to make the story from my own experience, or express my own views (especially if I don't have a view on a subject) so I made it all up, and gave views of others I've heard talking or at work.... who cares, all IELTS want to know is you can write well in English. I don't mean to criticise, but you don't use many commas, which is where I would say you may be lacking. Your spelling appears to be fine so no problem there. I can't really talk about the commas too much, as my written English isn't all that great. A great book I used is called Common mistakes at IELTS Advanced ...and how to avoid them, by Julie Moore. It's not expensive and available on Amazon. It's not one I'm going to sell, as it's that good. I also used the official IELTS material too, but they only show bad examples written by foreign students. They do have a model answer on some of the tasks though. It's not just about grammar and spelling, but answering the question and not veering off the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Jamland Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 And you may be worrying unnecessarily yet too :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteD Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I sat the test yesterday. It was my second attempt after achieving L9 R9 W7 and S9 the first time around.....and it was another disaster for me... I just can't get my head around the writing task and again my brain went to mush. I was really disappointed with the 7 the first time around and so have spent a lot on revision materials etc. I have been writing practice essays for the past month but still panicked in the exam. Any tips from those achieving 8 and above (how do you get 9?) gratefully received. I should say I am a teacher and write letters and reports all the time. Just getting incredibly stressed as visa has to be lodged before May next year when I turn 45. Also this is adding considerably to the expense...:no: Hiya, Tip 1: if you're due to turn 45, start booking them not waiting for the result of the previous - you probably have more £115's than you have time; if you're serious about making a new life on the other side of the world then £115 is neither here nor there. I booked 3 each 2-3 weeks apart from the outset since I knew if I failed the first I'd be 45 before I got to re-book and sit again. Writing tips, well I started by taking timeout to formulate the response before writing. If you know what you want to say you can normally write at a pretty good rate. So read the question, take 5 minutes to formulate the letter before writing, and 10-15 minutes before writing the essay. In the letter they ask for 3 aspects, so take that time and start to bullet point things you can say about those aspects. Each aspect should be a single paragraph. Look to be able to make one sentence per bullet point, and decide which order the bullet points would flow best. That should give you a pretty good framework to start writing. In the essay they simply ask for a discussion, so start with 4 bullet points: opener and initial thoughts, pros, cons and finally the summary & conclusion. Again, sub-bullet point these until you have enough to make one 15 word sentence out of each and can make the 250 word threshold. That way, each sentence has direction and purpose. As Jamland says, throw in a few commas, and try to do at least one semi-colon. It evidences punctuation and you'll get your grammar points. They'll also be looking for lexical resource, so find yourself 20 or so words that are slightly out of the norm, but not abstract. Words like mortified, deductive, enlighten, transitional, exponential, untoward, indecisive, inconsequential, any words really which you probably wouldn't ordinarily write but use orally as required. These should set you apart from non-native speakers. If you can pepper your response with half a dozen well placed ones, you'll get the lexical resource points. You don't need to use all the ones you thought of, just a few to evidence your ability. Probably the best advice I can give though is to work out what you're saying start to finish before you begin, hence the advice above about bullet pointing it all out. They give points for the flow and focus of your response, so being able to juggle the thoughts before you start writing is another point winner. I used pencil to write, good thing too. I rubbed out a few sentences where I'd got halfway into it and wanted to restructure it. If you write in pen, your only option is to cross out; that appears both messy and looks indecisive. Anyway, hope you have passed with flying colours and this info is just for others looking to sit the test. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 I sat the test yesterday. It was my second attempt after achieving L9 R9 W7 and S9 the first time around.....and it was another disaster for me... I just can't get my head around the writing task and again my brain went to mush. I was really disappointed with the 7 the first time around and so have spent a lot on revision materials etc. I have been writing practice essays for the past month but still panicked in the exam. Any tips from those achieving 8 and above (how do you get 9?) gratefully received. I should say I am a teacher and write letters and reports all the time. Just getting incredibly stressed as visa has to be lodged before May next year when I turn 45. Also this is adding considerably to the expense...:no: I understand your nervousness - and I think that's what's making you not get an 8 or above. I think you can definitely get an 8 - you seem to have decent enough writing skills here. I don't think your writing skills are less or better than mine and I have managed a 9 in writing. Having said that, I'd work on my nervousness. I think the best way to do that is to practice one random writing essay each day before the test date under test conditions. I hope you're wrong and that you got the 8 this time around, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geordielass44 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 hi thanks for all the replies. Having calmed myself down a bit I am now hoping that the letter and essay are good enough for an 8. They were both considerably better than my first attempt when I only achieved a 7. I definitely structured the essay into an introduction, 2 paragraphs supporting the statement, one paragraph against and a conclusion.I also threw in some more advanced vocabulary eg accessible, austerity, abstract concepts, etc I think after the first exam (which I unwisely made no preparation for) I just had my confidence undermined. I also used pencil this time and that is a good tip for anyone doing the test. I did rub out a number of words and even rewrote sentences. In the first exam I wrote in ink, and all the crossing out must have looked incredibly messy. I will know in 2 weeks....can't wait! I just hope it is at least 8 across the board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 countdown!! only three more days 'till the moment of truth!! :policeman: {insert timer here} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Law Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I don't know whether the thought makes me want to throw up or secretly hope for a celebration! Don't think i will be able to open the results myself! Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 I don't know whether the thought makes me want to throw up or secretly hope for a celebration! Don't think i will be able to open the results myself! Heather I hope we'll be able to celebrate afterwards! I really need this hurdle over and done with! :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Law Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Me too!! It will be third time lucky for me! Where are you heading? Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derham Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I've been trying to forget about:confused: I've even started to think about the next test:arghh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davross Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi - as a new member, could anyone advise me on this? According to the points test, I need 20 points from IELTS, therefore would need to score all 8's as far as I can make out. However, under Victoria State Sponsorship for a General Plumber, it says I would be accepted on an IELTS score of 6.5. Is this correct or do I still need to aim for the 8's to gain the 20 points? Any advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Law Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 You need 8s in all areas for the extra 20 points Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kalinka Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hi - as a new member, could anyone advise me on this? According to the points test, I need 20 points from IELTS, therefore would need to score all 8's as far as I can make out. However, under Victoria State Sponsorship for a General Plumber, it says I would be accepted on an IELTS score of 6.5. Is this correct or do I still need to aim for the 8's to gain the 20 points? Any advice would be appreciated. To apply for Vic SS you will need IELTS score of at least 6.5 in all modules. When you subsequently apply to DIAC for the actual visa, you will need to have IELTS scores of at least 8.0 in all four modules to get 20 points. You can try to take IELTS once and aspire for at least all 8s, or if you don't manage it first time but get at least all 6.5s then you can apply for the Vic SS and while waiting for it, you can re-sit the IELTS test and try to get all 8s. The only concern is not to let your state sponsorship lapse while you are re-taking the IELTS test! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest westwoodc Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hi, my husband is going to have to do the IELTS and would be grateful for any help or advice you can give Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derham Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 westwood if you scroll through this post you will find loads of information you can download, the big item is get your OH to do loads of practice the test isn't as easy as some think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochie Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 what information do I need at hand to get results online on Friday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PityTheFool Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 https://results.ielts.org/ http://ielts-results.britishcouncil.org/forms/frmMain.aspx check out these two links, your results may or may not be on them it depends on the test centre. I sat my test at Peterborough and my results were not on either site (and site aren't, even though I got them two weeks ago through the post). As frustrating as it is you may have to wait for postman pat on saturday!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 To apply for Vic SS you will need IELTS score of at least 6.5 in all modules. When you subsequently apply to DIAC for the actual visa, you will need to have IELTS scores of at least 8.0 in all four modules to get 20 points. You can try to take IELTS once and aspire for at least all 8s, or if you don't manage it first time but get at least all 6.5s then you can apply for the Vic SS and while waiting for it, you can re-sit the IELTS test and try to get all 8s. The only concern is not to let your state sponsorship lapse while you are re-taking the IELTS test! That's what I did as I got 9's in all except a big fat 7 on the reading. It actually makes it easier for me to wait for my IELTS results, because I know I can't do anything anyway unless I get the SS approved. :idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davross Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Thanks for all the info. Its really helpful. How long do you have before the state sponsorship lapses? Also, it looks on here like the wait for SS visas is around 3-4 months. That seems pretty quick, is that the average wait from people's experience or does it depend on the time of year you apply? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prashyt Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 9 8 8 8 !! wow finally cracked it. 11th attempt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dono Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I'm still waiting for my results... did you guys get yours on results.ielts.org? I wrote in South Africa so I don't know if ours get released at a different time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derham Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 well done on getting your scores.:smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dono Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Still no results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 9 8 8 8 !! wow finally cracked it. 11th attempt woo hooo!! congrats, prashyt!!! :biggrin: I am so happy just by reading your post!! Now lets hope that we all cracked it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniston Skippy Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I passed first time 3 eights and a 9, advice.......Relax don't panic take it in yer stride and all will come good.....Worst thing to do is panic and get up tight if that happens it all goes to ****.................Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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