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Common IELTS Mistakes to Avoid for Reading, Writing, Listing, Speaking Sections

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Overview

The IELTS examination is crucial for aspirants who aim to study, work, or immigrate in mostly English-speaking nations. However, aspirants need to undergo a streamlined preparation in order to succeed in it. In order to perform well in this test, students search for different preparation methods, tips, and tricks; but it’s also important to understand various mistakes that they need to overcome during this process. Let’s discuss the importance of this exam apart from taking care of common IELTS mistakes which we need to avoid in order to excel in this test.

What is IELTS and Why is it Crucial?

This blog will discuss the importance of IELTS for various candidates and its necessity for admissions in top-notch universities, professional registration, and for PR process in English-speaking countries such as Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, etc. The IELTS examination is given by individuals across the globe in order to check their English proficiency levels and fulfill the above-mentioned processes. Further, there are four sections in this exam:

  • Listening: - 30 minutes - 4 tasks
  • Reading - 60 minutes - 3 tasks
  • Writing - 60 minutes - 2 tasks
  • Speaking - 11-14 minutes - 3 tasks

As discussed above, it’s quite important to pass IELTS in order to take care of the admission criteria of the English-speaking nations. Moreover, it’s also significant to explain common IELTS mistakes to avoid which we will explain here. First of all, we will discuss mistakes related to the writing section.

Common IELTS Mistakes to Avoid: Writing Section

The major task of the writing section is to check out a candidate’s writing skills and they are required to manage two tasks. As far as writing task 1 is concerned, it’s non-identical for both academic and general training candidates whereas task 2 is the same for both of them. 

Academic task 1: In academic task 1, candidates are required to summarise a report describing a table, bar graph, diagram or image of any sort.

General training task 1: In general training task 1, we are asked to write a letter that could be formal, semi-formal, or completely informal.

In task 1 writing, it is necessary to write a minimum of 150 words.

Writing task 2: In writing task 2, we are asked to write an essay regarding a perspective.

In task 2 writing, it is mandatory to write a minimum of 250 words.

Moving forward, this blog will talk about various IELTS mistakes to avoid in this section.

Mistake 1: Not fulfilling the word limit or exceeding it

If candidates are writing more than the required word limit or giving quite short answers, both of these methods are considered to be wrong approaches.

How to Tackle This Issue:

In order to overcome this problem, it’s important to manage the word limit in the test. Candidates need not surpass the word count or struggle to reach that mark.

Mistake 2: Vocabulary-related issues and spelling errors

Spelling errors in IELTS writing is another reason that can restrict your marks. Sometimes, candidates try to use a lot of complex and tough words and make mistakes in spelling. That can actually be quite disastrous and affect your scores.

How to tackle this issue:

It is advisable to use simple words in your writings so as to manage spellings and overall lexical resources to convey precise meanings. 

Mistake 3: Unable to provide clear and concise idea in the writing section

It’s highly important to go according to the pattern and provide a proper resolution in the writing section, especially the essay. Apart from this, its very important to frame your answer according to the question instead of diverting from it. 

In addition to this, various dos and don’ts of IELTS writing are mentioned here:

Dos Don’t
Take care of the proper pattern and avoid spelling and vocabulary-related errors Never use contractions or abbreviations
Use relatable examples in essays Repeat sentences or words apart from  thoughts
Write at least 150 words for task 1 and a minimum of 250 words for task 2. Forget to search for grammar related mistakes

Now, we will talk about some other modules of the IELTS test and describe the mistakes associated with them.

Common IELTS Mistakes to Avoid: Speaking Section

As far as the speaking section of IELTS is considered, it has been created to test an aspirant regarding his/her communication abilities; and they need to take care of three important tasks.

  • Task 1: Task 1 in speaking constitutes of an introduction and questions on general/familiar topics.
  • Task 2: Individual long run where candidates need to speak for two minutes on a topic
  • Task 3: It involves follow-up questions and a two-way discussion between an examiner and the examinee.

In order to succeed in this exam, you need to counter mistakes often repeated by regular candidates.

Mistake 1: Avoid repetition of filler words

Fillers are categorized as the extra words that can be removed to enhance speech quality. Some of these words are um, ah, alright, the, know, etc.

How to tackle this issue:

Candidates need to record themselves while speaking and check the pattern of fillers that they usually utilize. Later on, while practising, they have to reduce their use.

Mistake 2: Inconsistent and disproportionate fluency 

Excessive use of complex words can create a major hurdle if the candidate is unable to manage fluency or starts fumbling. 

How to tackle this issue:

Confidence creates a major issue in this case and effective yet simple vocabulary can provide the perfect solution regarding this matter. As a result, accuracy and clarity of thought are quite important here.

Mistake 3: Trying to learn or memorize answers:

Many examinees have the habit of memorizing solutions and that actually creates more hurdles in the speaking section, especially if they forget some part.

How to resolve this issue:

You need to practice and gain information about different issues so that you can make your mark as a natural speaker. Additionally, you should take care of the fact that you don’t get stuck in between the exams or start hesitating.

Now, let’s discuss some of the dos and don't of IELTS writing: 

Dos Don’ts
Candidates need to maintain a universal accent and sound as natural as possible Fumble, hesitate or repeat questions
Try to speak a few sentences in your answer instead of finishing them in one line Make pronunciation-related mistakes or show off a fake accent
Use a good range of vocabulary and try to give examples to expand answers in speaking sections two and three Try to use complicated and hard words unnecessarily

We are now going to discuss about the reading section of IELTS and the mistakes that need to be handled in this module.

Common IELTS Mistakes to Avoid: Reading Section

The next section of the IELTS exam constitutes of the reading section where the test takers need to display their ability to understand information and provide answers according to the same. Three sections are associated with both academic and general reading.

The General Training Reading test showcases material sourced from magazines, journals, and print media.

  • Section 1 includes content that is important in everyday routine in environments where English is the major language. 
  • Section 2 workplace survival skills. 
  • Section 3 includes a long text on a common topic.

The Academic Reading test constitutes of three sections. Further, these texts contain three long passages whose content is derived from different sorts of print media and books. The content is this section is related to topics that are connected with academic or workplace-related settings. In order to excel in this test, it’s important to handle some common mistakes that test takers make.

Mistake 1: Trying to understand the meanings of every word

It’s really hard to understand the meaning of every word, especially regarding a new language and candidates should avoid this habit.

How to resolve this issue

One should try to perceive the meaning or gist of the overall text rather than try to understand every word individually.

Mistake 2: Ineffective management of time

Many candidates get stuck when they are unable to fathom answers to some specific sorts of questions and fail to move forward. 

How to resolve this issue

You need to make proper strategies regarding time management as the test begins. Further, it’s important to tackle those questions first whose answers aspirants know and then move on to the complex ones in order to save time.

Mistake 3: Inability to find keywords

It’s highly prominent for candidates to focus on keywords in each paragraph and inability to do so might create hurdles.

How to resolve this issue

It’s necessary to focus on important phrases or words when an individual is skimming paragraphs so that it becomes easier to understand the content and work accordingly. 

Dos Don’ts
Answers should constitute an exact number of words asked in the question Try to avoid advanced vocabulary as it is essential to understand complex paragraphs
Try to answer every question as there is no negative marking in the IELTS reading Waste excessive time on a single question or paragraph
Pay complete attention to keywords and practice as many mock tests as you can before giving IELTS Ignore the gist of the paragraphs or details associated with the question

If we overcome these issues, then the IELTS reading section can be easily conquered. The next step involves checking mistakes that candidates make in the listening section and how to manage them.

Common IELTS Mistakes to Avoid: Listening Section

In the end, we move onwards to the listening section where our listening skills and interpretation of audio are put to the test. It consists of four recordings from various native speakers and needs to answer 40 questions in response to them.

  • 1st Recording: The first recording consists of a conversation between two individuals that is set around daily social contexts.
  • 2nd Recording: This recording constitutes of a monologue that revolves around an everyday social context.
  • 3rd Recording: This recording involves a conversation among some individuals (maximum four people) where the setting is connected with education or probably training.
  • 4th Recording: The last recording displays a speech by a single person on an educational topic.

We will now showcase some of the common mistakes associated with the listening module and how to conquer them.

Mistake 1: Inability to pay proper attention to the audio

The inability to comprehend the audio will be a major hurdle in the path of grabbing the correct answer and lead to a complete waste of time.

How to resolve this issue

Candidates need to go through the questions beforehand so that they can follow directions while hearing the audio.

Mistake 2: Grammar and spelling-related problems

It's very important to take care of spelling and grammar as they can easily lead to a deduction in marks.

How to resolve this issue

Before submitting the test, the most appropriate thing is to check and edit the spelling of names, countries, cities, or places apart from other details.

Mistake 3: Inability to listen and write simultaneously

This requires a lot of practice and the inability to write answers on a simultaneous mode while listening to the audio leads to the deduction of marks.

How to resolve this issue

Candidates have to develop the skill of writing and marking answers while listening to the audio as they can hear the audio only once. Later on during ten extra minutes (for academic candidates) and two extra minutes (for General Training candidates), they can edit and revise the written solutions. 

Mistake 4: Inability to comprehend accents of native speakers

One of the major hurdles faced by candidates is the inability to understand the accents of various native speakers. This leads to a situation where it becomes quite hard for them to grab the answer based on the recordings.

How to resolve this issue

It’s highly important to listen to the news, music, and even the audio section of movies so that candidates are able to understand the accents of different native speakers from the UK, USA,  Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. This in turn will help them to grab their answers at a rapid pace.

Dos Don’t
Try to understand different accents. Try to comprehend every word, rather try to focus on keywords.
You should tackle all questions as extra marks are not deducted in the listening section. Stop in between and carry on to other answers if you are unaware of some of them
It’s important to revise and edit answers before submission Forget to leave some time in order to transfer your answers

So, now that various common IELTS mistakes and methods to overcome them have been discussed, things should be easier for candidates and they should prepare effectively to succeed with an eight-band score in this exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: How to tackle grammar mistakes as far as IELTS writing is concerned?

You need to understand that it's important to enhance your knowledge of the English language in order to tackle grammar. Further, grammar sessions constituting of tenses, subject-verb agreement, parts of speech, sentence structures, etc. need to be undertaken. 

Question 2: Do you think that it’s a great idea to memorise answers regarding IELTS listening?

Absolutely not! You can’t learn/memorise answers in this examination as recordings will be on different topics and questions might vary. It becomes quite significant to understand the question, mark keywords, and find out your answer.

Question 3: Is it ok to provide one-line answers in IELTS speaking?

Absolutely not! One-liners won’t be able to showcase your point of view properly. As a result, it is necessary to undergo thorough preparation to enhance fluency and speak at least two to three sentences to prove your point.

Question 4: Is it considered fine to write in capital letters?

As far as IELTS reading and listening modules are concerned, you can write down your answers in capital letters.

Question 5: How long are the IELTS scores valid?

The IELTS scorecard can be used for two years since the day candidates receive their results.

Question 6: Is it permissible for candidates to write down important rough points on the Listening and Reading questions papers?

Yes, aspirants have that option. Examiners who will check their Listening and Reading answers are not going to check their question papers.

Question 7: What kind of action can I take if I am not satisfied with my scores?

In such a scenario, candidates have the option to ask for rechecking or remarking at their test center within six weeks of the test date. They need to pay an inquiry fee, and if their band score increases; they are offered a complete refund.

Question 8: How soon can I give the exam again if my results are not satisfactory?

You can give the exam anytime soon if you are not happy with your scorecard. However, it’s highly recommended for candidates to undergo proper preparation before reappearing for IELTS. Further, aspirants should undertake the support of highly certified trainers of WayUp Abroad consultants in order to triumph in this exam. 

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