False advice is often given about IELTS. Instead, you should concentrate on improving your English. Practice your English every day and follow the official preparation advice provided on this website.
IELTS is too difficult
Not at all. IELTS is no more difficult than any other exam. The questions are straightforward and designed to assess how well you can use your English – not to trick you or test your opinions. As with any exam, IELTS requires thorough preparation.
If I sit the test in my home country or countryside, I might get a better result.
Never. This is a common myth. However it is important to understand that the IELTS test will be the same level of difficulty wherever you sit the test.Think about where you will feel most confident taking the test.
If I smile and make the examiner laugh in my Speaking test, I may get a better mark.
Ha ha. Not really. But Smiling can help you feel relaxed which in turn might help you perform better.
I will lose marks if I don’t speak with an Australian, American or British accent.
Focus on speaking clearly and at a natural pace so that the examiner can understand you.
If I write more than the word limit in my Writing test, I will get more marks.
The minimum word limit is important. You must write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2. If you write less than this, you will lose marks. However if you write more, this does not mean you will gain marks.
If the opinions I express in my Writing or Speaking test are different to the examiner, I might lose marks.
In your Writing and Speaking test, there are no right or wrong opinions. The examiner is assessing how well you can use your English to report information and express ideas.
If I keep practising sample questions I will get a better band score.
Practising sample tests will help you learn what is expected in each part of the test. This is good test preparation in order to maximise the English skills you have.
I’ve heard it is easy to cheat at IELTS.
IELTS is protected by sophisticated and multi-layered security measures to prevent cheating in order to protect you and the organisations that accept your results.