# Fed Up from IELTS



## Heba Elkordy (Jan 4, 2013)

Dears,

Please i need anyone to save my life.

I tool IELTS twice, 1st results were (L 6, R 5.5, W 6, S 6.5) and the 2nd results were (L 7, R 5.5, W 6.5, S 7). I need 7 in each (Marketing Specialist SS) and i really cannot beat damn READING and this caused that i missed 2012 ceiling.

Please need a real honest asmy next exam is on 06.07.13 and i still get the same 5.5 when i practice !!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,
Heba


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## Sunlight11 (Apr 27, 2013)

You should personally find someone from your country who scored well in IELTS Reading module, and try to take lessons from him face to face. OR you may contact British Council (that too in your country) to see if any instructor is willing enough to give you a course on IELTS.

If you ONLY have issues concerning READING, then I guess you need someone with whom you can have discussions in real time.


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## mindfreak (Apr 15, 2013)

Are u doing any practice for Reading when you know its not your strongest section?


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## Heba Elkordy (Jan 4, 2013)

Yes a lot and keep getting 5.5 !!!!!!!! .. there's a magic that keeps me fail. Can u help me on this ?


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## mindfreak (Apr 15, 2013)

You've got to plan your time well. Read the questions first and then try look up their answers. I am sure you can get 6 bands in that if you carefully read the questions and actually understand what you're meant to answer. Here are a few more tips that might help. Check out this website for more tips, i really hope it helps you IELTS reading: practice tests and tutorialsDominic Cole's IELTS and Beyond


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## ltrifonov (Jul 20, 2012)

Heba Elkordy said:


> Yes a lot and keep getting 5.5 !!!!!!!! .. there's a magic that keeps me fail. Can u help me on this ?


Better stop thinking about IELTS for a while, and go for some general English lessons. Meanwhile, read as much as you can, but not IELTS test booklets. Read some real articles, magazines, etc... The IELTS Reading is famous with its catch-ups, those small words, which can negate the whole meaning, it you didn't notice them...


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## mithu93ku (May 30, 2013)

Heba Elkordy said:


> Yes a lot and keep getting 5.5 !!!!!!!! .. there's a magic that keeps me fail. Can u help me on this ?


From my experience you could try reading section-3 first, and then Section 1 and then section 2 (GT module). Try in your practice test and appear in exam and don't forget to inform me, the outcome of this strategy. Best luck.


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## happybuddha (Sep 28, 2012)

You are obviously doing something wrong, repeatedly. 
Do you think its time for some tuition/lessons ?


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## Heba Elkordy (Jan 4, 2013)

mithu93ku said:


> From my experience you could try reading section-3 first, and then Section 1 and then section 2 (GT module). Try in your practice test and appear in exam and don't forget to inform me, the outcome of this strategy. Best luck.


I'll do this tomorrow and will update u !


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## Heba Elkordy (Jan 4, 2013)

happybuddha said:


> You are obviously doing something wrong, repeatedly.
> Do you think its time for some tuition/lessons ?


Pls suggest good one for me .. Even if I missed the chance of my next exam dated 06.07.13


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## dragoman (Mar 29, 2013)

Heba Elkordy said:


> Pls suggest good one for me .. Even if I missed the chance of my next exam dated 06.07.13


I got 6.5 in reading in my first attempt and got 7 in rest .. was really frustrated .. prepared really hard .. and got 8.5 in next attempt . I prepared day and night did countless practice test etc .. so basically nothing substitutes hard work .


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## hany.sheta (Feb 27, 2012)

Usually IELTS instructors don’t waste time on the tuition of Listening and Reading sections. They focus more on Writing and Speaking. They teach you writing and speaking techniques as the marking process is not quite clear or straight forward as in Listening and Reading. It differs from one examiner to another.

You need to learn how to read with the aim of extracting the required information. Not just drown in reading the whole article then decide what to do. It is Very similar to the Listening part where you read for few seconds before listening to the Audio, just to fill the gaps that you already know about by reading through.

My advice is 
First, read the title of the advertisements or the articles with a very quick overall look at the contents then have a glimpse at the questions . You need to locate the keywords to search for in the text.
Secondly, make sure you don’t get stuck in one section. Allow 15 minutes to section 1, 20 minutes to section 2, 30 minutes to section 3 and the last 5 minutes for any leftover.

It is important, move forward and never get stuck at any question. Best luck


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## ahmed84 (Apr 3, 2013)

Reading is quite tricky. I love books and I read a lot and when I attended the exam I finished it in 30mins and revised every answer for another 30mins. I came out with a strong believe I will get 9/9 or minimum 8.5 coz I just couldn't find any doubt in any of my answers so imagine my shock when I got 7.5! 

I think in reading two thinks are important: speed and paying attention to the details. You might think reading is straightforward but I believe the examiners look for specific keywords in your answer. Even if your answer is accurate but you missed one keyword I believe they deduct marks for that. 

My suggestion would be for you to read a lot in the coming days. Read anything you find. Newspapers, magazines, books...etc. And since you are doing well in the other modules, you can give 100% of your time to reading practices. 

Good luck!


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## aPerfectCircle (Sep 23, 2011)

Hi Heba,

I know how frustrating it must be to try over and over to no avail, although I never had a problem with the reading module but I know how frustrating the whole IELTS process can get. I think PRACTICE is the keyword when it comes to the Reading and Listening modules and you should practice with the academic reading not the general reading. I even got a 9 in the Reading module once and it was the only time I got a 9 out of any module in the IELTS.

I found Ace the IELTS book very helpful, you should give it a try and if you can't find it PM me and I will send it to you by email or something.

Best of luck.


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## osdjme (Jan 28, 2013)

Heba Elkordy said:


> Dears,
> 
> Please i need anyone to save my life.
> 
> ...


Hey Pal,

Most people don't perform well in IELTS Reading because they try to read the passages and understand them before answering the questions. Trust me, a simple way to achieve a good score on the reading test is to first look at the questions and then skim through the passages looking for the answers. I had a score of 9 in the GT Reading test using this strategy.

Between now and 06/07/2013, you have about 7 days. All you need to do is to practice more sample tests everyday until the test date. 

All the best...


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## Rocky Balboa (Feb 15, 2013)

If you want tolane: to australia, you gotta use these 7 days just reading books, magazines, tabloids, newspapers, comics, journals, novels, biographies, etc. Finish first two sections in 25 minutes, allocate 30 minutes for the FINAL section which is the trickiest one. I always got 8+ during my practice tests in Reading section, however I bogged down during the actual test. Keep calm during the actual test. 

Never loose faith and courage! Perseverance and hard work leads to success.


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## mindfreak (Apr 15, 2013)

Reading is the easiest section of IELTS, because the answer is right in front of you. All you've gotta do is look for it and understand exactly what the question is. Good luck!


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

osdjme said:


> Hey Pal,
> 
> Most people don't perform well in IELTS Reading because they try to read the passages and understand them before answering the questions. Trust me, a simple way to achieve a good score on the reading test is to first look at the questions and then skim through the passages looking for the answers. I had a score of 9 in the GT Reading test using this strategy.
> 
> ...


I agree with this strategy. Don't waste your time reading the passages and then moving onto the questions, since the questions are not testing everything in the text. You can often glean the answers by simply skimming the text.

For the dreaded yes/no/not given questions, you have to remember that the answer is always in the text. For example, if the text says "recently, scientists have found water in underground caverns on the Moon" and the question states "There is evidence of life on the Moon", the answer would be "not given" because the statement in the text does not say that there is also life on the Moon.

The key to beating the IELTS is practicing as many sample tests as you possibly can and understanding the "formula" of the test. Even though the questions vary from test to test, the types of questions are always the same. I was aiming to get at least 35/40 right to get in the 7 range. (Ultimately, I got a 9 in this section using this strategy.)


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## sghosh (Apr 5, 2013)

ozbound12 said:


> I agree with this strategy. Don't waste your time reading the passages and then moving onto the questions, since the questions are not testing everything in the text. You can often glean the answers by simply skimming the text.
> 
> For the dreaded yes/no/not given questions, you have to remember that the answer is always in the text. For example, if the text says "recently, scientists have found water in underground caverns on the Moon" and the question states "There is evidence of life on the Moon", the answer would be "not given" because the statement in the text does not say that there is also life on the Moon.
> 
> The key to beating the IELTS is practicing as many sample tests as you possibly can and understanding the "formula" of the test. Even though the questions vary from test to test, the types of questions are always the same. I was aiming to get at least 35/40 right to get in the 7 range. (Ultimately, I got a 9 in this section using this strategy.)


I strongly agree with this example above. A simple advise (Others please add to this if something more helpful is missed)

Only for Reading module in IELTS:

1> Read the instruction carefully. Note if they want a one word answer or 2 words or/and a number, or three words.
General scenario: People jump to questions, they come back to passage and when they find an appropriate word which can fill the blanks, they write it down. If instructed to use a single word, and you write 2 words, thought both sounds correct, but your answer will be wrong.

2>Go through the 1st set of questions, and then try scan through the passage (dont read word to word, practice to scan a passage for 3-4 secs and try to recall the words that you remember out of that). By the time you go for 2nd set of questions, you have a basic idea of the context of each paragraph in the passage, so would not take much time for the consecutive scans for other set of questions

3>Dont spend much time on a question for which you are not getting an answer, try to move on (key factor for IELTS exam, as if you are stuck in one question, there will be no benefit, but loss is for sure as you will loose time)

4> Remember to use upper and lower case in the answer where required. If the answer is a noun and it needs to be placed at the blank space at the end of a sentence, the first letter should be upper case. Use lower case for other words. If the blank space is at the beginning of a sentence, the first letter should be upper case. Everyone knows these things, but at that point of time we concentrate more on getting the answers rather than using these rules without which your correct answer becomes wrong.

As many said practice some sample tests available online. Below is a link
IELTS Exam Preparation - IELTS Speaking


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## austrotter (May 11, 2013)

I am sure it can be worked on. It is a matter of time. The best way to crack IELTS is to be calm... and not worry about it. Be familiar with the format of the exam (which I am sure you do by now). Take it one step at a time.


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## happybuddha (Sep 28, 2012)

I read about all hard work stories and I only look up at the skies and thank the Lord. English isn't my first language. I just gave a few practise tests to know the format, thats all the preparation I did. 

I had to drive three hours in a car whose parts were falling apart. So all through the distance all I was praying for, was for the car to not give up. The night before, against all advise, I drank till glory. Day of the test, the room was filled with some really arrogant Middle Eastern dudes who wouldn't stop talking through the test, inspite of the sweet invigilator. It was the flu season, so whoever was not talking was either coughing or sneezing. Think, all that in the listening test! End of the day I just got lucky, I guess and scored 8.5 in all sections 

But somehow I love this mode of communication human beings are used to. I love to learn languages, somehow. I can speak in 5 different regional languages in India. Speak broken French and spanish. I love stand up comics, so mimicking them, I can speak English in at least 5 different accents. I guess that helped.


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## snarayan (Jun 28, 2013)

I have been practicing reading quite a lot and here are a couple of tips that have helped me improve:

1) Practice the academic module rather than general. The reason why I say this is because, the first 2 sections of the general module are relatively easy and it is the 3rd section where people normally lose marks. In academic, all the 3 sections are quite similar to the 3rd section of General module. Moreover by practicing academic, your speed increases considerably. Initially, I just could not complete all the 3 sections in time. But after substantial practice, I am now able to complete the academic reading in approximately 50 minutes. Also, do not forget to try out a couple of general reading tests every now and then to remain familiar with the format. Afterall, it is the General that you'll finally be tested on. 

2) Practice using the books published by Cambridge ESOL. These books are very close to the real time examination. You might even be lucky to be tested on one of the topics you have already practiced. 

Finally, just do not be demotivated. I am certain you'll get a 7 in all modules this time.


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## JaxSantiago (Jun 21, 2013)

Have a couple of IELTS Listening related questions that I hope somebody here can advise:

- Are answers for Name (first or last) and/or Address *case sensitive*? For example, writing PRESCOTT instead of Prescott. Or CASTLE ROAD instead of Castle Road.
- Will a *space* in a numeric answer matter? For example, in zip code, writing WS62YH instead of WS6 2YH. Or for telephone numbers, writing 01674553242 instead of 01674 553242.

I tend to write in all caps all the time (a matter of getting used to) so just wanna be sure I don't screw up based on technicalities.

TIA.


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## Sunlight11 (Apr 27, 2013)

JaxSantiago said:


> Have a couple of IELTS Listening related questions that I hope somebody here can advise:
> 
> - Are answers for Name (first or last) and/or Address *case sensitive*? For example, writing PRESCOTT instead of Prescott. Or CASTLE ROAD instead of Castle Road.
> - Will a *space* in a numeric answer matter? For example, in zip code, writing WS62YH instead of WS6 2YH. Or for telephone numbers, writing 01674553242 instead of 01674 553242.
> ...


1. All Small or All Cap shouldn't matter. BUT ... when you write Person's Names: Must write 'Alice' instead of 'alice'.

2. You can put gaps between phone number and zip codes.

However, It is recommended that answers should be written in ALL CAP.


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## happybuddha (Sep 28, 2012)

JaxSantiago said:


> Have a couple of IELTS Listening related questions that I hope somebody here can advise:
> 
> - Are answers for Name (first or last) and/or Address *case sensitive*? For example, writing PRESCOTT instead of Prescott. Or CASTLE ROAD instead of Castle Road.
> - Will a *space* in a numeric answer matter? For example, in zip code, writing WS62YH instead of WS6 2YH. Or for telephone numbers, writing 01674553242 instead of 01674 553242.
> ...


IIRC none of these matter.


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## rajbhar_s (Apr 14, 2013)

I think we are in same boat buddy. Got disheartened with my Reading score. I am a Chemical Engineer and I did my matriculation in Hindi. I got L:6 R:5.5 W:6 S:7.5 in my last IELTS.

To all my surprise (being a non-english medium student) I scored 7.5 in Speaking. I was confident about my articulating and imaginative speaking skill but I never thought I will score so well in Speaking. On other hand, I scored 5.5 in Reading - it was so much against my belief. I thought Reading and Writing will save me. 

In my experience, all Listening tapes in Practice books and mp3s available online goes slower than what I experienced during the real test. I can challenge that the Audio used in the exam ran 1.25X times faster than the normal speed of human speech. That's the surprise element of Listening test.

I am not sure what went wrong with me in Reading. I thought that I will give Revising my score a chance but reappearing for all tests was better since I want to score 7-8 in all of them.

Let me know if you've figured out what went wrong with you.

Regards,
Sanjay


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## JaxSantiago (Jun 21, 2013)

Sunlight11 said:


> 1. All Small or All Cap shouldn't matter. BUT ... when you write Person's Names: Must write 'Alice' instead of 'alice'.
> 
> 2. You can put gaps between phone number and zip codes.
> 
> However, It is recommended that answers should be written in ALL CAP.





happybuddha said:


> IIRC none of these matter.


Thanks. I had to ask because the Cambridge reviewer I'm on has the following lines in the answer sheet:



> - Prescott (must be correct spelling with capital “P”)
> - Fountain (must have capital “F”)


(_the 2nd answer is for an address._)

I've already taken IELTS before and fell short of .5pt (to 7) so I'm trying to keep note this time of possible mistakes.


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## happybuddha (Sep 28, 2012)

JaxSantiago said:


> Thanks. I had to ask because the Cambridge reviewer I'm on has the following lines in the answer sheet:


If you have specific instructions, why bother asking at all ? 
Are you sure you are referring to the General and not the academic IELTS ?


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## JaxSantiago (Jun 21, 2013)

happybuddha said:


> If you have specific instructions, why bother asking at all ?
> Are you sure you are referring to the General and not the academic IELTS ?


Do I sense sarcasm here?

I'm hoping/trying to clarify something here, in case you don't get it.  And perhaps the answers to these questions will help future IELTS takers.

Is there a difference between General and Academic for Listening module? As far as I can tell, they're the same. The difference comes in only in Reading and Writing modules. Did I get that wrong? At any rate, yes. I am referring to *GENERAL TRAINING*. I took GT after all. :clap2:


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

JaxSantiago said:


> Do I sense sarcasm here?
> 
> I'm hoping/trying to clarify something here, in case you don't get it.  And perhaps the answers to these questions will help future IELTS takers.
> 
> Is there a difference between General and Academic for Listening module? As far as I can tell, they're the same. The difference comes in only in Reading and Writing modules. Did I get that wrong? At any rate, yes. I am referring to GENERAL TRAINING. I took GT after all. :clap2:


No. Only the reading and writing parts are different.


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

JaxSantiago said:


> Have a couple of IELTS Listening related questions that I hope somebody here can advise:
> 
> - Are answers for Name (first or last) and/or Address case sensitive? For example, writing PRESCOTT instead of Prescott. Or CASTLE ROAD instead of Castle Road.
> - Will a space in a numeric answer matter? For example, in zip code, writing WS62YH instead of WS6 2YH. Or for telephone numbers, writing 01674553242 instead of 01674 553242.
> ...


The general rule is, if there is a pause in the audio then that signifies a space. As a native speaker, that's how I give out my phone number to people.

As for all caps, that's fine but do not use all lower case letters. If you use mixed caps and lower and you do not capitalise proper names, they will deduct points.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

JaxSantiago said:


> Have a couple of IELTS Listening related questions that I hope somebody here can advise:
> 
> - Are answers for Name (first or last) and/or Address *case sensitive*? For example, writing PRESCOTT instead of Prescott. Or CASTLE ROAD instead of Castle Road.
> - Will a *space* in a numeric answer matter? For example, in zip code, writing WS62YH instead of WS6 2YH. Or for telephone numbers, writing 01674553242 instead of 01674 553242.
> ...


EVERYTHING is case sensitive in an exam. Failure to use correct capitalisation will cost you marks since you are demonstrating that you lack knowledge and practice.

In several post people have misused/misspelt words, doing that in the exam will also cost you marks. One example using "advise" when the writer means "advice" - "advise" is the verb, "advice" is the verb. 'Please can you advise me, which is the best way to....?" "I would like some advice on the best way to get to ...."


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> EVERYTHING is case sensitive in an exam. Failure to use correct capitalisation will cost you marks since you are demonstrating that you lack knowledge and practice.
> 
> In several post people have misused/misspelt words, doing that in the exam will also cost you marks. One example using "advise" when the writer means "advice" - "advise" is the verb, "advice" is the verb. 'Please can you advise me, which is the best way to....?" "I would like some advice on the best way to get to ...."


The essay portion is indeed case sensitive but the listening and reading portions are not. They relaxed this rule some time ago.


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## svshinde83 (Mar 27, 2013)

Check out Cambridge material available on internet there is a series from 1 to 9.
I practised from Cambridge and cleared the 3rd time.


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