Monali needed to get an 8777 in her IELTS Academic exam, but unfortunately was unable to get a 7 in Writing. She managed to get up to a band 6.5 in it, but realised she needed professional help to achieve her goal of practicing medicine in the UK. When she came to me, I evaluated …
What is IELTS Indicator? On April 22, 2020, IELTS launched an online version of the IELTS test that test-takers could take from the comfort of their homes. This test has the same format as the IELTS computer-based test, and has similar requirements as the online TOEFL test: A quiet and comfortable space to take your …
IELTS Indicator: An online, at-home replacement for the IELTS? Read More »
So, you took the IELTS again, and disappointingly enough, your speaking score is still 6.5. Frustrating, isn’t it? Especially when you’ve followed tons of “tips and tricks” from YouTube? What should you be doing, then, to finally achieve that band 7? Read on! Far too often, test-takers will deliver short, curt, direct responses to an examiner’s questions on …
Giving well-developed responses on your IELTS Speaking test Read More »
Since September 2018, CELPIP aspirants in India had only one option for a test center: Chandigarh. That is soon to change, as CELPIP have announced something very exciting! Indian test takers now have TWO CELPIP test center options, with a new test center having been opened in New Delhi on February 6, 2020. While …
NEW CELPIP exam center launched in India – New Delhi! Read More »
Which words are considered as ‘one’ word and which ones are considered to be ‘two’ words? A frantic student messaged me a week before her test, asking: Any contracted forms, which were originally two words, will be counted as one word. Why? There is no space between any of the letters! The same rule goes …
Which words are not counted in IELTS writing? The answer will surprise you. Read More »
Do rural Punjab centers give better IELTS band scores? Is the exam particularly “easy” in Punjab? Is there an easy way to pass the exam? Google sometimes returns peculiar suggested searches for the IELTS: These can be quite the rabbit hole if you venture deep enough! What I find interesting is that many students look …
A lot of people seem to be following the wrong sort of methods when it comes to the IELTS Speaking test. In this part 1 instructional video, I explain with the help of a student what needs to be done during the test. Much of the advice here is applicable for the other parts of …
The IELTS Listening module is generally regarded as an easier module than the other three, but it certainly isn’t simple and does come with its own set of challenges. Most, if not all, students I’ve taught had quite a couple of things in common when it came to the IELTS Listening test. They’d generally get …
Get an 8 on IELTS Listening: FIX these 4 errors now! Read More »
Last month, I had the unique opportunity to have a chat with a room full of IELTS examiners, and the conversation soon turned to one of their pet peeves: common test-taker errors in the Speaking exam. Knowing that this was something most of my students initially struggled with, I asked them what they wished test-takers …
Three things you should AVOID on the IELTS Speaking exam Read More »
I recently had the opportunity to interview a student who had taken the CELPIP. Here he talks about how his experience had been and answers a few burning questions most test-takers have about the CELPIP test. Post-exam CELPIP Interview Where and when did you take your CELPIP test? In Chandigarh on the 24th of Nov …
What is the PPF strategy? Past-Present-Future is a strategy that has been discussed widely, but I am yet to see clear and detailed instructions on how exactly one must apply this strategy for a variety of part two topics. The only available resources are from the British Council (for use by teachers) and from a …
Using the ‘Past-Present-Future’ strategy in IELTS Speaking Part Two Read More »
“Should I take the IELTS or the CELPIP? I don’t know the differences between these exams!”“I’ve heard that CELPIP speaking is very tough.”“The IELTS is so tough! I tried three times but I was unable to get the scores I needed!““IELTS writing is very hard and it is impossible to get over band 6.5.”“There is a …
“Ugh, not again! I sat the exam four times, and I still can’t get past a 6.5 in writing!”One of the commonest complaints that I encounter from prospective test-takers is that they find themselves stuck at a band score of 6.5 when it comes to writing. What’s worse is that they often feel like there …
