5 steps to conquer 9.0 Listening, Reading by MC IELTS Face-off

Nguyen Nhu Huyen, currently a second year student at British University Vietnam, is also the MC of IELTS Face-off – a program about IELTS, to inspire English learners. Huyen shares five steps to conquer the band score of 8.5 IELTS.

Step 1: Determine the reason for taking IELTS

Everything needs “Start with why”. First of all, you have to determine if you need an IELTS to study abroad, get points for high school, university or work…

A big enough reason will keep learners motivated and persistent. On the contrary, when the reason is not big enough or just a temporary whim, learning according to the movement, the results you get in return will not be high.

Studying and taking the IELTS test is a long process. To avoid wasting time and effort, take the test only when you really need to.

Step 2: Define SMART goals

Specific (Specific): Determine the overall score, the component score in each skill is how much?

Measurable (Measurable): Score can be considered as a measure. In addition, you need to set out measurable plans over time and quantity to control your learning progress. For example: You spend 30-45 minutes to learn vocabulary every morning, “plow” the full Listening test/week or practice speaking every evening in a certain time frame…

Achievable (Affordable): Do not set goals too high compared to the actual ability. For example: Don’t set a target of 8.0 IELTS when your starting point is at a loss. Improper goals will make you overwhelmed, depressed, and give up. Instead, you should have a specific plan, set realistic goals and gradually raise your band score.

Relevant/ Realistic (Relevant, realistic): You should consider all external factors that affect studying and taking the IELTS test. If you’re a student and have a lot of free time, you can set a goal of “gaining 2.0 bands in two summer months”. But if you are studying and working at the same time, it will be difficult to increase 2.0 bands in two months.

Timebound (With a deadline): If you set a goal of 7.5 or 8.0 IELTS but there is no deadline, there is a high chance that your study will be delayed.

Step 3: Determine your level

The job of this step is to register for the mock exam instead of doing the test yourself. You can take the test online for free on free websites such as: IELTS Online Test, IELTS Exam, Mini IELTS and IELTS Buddy…

Step 4: Read Band descriptors

With Writing and Speaking:

First, read the description for your current band score, write down your strengths and weaknesses in each skill and each grading criteria, understand why you got that band score.

Then read Band Descriptors for the range you want. You need to understand the standards of that score, compare with current skills to see what needs to be improved and have a specific plan for each skill.

With Listening and Reading:

You need to find out how many questions you need to get right out of the total of 40 questions in this test to achieve the goal.

Step 5: Plan and control progress

Learners should plan by day, week and month. Breaking big goals into smaller stages makes them easy to control and edit. For example: If you want to increase 2.0 bands in two months, you can divide it into 4 phases: increase 0.5 band every two weeks. At the end of each phase, it is recommended to take the test once.

Breaking down the stages also helps determine your own progress. If after two weeks, your scores improve as planned, then continue studying. If not, analysis of relevant factors (method, time, intensity, materials…) should be analyzed to identify the error and solve the problem.

Meadow write the