Thread by @TeezyFBaby1

OK, finally got enough free time on my hands to do this IELTS thread as I'd promised yesterday. I have, of course, left out my personal details👇🏿 for reasons of privacy. Lol.

Follow these easy steps and you're guaranteed to ace the tests.

First things first, you have to lay...

your hands on loads of practice material. Get as wide a range of materials as you can and dig deep.

I have already shared what I'd call a plethora of materials with @OddMCW. So anyone interested in getting these materials may get in touch with him. You'll need a Dropbox account.

Familiarise yourself with the test format so you know exactly what to expect on the test day. There are two versions as I expect you'd know by now: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Both are scored in exactly the same manner. The first 3 sections are listening, reading..

. and writing. The Speaking Test usually comes last and may hold on a separate day.

The listening test lasts for 40 minutes in total and it requires rapt attention from you. You can't afford to miss a single word or you just might miss everything. This can be painful. So focus!

The reading test lasts for 60 minutes. The reading test has 3 reading passages with tasks. This to me is the easiest. Concentrate and you'll be able to score a 9. At worst, you'll get an 8.5, which is basically the same thing.

The writing test consists of two tasks: letter...

writing task of a minimum of 150 words followed by a short essay task of at least 250 words. You will have 60 minutes.

Last but not least is the speaking test which involves a face-to-face interview that comprises of short questions and speaking at length.

Now, what's the...

formula that worked for me? Practice, as I said at the outset.

There are a number of free apps you can get from your app store to help you practise for when you're on the go. One is the IELTS Prep App. Your practice sessions should last at least one to two hours per day...

and you're expected to take tests under timed conditions. For instance, I'd usually time myself for 30 minutes on a 60 minute test just to see how I'd fare under pressure. Grade yourself and see how well you perform under timed conditions. This will enable you to know which...

areas require improvement and where your strengths lie. It's normal to score low grades on your first attempt. This means nothing; you're simply getting to know the formats.

I'm not used to doing long threads, so if there are any areas you feel I may have missed, feel free to let me know. Thanks. I hope this helps.

Most people find the writing test to be the most difficult. I do too. However, the trick is to read widely. Read a lot of first-rate...

literature and notice the writer's use of words, collocation and idioms. Style often rubs off on a reader and the best way to achieve this is by reading. Then write as much as you can while focusing on common typos. And your handwriting! I can't emphasise this enough!

I've...

always had a legible handwriting. If you don't fall under this category, you have to work on it. Make sure everything you write is readable. Use a pencil! Don't use a pen!