Setting up your own personalised IELTS study schedule.
If you are serious about getting a Band 7+ in IELTS then you need to get very organized and focused. Consider making your own IELTS study plan. There is a YouTube video below about this and 5 steps to take below that video.
Everyone has different weaknesses in IELTS, so it is really your responsibility to make a study schedule. Motivation is crucial here too. If you can find a study partner then that will help you keep motivated and accountable. The best option is to have a teacher who can check your writing and evaluate your speaking giving feedback along the way.
There are free methods for studying, such as online news websites like The Guardian, BBC, The Times and so on. Read news topics that are connected to common IELTS topics such as The Environment, Society, Health, Family, Technology, Education, Crime, Robotics, The Internet, Transportation etc…
Online Resources
Click here for some useful links to help you with your IELTS study plan you can practice your reading, grammar, vocabulary and listening for free. Don’t keep doing IELTS mock tests over and over, vary your studies. There are many English resources online, and I don’t just mean IELTS stuff, real-world news and listening. Podcasts are also great to develop your listening and build vocabulary. Remember that IELTS is testing your overall English ability so your English level needs to be close to an upper-intermediate range for a Band 7.
Note-taking
Keep a special vocabulary notebook for your IELTS study plan. Pick up new vocabulary as you read especially collocations but don’t just make a list, try using them in sentences. Find synonyms and antonyms also. Developing your range of vocabulary is very important for a good band score in writing as well as speaking.
Here is the video below with more detail on how to do this
5 steps to a higher Band score.
1. Find your weaknesses, get feedback on your weak areas from a teacher if possible. Be very specific and detailed about what you need to fix.
2. Work out how much time you have per day to study. Find at least 1 or 2 hours then work out how many days you have until your exam.
3. Get a calendar, or make your own by drawing a grid on A3 paper, write in the squares what you need to do each day. Be detailed about this.
4. Work on the areas that need improvement and tick them off you IELTS study plan as you go along.
5. Be realistic, give yourself a few months to study. If you have your exam next Saturday you are not leaving yourself enough time to prepare.
Any questions? leave a comment below.