IELTS Preparation Strategy to Get 7+: A Comprehensive Guide
IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, is the prestigious language proficiency test that evaluates your ability to understand and communicate in English.
The objective of study abroad aspirants should be to score 7.0+ band in the IELTS exam to have more options to choose among top universities by strengthening their application process. But why 7+? Let’s explore its reasons and prep strategies for getting a competitive score in the exam.
Why is a Good IELTS Score Important?
IELTS measures the ability of individuals to communicate effectively in the English language in academic or professional settings. Performance in IELTS is usually expressed as a band score in the range of 0-9.
The more you score on the band, the better your chances of meeting the language proficiency requirements for universities, visa applications, or job opportunities abroad. A higher band score reflects a stronger command of English, which can significantly enhance your application.
IELTS Exam Syllabus & Pattern
To design an effective IELTS preparation strategy for achieving a band score of 7 or higher, it’s crucial to understand the IELTS exam syllabus and pattern. This will allow you to
- become familiar with the types of questions
- prepare with a focus on relevant topics
- use your time efficiently for maximum results
Overview of IELTS Academic
- The IELTS Academic exam aims to evaluate your English language skills in an academic setting.Â
- It is for students planning to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses in English-speaking countries such as the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.Â
- The primary purpose of this test is to check the vocabulary.
| Exam Name | Duration | Nature of Exam | Areas of Evaluation | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 2 Hours 45 Minutes | Based on college/university course frame | Listening Writing Reading Speaking | 2 Years |
IELTS Academic Pattern
The IELTS Academic pattern is divided into four sections:
- Listening sectionÂ
- Academic reading sectionÂ
- Academic writing sectionÂ
- Speaking section
| Sections | Number of Questions/Task | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 40 questions | 30 minutes |
| Academic Reading | 40 questions | 60 minutes |
| Academic Writing | 2 tasks | 60 minutes |
| Speaking | 3 parts | 11-14 minutes |
IELTS Academic Syllabus
There is no fixed or rigid IELTS exam syllabus. However, candidates may need to focus on the topics from the subjects listed below to prepare for the IELTS exam effectively. Sample questions, practice papers, and other relevant information can also be found on the official IELTS website.
- Agriculture Sciences
- General Knowledge & Current Affairs
- Science & Technology
- Social Sciences
- Humanities
How to Prepare for IELTS Academic? Section-wise Analysis
To achieve a band score of 7+ in the IELTS exam, it’s important to understand the analysis of each section. This will enable you to prepare strategically for each section, contributing to a cumulative score of 7 or higher.
Listening Section
The following is the general overview of the listening section, including the pattern, question types, and strategy to obtain a score of 7+ in this section.
Overview of the Listening Section
| Content | Number of Questions | Time Duration | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 recorded conversations between native English speakers | 40 questions | 30 minutes (10 minutes extra for answer writing) | 1 mark for each correct response |
Types of Questions
In the listening section, all 40 questions will be asked in below format:
- MCQs
- Matching
- Diagram labelling/plan/map
- Summary completion/form/note making/flow chart
- Sentence completion
- Short answer questions
Features
- The listening section involves hearing 4 recorded conversations between two or more native English speakers.
- After each recording, candidates are required to answer 10 questions.
- These questions will assess the following skills:
- Understanding of ideas and opinions
- Ability to understand the accent of the speakers
- Ability to draw conclusions from the conversation
- Ability to communicate in everyday life with native speakers
How to Get 7+ in the Listening Section?
- Familiarise yourself with the IELTS academic listening section pattern.
- Listen to English news, podcasts, movies, and TV shows in different English accents, such as British, Australian, American, etc.
- While listening, summarise the important points and details.
- Draw conclusions on those points and get them checked by expert professionals.
- Once you are accustomed to following the accents with ease, watch them without subtitles.
- Dedicate at least 60 minutes every day to the listening section.
- Learn new jargon, idioms, and phrases every day.
- Depending on your expertise and ability to produce desired results.
- Attempt mock test papers and practice papers once a week to evaluate your prep strategy.
Academic Reading Section
The following is the general overview of the academic reading section, including the pattern, question types, and strategy to obtain a score of 7+ in this section.
Overview of Academic Reading Section
| Content | Number of Questions | Time Duration | Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 narrative/descriptive/discursive passages from magazines or newspapers | 40 questions | 60 minutes | 1 mark for each correct response |
Types of Questions
In the reading section, all 40 questions will be asked in below format:
- MCQs
- Matching
- Diagram labelling/plan/map
- Summary completion/form/note making/flow chart
- Sentence completion
- Short answer questions
Features
- In the academic reading section, you will get 3 passages to read.
- Candidates are required to answer 40 questions based on passages.
- These questions will assess the following skills:
- Ability to summarise the keynotes
- Ability to recognise the writer’s perspective
- Ability to understand different writing styles
How to Get 7+ in the Academic Reading Section?
- Familiarise yourself with the IELTS academic reading section pattern.
- Start reading various sources of information such as newspapers, magazines, research journals, novels, etc.
- Note down the important points.
- If there are words or phrases you cannot understand, try to find their meaning and context of usage.
- Improve your vocabulary by learning new words, synonyms, and antonyms.
- Dedicate at least 60 minutes every day to the reading section to grasp how to answer the various questions that might be asked in the exam.
- Learn to read in less time in a peaceful environment.
- Attempt the IELTS mock test papers and practice papers once a week to evaluate your prep strategy for the academic reading section.
Academic Writing Section
The following is the general overview of the academic writing section, including the pattern, question types, and strategy to obtain a score of 7+ in this section.
Overview of Academic Writing Section
| Content | Number of Questions | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks to complete for communicating the idea/opinion in written form | 2 tasks | 60 minutes |
Types of Questions
In the academic writing section, there will be 2 tasks that test takers have to complete:
- Task 1: Write an essay of about 150 words from a graph/table/diagram provided.
- Task 2: Write an essay of about 250 words based on the topic or subject provided.
Features
- In this section, the following skills of a test taker will be evaluated:
- Fulfilling the task’s requirements
- Logical organisation and flow of ideas
- Vocabulary and phrases
- Grammar variety and correctness
How to Get 7+ in the Academic Writing Section?
- Familiarise yourself with the IELTS academic writing section pattern.
- Go through the rules of English grammar.
- Learn the 8 parts of speech, e.g., nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections.
- Choose a topic and write an essay on it.
- Review it yourself and make necessary corrections, if required.
- Learn new words every day and use them in your daily speaking and writing practices.
- Learn to speak and write on your favourite topic every day for about 30-45 minutes with frequent gaps.
- Practice examining graphs, tables, and diagrams.
- Take the IELTS academic mock test on this section once a week and get it checked by an experienced professional for further improvements.
Speaking Section
The following is the general overview of the speaking section, including the pattern, question types, and strategy to obtain a score of 7+ in this section.
Overview of Academic Writing Section
| Content | Number of Questions | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion between the test taker and examiner | 3 tasks | 11-14 minutes |
Types of Questions
In the speaking section, test takers are required to accomplish the 3 tasks:
- Part 1: Answering general questions about self and common topics like the candidate’s home, family, and work. The duration of the discussion is around 4-5 minutes.
- Part 2: In this, test takers are provided with a topic, and they have 1 minute to prepare it to speak for upto 2 minutes, followed by a question-answer session.
- Part 3: It consists of a general discussion on the opinion provided by the test taker on the topic.
Features
- In this section, the following skills of a test taker will be evaluated:
- Speaking fluency
- Accent
- Grammatical accuracy
- Pronunciation
How to Get 7+ in the Academic Writing Section?
- Familiarise yourself with the IELTS speaking section pattern.
- Include the English language as a part of your everyday life while discussing and conversing with your family, friends, colleagues, etc.
- Keep these conversations lighthearted and accept improvements or corrections, if provided.Â
- Learn new words and phrases by reading books, magazines, and newspapers.
- Avoid filler words like ‘um,’ ‘hmmm,’ ‘you know,’ etc., while speaking.
- Join online/offline speaking clubs for IELTS practice.
- Learn to speak and write on your favourite topic every day for about 30-45 minutes with frequent gaps.
IELTS Band Chart
- The IELTS band chart comprises a score range between 0-9 with whole and half bands, indicating the level of English language expertise.
- After the test, the candidate will receive a test report that mentions the overall test score and section-wise scores.
- The band score is calculated as follows.
- Raw scores of individual sections (listening and reading sections) are converted into band scores by comparing them with their respective standard charts.
- For writing and speaking sections, examiners evaluate the performance on specific criteria.
- The overall band score is then calculated by taking the mean of band scores of all four sections, rounded to the nearest half band.
| Band Score | Level of Proficiency |
|---|---|
| 0 | No answer given |
| 1 | No ability to use the language |
| 2 | Difficulty in understanding written and spoken English |
| 3 | Frequent breakdown in communication |
| 4 | Basic competence is limited |
| 5 | Partial command of the English language |
| 6 | Effective command of the English language |
| 7 | Good command of the English language |
| 8 | Fully operational command of the English language |
| 9 | Expertise in the English language |
Prepare from IELTS Mock Tests
Along with IELTS preparation, it is also important to undergo a self-evaluation to understand the real-time status of your preparedness so that you can modify or enhance your prep strategy accordingly. Some of the best sources of IELTS mock tests comprehensively cover the latest IELTS syllabus and pattern and guide you in getting 7+ in the exam.
- IDP IELTS Practice Test
- British Council’s IELTS Practice Tests
- The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS
- IELTS 18 Academic by Cambridge
- IELTS Online Test Prep by Magoosh
- IDP IELTS Mobile application
Key Takeaways by AdmitX
Admission to an overseas university requires a strong command of the English language, which can be measured by attempting the IELTS test. Today, IELTS is important to demonstrate competitiveness and preparedness for academic and professional opportunities in overseas countries.Â
Creating and executing an effective preparation strategy, with the expert guidance of study abroad professionals at AdmitX, can significantly enhance your chances of achieving a strong IELTS score.
FAQs
How much time is required to prepare for IELTS?
The amount of time needed to prepare for IELTS widely depends on several factors, such as your current proficiency level and target band score. On average, 3-5 months are sufficient to complete the IELTS preparation.
Is it easy to get 7.0 in IELTS?
Getting a 7+ band score in IELTS is not difficult if you know the exam pattern and types of questions that are asked to evaluate language proficiency skills. Based on this, developing and following the prep strategy will undoubtedly lead to a target score of 7+
Is there a negative marking in IELTS?
There is no negative marking in IELTS. The scores are awarded only for the correct responses made by the test takers.
What is the scoring system of the IELTS test?
The scores in the IELTS test are awarded in the range between 0-9, with increments of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, etc., based on your performance in the test. The average score is calculated by taking the mean scores of all the individual IELTS sections.
If there are IELTS waivers, then what is the need to attempt the test?
Depending on the university, applicants will get the IELTS waiver if they have completed their previous education in the English language as a mode of instruction. Also, attempting the IELTS test can competitively strengthen your application process.
