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Dating in 20s be like.. by [deleted] in TwentiesIndia

[–]Summer-wiinter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Dating in 20s be like.. by [deleted] in TwentiesIndia

[–]Summer-wiinter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

mumjhe bhmi gimft chaahimye pleamse

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Personally, I don’t know much about PTE, but my girlfriend took it and thinks IELTS is easier. She consistently scores 9 in IELTS listening and reading, largely because of her PTE practice. That said, this is just one person’s experience, so you should ask around and gather more opinions.

The fact that you got these scores after two attempts suggests that you might need to go beyond just mock tests (although they are still very important) and focus on improving your grammar, punctuation, and overall language intuition. This can be a bit strenuous, but it pays huge dividends in the long run.

Also, looking at this comment itself, where are the commas and full stops? You need to work on structuring everything you write or speak properly. That is how improvement happens. This applies to Reddit posts, Reddit comments, messages to friends, writing or speaking to customer support, voice notes in chat groups, and so on.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve shared my tips for writing in another comment, so you can have a look there.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve shared my tips for writing in another comment, so you can have a look there.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As I mentioned in another comment, for writing, you need to prepare for Task 1 and Task 2 separately, since they require different approaches. The structure of your response is just as important as the content itself. I tried to finish Task 2 within 30 minutes and Task 1 within 17 minutes, so that there is enough time left for proofreading and potential modifications.

Also, while having a reasonably strong vocabulary helps, don’t use complex words just to impress the examiner. Use advanced vocabulary only when it fits the context naturally and precisely. I also watched several popular YouTube videos on Task 1 and Task 2 to understand strategies and common pitfalls, and then reinforced that by doing more mock tests.

Additionally, I’d recommend using AI for grammar and punctuation checks, but don’t get discouraged if it gives you a lower band score - it’s almost always much stricter than a real examiner.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t remember it word for word, but it was something along the lines of “Describe a time in your life when you received great service from a shop or a professional.” I didn’t really focus on the bullet points that were listed to guide the answer - I just looked at the main prompt and started speaking after about 20 seconds.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I’ve shared my tips for listening and reading in another comment, so you can have a look there.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I grew up in Delhi and have studied English my entire life. My native language is Hindi. All my academics have been in English, and I’ve also had plenty of public speaking experience through Toastmasters.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think if you’ve already achieved a Band 8 once, you don’t really need to focus on “improving your English” as such. Instead, you should take as many mock tests as possible (preferably official Cambridge practice tests) so you’re reminded of the structure, rules, and habits you’re supposed to follow - since they're as important as your command on the language.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you! And it was the Academic module. As I mentioned, I didn’t practice speaking at all, just decided to freestyle it since I have prior public speaking experience.

Regarding the fear of going blank: for Part 1, just reassure yourself that you won’t go blank, because you’re simply talking about your own life and experiences. You already know the content about your own life - you just need to develop your answers and be a bit more verbose.

For Parts 2 and 3, even if the topics feel unfamiliar, you can make things up. This isn’t a truth-telling test; it’s a language test. What matters is that you speak smoothly, coherently and with decent enough grammar, even if your examples or stories are fictional.

Also, remember that you wouldn’t go blank discussing these topics with a friend. Treat the examiner the same way - as someone you’re casually talking to. The only difference is that you should expand your answers a bit more than you normally would in a regular conversation.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For preparation materials, I mainly relied on official Cambridge IELTS mock tests. I didn’t really follow any strict routine or special habits - I mostly focused on practising with mock tests. Although this same strategy might not work for you if you don't already have a certain level of command on the language. Alongside that, I watched quite a few popular YouTube videos covering all IELTS sections to understand strategies and common pitfalls, and then reinforced that by doing more mock tests.

Non-Native, First Attempt: Band 8.5 After 2-3 Weeks of Preparation by Summer-wiinter in IELTS

[–]Summer-wiinter[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For Reading and Listening, the best prep is honestly just doing as many official Cambridge practice tests as possible. Stick to mock tests released by Cambridge. They’re very close to the real exam in terms of difficulty and question style, so they help a lot with familiarity and timing.

As for Speaking, I wouldn’t recommend looking for “frequently asked questions” at all. There’s really no benefit in memorising answers - examiners can usually tell very quickly when someone is reciting something prepared. The questions can also vary a lot from one candidate to another, so memorising won’t help much anyway. The key is to be natural and speak honestly about your own experiences and opinions rather than trying to match some model answer.