“How I got Band 9 in IELTS Reading.”
Manal got band score 9 in IELTS reading with band score 8.5 overall. Learn how she did it …
Below are her tips for a high score in GT reading:
Manal’s Story and Tips for Band 9 in Reading
Oh I couldn’t believe in my wildest dreams that I scored a 9.0 in Reading. Reading was one of my weakest areas. After I gave the test, I had a gut feeling telling me that probably I scored a 9.0 in Reading. I even got to check all my answers in Listening as well as Reading.
I re-took the General test. The first time I attempted this test was in October – that time I scored an overall band score of 8.0 with L – 8.5, Reading – 7.0, W – 8.0, S – 9.0. I retook the test specifically to improve my Reading score so obviously I relentlessly practiced tests from the General section of Cambridge IELTS books. I was aiming for a minimum of 8.0 in reading.
Tip 1
Effective time management – I can’t stress enough about it. One thing which I meticulously practiced when I did the reading tests was to enforce a strict time division for each section of Reading. Even though in the cambridge books, it states to keep a minimum of 20 minutes for each section. I’d suggest to keep 15 minutes OR less in Section 1 and 2 and to rely solely on skimming and scanning (I mastered to finish Section 1 and 2 in less than 15 minutes leaving me with ample time to solve Section 3 questions). Keep 30 minutes or more for Section 3- where you will need to do a little bit more than skimming and scanning. I usually managed to have 5-10 minutes for revision.
Tip 2
Do not bother reading the passages. It’s a waste of time.
First, read the questions and circle the keywords and then try to look for those keywords or a synonym / paraphased text in the passage. For Section 1 and 2 – skimming and scanning will be your best friends.
I didn’t even waste time reading Section 3. I just read the text associated with the questions.
Tip 3
One strategy that worked for me best was “not to overthink” when you are solving the reading questions and to go with your gut instincts – there is no time to think during the 60 minutes of tackling reading questions. Especially this applies to me, because I tend to overthink and over analyze a lot when I am stressed. I struggled a lot with the true false questions. But as I trained myself not to overthink, if the text is there either it will be the same meaning as the question or opposite. If text is not there – not given.
Tip 4
For paragraph heading questions, only read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. A synonym or a related keyword in the heading title should be there. I also sometimes to be on the safe side for some questions read the second sentence as well.
Tip 5
Although, you will keep hearing from people practice and practice. I personally believe practice is inefficient if you do not learn from your incorrect answers. So it really helps to look at your mistakes and compare with the correct answers in the answer key and to reflect on where you made the mistake. I feel that way – you learn more efficiently.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU FOR IELTS Reading:
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thanks for sharing liz it is so inspiring
I’m glad it was useful for you 🙂
Thanks for these tips Manal. Tip 5 was really useful for my preparation. I struggled with reading until I spent time looking at my mistakes. It really helped me to see why I got answers wrong. My reading improved. I got 7.5 in reading and 8 overall.
Great score! Well done 🙂
Good day, Liz
How can I get the Cambridge IELTS books to practice with?
You can find them on Amazon and in educational books stores.
Ty for making this great archive as well as providing ur valuable tips and insights , i personally felt quite nervous for the writing part as i struggled to find enough words most of the time but it went decent during the actual test day and i got an 8.5 overall. I believe this was only possible thanks to you since i had to study in 2 weeks while focusing on some upcoming exams.The actual breakdown of my scores are : 9L,8.5R,8S,7.5W 🙂
Great results!! Well done to you 🙂
Hi Liz,
I would like to say a big thank you and God bless for the wonderful work you are doing here. While preparing for my IELTS general test, your website was my absolute first go-to resource for information and guides. I finally aced my test with an overall score of 8.5. Can you believe that! I was elated and I knew I owed a lot of my success to the free materials you have provided here. Breakdown is R.9; L.8; W7.5; S.8.5.
Thanks so much and may God bless you richly and strengthen you in body and mind.
Yes, I can believe it. You sound like someone very focused and determined. Excellent scores!! Very well done 🙂
Hi Liz
I got my IELTS academic results today. It was my first attempt. I got 8.5 as my overall score. My scores were listening-9, reading -9, speaking -8.5, and writing -7.5. Your website and videos helped me immensely for the exam. Manal’s tips helped me especially for reading. Thank you so much. God bless you and I hope your health gets better 🙏
Very well done with your results! Excellent job getting band 9 in both listening and reading. I’m glad Manal’s tips helped. I know she’d be really pleased 🙂
Hi Liz. I just want to say a Big Thank You from the bottom of my heart. I started my IELTS practice on your page in March 2023 and it was the foundation of my knowledge in IELTS. After going through all your lessons I practiced with the Cambridge IELTS books just as you suggested and i wrote my IELTS exam in May 2023. My result cane out yesterday and I performed excellently. Thank you Liz for all you do for everyone. May God bless you and grant you the desires of your heart. Below is the breakdown of my IELTS result:
Listening 8.5
Reading 8.0
Writing 7.5
Speaking 7.5
Overall band score 8.0
Excellent results!! Very well done to you 🙂 It makes me happy to see you do so well 🙂
Hi Liz, thanks to your materials, I managed to score band 8 overall (L: 8.5, R: 9, W: 7, S: 7) at my first attempt. Your lessons and tips are all very succint and helpful to me. Thank you for your amazing work!
Great to see your results! Well done!
Hi!
I scored an overall 8.5 band in IELTS
Reading 9
Listening 9
Writing 7.5
Speaking 8
As someone who reads a lot and exclusively communicates in English, I felt that stressing out about reading and listening would do me no good. I took two mock tests for these categories just to know the format and I was good to go! My tip would be to let your natural instincts guide you for these two skills.
For speaking, I made my friends ask me questions just like the IELTS format and answered like I would if I was normally talking to them. Practising like this helped my answers flow more naturally when I took the test. I was smiling, expressing emotions, nodding and even smiling like I would when I talk to my friends.
The writing skill was the hardest part for me because I read online that it’s difficult and they expect a certain format. I watched a few of Liz’s videos and tried to write paragraphs using her writing task 1 vocabulary list. Even though writing task 1 accounts for a lesser percentage than task 2, I think more focus is required in understanding how to write this task. Because for your essay, you might find some way to figure out how to write but for task 1, you need to know the right terms and the clearest way to explain the given data. For task 2, practising sentence structure and order is really important! I might retake the test to increase my writing score.
Apart from this, having a clear view of the format and type of questions asked is really useful!
It’s great to see your results. Very well done 🙂 I agree about the importance of writing task 1. People think that because it’s worth less (only around 33% of your writing marks) that it isn’t worth focusing on. However, this is wrong. Writing task 1 has specific language, specific linking words and a particular structure. I’m glad you highlighted this – it will help others make wiser choices during the preparation time. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hello Liz
I am so glad my friend suggested your website for my preparation. I was clueless when I had started. Best page for preparation out there…..hands down!!!
Most of my speaking questions were from your compilation of 2022 recent ones. Thank you for everything.
I was so happy that I had questions that were familiar.
I took the exam on 25th August 2022 and here are my scores:
L-8 ; R-9 ; W-7 ; S-8
Great to see your results!! Very well done 🙂
Hey liz! I only had a week to prepare for my IELTS test. I am so glad that someone referred me to this site. I managed to secure an overall score 8 (I would have easliy score 8.5 if it wasnt for mismanaging the time in writing section). I came back here just to say thank you to both Liz for great overall content and to Manal Khan for these amazing tips on reading. Tip #4 was a real life saver as it helped save a lot time in the reading section and you would be surprised to k ow how effectively it works. I got a score of 8.5 in reading for which I owe a lot to this review. Thank you all for providing such a great platform and keep up the good work.
That’s wonderful. Well done to you 🙂 I know Manal would be very glad to know that someone has benefited from her tips.
I have purchased all the packages but can’t see them. What should I do?
I’ve just emailed you – can you check your inbox and spam folder?
Dear Liz, THANK YOU! Your blog helped me so much with my preparations. I did your practice tests just the day before my exam and went over my incorrect answers to figure out what I did wrong. My scores were: Listening:9, Reading: 9, Speaking: 8 and Writing: 7.5. Overall: 8.5. I’m so glad I found you last minute!
That’s wonderful. I’m so very pleased for you. Well done 🙂
I would like to say a big thank you, to you Liz
for your excellent teaching skills and to the other people whose work and tips are on this platform. I had a band score overall of 8.0 after a 4 day study on your platform when every other thing just seemed like a deluge. I achieved 8. 5 in listening, 8.5 in reading, 7.0 in writing and 7.5 in speaking. I am not a great example of the typical student as my exam dates were mixed up, I was given a way earlier date and was too bull headed to create a fuss, and decided to go ahead and write the exam. All I can say is that I read all your tips and watched all the videos and with grace, I achieved success. Thank you for all you do.
I’m really pleased to read your message. Very well done with your results 🙂
is it true about the reading module, when they are giving questions like match the following for paragraph,some are saying to read first 2 lines or last line of the para u can get answers but in practise i am not getting the answers by followinig that proces as the answers are locating middle of the para so i am totaly confused. did u have more efficent tips that how to crack reading modules for true or flash and paragraph matching if u have please share some efficent tips to me so i can get use of it and get some good score
You are confusing Matching Headings with Matching Paragraph Information. For Matching Paragraph Information you must find the paraphrase inside one of the paragraphs. This means you prepare your paraphrases and then look for key words in all paragraphs. Once you’ve located keywords, read around that area to check if you have found the answer.
Great, thanks for this tip, Ms. Liz.
the best strategy I could make probably the “parallel reading” , the reason I called it parallel reading, is that you only need to read it for once and don’t have to repeat the reading for each paragraph . The keys would be :
1. Reading the first and second question for list of heading , matching or T/F questions respectively, keep the ” noun” only in your heart if it is the keywords, for trending worlds like ” more”, ” than” “increasing” also need to bear in mind .
2. Read the first paragraph only , then recall the memory , which key words in your previous memorization is matching up to the words come up in the first paragraph.
3. e.g. if the words or phrase in first paragraph remind you to the first question you just read in ” matching ” section , then do the question , if the first paragraph is matching up with the first question in” T/F ” and ” matching ” sections for both, then solve them all at once. Therefore, you just need to memorize the key words in with one or two questions in each type sections, and solve them all in once. there is no need to read all the question in each type, because you won’t remember it , it would cost much time if you don’t remember those key words you’ve been memorized, then you probably need to go over again that would be out of the time limitation of 60 mins.
4. Once you did the first question in ” matching ” or “T/F” , reading the second paragraph, the second question in “matching” or “T/F” must be appeared in the second paragraph of the passage or third.
5. For list of heading, you could leave it until you finish reading of each paragraph, e.g. after read the first paragraph , do the T/F or matching , then do the list of heading. So solve the detailed question first then do the list of heading, because those ” detailed question ” like T/F or multiple choice make you get closer understanding of each paragraph , so the accuracy of list of heading would be significantly be improved .
I am L, call me L , the expert of IELTS reading .
These are good tips as I am struggling in reading. I will try this do my practice and increase my vocabulary and go from there. Thank you 😊
Yes actually.thank you 👍
Thank you soo much .its really helpful.
Oh trust you are better now.
This year will be a year to blossom in divine health.
Your website has been very useful.
God bless you and continue to keep you in Jesus name Amen.
Thank you. Wishing you all the best for 2021 too 🙂
Hii Liz,
Will I get any extra sheet at time of listening and reading to notediwn any point or key word while listening to speaker or note imp keyword in reading .. pls let me know this
For the paper based test, you use the question paper to write notes on and you use the answer sheet to write the answers. The examiner doesn’t see the question paper. For the computer based test, you will get paper to use as notes. But you can also use a note system on the computer as well. The computer also lets you highlight words. You can find practice questions for the computer based test on the BC IELTS website.
Thanks alooooooooot. This tips will be of great help to me. So grateful Liz
My eyes filled with tears😭 after reading his given tips because from a month i am using the incorrect strategy and aiming high band score in reading.
Thank you liz🤩
Regards
Love
I’m so glad you can benefit from this post 🙂
No words to describe your page… Cut me unawares. I love this page
I’m glad it’s useful 🙂
God bless you real good ma. You’re indeed amazing!
I’m so grateful Liz. Just a few weeks of following your lessons and in an unstable health condition, I was able to hit 8.0 on my first and hopefully only attempt.
An excellent result – very well done 🙂 Hope you’re feeling better.
Hi Liz,
I’ve just received my results SMS today and am very happy to have scored 8.5 on my first trial 🤩.
I read no books at all and my main preparation was through your website. I read your tips and did the practice questions you’ve posted.
I also watched some of your videos on YouTube and purchased one advanced writing video.
All turned out to be of great value.
Can’t thank you enough !
That’s a great score – very well done 🙂
Hi liz
I’ve two questions
First one is that either the first letter of the word matters or not(while writing answers on the answer sheets in listening and reading)
Second one is, from which authentic source we can practice the listening tests.
Kindly, answer ASAP.
It is best to write all answers for listening and reading with capital letters. You can purchase the IELTS Cambridge test books which contain real IELTS tests published by IELTS. There are currently 14 books. Book 14 is the most recent.
Thanks ☺️ Liz
Hi liz,
Thanks for the lessons.
I have been making use of your materials for 3months now. My IELTS Genaral test will be coming up on 7th Sept. I also bought BARRON which i have been using along side with your material, and its approachable. please hope the BARRON is okay.
You need to use real tests published by IELTS. You need to get the IELTS Cambridge test books.
Liz .. why don’t you upload vids anymore? ..you used to be the most popular Ielts tutor.
Now others are like getting millions of views
Because I became too sick to make videos. I have been sick and disabled for a few years now. Hopefully next year will be better for me.
Get well soon dear.
Thanks.
Please get well soon Liz, your website is a must
Get well soon Liz. You are a rare gem.
Oh Wow Liz!
I hope you are a lot better now, you are an asset to the world, God will not watch you remain disabled. I pray for divine healing upon you now in Jesus name. Please get well soon.
Thank you
so sorry about your health ma’am, hope you are better now. Get well soon
Thanks
Hi Liz!
Reading used to be one of my weak areas but after reading the tips here along with your youtube videos, I managed to score a perfect score of 9 in Reading!
Thank you so much. I’m extremely grateful!
YAY!! That’s brilliant! Very well done to you 🙂
Hey Liz!
I would like to take this opportunity to thankyou for your guidance.
I gave my first attempt for general training IELTS on June 15 2019, and got my results on 20th June 2019. The following are my scores
Listening :9
Reading: 8.5
Writting: 7
Speaking: 8.5
Overall: 8.5
I prepared for almost 3 months considering the only time available is post office working hours and weekends.
I think instead of just focussing on practicing too much, identifying your mistakes and improving on those would be beneficial.
Also, a clear understanding of what is actually being tested in each exam section and focussing to excel in that area can help you score better.
Thankyou and best wishes to you!
Great score – very well done 🙂 Thanks for sharing your results and also sharing your insights into the test 🙂
Hi Liz,
I haven been reading your tips for IELTS ever since I knew your website. About reading, is it time consuming when you skim and scan again and again whenever you have a new question? I am struggling with it, applying the tips to my reading, my result from taking the sample test varies from 8.0 to 6.0. I am trying my best to learn from my mistake.
Hope can receive guidance from you.
Thanks
I think you might not be clear on what the difference is between skimming and scanning, and also when to use them. Skimming means casting your eyes over the passage to get a basic understanding of layout and a gist of content – it is not about understanding the meaning. Skimming is done only once for each passage and it should never take more than 2 mins. The idea is that once you have cast your eyes over the passage and checked the layout, you will be a bit quicker with locating areas of the passage.
When you read a question, you look out for the keywords in the question and think of how they might be paraphrased. You do this before looking for answers. Once you are ready, look for those paraphrases to locate the area of the passage and read around that area to decide your answer.
So, skimming is done once per passage and is very quick. Scanning is the art of locating words.
Really effective…
Wow excellent tips; tried practicing some few MATCHING HEADING QUESTIONS and my answers were correct. Thank you very much
Hi Mam,
Can you please help me to understand the difference between Direct and Opinion questions in Writing Task 2.
Should I answer the both aspects of the questions or can I go with on writing with one aspect of question?
Please answer me Mam, I’ve my exam on 13th of this month!!
Most direct questions ask for your opinion but not all. It just depends whether they ask you to choose between two options (positive or negative for example). The essay question is usually written as a true situational statement with a direct question to you. An Opinion Essay is one where IELTS present a position (someone else’s view) and ask if you agree or disagree with it.
Please note that the name given to the essays are from teachers, not from IELTS. Each teacher gives them slightly different names. For this reason it can be confusing. Teachers give them names to help students with technique and strategy.
Brilliant Manal! very useful tips
is there any difference in writing criteria from idp or British Council?
They are both IELTS – both owners of the same company – IELTS rules are fixed and cannot be altered by only one partner.
Hi Liz,
This is the first time I am going to take IELTS. I tried the writing task 2 for the first time, I need to send that to you for correction how can I contact you?
Sorry, I do not offer that service.
Hi Liz. Is it true that UK universities prefer certificates from BC but not IDP?
No. Both IDP and BC are onwers of IELTS. IELTS is one company and it makes no difference which center you take your test in.
Hi Liz,
I have been going through your site since last month and found it really useful. However, I still find it difficult to answer ‘Information matching’ question i.e. which paragraph contains following information.
I particularly struggle with it as I don’t understand from where I should start scanning. As a result I try to read the whole paragraph quickly and kill a lot of time.
Is there any tip to deal with this type question?
Thanks Liz.
When you are asked to find information, the answers can come in any order. This means take a look at the information in the questions and choose the words that you feel will help you locate that same information in the passage. When you underline the words, you need to decide if they will probably appear as they are or if they will be paraphrased. If they are likely to be paraphrased, you need to think of those paraphrases before you start looking in the passage. The more you process the information in the questions, the easier it becomes to locate it in the passage. When you look in the passage, the answer might be anywhere. You need to develop the skills of scanning – that means to scan for a specific word or specific information. This is a skill you need to work on again and again. Always read all the questions before you start looking for the first one – because you might spot other answers as you look.
Go the points. Thank you Liz. You are a gem. I already have recommended my colleagues to use this site. Coz, I know sharing is caring!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Liz,
Hope you are fine. I emailed you as well with details about my case. The simplified version is below:
Test date: 08 Sep 2018 (Paper based in Abu Dhabi)
LRSW 8.5 8 7 6.5
EOR: 15 Oct 2018
New result LRSW 8.5 8 7 7
Since I had already booked another test I went anyway without any real prep even as these marks were ok.
Test date: 20 Oct 2018 (Computer delivered in Abu Dhabi)
LRSW 9 8.5 8 7.5 (Overall 8.5)
I prepared for two weeks only before first attempt and only followed your website and videos online in addition to a couple of books. I did Cambridge tests from book 6 and 7 only. I think I’m one of the lucky ones who were able to clear this test and the psychological 7 band mark both times I attempted within a span of few days. You’re doing excellent work and your advanced videos definitely helped. Even though you don’t have a problem solution essay advanced writing video, I just used the same technique from other essays and it got me a 7.5 band in that. My wife continues to use your ever informative outlet. Thank you again.
You made it! Well done 🙂 It can be a long struggle sometimes. Band 8.5 overall is great 🙂 Glad my Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons helped. The techniques once learned can easily be applied for almost all essays. Thanks for sharing your results and good luck to your wife 🙂 don’t forget to mention your profession.
Thanks Liz. It’s so true. I’m happy to have completed the journey so soon. You’re so right about the techniques. I was surprised to get 7.5 in writing by applying a different essay’s techniques.
I work as an oil field mechanical engineer. Since I work most of the 11 months a year in the field, it’s quite difficult to find time to study let alone book a test because of unscheduled work days. Anyhow, that’s all history now.
However, my wife is still benefiting from your website. Her second test is on 15th December so hopefully I’ll have good results to share from her as well. I hope you are putting out new material soon (I saw one of the samples for essay writing) as it will greatly benefit her and other test takers on here.
Have a happy Christmas. May God bless you for being so charitable by keeping this material free.
Merry Xmas 🙂 Wish your wife good luck on the 15th from me !! 🙂
Congrats Manal. That is exactly what I needed right now. I’m sure these insights will be help a great deal. Good luck with your future aspirations.
Hey Liz
I was hard pressed on time to prepare for the IELTS Academic(had only one day to prepare to be precise).
I relied solely on your videos for both speaking and the written parts.
Got an overall band score of 8.0.
S-8.0
L-8.5
R-8.5
W-7.0
I can’t thank you enough Liz! All credit goes to you and your concise, to the point, fun videos!
Thanks a ton 😀
That’s a great result – well done 🙂 Glad you found my videos useful 🙂 Don’t forget to let me know your profession.
Thank you Liz! 😊
I’m in college, senior year(Computer Engineering).
Best,
Avantika
Congragulations Avantika. Im master student of computer engineering and preparing ielts with liz videos thank you very much @liz 🙂
Dear all,
It is taking the test, NOT giving the test. In English language, students take the examination and teachers give them. Please correct yourself!
Dear Liz,
Wanted to share my results and thank you for the online guidance which really helped in the preparation.
My Scores
Overall – 8
Listening – 8.5
Reading – 8.5
Writing – 7.5
Speaking – 7
One important tip from my side would be on Speaking – You need to practice (with friend, in front of mirror, thru recording) irrespective of how good your speaking skills are.
Regards
Mohit Kumar
Mumbai, India
Very well done with your results 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dear Liz,
I’m Microbiologist by profession.
Tons of thanks to you for your valuable advice and this website.
I want to share my results with you:
my 1st attempt was in September 2017, at that time I followed some other website and my score was:
Listening: 7, Reading : 6, Speaking : 6.5, Writing: 6
My 2nd attempt , February 2018, I use your website for reading and some techniques of writing.
My score was:
L/R/S/W: 7/7/6.5/6.5
This time I totally relied on your website and Purchased advanced lessons.
My score is
Listening: 8.5
Reading 8
Writing; 7
Speaking 7.5
That’s a fantastic improvement – I’m really impressed !! well done 🙂 Please share your results on this page for other IELTS hopefuls to see: https://ieltsliz.com/post-your-ielts-test-results/. I think they will feel really uplifted by your improvement in scores. Glad my advanced lessons were helpful 🙂
Thanks a lot Liz for your wonderful and meticulously structured lessons for cracking IELTS.
I like to share a tip here. I want to emphasize the importance of reading newspapers regularly, especially the editorial section which would provide us with a variety of vocabulary. By this we would be acquainted with many new words and their corresponding synonyms.This will definitely help us in scoring better in almost all sections of IELTS.
-Aishwarya
Hi Liz,
Please post this comments as it will be very usefull for candidates giving tests in India particularly in this Summer season.
Today i have given test and below are my observations.
1 – Generally test starts on 1.00 PM and they mention reporting time as 11.30 AM. Once you entered into the test hall they force you to go for registration process. It usually takes 10 minutes. Though you reach on 11.00 AM they force you to go for registration. Once you registered, they give you seat and you can’t leave your seat at any reason, even for washroom breaks.
Usually in summer season, you drink plenty of water and it ends up with many washroom breaks. If you entered 2 hours before starting of exam then it will be problem for you, you have to hold yourself till 4.00 PM. During exam you can loose concentration. I saw this was happened with many people there. Therefore go on 12.20 to 12.30 to the test center after usage of washrooms.
2 – There are around 200-240 people giving test at the same time so there will be chance that you will loose concentration. Please be focused, never look around, concentrate on your question and answer sheet.
3 – To show current time, they usually use digital clock and it is displayed in front stage. These days people mostly using analog watches so it is very difficult for people to quickly check how much time remaining. I saw people complaining about this.
Remember you are not allowed to take your watch to exam hall therefore do practice in home using digital watch.
4 – You will get 2 different answer sheets for writing section. One is for Task 1 and second one for Task 2. Use right answer sheet for tasks. Some people mistakenly used answer 2 sheet for task 1 and vice versa so they will end up with 0 marks in writing section as per IELTS examiner told to us.
5 – You will get supplementory answer sheets for writing section. Today one bastered examiner told this us after 30 minutes starting of the writing test, till that moment many people had finished either task 1 or 2. So always keep in mind that you will get supplementory answer sheet at any time.
I hope this will help students who are giving test in coming weeks.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Sandip! I had these exact doubts and am so glad that it is cleared now!
Congratulations Manal.
Liz/Manal,
I plan to take my exam through British Council. In your comments, I read that Manal has practiced using Cambridge IELTS book.
I would like to know if the strategy should differ if I plan to take the exam through British Council.
Regards
Sandeep
Cambridge write all the IELTS tests – BC and IDP do not write the tests themselves.
Thank You Liz, thank You Manal. Most power to you.
Big congratulations! great score
Hi Liz! Thank you very much for your lectures on IELTS. Manal’s reading tip is everything you need to know on reading. I just checked my IELTS result. I got 8.5 in Listening, 9.0 in reading (Thanks to Manal’s tip), 7.0 in writing and speaking respectively. Overall score of 8.0. In the reading, i had 20mins to spare. I was so shocked, right there i was convinced i’d probably score a 9. Another thing to note is that i underrated the writing and speaking as i didn’t practice, hence the low score. In addition, always practice the Listening, reading and writing together. In my case i didn’t so i was tired after the reading and i spent time on the first task(Letter Writing). I used only 15 mins to complete Task 2 and there was no time to check my work. Always start with task 2 as it carries more marks. Although i was scared, but then i knew i had a good introduction and Conclusion (Thanks to Liz paraphrasing tips).
Very well done! I’ve emailed Manal about your score – I’m sure she’ll be pleased her tips helped you 🙂 You are absolutely right about how tiring the test is. Students really should practice a full test of listening, reading and writing at home under the same time constraints before their real test. Thanks for sharing your results 🙂
😊. Thank you Liz! Considering the fact that it was my first attempt and I smashed it, i really appreciate your kind deeds and efforts so far. You are the best Liz, Keep up the good work. In a related post, you said u weren’t going to post any video lectures for now because of some health challenges. I hope you are much better now. The world needs more people like you. You should know we care about your wellbeing and you can also reach out to us… Stay fit dear 😊
See my main speaking page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-speaking-free-lessons-essential-tips/ and my main writing task 2 page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/. If you want extra training for writing task 2, purchase my advanced lessons: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore
Finally got my results – had taken the Academic one (UKVI) on the 11th of February, which was withheld.
Watching your videos was part of my preparation.
Listening – 9, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 8.5 Overall Band Score 8
Thanks for your tips, helped me a lot considering this is my first attempt.
Great score!!! Well done 🙂
It’s cool and refresh me that I can do as I failing for several times. Mind says, this idea can do something.
Congratulation Manal
Considering the request for tips for L/S/W, I will post some tips which I’ve found useful while preparing for the Listening test. I will post speaking and writing tips later.
1) Join an IELTS face-to-face preparation course. – and supplement it with Ielts Liz videos. I won’t deny there are innumerable online resources but I still can’t appreciate well enough the importance of attending an course where you will interact with the instructors
face to face and ask any questions or doubts. I was lucky that the course I did was conducted in the test center itself where the IELTS exam and Speaking test take place. I also gave mock tests there. I can’t stress enough the importance of doing a whole-length practice test along with the speaking test in the place where you will actually give the exam. It helps you familiarize with that place and will also alleviate anxiety in the day of the test. The teachers who took the classes are certified IELTS instructors as well as examiners but caution is taken to ensure that the ones who take your classes do not take your Speaking exam or check your Writing test to avoid bias. More or less the strategies provided by all IELTS websites and teachers worldwide will be similar, but it is imperative you get yourself familiar with the Writing and Speaking strategies specifically from the teachers in your country because they will checking your Writing test and grading your Speaking exam. This was important for me, because the country where I took the test – their concept of indentation in Writing was different from the one I encountered in the IELTS books I studied. The Listening and Reading answer scripts will be sent to UK for grading.
2) Listening tips – it may seem like the easiest module but I personally battled with it a lot. I felt like I was playing Tom and Jerry. It is so easy to make mistakes here even if you miss something in a split of a nanosecond. I never got a 9 in a single Listening practice test. I tried really hard. It is so easy to make mistakes in Listening. You may think you heard something but in reality you heard something else. Your brain has to be literally glued to the audio waves emanating from the Listening tape for each and every split of a nanosecond.
Especially I struggled with those situations in Section 1 (seemingly the easiest section right?) where the lady / guy tells you a street name and you are just waiting there for it to be spelled and spoof – they move on to the next part of the conversation. I made mistakes like that in situations where the answer was King Street (I heard Kingsley) or when they are reading out a credit card number / bar code number – I end up confusing between certain alphabets-like maybe the person said V, but I heard B. In normal situations when you are calm, you can easily differentiate those phonetic sounds but when you are stressed out with elevated levels of cortisol, you’d make the silliest mistakes ever which you normally wouldn’t make in “luxurious conditions”.
a) This may seem basic but familiarize with yourself the British pronounciation of the alphabets and letters and maybe just
b) Skim / scan through some popular street names of London / UK which IELTS expects you to be able to write it correctly without it being spelled for you.
c) Since you hear the tape only once, one strategy that helped for me was to circle the keywords of the questions before the tape is played and only look for those keywords / synonyms in the tape.
d) What helped me in sentence completion tasks (Section 1 and Section 4), was to put a tick in that part of the text where I already got the answer and inserted the answer in my booklet – that way my brain knows not to make my eyeballs linger there and to focus on the keywords in the next part of the text.
e) In multiple choice questions, circle the keywords in the question itself as well each of the possible answers. This can be quite tricky especially in Section 3 where 2-3 people talk together. And when they are talking, eliminate the wrong answers everytime you hear a line which is contradictory to a choice, chances are you may not hear something which is synonymous to the correct answer but it can also be antonymous or they can indicate the answer in a very subtle way. You need to be really really careful. There are a lot of traps in Listening. Watch the 25 tips of Listening from Liz in youtube. I can’t explain how invaluable those tips are.
f) In matching tasks ( this is so hard in Listening!) – especially in Section 3 where 2-3 people are talking, this can get so challenging. Please circle the keywords in the headings as well as the questions. You will get overwhelmed when the tape starts playing if you just circle the questions and your eyeballs will be jumping around here and there looking for answers. I made this mistake but hopefully and thanks to Allah I managed to score 8.5 by making either 1 or 2 mistakes.
g) Even in this part of the test, I utilized my gut instincts / intuition – whatever you call it. This may not be an “exam exam strategy”. But I advise all of you to get in touch with your intuition. It is an invaluable tool that has helped me throughout my entire life as well as during IELTS exam – which is basically an intuitive game. Because this is a skill test- it is not your regular tests where your knowledge of content or any memory tricks are applicable. I’ve learned to trust my intuition more ever since I sat for my IELTS exams and I got exactly the range of scores I had targetted for.
Thank you very much , Manal for your great tips 🙂 and thanks to you Liz Ma’am as for sharing this page with us. 🙂
– Nirmal
Thanks, Manal for your tips. Appreciate!!
Syed
Thank you so much for your valuable tips, Manal!☺️
Manal you are truly a God’s sent. Big Thanks to Liz, I’m immensely grateful for your tips and vedios. Your multichoice vedio tip is the best ever, I’ve practice your T/F/NG tip, they are the best ever online.
Your website is a big blessing to me. I’m having my test in two days time, precisely 6th July. I feel confident having gone through all your tips on my weak parts.
I can’t thank you enough Manal for sharing your personal experiences and tips, it’s a huge summary just in one piece. Hitting the nail on the head at various tests.
I’m highly encouraged, like super motivated with your website Liz, I would recommend it to as many test takers that I come across.
Although, I’m still struggling with timing for the reading test and matching questions for the listening.
Hi Manal
Its my humble request, could you please post writing and speaking tips as well, because your reading tips are doing wonders for me. they are very valuable.
Thanks
congratulation manal. you done a great job. I cant imagine that I can get band 9 in rearing. pray for me. I am going to face this test very soon.
Hello Manal,
Really happy for you and I am so kind of you.
Wholeheartedly I appreciate your attitude
All the best for your future endeavor…
Thank you for sharing your tips. I will apply these tips to my next exam.
God bless. Thanks and congrats
Hi Manal
I would like to congratulate you at heart. I have just started preparing for GT. your advice must be very helpful for me . Thanks n good luck
Hey Manal,
I also would like to congratulate you on scoring Band 9 from the Reading part. That is really awesome. I was wondering if you would have any tips for Academic Module test takers? I have my exam on 25 March as well. Therefore, I would be happy to hear from you. Thanks a lot and congratulations again.
Congratulations for Managing. She deserved it. Thank you Manage for your tips, they are helpful.
The joy of smartphone technology – my name changed from Manal to Managing. Managing sounds cool, better than Manual.
LOL
Congrats manal, could u plz share ur preparations for L W S tests.
thanks alot for ur advice
thank Allah that i found ur notes
I only would congratulate Manal on her band score 9 of Reading test. Really great! As I’ve just read her advice, I find them logical so they can be useful. I’m giong to try them. Congrats again and thank her for advice!
Liz is here to help guys.trust her material
Wow, congratulation Manal