The very first step towards your journey of studying abroad is taking the IELTS test. All candidates aspiring to study or work abroad are required to take this test. The test is conducted to measure the ability of the candidates to understand and use the English language efficiently in any English speaking country.
The test includes Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Listening tasks. A candidate is required to score good bands in each task, and the overall bands should adhere to the specified requirement of the particular country the candidate wants to move to.
A lot of candidates take this test every year, but many of them fail to score the required bands. This is due to the common mistakes they make while attempting the test.
We are discussing some common mistakes which candidates make during their test, resulting in less than the required band score.
- It is very important to maintain the length of every written task. Always remember to follow the instructions. If you are asked to write a minimum of 250 words for an essay, never write a word less than 250. In the same way, if the question paper requires you to complete an answer in just 3 words, do not act smart and write 2 or 4 words. Always stick to the word limit mentioned in the question task.
- Many candidates believe that if they write a longer essay, irrespective of its quality, they will score more bands, which is not true. Sometimes, concentrating on just length in an essay, may result in loss of marks, as the chances of making mistakes increases with the increasing number of sentences. You should only focus on writing a quality essay, and maintain the minimum word requirement mentioned for the essay.
- Sometimes, candidates do not completely understand the topic, and write their answer on a wholly different topic. It may be well-written, but since it is on a totally different topic, they are not going to score any marks. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid straying away from the given topic. Focus on covering all points mentioned in the topic, because that is what will get you good bands.
- Some students memorise readymade essays etc., and write the same in the final test. However, it is important to know that the examiner is smart enough to track such activity, and these will be disqualified on the spot. Therefore, avoid memorising any topic, and always present your original work.
- Some candidates believe that it is important to maintain an accent during the Speaking test. However, it must be made clear that accent is not important; it is the pronunciation that matters. Many candidates lose out on bands just because they try to speak in an accent, which leads to the mispronunciation of words. So, always focus on your pronunciation, and not the accent.
