Best ways to study for IELTS at home

The International English Language Testing System – IELTS – is one of the much-acknowledged and prominent English language proficiency tests that is regarded as a respected form of English assessment for migration and higher education in English-speaking countries.

While there are thousands of candidates that appear for this exam each month, in this busier than ever world, not many students and working professionals get enough time to visit coaching centres and prepare for IELTS. Thus, studying and preparing at home seems more of a striking option to them. If not, seeking assistance from the best IELTS online coaching is always a fruitful option.

Whether you are unable to attend physical IELTS classes due to a reason or you have finally decided to take the matter into your own hands and want to start preparing for IELTS yourself, regardless of the reason, studying at home is both an exciting and an overwhelming experience. If you are trying to find the best ways to study for IELTS at home, this post is to help you out.

1. Understand the Test Well

To begin with, you must ensure that you are cognizant of the requirements and prerequisites for the IELTS exam. Gaining knowledge about questions and tests will help you prepare easily. Moreover, this will also help you plan your study well.

You must thoroughly go through each of the modules, such as Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, to get familiar with the types of questions and instructions you will have to deal with. Apart from that, you must also keep an eye on other essential factors, such as:

• Question types
• Test format
• Time allotment

2. Make Use of Practice Tests

One of the best things about preparing at home is that you can find plenty of resources on the internet, including practice tests. You can alternate between letting yourself as much time as you need to understand the questions and timed practices. You can also find model answers in practice tests that will further help you analyse your answers. If you search for IELTS full-length tests, you can easily find a lot of them. However, when attempting these tests, make sure they are real time simulated. This means that they should emulate the actual IELTS day test as far as the time and format go.

3. Record Yourself When Attempting an IELTS Speaking Test

The best way to practise speaking is by recording yourself to analyse the performance. You can also note down everything you said, much like a transcript. This will help you discover mistakes and errors.

4. Prepare a Self-Study Schedule or Plan

Self-study plan is extremely crucial if you wish to crack the IELTS exam by studying at home. With a plan, you can clearly segment IELTS topics on the basis of how many days are left for the examination. This practice is especially helpful for those who are taking the test for the first time.

5. Avoid Cramming Unnecessarily

It is always recommended that studying smartly is wiser than cramming the entire day. Most people simply have a notion that they can only pass the exam if they study for hours altogether. In reality, such a strategy can create confusion when attempting the test. So, it is a better idea to divide the preparation timings and prioritize topics according to the prominence.

6. Surround Yourself With English

This is one of the easiest IELTS preparation strategies that you can follow. Considering the fact that IELTS is all about English, involving this language in daily routine can help you understand and master modules seamlessly. For instance, if you like movies, try watching them in English. If you like reading, give a read to novels that have an advanced vocabulary. Some of the other things that you can do include:

• Listen to English podcasts
• Watch TedX talks
• Play word games
• Speak and text in English

One significant advantage of surrounding yourself with English is that you get to understand pronunciation and accents better as well.

7. Sign Up for Online IELTS Course

Another method that you can choose to prepare for IELTS from home is by signing up for an online course. These days, technology has almost eradicated the gap between education and people. You can easily find several online IELTS classes, such as IELTSMaterial and more, that have curated courses and packages to meet the interests of every student. Such courses are comprehensive and provide utmost precision, regardless of the services you are taking.

8. Master Various English Accents

In IELTS, pronunciation plays a major role. This is merely because the correct diction demonstrates your competency to speak words with accuracy and clarity. You must be spontaneous and fluent when speaking. And, of course, you must be coherent as well. Therefore, try and expose yourself to diverse accents by listening to plenty of audios. The crux here is that using your natural speed of speech and accent, you will have to speak with clarity and emphasis.

9. Never Cease Reading

If you look at it from the perspective of IELTS, reading is not just to help you pass the time. It also involves improving your understanding of detailed information, logical arguments, writer’s opinions, purpose and attitude. It also helps you sharpen your skimming skills. Throughout the IELTS exam, you will have to give short answers, complete the given sentences, match the correct information, match the headings, and complete the diagrams amidst others. By reading daily, you get to enhance your skills that ultimately help you answer all of these questions and more.

Wrapping Up

Preparing for IELTS at home is not specifically a tough task, given that you plan properly and create a stringent curriculum. Also, you should be equipped with dependable study material and expert guidance. So, make sure you follow the above-mentioned tips and strategies well to crack your IELTS exam like a professional.