IELTS Expert Tips - Timing Yourself for IELTS Success

IELTS Expert Tips - Once you have chosen IELTS to demonstrate your English standard for your study abroad course, proper preparation and practice are the keys to ensuring you have no surprises on the day and can obtain the score you deserve. The IELTS test will take about 2 hours 55 minutes to complete. Familiarizing yourself with the IELTS test format and knowing how to plan your time are essential steps that will help you feel ready and at ease on the test day.

IELTS: Vocabulary Guide | Reading Practice Tests | Listening Practice Tests | Speaking Practice Tests | Writing Practice Tests

IELTS: Sample papers | Preparation tips | Guide

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IELTS exam tests your English language skills across four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Each section of the test consists of several tasks. It is a very good idea to approach each one of these strategically so that you have adequate time to answer each question. Careers 360 has collated some tips from Sarah Deverall, an experts on the IELTS exam to help you manage your time when giving the IELTS exam. Here are some IELTS expert tips and tricks to help you manage your time as you navigate through each section.

IELTS Preparation Expert Tips: Section Wise

Listening: You have a total of 40 minutes to complete this section. You will have 30 minutes for testing plus 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question booklet to your answer sheet. During the initial 30 minutes, you will hear instructions for each situation and then have an opportunity to read through the questions for that section. Each recording will be played only once, so it is important that you listen carefully for the specific information you need. Work quickly and attempt each question, but do not waste time if you do not know the answer. The final 10 minutes are for transferring your responses to the answer sheet. Make sure you are diligent in copying your answers to all of the questions at this time. Pay close attention as you do this as your score will be based solely on the answers on your answer sheet.

Reading: You have a total of 60 minutes to complete the reading section. Unlike the listening test, you will not have extra time to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet, so do make sure you mark your responses directly onto the answer sheet. There are three parts to the reading section. You will not be told when to start or finish each of these parts, so it is important that you use your time wisely.

You should spend roughly equal amounts of time on each of these sections, keeping in mind that the last one will always consist of a longer text. Be sure to give yourself enough time to work through all questions. Rather than read every word of each passage, focus on identifying the information needed to answer the questions. Remember, you should be able to answer all the questions from reading the text – even if the topic is unfamiliar.

Writing: You have a total of 60 minutes to complete the writing section. Again, be sure to write your responses directly onto the answer sheet. The writing section consists of two tasks. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1. You should spend about 20 minutes on Task 1 and about 40 minutes on Task 2. You will not be told when to start or finish each of these tasks, so be sure that you move onto Task 2 after about 20 minutes.

Take a few minutes at the beginning of each task to make notes to ensure you address the entire task. You are required to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2, but you should not spend time counting words during the test. Instead, as you prepare for the test, learn to recognize these lengths in your own handwriting.

Speaking: The speaking section of the IELTS test takes from 11 to 14 minutes as you progress through three sections in a live interaction with an examiner. The first section is a brief period of introduction and general questions on familiar topics like your home, family and studies. Use this time to “warm up” and become comfortable with the examiner. In the second part, you will be given a topic and points to discuss. You will have one minute to prepare and make notes, and then you will be asked to speak for two minutes. Use the time given to compose your thoughts and plan what to say. Speak confidently and naturally and do not attempt to memorize prepared answers in advance as this will be obvious during the test. The third section will consist of a two-way discussion related to the topic from part two. Listen carefully to the examiner’s questions and fully develop your ideas in your responses.

As you can see, there are a number of tasks to complete in just under 3 hours for the IELTS test. By paying close attention to your time and working diligently and effectively, you will be able to work through all of these in the time allowed – a critical component to achieving the IELTS score that you deserve and truly reflects your ability in English!

Also, read

• Tips for IELTS Listening Success
• Best IELTS Reading preparation tips
• Preparation tips for IELTS Writing Task 2

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