My IELTS experience

My IELTS experience

Last year I decided to give IELTS a try. At the time, I was studying English at an online school with a brilliant native speaker who helped me jump from intermediate to advanced level. I then enrolled on an IELTS preparation course, again with him. Eventually, on the day of the exam, I felt I had done my best and was expecting the overall band score to be a precious 8 points. When the results came in and I only scored 7.5, I was a bit disappointed. But what upset me even more was that my writing part, my forte as I assumed it, was only given a 7.

The first doubt crept into my mind after I had read numerous feedbacks from recent test-takers who were similarly surprised by their writing parts’ assessment. However, for months, I had been entertaining the idea that I had been grossly underestimated, but not until I enrolled on a CPE (Cambridge Proficiency Examination) preparation course. And there it was. A first dive into the new depths of English in C2 textbooks and a bunch of fresh videos from Cambridge University of recent CPE students’ speaking tests appeared to be an eye-opener for me. So what exactly happened? Well, let’s look at it through the prism of my mistakes.

Mistakes and tips

  • Mistake: I fell for hedging language.
  • Tip: Never underrate Russian tutors when it comes to the preparation for international exams.

English learners are usually aware of hedging language – a specific way of forming utterances in English so as not to offend the person on the other end. To natives, directness sounds rude and aggressive. If your teacher preparing you for the test is a native speaker, be prepared to profuse encouragement, but don’t take it literally. Where you find praise, it may just be hedging language, whereas in fact your skills could not be perfect. This is exactly what happened to me. I was confused by the plethora of encouragement I had received from my native speaker coach. In retrospect, however, I understand that he had never told me I would get an 8.

While choosing a teacher, I was convinced that no Russian, even a good one, could beat a mediocre native. Now I am not so sure. In my experience, native speakers are indispensable in terms of speaking practice, authenticity and lexical connotations are concerned. On the other hand, Russians are better tutors for international exams, because they are more persistent, demanding and straightforward. So, don’t write them off – they can propel you to the next level!

Besides, there are few true professionals among native speakers in the internet and even if you find one, they cost a fortune – up to around 6, 000 roubles for 45 minutes of one-to-one tuition. Those who charge much less might be, say, plumbers from York in their late 40th who have suddenly decided they can teach. No offence to plumbers from York, please! You must be great at your day job! But language is a narrow field that requires a lot of skill and expertise.

  • Mistake: I was complacent, because I had studied up loads of books and podcasts.
  • Tip: Study the scores of other students who have already passed IELTS.

Scrutinising the results of other students who have already taken IELTS can be a cue to identifying traps and pitfalls that may have evaded your attention. Probably, the first regularity you will notice that the bulk of candidates fail their writing part. You think it's because they haven’t prepared well enough? You reckon you'll do better? Then you might want to reread the current paragraph.

  • Mistake: I pinned all my hopes on my teacher.
  • Tip: Take the trouble to check the exam requirements on the IDP IELTS or British Council websites.

No matter how outstanding your tutor is, make an effort to read the assessment criteria on the websites of IDP IELTS or British Council – the exam official partners of the University of Cambridge. Sometimes when you find the same information on your own, it sort of sticks to you better. You may also get a better perspective on it, which could prove useful. Yes, delving into IELTS assessment methodology can be excruciatingly boring, but trust me, it will pay off in the exam.

Hopefully, these tips will get you one step closer to acing the test!