How to prepare for IELTS at home without coaching?

One of the most essential assessments of English language competency used globally is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). It is a requirement for anyone seeking admission to colleges or universities in English-speaking nations and for anyone pursuing employment or potential residency options there. Understanding why the IELTS test is so essential is vital before we have a detailed discussion on the subject. How can you prepare for IELTS without coaching at home? 

IELTS scores are significant to various nations' immigration and visa departments. Although many people choose group coaching or other forms of professional coaching, home study is also an option. In this blog, we talk about IELTS and how to prep for IELTS at home. 

What is IELTS?

A requirement for admission into English-speaking nations for higher education, employment, or PR is the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Your proficiency in the fundamentals of the English language in terms of Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking is tested on the exam. Many universities and organisations in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and, to some extent, the USA acknowledge IELTS and grant admission based on IELTS test results.

Overview of IELTS Preparation

The IELTS exam provides a doorway for higher education in countries abroad. Any student seeking admission to an institution in a study abroad destination will require a good IELTS exam score. The ideal way to start your IELTS self-study is to instil the habit of speaking and writing in English. 

Students from non-speaking nations like India may occasionally think and converse in their native language. They frequently convert their thoughts into English, and as a result, they make occasional mistakes. As a result, regular practice and zeal for your dream university can help you score higher.

Studying abroad is a long journey in and of itself, and preparing for many tests can be taxing at times. For master's programs, most universities require students to have both IELTS and GRE scores. While an English Language Proficiency test is required for all students from non-English speaking nations, a solid GRE score demonstrates one's ability and talents to pursue a master's degree at top universities worldwide. 

Do you realize how similar both examinations are in many ways? The strategy for IELTS Writing Task 2 and GRE AWA Issue Essay is the same; the only difference is the difficulty level of GRE AWA. Both activities solicit your thoughts on societal concerns at varying times and word counts. As a result, you can prepare for both tests at the same time. 

How can you prepare for IELTS at home without coaching?

Here are some ways to help you prepare for IELTS without coaching:

• Do your routine homework: Download and study the official candidates' guide attentively. Learn in-depth about the listening, reading, writing, and speaking areas.

• Continue to put yourself to the test: Alternate between timed practice sessions and give yourself adequate time to understand texts and questions. Review examiner remarks and model answers to evaluate your performance if you have ever taken actual practice examinations. 

• Record your sample Speaking test: Find a partner to practice with online or at home. Record your mock speaking examinations to see how you're doing and where you're falling short. You can play both the candidate and the examiner. Keep a transcript of everything you say; this will help you discover faults sooner. 

• Online IELTS training: There are plenty of online IELTS training podcasts, seminars, assistance sessions, tools, and other things. 

• Learn from older textbooks: Study your past textbooks, particularly your grammar books and English study materials. They will be beneficial in your preparation for the IELTS. 

• Keep exam time constraints in mind: You should thoroughly understand the IELTS examination framework. It would help if you continued to practise with timed tests, as previously suggested. Keep in mind the test time limit as well as the time constraints for each module or subject. 

If you are unable to complete your modules within their respective time limits, or if you suddenly lose focus owing to time constraints, you may lose critical marks and miss many questions. 

• Practise your English at home: You should do more than just practice tests and read course material. Try to broaden your vocabulary more comprehensively. Watch English movies, listen to podcasts and videos, watch English television channels, and read periodicals and books to improve your vocabulary. Begin planning and preparing at least 3-6 months before your IELTS exam date. 

• Avoid distractions: There will be various diversions during the examination, which you should be aware of from the start. It would be best if you continued to multitask in English while listening. The listening component is challenging, as you will be required to answer around 40 questions for four recordings that will be played only once. 

Typical questions include sentence completion, form completion, description completion, and multiple-choice questions. It is easy to get lost in the chat at times, but you must recover quickly, or you will miss all subsequent questions on the entire assignment. Prepare for distractions and train yourself to overcome them quickly to return to answering questions. 

• Develop your reading abilities with caution: You will be tested on your reading skills in primary thought, information, summary, skimming, grasp of any rational argument, and awareness of writers' viewpoints, aims, and attitudes. Read as much as you possibly can. Read newspapers, blogs, books, and other materials. 

Any English writing will do because you must provide smaller responses, match facts, supply entire sentences, complete diagram labels, and match heads during the test. Increase the variety of your test preparation materials. You should be prepared with as many different replies and activities as feasible.

Tips on IELTS Exam Preparation without Coaching

Working on your IELTS English abilities may appear challenging initially, but with enough effort and practice, you may attain a decent command of your language. And if you're wondering, "How can I prepare for IELTS at home?" here are some pointers on preparing for the IELTS exam at home for each section:

Listening Section

The IELTS hearing section demands you to carefully listen to four different bits of audio and provide responses based on them.

• You can practise taking notes, mental mapping, and searching for suggestions for answers.

• Try to pay close attention to every word.

• While listening, avoid any distractions and assumptions.

• Provide replies with no time constraints.

• Prepare thoroughly and avoid spelling and punctuation issues.

Reading Section

The passage-based questions in the IELTS reading portion assess your interpretation, understanding, and comprehension of the answers.

• Keep your eyes open while reading to help you respond quickly.

• Regularly read newspapers, journals, blogs, and magazines.

• Keep an eye out for proper punctuation and comprehension of content.

Writing Section

The IELTS writing section consists of two essays in which you must describe a specified circumstance, process, graph, or chart.

• Read and rehearse descriptive essays.

• Make time to write an article in the allotted time.

• Mark your grammatical and punctuation errors and work on them.

Speaking Section

The IELTS speaking component evaluates your interview and communication abilities. The invigilator assesses your speaking ability, sentence building, narrative, etc.

• You can make a unique introduction about yourself.

• Practice asking strong questions.

• It takes part in debates and discussion groups.

• Work on your body language and generate opinions about current events.

Books to Study for IELTS Exam Preparation

Although the exam is online, you can prepare by reading books. Books are a valuable resource if you are creating an IELTS self-study strategy. A decent book without faults helps you prepare well and reduces screen time. Here are some helpful publications on how to prepare for IELTS from home for overseas students:

• Barron's IELTS Superpack

• Check Your English Vocabulary for IELTS

• Focus on IELTS Foundation: Foundation Coursebook

• The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

• Official IELTS Practice Materials

• Success to IELTS: Tips and Techniques

• Cambridge Grammar for IELTS

• Collins English for IELTS

• Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Student's Book with Answers with Audio

Prepare for IELTS with Vancity Global

Vancity Global has programs that assist students in IELTS preparation, Profile Building, Academic Writing, Education Loan, University Application, and Visa process to prepare them for their study abroad journey. Pursue your dream to study at the international university of your choice, and let us help you with the rest. Our team of qualified counsellors who have been trained to help each student with any and every doubt related to abroad studies. Reach us to know more!