What stops you from achieving IELTS band score 7? Is it low language proficiency, the lack of time for your preparation?
Perhaps it is the psychological trauma caused by trying several times while your band score remains resolutely nailed at band score 5.
To achieve IELTS band score 7, a candidate’s discourse must be advanced. This means that your vocabulary must be broad and more sophisticated than most, for example using “however” instead of “but” or “competent” instead of “good”.
Your sentence structure must be complex to achieve the higher band scores: compare “Financial independence is not the only reason which explains why women delay marriage. Social recognition and opportunities single life offers also feature highly” with “Earning a lot of money is not the only reason why women don’t get married early but also the chances that they get.”
So, how can you make yourself competent enough linguistically to achieve 7?
Here are 7 skill improvement tips to help you on your way to higher IELTS band scores:
- Read lengthy articles found in more serious publications like Time, News week, Reader’s Digest and others instead of Cosmopolitan, fashion magazines and tabloids. Comprehend what you read by using some techniques like skimming and scanning. For more reading techniques see (www.passieltshigher.com)
- Listen to academic talks or news like those you can find in TED Talks, CNN, BBC and others for accent familiarization and pronunciation.
- Be politically, economically, environmentally aware. These are the topics that surely interest a candidate who desires band 7.
- Know and talk about issues the society has faced, is facing and will be facing. This will help you gather ideas for your writing and speaking on a daily basis without exerting much effort. A good stimulant for critical thinking. Your mind should be academically occupied.
- Imitate how professional speakers express thoughts and ideas. Gather many of the expressions they use and steal them for your own use.
- Take advantage of technology. Browse the net and look for band 7 writing samples and speaking answers. Make use of the marked and corrected IELTS Task 1 and 2 questions available on www.passieltshigher.com.
- Seek help. There are people who can help you to improve your language proficiency online. Spare an hour of your day to talk to them without spending a large sum of money.
Take one step at a time and use it well.
While it may be true that human brain is capable of accumulating vast information, physically you have limitations. You are only capable of doing one thing at a time. You can’t serve two masters at the same time. If you are working at daytime and doing a part time job at night, set a specific period of the day that is intended for your IELTS Test preparation.
To your IELTS success,
James
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Thank you very much for these realistic tips. Indeed TED talks are very interesting and very informative..
Thank you Romeo. We’re pleased that our visitors find our posts helpful.
Regards,
James
I will be taking an exam on March 10 here in Doha Qatar. This article has been a great help to me. Can you please send me helpful tips so that I can be fully equipped.
Thanks a lot!
Hello Aileen,
Good luck for your IELTS Exam on March 10th. You have signed up to receive our information I believe, so you will receive the tips. Check out the IELTS Tips available on the rest of the site too. Many people have told me how helpful they have been to them.
Regards,
James