IELTS Reading: how should you practise?

Here's a useful question that a student asked me:

Many students complain that they don’t get a high enough score in IELTS reading, and many teachers respond that you need more practice. Dear Simon, could you describe how to practise for reading correctly? I do practise with the Cambridge books and spend time reading newspapers, but with no results.

Here's my answer:

Good question. First, testing yourself is not the best form of practice. You should test yourself from time to time (e.g. once a week), but spend much more time studying rather than testing. 'Studying' means that your aim is to learn something from what you read. For example, when reading newspaper articles, you might learn a new word or phrase, or you might learn how to use a word correctly in a new context. Don't forget to check things in a dictionary or by searching online, and write new language in a notebook.

The Cambridge IELTS books are a great resource for studying (as well as testing). Try doing some reading tests without a time limit. Allow yourself to use a dictionary to check words, and aim to get all of the answers right. Analyse your mistakes carefully, and make keyword tables.

Above all, remember that IELTS reading is a vocabulary test. Ask yourself what new vocabulary you have learnt this week. Can you point to a page of your notebook and say "I've learnt these 10 or 20 new words and phrases this week"? If you can, you are improving.

Comments

[Pachu]

Yes, this problem is with us, but teachers are not revealing truth or proper method by which students are not focusing on their needy parts.They fail again and again .For average students ,the exam is really difficult because every module should be perfect.Every body says read newspaper a lot, watch movies and TV series .Is this going to help in IELTS?

[Rupinder]

hello simon..use of 'although' with 'but
is incorrect in sentence?

[Simon]

FROM SIMON:

Pachu,

If you want to focus on just one resource, use the official reading tests in the Cambridge IELTS books. Use them for 'study' (as I explained above) as well as for testing.

...

Rupinder,

Can you give an example sentence?

[Pachu]

Thank you so much Simon sir.I am following your website from many years.

[Anna]

I have similar issue with listening section, everyone advises to practice and practice. At home-tests my score sometimes goes to 38 correct to sometimes 30-32 correct. Don't understand the variation and how to improve.

Simon, please suggest.
Thanks

[Kata]

Anna

I don't have a complete answer, but perhaps diagnose what the major issue is. (1) Do you get all the answers right when you replay it the second time? (2) Is one section more difficult than the others? (3) Is it a vocabulary issue? Or a comprehension issue? Or an issue with the accent/speed? (4) If you read the tape-script do you get all the answers correct?

If I remember correctly, a score of over thirty will get you a band 7.0. Do you need and average of band 7.0 or a minimum of band 7.0 in all bands?

[Simon]

Great questions Kata! That's the kind of self-analysis that people need to do.

[Anna]

Thanks Kata, i will do the self analysis in my next listening tests. Prima ficae, its the section 2 and 3 where i get most wrong. Section 4 is where i score well.

[Wanda]

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prima_facie