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Follow these 5 tips and you will improve your IELTS score.

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. The exam is designed to test the language ability of non-native English speakers who want to study or work in an English speaking country.

You will be tested in four areas, reading, writing, speaking and listening.  These tips will help you to improve your IELTS score in those four areas:

1. Develop a winning mindset

The foundation of learning English, taking the IELTS exam and undertaking any endeavour is to have a positive mindset. If you believe you can do it then you will have a much better chance of succeeding.

One way of developing a positive mindset is to read, “Successful Living” by Brett Walker and Roy Savery, which is available from Amazon Kindle.

2. Read and Learn vocabulary

The best way to develop your English vocabulary is to read frequently.   This is preferable to learning words by rote because you will be learning the words in context.

The more you read the more your vocabulary will improve and it is more likely that you will improve your IELTS score. As you read, write down the words that you do not know. Try to discover their meaning from the context and then look the words up in the dictionary.

Once you have learned the new words practise using them.

Also, read magazine articles, especially in the topics that occur frequently in the IELTS exam. The ten most frequent topics are: health, education, public transport, criminal justice, youth crime, government spending, technology, development, globalisation and the environment.

3. Practise Your Writing Skills

Practise doing task 1 and task 2 tests and time yourself to improve your speed. Remember to never write answers below the minimum length.

For task 1 describe the information, not the diagram itself. To practice, look for graphs, charts and diagrams on the Internet or in newspapers and analyse them.

Remember that Task 2 is longer than Task 1 and carries more marks, so leave enough time for it. Research the requirements for achieving the band that you require. For example, one of the requirements for achieving a Band 8 score is to “use less-common vocabulary naturally with an awareness of collocation.”

Therefore, it is a good idea to learn common collocations, which are words that commonly go together, such as “make a phone call” not “do a phone call.”

Before answering the question analyse it carefully then make a paragraph plan before you write. Always leave time at the end to check that all parts of the question have been answered and to edit your writing.

4. Practise listening

You can practise your listening skills with a short audio and transcript that you can download from the BBC Six Minute website. These messages are topical, being the sort of subject that you would encounter in the IELTS exam, such as environmental issues. Listen to the same audio every day for a week. Then write down what you think they are saying.   Check your answer and then listen again to identify any problems. There is also a list of vocabulary used in the talk. Learn a new word every day and how to apply it.

Also, learn synonyms as this is something that is useful to know for the exam and will help you to improve your IELTS score.

5. Practise pronunciation and fluency

The speaking test is divided into three parts. The areas include an interview with the examiner, giving a short talk and then a discussion.

To improve your score practise consistently. A good way to do this is by what is called “shadowing.” Listen to a native English speaker and then, immediately afterwards, repeat what he said. Go to the BBC Six Minute website and listen to some of the talks there, stopping after every sentence and repeating what the speaker just said. You can also download the talk and a transcript of it.

Not only will you develop your English accent by doing this but you will also learn something about topics such as the environment and pollution, which are common topics for the IELTS exam.

These tips will help you to prepare for the exam. However, your success depends on your commitment and the amount of time that you practise.

If you follow these tips and practise then you will  quickly make progress.

Also take one-on-one lessons with a native English speaker to improve you IELTS score quickly.