Things to remember on IELTS exam day

IELTS exam is one of the most popular exams among the people who are looking to move to English speaking countries for study and immigration purposes. It has now become mandatory to take a proficiency level test in order to move to an English-speaking country for all the reasons except the tourist visa. The IELTS exam is held in more than 30 cities across India and in some of the centers the exam is conducted four times a month. There is an increasing number of people over the years who are beginning to take the IELTS exam like never.

This surge in the number of people has also resulted in an escalation of the count of institutes that one can see everywhere. There has been a decline in the quality of the education that these institutes are offering. Increasing in the quantity generally affects the quality of everything. A lot of student’s study in these institutes but they will be surprised to know that majority of their trainers do not have the first-hand experience of the IELTS exam. So, how those teachers are going to tell the candidates that what to expect on the exam day?

Don’t worry! I have a solution for you. I have taken the IELTS exam three times and eventually scored 9 Bands. I got a lot of experience while I gave the exams. I come to know about the tiny things that can really be helpful for anyone who is looking to take the IELTS exam and I want to share it with you all. There are several things that you need to remember before going into the IELTS exam. I will be sharing the things to remember on the IELTS L/R/W exam day.

The first thing to keep in mind is that on the exam day you must carry few documents along with you. The first thing is the original passport along with its colored photocopy. I know, that they don’t generally ask for the copy of the passport, but if they do then you shall present it. So, the conclusion is that you should carry a copy of passport in order to avoid last minute rush. Apart from this, you must also take the print copy of the acknowledgement letter that you receive in the e-mail id provided by you at the time of test registration. These are the necessary documents that you need to carry otherwise the test taker will not allow you to take the IELTS exam.

Secondly, its indispensable to be well rested before the test. If you are in a relaxed state of mind, then it becomes very easy for you to perform good in any task. Therefore, before going into the examination hall, you must make sure that you had a good night’s rest. Also, take heavy breakfast as the exam will begin at 1 PM and your concentrations are not the best when you are feeling hungry.

The other thing to remember is that the registration time for the exam starts at 11:15 AM and ends at 12:15. This means that you will not be allowed to enter the examination hall later than 12:15. So, in order to avoid last minute hassle, you should reach the exam center by 11:30 or maximum by 11:45. This one hour between your exam will give you time to calm your nerves down and in this time you should try to take long breaths and meditate for a minute. This will really help.

Once the test starts, you are not allowed to use the rest room. So, you should be aware of this as it can cause you a lot of problems. I advise you not to drink a lot of water and use washroom before you enter the examination hall.

The modules begin at 1 PM. The first module is the listening module. In this module, you must make sure that you should attempt the test on the question paper itself. Don’t write the answers directly onto the answer sheets as it will create a lot of chaos in the answer sheet. Also, when you write directly then your concentration levels can decrease as you must focus on both the question paper and the answer sheet which can prove to be a problem. You will be given 10 minutes extra at the end of the test to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. Make sure that you write all the answers in capital letters (Block letters).

One you transfer the listening answers successfully, you must keep your sheet upside down and keep the reading side of the answer sheet upwards. The reading module will contain 3 paragraphs in case of Academic module and 5 for the General Training module. It is essential to go through all the paragraphs of reading test and chose which one you have to start first. Once you start with the test, be alert and write all the answers directly onto the answer sheet in capital letters (block letters) because in the reading test, you are not going to get any extra time for transferring the answers.

The last test on this day is the writing test. Writing test will have two tasks. One letter and one essay for the general training and one data interpretation chart and an essay for the academic module. I suggest you attempt the essay task first as it carries more Band score. You should spend at least 30 minutes on the essay and make sure that you write the essay on the third page of the writing answer sheet that is dedicated to task – 2. Task - 1 should not take more than 20 minutes. So, it means that you have 10 minutes left with you. These 10 minutes are crucial as you have this time in your hand to check any silly mistakes that you may have made while writing your tasks. This can also save you a half band which can be fruitful for you.

I advise all the students to keep in mind these things before they can take the IELTS Exam. These tips are to be practiced regularly in the class to gain the maximum out of it. These little habits can be exemplary in fetching great IELTS scores.