What
do we usually have in mind when taking an exam? To do well and better
still, become the topper if possible. To have studied thoroughly and
to have covered all the topics is a pre requisite of doing well but
in the case of an exam like IELTS, we also need to know the
expectations of the examiner and the working of the test itself. Any
examinee usually has the good fortune of being at the receiving end
of solicited and sometimes unsolicited advice . These advices slowly
move on to become ‘facts’ without any verification. This blog is
all about blowing away a number of these so called facts.
1. All answers are correct
Can we have more than one correct answer for a single question. The usual answer is ‘no’ because our minds are trained that way. The age old comparison with your best friend over that half mark, for the same answer and then the teacher’s clever explanation for it. We always thought that there is only one way to answer a question, but then this is not Mathematics but a test that tests you for other skills namely Fluency and Coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and Accuracy, Pronunciation. The Examiner is not looking for the wrong or right answer but whether the answer meets the standards for which he has been trained to examine you. The best IELTS training is the one where coaching is given for these aspects of the English language.
2. Everybody is right
‘I
am right ‘ is the usual reason for most arguments, and ‘only I am
right’ brings about violent
arguments. But in an IELTS exam you do
not have to worry about who is right. The examiner is only bothered
about your language and grammar and not about whether your views or
opinions match his. He is also not worried about whether you have
your United Nations Treaty dates right, but only how well you are
able to explain the provisions of the treaty, even if they are not
accurate. No IELTS training can give you a right or wrong answer, it
can only help you to give an answer in its accurate form. You should
be able to write what you believe in without worrying about anybody
else’s views or opinions because even if your views are totally
radical or pessimistic, a good examiner is only bothered about the
language and that is the only thing you should bother about.
3. Which is the easier testing centre?
There is no easy or difficult testing centre, so do not take the trouble to go to the other end of the city to take your test because your friend’s neighbour’s uncle said so. The IELTS exam is respected all over the world because of their standards and therefore the well trained IELTS examiners, do their job conforming to these standards. Some IELTS coaching centres give tips on easy centres to fool their gullible students.
4. Where do I find a generous examiner?
It will be a futile search because you will never find one. If an examiner starts becoming nice because he likes your face he might soon find himself without a job. He has been trained to mark you accurately and there are senior examiners who review the work of these examiners, and it is not possible for them to be lax in their work. An unfriendly examiner does not mean a poor score, its only your ability that is under scrutiny and not your disposition. The examiner can neither be strict nor lenient, he can only be accurate.
5. Can you find me a school which can help me cheat?
No school can help you cheat and there are no tricks that can help you pass the exam other than the age old grandma’s advise ,work,work and more work. IELTS coaching centres which promise you these cheat sheets are just trying to cheat you, out of your money and your confidence. You don’t need those tricks, when you have IELTS training centres which teach you to work hard. Do not fall into these traps and only join IELTS coaching centres which have a good reputation. COSMO Centre is the best IELTS coaching centre in Kerala that guarantees 7+ band score.
6. An IELTS guide book will get me high score.
No guide book will get you a high score if your basic English knowledge is poor. It is very important to improve your language and only then think of taking the guided English tests. A poor score does not mean lack of practice, it could mean that your basic knowledge of the English language itself is poor. Only after having a complete grasp of general English can you think of taking up the guided English tests. Around 125 hours of guided study is needed to improve the IELTS test band score by 1.
7. Sorry, I didn't get u!
It is quite ok to ask your examiner to repeat a question or ask the meaning of a difficult word in the speaking test. You should keep in mind that it is not a listening test and only your speaking skills will be judged. It might be difficult sometimes to understand the accents of certain examiners and it is better to ask them to repeat, after explaining your difficulty than to stay silent and not even allow the examiner to judge your ability.
8. What accent should I practice Britain or American.?
None. It is best to practice your own accent well. There are hundreds of variations in any type of accent and it will not help your score in any way. The examiner is not worried about your accent but other basic points like the clarity of your speech, sentence stress, intonation, linking sounds and weak sounds. Even if you develop an accent rivaling the Queen of England, you will not get a good score if you fail in the above. Spoken English classes may help you gain an accent but it will get you very far in the band score area.
9. Complex grammar vs Error free Sentences
The writing test judges you on two aspects :
1. The ability to use complex grammar
2. The ability to write error free sentences
Some students think that writing complex sentence structures will make the examiner look over error laden sentences. But it is actually better to use sentence structures you are sure of , rather than trying to use complex grammar and increasing your chances of writing erroneous sentences. Errors bring your score down , more than the lack of complex structures will do. By looking over all the topics to be covered , complex sentence writing will come naturally to you. Any good IELTS coaching centre will see to it.
COSMO Centre| IELTS in trivandrum | best IELTS coaching in trivandrum | spoken english class in trivandrum
1. All answers are correct
Can we have more than one correct answer for a single question. The usual answer is ‘no’ because our minds are trained that way. The age old comparison with your best friend over that half mark, for the same answer and then the teacher’s clever explanation for it. We always thought that there is only one way to answer a question, but then this is not Mathematics but a test that tests you for other skills namely Fluency and Coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and Accuracy, Pronunciation. The Examiner is not looking for the wrong or right answer but whether the answer meets the standards for which he has been trained to examine you. The best IELTS training is the one where coaching is given for these aspects of the English language.
2. Everybody is right
3. Which is the easier testing centre?
There is no easy or difficult testing centre, so do not take the trouble to go to the other end of the city to take your test because your friend’s neighbour’s uncle said so. The IELTS exam is respected all over the world because of their standards and therefore the well trained IELTS examiners, do their job conforming to these standards. Some IELTS coaching centres give tips on easy centres to fool their gullible students.
4. Where do I find a generous examiner?
It will be a futile search because you will never find one. If an examiner starts becoming nice because he likes your face he might soon find himself without a job. He has been trained to mark you accurately and there are senior examiners who review the work of these examiners, and it is not possible for them to be lax in their work. An unfriendly examiner does not mean a poor score, its only your ability that is under scrutiny and not your disposition. The examiner can neither be strict nor lenient, he can only be accurate.
5. Can you find me a school which can help me cheat?
No school can help you cheat and there are no tricks that can help you pass the exam other than the age old grandma’s advise ,work,work and more work. IELTS coaching centres which promise you these cheat sheets are just trying to cheat you, out of your money and your confidence. You don’t need those tricks, when you have IELTS training centres which teach you to work hard. Do not fall into these traps and only join IELTS coaching centres which have a good reputation. COSMO Centre is the best IELTS coaching centre in Kerala that guarantees 7+ band score.
6. An IELTS guide book will get me high score.
No guide book will get you a high score if your basic English knowledge is poor. It is very important to improve your language and only then think of taking the guided English tests. A poor score does not mean lack of practice, it could mean that your basic knowledge of the English language itself is poor. Only after having a complete grasp of general English can you think of taking up the guided English tests. Around 125 hours of guided study is needed to improve the IELTS test band score by 1.
7. Sorry, I didn't get u!
It is quite ok to ask your examiner to repeat a question or ask the meaning of a difficult word in the speaking test. You should keep in mind that it is not a listening test and only your speaking skills will be judged. It might be difficult sometimes to understand the accents of certain examiners and it is better to ask them to repeat, after explaining your difficulty than to stay silent and not even allow the examiner to judge your ability.
8. What accent should I practice Britain or American.?
None. It is best to practice your own accent well. There are hundreds of variations in any type of accent and it will not help your score in any way. The examiner is not worried about your accent but other basic points like the clarity of your speech, sentence stress, intonation, linking sounds and weak sounds. Even if you develop an accent rivaling the Queen of England, you will not get a good score if you fail in the above. Spoken English classes may help you gain an accent but it will get you very far in the band score area.
9. Complex grammar vs Error free Sentences
The writing test judges you on two aspects :
1. The ability to use complex grammar
2. The ability to write error free sentences
Some students think that writing complex sentence structures will make the examiner look over error laden sentences. But it is actually better to use sentence structures you are sure of , rather than trying to use complex grammar and increasing your chances of writing erroneous sentences. Errors bring your score down , more than the lack of complex structures will do. By looking over all the topics to be covered , complex sentence writing will come naturally to you. Any good IELTS coaching centre will see to it.
COSMO Centre| IELTS in trivandrum | best IELTS coaching in trivandrum | spoken english class in trivandrum
