IELTS Preparation in Bangladesh: A Complete Guideline to Get a High Score

When we think of going to our dream country, the first thing that stands in our way is the standardized test. IELTS is one of the most popular standardized tests in Bangladesh. When I took my IELTS preparation, I was taken aback to see the duration allocated for IELTS Reading.

When I first attempted a reading test from Cambridge IELTS 9 for the first time having no idea about reading question types and strategies to deal with them, I was about to give up on IELTS preparation let alone dreaming of going abroad.

But with 4 months of rigorous and systematic practice, I have ended up achieving a band score of 7.5 (overall) with 8.5 in Reading and Listening. From my experience, I’d like to enlighten you with some tips and tricks for acing IELTS. This article is going to be a one-stop solution to your IELTS preparation.

Here you will find a complete roadmap on IELTS preparation in Bangladesh, tips needed for a high band score, and books that will boost your band score.

Why choose IELTS as a standardized test?

Each year thousands of Bangladeshi people sit for the IELTS test. The number of test-takers is increasingly rising because IELTS is accepted by 11,000 schools, universities, employers and immigration bodies in over 140 countries. Approximately, 30,000 to 50,000 students sit for the test each year. So a handsome score in IELTS can open endless avenues for your career. In this article, I’ll demonstrate tips, tricks and strategies for accelerating your IELTS preparation journey.

Each year thousands of Bangladeshi people sit for the IELTS test. The number of test-takers is increasingly rising because IELTS is accepted by 11,000 schools, universities, employers, and immigration bodies in over 140 countries.

Approximately, 30,000 to 50,000 students sit for the test each year. So a handsome score in IELTS can open endless avenues for your career. In this article, I’ll demonstrate tips, tricks, and strategies for accelerating your IELTS preparation journey.

Top 10 IELTS Preparation Tips

Look, when you first attempt something, it is usual that you become perplexed about where to start. But if you know the steps, this will no longer make you indecisive. All the steps needed to get an impressive score are given below.

Familiarize yourself with the IELTS test. You could, for example, look for information from a reliable resource e.g. Cambridge books or other credible websites. You would need to discover. you a great score, particularly in Listening.

• For a good IELTS Reading score, it’s better to focus on understanding the text rather than being worried about time management, especially at the initial stage of your practice. Once you ensure a good understanding of the texts, you can then work on time management, but not both simultaneously at the initial stage of your preparations. IELTS Reading is more of a time management skill than reading skills itself.

• For scoring high in IELTS Writing, the more you read, the better writer you would be. What would you read for IELTS Writing improvement? You can read any topics from newspapers, books, magazines and journals but most importantly, taking notes of topic-specific vocabularies could be a handy technique here. Even more so, you need to get your scripts checked by a proficient person or a good IELTS teacher.

• For a marvelous IELTS Speaking score, there is no alternative to practice in groups. Managing at least one practice partner to practice with is the best way to get going in this module. The partner should ask you IELTS-related questions and give you feedback. In this way, you can get feedback that a book cannot give you. This is undoubtedly the best way of practice for IELTS Speaking.

• After several weeks of preparation, you might think of checking your progress. For this, taking a few mock tests could give you a sense of what to expect if you sit for the actual test right away. You would never want to waste your money sitting for the real test without checking your present level first.  WRITE MORE

• Once you’re happy with your mock test results, register for the actual exam. If not, take some more time to better prepare for IELTS. After you register for the test, what is most essential is to stay calm, confident and positive. This mindset is indispensable at this stage. Don’t forget to start out a little earlier on exam day. You can never guarantee traffic conditions, especially in Dhaka.

Top 10 IELTS books for band 7 and above

1. Cambridge IELTS books (10 – 16)

Cambridge IELTS 10, 11,12,13,14,15 and 16 are the complete guide for you to prepare for the IELTS test. They include all four modules. Each book contains four full tests that represent authentic examination papers from Cambridge Assessment English.

As these books are designed by Cambridge, they can be your ideal guide. The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

2. The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

This is a great material in order to sharpen your skills, especially Listening and Writing. This book includes eight official practice tests. The beauty of this book is it incorporates test-taking strategies for many different question types. Studying this book consistently can turn out to be life-changing material.

3. Official IELTS Practice Materials 1 & 2 by Cambridge ESOL

These books are a resource pack for the test takers because it is developed by IELTS partners including Cambridge ESOL examiners. They involve sample candidate Writing responses with examiner comments and sample candidate Speaking tests along with examiner comments.

4. IELTS Reading Tests by McCarter and Ash

Reading is arguably one of the hardest modules in IELTS. The stumbling block is time instead of the difficulty level. So, you need intensive practice to get familiarized with the question types. This book reasonably does the trick to get you through a series of reading comprehensions. It consists of 10 separate tests with answer keys and explanations in the end.

5. My Vocabulary Diary by S.M Walid Rahman (BARC)

The diary has two distinct parts. The first part gives you the meaning of words both in Bangla and English. Additionally, it provides at least two example sentences to show how the word behaves as a noun, adjective, or an adverb. Then come similar words or synonyms and opposite words or antonyms. The team, with great care, has selected some of the most common synonyms and antonyms so that you remember them easily.

In short, this is a smart solution to your vocabulary problem. No more worries because you already feel the power of words inside you. Now you can read, write and think in English better than ever. Say goodbye to memorizing tons of words for your essays, reports, and everyday conversation. Unique and handy ‘My Vocabulary Diary’ would be your faithful companion day and night.

6. Makkar IELTS Speaking

This book is a huge collection of sample Speaking test questions. It covers each of the Speaking parts: 1, 2 and 3. There are full-length speaking model questions and answers.

7. IELTS Practice Test Plus (1, 2, 3)

There are five full IELTS practice tests in each of these three books. Also, they have added tips to deal with different question types.

8. IELTS Trainer 1 & 2

There are two versions of this book. This book contains six practice tests for IELTS, each covering Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. It could be your perfect companion for IELTS. Reading texts are of a bit advanced level so never be so worried if you find the number of correct answers fall to some extent initially.

9. IELTS Advantage: Writing Skills

If you are looking for a perfect guideline for crafting your essay in an organized way, this book is for you. It is a comprehensive resource for making your writing section stronger in the test.

10. IELTS Writing Task 1 & 2 by Rachel Mitchell

Only with the demonstration, you might be at stake as long as you are not provided with any samples. You will find myriads of sample essays to have an idea of how to organize them and how to connect each of the ideas well in between the essays and align them to the topic thematically.

Top 5 Online Resources for IELTS Preparation

1. IELTS.live

This website incorporates a wide range of practice tests on Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking from which you can assess your present level and speed up your proficiency. The beauty of this is it involves options like Speaking and Writing evaluation scopes with free English Assessment.

2. IELTS.org

This is a very authentic resource for introducing yourself to the test format and exploring 100% credible information about the test format.

3. IELTS Practice Online

You might be thinking that it’s unsafe to go out if the Covid-19 outbreak is on the rise around you. This website can give you to take mock tests online for free.

4. TakeIELTS by British Council

This website includes five versions here: Free version (free for all), last-minute version (free when you register for IELTS with British Council), Speed version (paid), success version (paid), and premium version (paid).

5. IELTS Advantage

Here you will find tips and techniques for all four modules: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. While there are numerous free tips, it also provides students with premium IELTS courses.

Best of luck with your IELTS test! I’m waiting to hear your success stories.