General

● Start preparing with weak zones first

● The examiners mostly want to know whether you can communicate effectively

Linking Words
Additional additionally; also; moreover; furthermore; again; further; then; besides; too;
comments or similarly; correspondingly; indeed; regarding.
ideas
Alternatives whereas; conversely; in comparison; by contrast; another view is…;
alternatively; although; otherwise; instead.
Analyzing therefore; accordingly; as a result of; the result is/results are; the consequence
results is; resulting from; consequently; it can be seen; evidence illustrates that;
because of this; thus; hence; for this reason; owing to x; this suggests that; it
follows that; otherwise; in that case; that implies;
Author X (year) suggests that;
Cause / as a result of; because (mid-sentence only)
Reason
Compare compared with; in the same way; likewise
Contrast by contrast; although; compared with; conversely; despite; however,
nevertheless; yet
Effect / As a result; therefore; thus
Result
Emphasizing however; nonetheless; furthermore; in the final analysis; despite x;
earlier notwithstanding x; in spite of x; while x may be true, nonetheless
statements
although; though; after all; at the same time; even if x is true; count
Introducing for example; for instance; namely; such as; as follows; as exemplified by; such
examples as; including; especially; particularly; in particular; notably; mainly;
Re-phrasing in other terms; rather; or; better; in view of this; in contrast
Sequencing first (ly); second (ly); third (ly); another; additionally; finally; moreover; also;
subsequently; eventually; next; then; afterwards, later on
Summary or in conclusion; therefore; to conclude; on the whole; hence; Thus, to
Conclusion summarize; altogether; overall; …following the research of…after analysis
Writing
Sources:
● Most Successful IELTS Course in the World (IELTS Preparation Full Course)
● https://youtube.com/@ielts-uponlinelessons7695?si=onVmxE4odxkmKKdH

Marking Criteria

The marking will be on each of these 4 parameters (from 0 to 9) and then averaged.
Writing task 2 weighs two times more than Writing task 1.
So if you get 8.0 for task 2 and 6.5 for task 1, the total score for the IELTS Writing Section is
8.0*(2/3)+(6.5)*1/3=7.5.
Task 2 (250+ words)
Question Types
● Do you agree or disagree? (binary answer. Can’t be “I partly agree”)
● To what extent do you agree or disagree?
● What are the causes? What solutions do you suggest?

Essay Structure
An example of good structure:
o Introduction:
❑ paraphrase question, personal opinion.
❑ Unlike Task 1, the complete structure should be changed while paraphrasing
❑ Necessary words and phrases (Agree-Disagree):
○ It is argued that .../It is considered that .../It is thought that .../There is a
notion that...
○ I completely agree/disagree with this opinion and think that x is much
more important than y.
❑ Necessary words and phrases (Causes-Solutions):
○ This essay will examine the main causes of x and possible solutions to this
problem.
o Main body 1
⮚ Structure (Agree-Disagree)
o sentence 1 - state the reason why you agree/disagree (“Firstly/First of all”)
o sentences 2-3 - explain your reason (“In other words…”)
o sentence 4 - give an example (“For instance/For example”)
o sentence 5 - write a summary of your ideas (“That’s way/Thus”)
⮚ Structure (Causes-Solutions)
o Sentence 1: two important causes
o Sentence 2-4: explain cause 1 and example. Not all body paragraphs
require example
o Sentence 5-7: explain cause 2 and example
o Sentence 8: Summary (optional) (“That’s way/Thus”)
o Main body 2
o Structure (Agree-Disagree)
▪ Both main bodies agree or disagree
o Structure (Causes-Solutions)
▪ Solutions
o Conclusion
o Opinion from the above discussion
 ● Agree-Disagree: “To conclude/In conclusion/To sum up/To summarize +
restate your opinion + restate 2 reasons briefly”
● Causes-Solutions: “To conclude/In conclusion/To sum up/To summarize +
restate the causes + restate the solutions (“However, we can reduce/lessen…)”
Steps for Preparation
TLDR: 1. Idea comparing 2. Writeup comparing. While comparing writeups, check: linking
words, their grammar mistakes, and new terminology.
Steps for preparation using band 6+ essays (The essays may still have grammatical mistakes).
1. Idea Generation & Essay Structure
Idea Generation
The overall idea should be simple and relevant to the given topic. Read the introduction
and conclusion. Mark the main ideas.
Compare the answer in mind with the essays. You are not looking for an exact match, but
check whether your ideas are relevant.
Essay Structure
Check the structure of the essay.

2. Idea Development
Write the essay from the main ideas from the Introduction and conclusion, then compare
them.
3. Linking Words
Example: In other words, for example, for instance, in conclusion.
Good essays use them, but not many times. Check why these were used in the essays.
4. Grammar 1
Identify other’s mistakes.
5. Grammar 2
Look at the sentence structures.
Personal opinion, this is very tough to do actively. Rather it should happen passively
through other steps.
6. Vocabulary
Learn the unknown words from the samples.

Miscellaneous
● While explaining something, assume that the reader knows nothing as the reader cannot
ask anything for clarification
● Use examples. The examiner wants to know if you can use examples effectively as using
examples makes communication a lot easier.
Example sources: A recent study shows/concludes/found that…, Newspaper, YouTube
Be careful about using personal experience
● Proofread: very crucial to revise. Check grammar, spelling, and typos.
● Difference between a good and a bad answer: (Summary: Just answer the questions
clearly. Take a stand if you are asked to. You can discuss the point you don’t agree with
in Main Body 1 and discuss the point that you agree with in Main Body 2 and vice versa.)
https://youtu.be/hS7J1fNOulg?si=MA5pOxxkHTJAGzpd
● Throwing a list of ideas does not ensure better marks, rather expanding on 2 or 3 ideas
does. So, only choose the ideas that can be elaborated, even if they are not the
strongest points.
Task 1 (150+ words)
Miscellaneous
● Not enough information to write 150 words: elaborate on each change
● Too much information: explain the main trends in 150 words
● Introduction: you can add general information mentioned in the graph or from the
reference of the graph. Paraphrasing: do not look at the question, first type what you
have understood so far, then look at the question. This approach is helpful to make it
unique.
● Structures for Main Body: (1) Description of Feature 1 and 2 (2) Initial and Final
conditions in case of a time series (3) Cases where Feature 1 is greater than Feature 2
and vice versa.
● Mention words like double, half, and four times while comparing the initial condition
with the final condition and between two features.
● Copper, nickel, and zinc fell to -0.5%, -3%, and -1% (1) respectively (2) in the same
order (3) Copper had a value of -0.5%, nickel had a value of -3%, and zinc had a value
of -1%. (4) The values were: copper, -0.5%; nickel, -3%; zinc, -1%. (5) The values were:
-0.5% (copper), -3% (nickel), -1% (zinc). (6) The prices changed by -0.5%, -3%, and -
1% for copper, nickel, and zinc sequentially.
● Increased to/moved up to/inclined to/rose to, decreased to/fell to/declined to/dropped
to, reached
● Similarly, conversely, in addition, furthermore

Line Diagram (Continuous data usually)

○ Structure:
■ Introduction: paraphrase what the graph shows using the question and
graph.
● Necessary words and phrases:
○ show = describe = illustrate = provide information about
○ …shows how…
■ Overview: general information without any numbers (overall
increasing/decreasing, fluctuating/steady, comparison between features
initially and finally)
■ Feature 1: similar features can also be grouped in a paragraph (Exp: data
with an increasing trend) and mention all the details and numbers
● Additional information: highest and lowest points in the graph
● Instead of writing values, sometimes the amount of change can be
written.
● While writing numbers use words like about, almost, around,
approximately, roughly etc. if the numbers are not clear enough
from the graph.
 ● Necessary words and phrases:
○ In 2016, the contribution of agriculture “became more than
three times greater than that of” 2010.
○ In 2016, the contribution of agriculture “had shrunk to one-
third of what it was” in 2010.
○ …contributed to/made up/accounted for 15%
○ …rose to/reduced to/fell to 15%
○ …had a growth of/had a reduction of/decreased by 2%
■ Feature 2
■ Feature 3 (if required)
■ No conclusion or personal opinion.
Bar Chart (Discrete data usually)
○ Same as Line Diagram
Pie Chart
○ Structure:
■ Introduction: Same as Line Diagram
■ Overview: general information without any numbers (2-4 key
information)
● Biggest and smallest slices (Biggest and smallest in pie 1, biggest
and smallest in pie 2)
● Or, slices with the biggest changes and stable slices
● Necessary words and phrases:
○ was the smallest segment = contributed the least to the
economy = made the lowest contribution = made up the
smallest part of the chart = was the least significant part of
the economy
■ Feature 1: similar features can also be grouped in a paragraph (Exp: data
with an increasing trend) and mention all the details and numbers
● Instead of writing values, sometimes the amount of change can be
written.
● Necessary words and phrases:
○ In 2016, the contribution of agriculture “became more than
three times greater than that of” 2010.
○ In 2016, the contribution of agriculture “had shrunk to one-
third of what it was” in 2010.
○ …contributed to/made up/accounted for 15%
○ …rose to/reduced to/fell to 15%
○ …had a growth of/had a reduction of/decreased by 2%
■ Feature 2
■ Feature 3 (if required)
■ No conclusion or personal opinion.
Process Diagram
○ Things to check for complex diagrams:
■ Is the whole process cyclic? Is there any internal cyclic process?
■ Are there parallel processes happening at the same time?
○ Structure:
■ Introduction: Same as Line Diagram
■ Overview: No general trend in process diagrams. Things to write:
● Number of stages
● Beginning and ending of the process
● Make clusters of processes if possible
● Mention if there is any loop
○ Necessary words and phrases:
■ Overall,…
■ …beginning with…/…ending up with…
■ Feature 1: combine multiple sequential processes in one paragraph
○ Necessary words and phrases:
■ Firstly/Next/After that/Then/Subsequently/In the
next stage/Following this/Finally
■ Finally x process is performed and the product is
ready to be used.
■ Feature 2
■ Feature 3 (if required)
■ No conclusion or personal opinion.

Change in Map
● The overview lists the unchanged and changed things/ overall pattern of change. If there
are a lot of changes with no specific pattern, mention the change that seems most visible
or significant.
● Main body: use directions and adjacent objects. If there is no north arrow, use phrases
like “at the back of the room, on the left-hand side from the entrance”.

Table
 Mention: high, low, trend, median (exp: around x)
 Mention unusually high and low values
 Make clusters based on an arbitrary threshold (like 100%) if required
Speaking (11-14 mins)
Sources:
● Most Successful IELTS Course in the World (IELTS Preparation Full Course)

Demos
● Full: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDv9njERj0s
● Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hihIrNRfnpQ
● Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoeKYAqBRtE

Marking Criteria
1. Fluency and coherence (FC) = how clear and structured is your speech.
To increase the score for FC:
● connect your sentences by linking words/signposts
● extend your answers, add all the relevant details
● speak smoothly and continuously
● use pausing correctly

2. Lexical Resource (LR) = how good is your vocabulary.

To increase the score for LR:
● use a wide range of vocabulary
● discuss different topics freely, using appropriate words
● speak formally or semi-formally
● choose words accurately
● use idiomatic language

3. Pronunciation (P) = how naturally you sound.

To increase the score for P:
● pronounce words as clearly as possible
● record your speech and work on the words that you spell incorrectly
● stress words and sentences correctly
● use correct intonations
● try to be easily understood by the examiner
 4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA) = how good is your grammar.
To increase the score for GRA:
● avoid grammatical mistakes
● try to use more advanced grammatical structures (passive voice, direct speech, different
tenses and conditional sentences etc)

The marking will be on each of these 4 parameters (from 0 to 9) and then averaged.

Miscellaneous Advice on Speaking

● Unfamiliar Topic
It’s a speaking test, not an intelligence or knowledge test. Don’t be afraid when an
unfamiliar topic comes up and don’t memorize.
If you have no idea at all
o Take some time.
Example: “I’ve never thought about that before, please give me a second.”
“I don’t know a lot about this topic, but if I had to guess I would say…..”
o Tell a relevant story about someone (doesn’t have to be true)
● There are many “Band 9” videos on YouTube made by unqualified coaching centers.
● Not understanding the question
Ask the examiner questions if you don’t understand. Your IELTS Speaking test is meant
to be like a normal conversation.
Example: ‘I’m a little confused about the word (X); can you tell me what it means?’, ‘I’m
sorry, could you repeat the question?’
● Warm-up
If possible, speak, write, read, and listen to English for 24 hours before your IELTS
Speaking test
● Elaborate answer
Don’t just say “yes” or “no”. Use explanations (why you think what you think) and
examples. Extend your answers so that the examiner gets enough data to grade you.
Explain the limitations of your argument.
● Having natural silent or audible pauses is ok. People do that even in their mother
language.

Practice
● https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfAa8qapqxlm64_PY7OBgSfARUza9oBcV
Band 9 sample practice
● https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKcPOoWwawyayaq8w8TVZ1oprCRonnCO
IELTS speaking simulator
● https://ielts.vtalkai.com/exam/option/dashboard
 ● Stimuler and Bandscore 9 apps from play store

● Attend mock test. You are going to be evaluated by some fixed criteria. Only ex-
examiners will be able to notice the areas for development.
● Record your answers for a sample test and evaluate yourself. This a great way to
improve.
Also, find an app that transcribes the voice and use that transcription in Grammarly or
ChatGPT to find errors.
Practice a certain part at a time (Part 1, 2 or 3). Approximate number of questions for
each part: 9 for Part 1, 1 for Part 2, 3-4 for Part 3
● Be loud and clear. The examiner should understand 100% of the words you speak. Check
recordings to check clearness.
● Thinking in English: Describe what you are thinking and what you see in English
consistently. Wear a headphone in public to pretend to talk to someone.

Evaluation
Marking criteria: fluency & coherence, grammar, vocabulary (doesn’t mean fancy words, rather
if you could express something better with a word), pronunciation
Suggestions for Different Parts
Part 1 (Personal Questions): 4-5 mins
● Not too long, not too short: Do not provide answers with 5-6 sentences for each
question. Better to do it for none. The examiner has to go through all the questions (9-12
questions).

Part 2 (Topics-based)
● 1 minute for thinking, 1-2 mins for speaking.
● Time management: make bullet points and speak on each topic for a certain amount of
time. You can either talk for 2 minutes or keep talking until the examiner stops you.
● Bullet Points:
o You don’t need to follow the bullet points provided in the question. The bullet
points are there to give an idea about the topic.
o No need to maintain the sequence of the given bullet points.
o Add other points if you like. Example: past-present-future, opinion, WH
questions…
o Have an end goal in mind and develop the answer accordingly
● It is highly unlikely to get a topic that a random person cannot talk about.
● Keep talking naturally. If you run out of topic, look at the bullet points made by
you.
Things to talk about:
Introduction
‘I’d like to talk about (X). ‘I chose this topic because…’. The reason can be a real-life example.
WH question
What, why, when, how…
Past
Example of something that used to happen or you used to do. Use a linking word like ‘anyway’
or ‘anyhow’ to transition into talking about the past.
Shows the ability to use different tenses.
Description
‘So let me tell you about (X) in a little more detail.’
Opinion
‘If you ask me/In my view/I would say…”
Future
‘With regards to the future…’

Part 3 (Discussion on ideas): 4-5 mins

● Structures:
o Structure 1:
Answer the question > Explain > Example
o Structure 2: Develop an argument like an essay. Instead of making a big list of
ideas, pick one or two ideas and elaborate on them. Making a big list makes it
difficult to discuss maintaining grammar as you are busy thinking about the ideas.
IELTS is not an idea test.
(a) Some people say this > Explain > Example
(b) Some people say this > Explain > Example
(c) I think this

● They will often increase the difficulty until you can’t answer the question. There will be
at least one question that you have no idea how to answer. However, the worst thing you
can do is simply not attempt an answer.
●
●
Reading
Sources:
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KadZ3KYzM0I
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Y2liwGRl8

Miscellaneous
● Go through question types:
o https://ielts.idp.com/indonesia/about/news-and-articles/article-question-types-of-
ielts-reading-test/en-gb
o https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-question-types/
● All the questions except diagram labeling questions are in the order of the paragraphs.
● Reading test is mostly about understanding the meaning and synonymous sentences.
● There is no negative marking. So, leave no questions unanswered.
● There are about 800-1000 words in a 2-page passage. Reading at 250 words/minute
should take 3-4 mins. For practicing reading at this speed:
https://www.spreeder.com/app.php

Steps
https://www.ieltstestsimulation.com/wb-cnt/reading/
1. Read each paragraph fast and look for relevant questions at the 1st segment. Mark the
names, words that represent the theme of the paragraph, and any information that seems
important. Go to the end.
2. Read the instructions carefully for instructions about the number of words and
repeating an answer.
3. After reading a question, look for the word that does not have a synonym in the passage.
Tips for Question Types
● Match heading: Questions may say “Choose the correct heading for each paragraph
from the list given below”.
o Answer these at the end as it requires reading everything.
o Read the paragraphs first and then look at the given options.
● FALSE vs NOT GIVEN:
o Read the question first.
o Do not use your prior knowledge about the topic in any part of the test.
● Sentence/Summary Completion:
o After reading the question, guess the answer or parts of speech of the answer.
o Scan for the answer.
● Matching Paragraph Information:
o Answer these at the end as it requires reading everything.
Practice
● Cambridge books
● https://banglayielts.com/courses/academic/lesson/cambridge-11-test-1/
● https://ieltsweb.com/ielts-academic-reading-practice-tests
● https://www.ieltstestsimulation.com/wb-cnt/reading/
Listening
Sources:
● https://youtu.be/q8qmJeBxk4Q?si=-45w07Rv1rR-EOi0
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOAsUNNyPIs
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6jgygopp40

Miscellaneous
● Go through question types:
o https://edubenchmark.com/blog/ielts-listening-question-types/
● Time:
5:20 (five twenty or twenty past five), 7:45 (seven forty-five or quarter to eight), 7:15
(seven-fifteen or quarter past seven), 6:30 (six thirty or half past six).
While writing the time: Three thirty is “3.30”, not “3:30”

Cambridge 18, Test 4, Listening 9

Cambridge 19, Test 3, Listening 3

● Write the correct letter from the 6 (say) options:
If it gets hard to follow the audio, listen to the audio at once, then answer them in the
break.
Steps
1. Check whether the headphones are working properly during the example question and tell
them to fix them if not working properly.
2. Read the title carefully.
3. Predict: Initially, when time is given to see the questions, mark the unchangeable
parts of the questions. Also, mark the verb that can be paraphrased. Keep in mind the
parts of speech of the answer.
4. If the answer is long, write in short initially, so you don’t miss the next answer.
5. If you miss the answer, write a probable answer.
6. Part 4 usually contains academic discussion and hence, is not paraphrased. Look for a
direct match of words.
7. For rearranging multiple options, hear the whole thing and make notes. Look for
paraphrased answers at the end of the exam. Use a pen to make notes. Write the answers
in the breaks between sections and at the end (10 minutes for paper-based and 2 minutes
for computer-based).
8. For maps: Try to guess the synonyms of the location names and probable locations
based on common sense. Carefully notice where the tour begins (the reference point).
Use a pen to make notes. https://youtu.be/-aBW-RHtcrE?si=tjSkj7b3OW36zmfW
9. Check for sequence break at the time given at the end. It is probably not required for
computer-based exams.
Traps
Never use intuition or prior knowledge in Reading or Listening.
● Similar sounding words. Example: fifty-fifteen, Austria-Australia, etc.
● Mentioning the wrong option directly and the correct option is paraphrased.
● Using antonym using prefixes instead of using “not”. Example: “Irregular” instead of
“not regular”.
● Sometimes they change the answer after saying something else.

Practice
● Cambridge books
● https://banglayielts.com/courses/academic/lesson/cambridge-11-test-1/
● https://ieltsweb.com/listening
● https://www.ieltstestsimulation.com/wb-cnt/reading/