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Your IELTS Guide Newsletter

In this edition:

• Introduction
• IELTS Tips - Taking the test
• The Speaking Test: How your Grammar Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation can affect your IELTS score

Introduction

Welcome to the fourth Your IELTS Guide newsletter.

In this issue we start a new series of IELTS Tips. Each month we will discuss factors that cause candidates to lose marks in the IELTS test. Our knowledge of how candidates cope with the test allows us to highlight issues that seem to be most problematic and, hopefully, prevent you falling into the same traps. Some of these tips may seem obvious but you would be surprised how many candidates fail to act on them. This month we give general tips on taking the test. In following issues we will cover each of the four modules in turn.

Also in this issue we continue our series of articles explaining how you can use the information in the IELTS Handbook to improve your IELTS score. This month we discuss the other two criteria on which the speaking module is marked - Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Once again we surprise ourselves that, even though it is a source of much useful information for candidates, much of the IELTS Handbook is difficult to understand.

If you haven't already read them, use these links to read the April 2005, May 2005 and June 2005 newsletters. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends!

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IELTS Tips - Taking the test

This first part in our series of tips on taking the IELTS test concentrates on general factors that might influence your final IELTS band score. Tips relevant to each of the individual modules will be discussed in following issues.

Things to take

While not directly influencing your IELTS Band Score, anything that causes you stress or worry could affect your ability to concentrate on the test. To prevent this you need to be sure you take all items needed for the test while not taking things that are not allowed into the test room.

Although IELTS provides a strict code of conduct, test centres seem to interpret these differently. Some are extremely strict and you will be disqualified if, for example, you take a mobile phone into the exam room (even if it is switched off). Others are somewhat lax about this. To be on the safe side, only take into the exam room those items you are explicitly told you can.

The test centre will provide you with an area to leave your belongings. However, this is usually a communal area which, although secure, is accessible to all candidates. It is easy for a candidate to accidentally pick up the wrong bag in the excitement of leaving the test centre. So that you don't worry about your belongings, it is advisable not to take anything of value to the test.

Here is a list of things you should take with you and some we recommend you do not:

As well as anything else specified on your acceptance letter, you must take:

• Your acceptance letter
• ID - e.g. passport or National Identity card. (This must have the same number as you put on your application form and must be current.)
• Pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser.

You must not take the following into the exam room or you risk disqualification:
bags, books, dictionary, papers, spellchecker, cameras, mobile phones, tape recorders, pagers or any other electronic device.

In fact, on your desk you should only have pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser and your ID. Highlighters and correction fluid are not allowed.

We suggest you don't take anything you don't need to the test centre - including your mobile phone if you can do without it - so that you aren't worried about losing it.

Know where the test centre is

Make sure you know where the test centre is before leaving home. At the very least ensure you have allowed plenty of time to find it. It is not unknown for candidates to arrive too late to take the test because they could not find the test centre. In any case, you don't need the stress!

Arrive in plenty of time

Allow plenty of time to arrive. There's nothing like a traffic jam for increasing your stress level if you haven't allowed enough time.

Also, arriving early allows you plenty of time for any administration and to prepare yourself mentally for the ordeal ahead.

Relax

If you follow the two tips above you will already be helping yourself to relax. Don't do any cramming the night before, just have a restful evening.

If you have any favourite relaxation exercises, find a quiet corner and do them before the test. Some people do breathing exercises - others like to take their mind off the exam by reading a book or newspaper. Do whatever suits you best.

Use the toilet

Be sure to visit the toilet before the exam - another good reason for arriving early as there will be many other candidates wanting to use the facilities. The exam will last at least 3.5 hours including administration and probably closer to 4 hours. That's a long time to wait for the toilet - don't make it any longer!

Don't drink too much

For the same reason as above, don't drink too much before the exam. You don't want to have to visit the toilet in the middle.

Listen to the instructions

Again, this may be obvious, but listen to the instructions you are given. If you don't understand something, or can't hear, raise your hand. This is particularly important during the listening test as the recording can't be stopped once it is started.

Assess your performance

Again, this won't affect your Band Score but you will find that, if you don't get the result you need, making the following notes will be useful.

Immediately after the exam spend a few minutes thinking about how you have done and make a few notes. Did everything go well? Did you write enough words? Did you understand the topic? How many of the listening and writing questions could you answer? For each module estimate your band score. You should also do this for the speaking module which you will take at a different time. Were you nervous? Could you answer fluently? Did you have problems with vocabulary?

As well as noting how you think you did, you should note any problems with the exam. Was the exam/interview room noisy? Was the recording clear?

If you have any complaints about the conduct of the exam you should inform the test centre immediately and let them have your complaints in writing as soon as possible.

The reason for making these notes is to allow you to make a decision on how to proceed if you are unfortunate enough not to get the score you require. Take a look at our page, What to do if you don't get the result you need, for details.

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The Speaking Test: How your Grammar Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation can affect your IELTS score

Many candidates fail to use the information readily available in the IELTS Handbook to help them achieve the score they need. English learners frequently say their grammar is not good enough, whereas many learners do not consider whether or not their pronunciation causes difficulties for the listener. What help is in the Handbook for candidates hoping to improve in these two areas?

The Handbook says " Grammatical Range and Accuracy refers to the range and the accurate and appropriate use of the candidate's grammatical resource ". The range refers to whether you use a mixture of sentence types or not. Can you use a mixture of simple and complex sentences? Look at these examples:

• A simple sentence - I like dogs.
• A compound sentence - I like dogs but I don't like cats.
• A complex sentence - My father usually takes the dog out for a walk while my mother cooks the dinner.

The Handbook also states that range includes the ability " to move elements around for information focus ". This refers to changing the word order in a sentence to give something special attention or change the emphasis.

Can you feel the difference between What you say doesn't matter and It doesn't matter what you say? Being able to change the word order accurately and appropriately as in the example above is an advanced grammatical feature.

Grammatical Accuracy refers to the number of grammatical mistakes in your speech and the effect of these on the listener. If you make too many mistakes in tenses, agreement and word order, the listener may not be able to understand what you mean.

As for pronunciation, you probably understand what this is, but do you practise it to improve on it? The Handbook says that " pronunciation refers to the ability to produce comprehensible speech to fulfil the speaking test requirements ", and this means how much the examiner can understand of what you say.

The indicators are " the amount of strain caused to the listener, the amount of the speech which is unintelligible and the noticeability of L1 influence ". Strain and unintelligibility are almost the same in our view. How easy or difficult is it for the listener to decode what you are saying? Your teacher may understand you very well, but this is because he or she has got used to the way you speak. Others may not be so tolerant.

L1 influence is to do with your first language. How much of your own accent have you retained? You are not expected to have a 'perfect' English or Australian accent, for example since there is really no such thing. There are many different accents within one English speaking country. However, your accent should not affect your listeners' ability to understand you. The key is practise exercises which focus on intonation, stress and rhythm of speech.

Reference: IELTS Handbook 2005

For more information on the speaking test check out our IELTS Speaking Module, IELTS Speaking Tips and IELTS Speaking Preparation pages.

You can download the IELTS Handbook from our online IELTS resources page.