It is advisable to consider the following before you do self practice for IELTS:

• what IELTS actually tests
• how much time you can afford for preparation (self practice)
• your level of English
• what particular skill you need to focus on
• what materials you need for self practice
• where you want to do self practice

What IELTS actually tests

Most people take IELTS test for two general purposes- immigration and ac

ademic purposes. For the latter purpose you will need to possess good level of English to be able to follow lectures and to do assignments efficiently.

The IELTS exam does not test how much you know English, but rather it is designed to test how well you understand and use English in an academic environment. Therefore you will need to show that you have the adequate skills to utilize English to express and understand complicated ideas.

How much time you can afford for preparation (self practice)

Depending on the purpose for which you are taking the test, on the module (Academic or General) of the test and on the urgency to take the test, the duration of preparation time may vary. However, it is advisable to give yourself about 3 months, if you already have a good level of English, or 6 months if you think your English is below average, to practice for IELTS. The more time you can spend for practice the better it is.

To manage your self practice effectively, you could draw up a study programme which must of course be strictly followed. The length of preparation time could be divided into smaller periods for practice with self-assessment tests at the end of each period. You should plan your daily study time carefully. There are certain times of the day when you are most active and when your brain is freshest and functions best, e.g. early in the morning after a good night’s sleep. Put these times in your daily study programme.

If you do intensive practice, you should allow about 4 hours a day- about 16 to 20 hours a week. But remember not to do your practice at one stretch. Break up your practice times to small sections so that you could rest and refresh your brain at intervals. If you don’t have much time to practice, an hour’s practice a day will do.

Your level of English

It is important that you know your level of English before you start to prepare for IELTS. An IELTS candidate is required to have at least lower intermediate level of English.

There are many ways to assess your level of English: the easiest way is to try out the past papers of Cambridge KET and PET exams available at the British Council Self-access Centre. The answer key and examiner’s notes are available with the papers, so you could check your answers and find out your grade. However, you can only assess your level for reading and listening papers but not the speaking and writing.

Another way to assess your level of English is to take a placement test at the Teaching Centre for a small fee and the test report will tell you your level of English. If your level of English is lower than pre-intermediate then you should first spend time to improve your English instead of trying to prepare for IELTS because it would be waste of time and money if you don’t get desirable band in your exam result.  

What particular skills you need to focus on

Once you know your level of English you will also be able to determine your strengths and weaknesses in your language skills. The IELTS exam tests four skills. So you could grade your four skills in order of priority from the weakest to the strongest, by giving each a number from 1 to 4.

For example, of four skills, if your writing skill is the poorest, you give it number 1, and if your reading skill is the strongest, you give it 4. Then it would be a lot easier for you to manage your self practice. You should give more time to do more practice for the weakest skill.

What materials you need for self practice

There are various media available for self practice of IELTS, such as printed materials, tutoring videos and DVDs, CD-ROMs, Multi-ROMs and the internet websites. The most convenient media for IELTS candidates is the printed materials - i.e. the books. The British Council Self-access Centre has a number of self-study books for IELTS which are of mainly two kinds.

The first kind is the course books that are designed to train the students step by step towards proficiency by focusing on basic skills such as grammar, vocabulary and sentence structures.

The second kind is the practice tests books which are again divided into practice tests for general and academic modules. These practice tests books apply the exact format of IELTS exam so that the students can have the experience of the real IELTS exam.

The listening test for both general and academic modules is the same. If you are just starting to prepare for IELTS, it would be wise to use course books first to master the basic skills. This might take some time until you gain sufficient skills for the exam. Do not attempt to use the practice tests books now because you would be discouraged if you did not do well in the practice tests, and this might lead you to give up your study plan. So you must be patient and hardworking at this stage.

Once you have the full confidence you could start using the practice tests books at the next stage. When nearing the exam, you should use both course books and practice tests books to maintain the balance as you would always need to be reminded of tips and tricks of exam preparation, and of particular language functions that are useful in speaking and writing.

Where you want to do self-practice

Self practice can happen anywhere- at home, at work or at the Self-access Centre. It would be of benefit to you if you could choose a place where it is quite and peaceful, where there is no disturbance, where there are plenty of study resources, where you can find help and guidance easily and where you enjoy doing your self practice.

Doing Self-practice Online

If you have registered for the IELTS exam, you have access to Road to IELTS, a British Council online preparation package with 30 hours of free online materials to help you better prepare for the IELTS exams. To access materials, please click here.