mapster Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Ok got my 4th Ielts test this weekend and I'm struggling with the reading section:arghh: I have been doing 2 test papers a day and somethings I get 38/39 out of 40 and other times I only get 32/33 which just isn't enough:arghh: To say I'm getting a little stressed is an understatement....... Any advise out there....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 IELTS reading is very hard and should not be underestimated! I myself struggled with the reading portion (as a native speaker, mind you) - and could not score above a 7. The only thing I can suggest is to continue to practice - the test will appear "easier" by the time you take it. Eat, sleep, and live IELTS Reading until Saturday. By the way, a 38/39 out of 40 is actually an 8.5, so you're good. 32/33 is about a nasty 6, though.:cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonsmith Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 mapster what profession are you ? i am a nurse, all i need to provide was transcripts of my education from my uni/ collage and a letter from my high school saying that i was taught and examined in english, instead of paying for and sitting the elits. hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Emilyjones Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The reading part of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test is often regarded as being the most difficult to pass. But don't worry make a proper strategy and study accordingly. Download a sample of the reading test from the IELTS website. Click on "Test Takers" and then "See a test sample." Click on "Academic Reading sample." Start the practice test by reading the questions first and then skim-reading the text. Try to remember some, if not all, of the questions, and highlight important parts of the text. Or you can take the help of any person who has already cleared this test to prepare you better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapster Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 mapster what profession are you ? i am a nurse, all i need to provide was transcripts of my education from my uni/ collage and a letter from my high school saying that i was taught and examined in english, instead of paying for and sitting the elits. hope this helps I need to score an 8 in all bands last time got a 7.5 oh SOOoooo close. I'm a childcare manager and need an 8 in the Ielts for the extra 10 points (I need 5 points but the 10 will do!!) SOl I always seam to get 7/7.5 in the reading section on the test day... Think the papers I've been doing today have been mega hard. But that is what can happen on the day too! Off now to do YET another test paper and an Essay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kianobeano Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hi My husband is also preparing,test not till Feb though. We came accross IELTS apps for smart fones Ipads etc.. Some are free and any new papers are a big help. All the best J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ade72 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I know how you feel mate , I'm doing my third on saturday .The ielts books are a joke ,I've found one answer that is wrong in the book ,so what chance have we got . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapster Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Just did another paper 36 out of 40 and the answers I got wrong were silly mistakes! Just did an essay & letter that seemed fine?..... Going to be a hard week :arghh::SLEEP::arghh::twitcy: But if when I pass it will be so worth it:biggrin::chatterbox: Think I'm more stressed this time no idea why cause I know what to except might be the different venue this time too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milliem Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Just did another paper 36 out of 40 and the answers I got wrong were silly mistakes! Just did an essay & letter that seemed fine?..... Going to be a hard week :arghh::SLEEP::arghh::twitcy: But if when I pass it will be so worth it:biggrin::chatterbox: Think I'm more stressed this time no idea why cause I know what to except might be the different venue this time too? Silly mistakes is a good thing!! It means you know exactly how you slipped up and the sort of things you need to be more thorough on. You can do this Mapster. You are probably putting yourself under pressure because you have said it is the last go. Pressure and some nervous energy can be useful too because it can make you a little sharper on the day. Don't forget, it often comes down to luck of the paper on the day too. I think with the good scores you already got before. A nice paper will clinch it for you Good luck, we are rooting for you, and Ade72 too Millie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ade72 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Thanks mille ,I'm coming out all guns blazing ,third time lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteD Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi, Different people do their reading stuff in different ways. I posted the way I cracked it on another thread a while back, copied below: Reading is more difficult than writing because it requires word perfect responses. It's marked like a machine and there's no room for a remark. You could argue this point, but it's not likely to change during the course of your visa application, so better to understand the rules of the game and play accordingly. I did general, so I got 3 or 4 passages about different things. At the end of each passage were a set of questions. I scanned the questions to see if they were true/false, which paragraph describes, who said what, etc type questions. Then I read the passage, start to finish. 1) For true/false/not given: trues are easy (the text identifies explicitly), falses less so, and the difference between false and not given can be highly subjective. Pick out the trues first and answer those, then look for definite falses and answer those. Hopefully you're left with 2 unanswered which you leave till the end of the test. 2) If it's a case of which paragraph describes xxxx, then read the text and underline lightly what you think describes. When you've read it, look to the answers and scan back over your underlines. You should have picked up 80% of your answers from your underlining. As you answer underline the responses in bold pencil, that way you know they've asked about that part of the text. 3) Who said what, or who did what questions are similar to (2) above, light underlining as you read, heavy as you answer. 4) 1-3 words in the gap, you can't really underline. Pay more attention to the questions from the outset, and simply underline places where the question is being addressed in the text. Read the full text and then turn to the questions. Make sure the words you respond with fit the context of the sentence you are being asked to put them into (eg. ambulance, ambulances, an ambulance). I found for me, knowing how the questions would unravel, and then reading the text in full was better than trying to read according to question, or reading blind not knowing what they would ask. Don't ponder or frustrate yourself if you can't find the answer, move on. If you read well enough you should have 10-15 minutes left at the end, and that's the time to go pick up the 8 or so answers you missed. You should hit at least 50% of these in that time, so you should crack a good score. I think the trick is nailing the easy ones where you're guaranteed a point, and whittling down the increasingly difficult/subjective ones in any time remaining. If gut instinct says 'that's the answer', don't waste time on pondering if you got it right or not, put it down and move on. Time is pretty precious in the reading. Underline text as you complete an answer, it highlights where they have asked questions and where they haven't. You can then make a call as to where you might find the missing answer (although not always). Finally, as always, don't do practice tests till the last minute. Give yourself a couple of days off before the test. It clears your mind so you enter this test fresh and not clogged with the answers to the test you did yesterday. For what it's worth, reading was my weakest subject. Considering I had read about 10k pages to do my degree I was shocked, but, as said above, understand the rules of this game, and play accordingly. Hope this helps P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY2000 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Its a terrible test, My wife failed and shes a well educated English person (Just under the pass mark on 1 catagory if i remember correctly) The worst bit is once you get here theres thousands of immigrants who cannot speak or read English ! its a Joke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The worst bit is once you get here theres thousands of immigrants who cannot speak or read English ! its a Joke :biglaugh: I noticed that as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol2Oz Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Another thing for Mapster - during the actual test, if lets say the answer to a question is on the first paragraph, the answer to the following question will be after that. For instance, you won't find the answer to "the next question" before the last question on the paragraph. It's a little trick that was shown to me and one that will save you time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapster Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi, Different people do their reading stuff in different ways. I posted the way I cracked it on another thread a while back, copied below: Reading is more difficult than writing because it requires word perfect responses. It's marked like a machine and there's no room for a remark. You could argue this point, but it's not likely to change during the course of your visa application, so better to understand the rules of the game and play accordingly. I did general, so I got 3 or 4 passages about different things. At the end of each passage were a set of questions. I scanned the questions to see if they were true/false, which paragraph describes, who said what, etc type questions. Then I read the passage, start to finish. 1) For true/false/not given: trues are easy (the text identifies explicitly), falses less so, and the difference between false and not given can be highly subjective. Pick out the trues first and answer those, then look for definite falses and answer those. Hopefully you're left with 2 unanswered which you leave till the end of the test. 2) If it's a case of which paragraph describes xxxx, then read the text and underline lightly what you think describes. When you've read it, look to the answers and scan back over your underlines. You should have picked up 80% of your answers from your underlining. As you answer underline the responses in bold pencil, that way you know they've asked about that part of the text. 3) Who said what, or who did what questions are similar to (2) above, light underlining as you read, heavy as you answer. 4) 1-3 words in the gap, you can't really underline. Pay more attention to the questions from the outset, and simply underline places where the question is being addressed in the text. Read the full text and then turn to the questions. Make sure the words you respond with fit the context of the sentence you are being asked to put them into (eg. ambulance, ambulances, an ambulance). I found for me, knowing how the questions would unravel, and then reading the text in full was better than trying to read according to question, or reading blind not knowing what they would ask. Don't ponder or frustrate yourself if you can't find the answer, move on. If you read well enough you should have 10-15 minutes left at the end, and that's the time to go pick up the 8 or so answers you missed. You should hit at least 50% of these in that time, so you should crack a good score. I think the trick is nailing the easy ones where you're guaranteed a point, and whittling down the increasingly difficult/subjective ones in any time remaining. If gut instinct says 'that's the answer', don't waste time on pondering if you got it right or not, put it down and move on. Time is pretty precious in the reading. Underline text as you complete an answer, it highlights where they have asked questions and where they haven't. You can then make a call as to where you might find the missing answer (although not always). Finally, as always, don't do practice tests till the last minute. Give yourself a couple of days off before the test. It clears your mind so you enter this test fresh and not clogged with the answers to the test you did yesterday. For what it's worth, reading was my weakest subject. Considering I had read about 10k pages to do my degree I was shocked, but, as said above, understand the rules of this game, and play accordingly. Hope this helps P Wow thanks that sounds good was thinking of not doing any papers on Friday. Might just do an essay.... Was awake at 3am today was dreaming about this silly test! thanks for all the kind words is does help.xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexswift Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I think Pete's on the money but in simple terms don't read it word for word. You need to skim and find words that mean the same. I got 9 the second time around and finished in 5min flat. I ran out of time on my first attempt . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dono Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I also failed twice and got it on my 3rd time (overall 9). You'll get it, just keep trying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Its harder than people think, the questions are straightforward its just the pressure to get the 8's clouds your thinking, for the reading I made key notes on each paragraph I read just so I could reference it again and see which held the right information for me to go back to the paragraph and glean more info from it. Try that it might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candygirl Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Its harder than people think, the questions are straightforward its just the pressure to get the 8's clouds your thinking, for the reading I made key notes on each paragraph I read just so I could reference it again and see which held the right information for me to go back to the paragraph and glean more info from it. Try that it might work. Agree with you DibDibbler. The pressure to get all 8's is a nightmare. OH has his second test booked in Barcelona on Sat morn. It is a long drive from us so I am hoping it will be last time he has to visit the British Council. He is practising whenever he can to nail it second time round. I don't think our nerves could take any more. He failed by 0.5 last time on the writing even though he got a 9 in the reading. Good Luck everyone for Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I am no expert as I don't even know my result yet! However by reading through the questions first (MillieMollie suggestion) and then as I was reading through the text underlining what I felt were key words/terms etc really helped me. It also made me a bit more aware of the flow of the text due to certain words/phrases. I had to match up what 5 people were stating in one of the exercises, so I numbered them on the side of the text. This enabled me to find them easily when I needed to cross reference what they said with the other people (hope this makes sense!) Basically I littered the reading paper with notes!! Maybe nerves, but it seemed to make it easier for me. Just need to find out now if it really did help!!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Law Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi Mapster With the reading i skim read the text initially, then read the questions and revisited the text. I highlighted where i thought the answrs were and entered an answer for every question. I put a question mark on all of the questions i was unsure of, this was usually T F NG section. I used the remaining time to revisit the unsure answers and generally give the rest of the questions a check. Think positive thoughts and i am sure the rewards will be reaped... Good luck to everyone on Saturday, i will be thinking about you all and in particular Mapster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otsmith1 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 My 2 quick tips: 1) Leave questions you're not sure about, but go back to them at the end of that section NOT wait until the end of the whole test. At the end of the section you'll have probably read and re-read the text several times and you'll be best placed to go back to the questions you missed right then when it's still in your head. Leaving it right until the end and you'll have to re-familiarise yourself with the text all over again. 2) If you don't pass this time, consider taking the Academic version next time. You can get a couple more wrong and still get an 8! Good luck everyone :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sporty Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hey Ade, Are you doing yours again in Rugby. Maybe see you there again :-) Hopefully we will all make it this time. Sporty I know how you feel mate , I'm doing my third on saturday .The ielts books are a joke ,I've found one answer that is wrong in the book ,so what chance have we got . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sporty Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Good Luck Mapster, I really hope you crack it this time. Fingers crossed for you. I know how you feel :wacko: Sporty Ok got my 4th Ielts test this weekend and I'm struggling with the reading section:arghh: I have been doing 2 test papers a day and somethings I get 38/39 out of 40 and other times I only get 32/33 which just isn't enough:arghh: To say I'm getting a little stressed is an understatement....... Any advise out there....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapster Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Thanks for all the support... I can NOT believe I have some sort of virus been in bed for 2 days feeling really ill.......................... Fingers crossed I get up tomorrow and its gone as my test is this Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.