When preparing for exams like IELTS it gets crucial to have access to good resources. Getting your hands on an appropriate preparation guide for IELTS students can certainly make your preparations much simpler.
Whatever time you get before your test you must make sure to use it wisely. In this article, we would be talking about the materials you can refer to while preparing for the test.
Nowadays there are materials available in the market which instead of helping you might turn out to be a big mistake for you. There are so many fake sources both online and in print that can completely hamper your IELTS prep. They give out false exam format and even mention wrong kinds of questions in their content. These often lead you on the wrong path, in turn wasting a lot of your time and energy.
You should always use IELTS material from the official websites. They have authentic content that you can trust.
The official sources for the material are:
- Cambridge English
- IDP
- British Council
- IELTS.org
These are some trusted sources which will provide you with the correct exam format and question patterns. The content released on these portals is thoroughly checked by authorities before releasing. The mock tests are curated to give you an exact impression of the pattern you’ll be facing on the test day. Hence, giving you a clear idea of your performance and the areas that need improvement.
Links to Free IELTS Practice Materials on these online sources
- Cambridge English Free Sample Papers
- IELTS.org Sample Test Questions
- British Council Free Practice Tests
- IDP Free IELTS Tests
These links have some reliable content and tests to practice with, in order to improve your IELTS score.
IELTS Practice Books
Even when buying books for IELTS you need to be careful about what you choose. There are books circulating in the market that do not deliver authentic data. To avoid such mistakes you must always opt for established publishers that you know of rather than going for any material that you come across.
List of books delivering reliable material:
- The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS
- IELTS Trainer
- Official IELTS Practice Materials
- Practice Tests for IELTS (Collins)
- Cambridge IELTS Series (There are 12 Books in this series)
You can get these books in the any of the local book stores, and if not available there you can shop them from Amazon.
IELTS Applications
The easy-to-use IELTS Apps provides you with a range of fun tools to test your skills for the test. They have free practice tests, grammar exercises and tips, quizzes and many more activities to make your learning experience interesting.
They also give you access to sample questions for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, along with exercise for practicing vocabulary.
They also come with a feature to help you keep a check on your progress. It gives you a complete idea of the assessment criteria followed by IELTS examiners and also prepares you thoroughly for the test.
Some applications available on both iOS and Android are
- IELTS Prep App
- IELTS Word Power
- IELTS Word Ready
- IELTS Practice & IELTS Test
Also there are IELTS institute in Mumbai and other cities that assist the aspiring students with the exam preparations. They provide you with the preparation material and also carry out tests in order to monitor your progress.
Just having all the materials and resources makes no sense until and unless they are put to optimum use. You should make good use of all the material made available to you.
Before you begin your preparations, know your needs well. Some are beginners while some are already well versed with the language. If you are aware of the amount of effort you would be required to put in, you can start working accordingly.
Develop an individual study schedule for yourself and stick to it. You can take the help of an IELTS expert or even your teacher for the same, as they would be the best judge for telling you the areas you need to focus on.
“Too many cooks, spoil the broth’ , As this proverb suggests, avoid jugglings between different websites, books or apps for preparations. There is an immense number of resources out there to confuse you. Stick to one reliable source throughout your prep.
It’s a gradual process. Give yourself time to learn and absorb information made available to you. Practice everyday step by step and understand the concepts required for different sections.
When taking up the practice tests make sure to keep a check on the time taken as it is a time-bound test. Get your answers checked from a guide and learn from your mistakes. Focus more on the areas and skills that need more of your time.
Remember, merely watching videos and reading articles is not going to help you unless you implement whatever knowledge you have gathered from all the resources.
We hope these resources and tips, help you with your preparations for your IELTS exam ahead.
Author Bio: Rucha by profession is a content writer and graphic designer at Walnut Folks. She has been interested in guiding & counselling students who wish to study abroad for a long while now. She loves interacting with fellow professionals to explore studying abroad in different countries and is herself going abroad soon to pursue her dream of studying abroad. With a combination of design and writing skills, she aspires to explore domains of marketing and journalism. Travelling, good music and movies keep her going.