You can benefit from a wide range of IELTS preparation books and materials, created by some of the world’s leading English language specialists. How To Prepare for IELTSAvailable in British Council test centres and selected book stores, this IELTS practice book can be used in class or for home study.
It includes a CD-ROM and recording transcript that contains practical preparation exercises to help you study each of the four IELTS skills. Official IELTS Practice Materials Volume 1This book and audio CD contains some sample tests for all modules: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Answers and examiners’ comments are also included for extra help.Official IELTS Practice Materials Volume 2The second volume of the Official IELTS Practice Materials range contains more helpful sample tests for each of the four IELTS skills. Answers and examiners’ comments are also included, as well as a DVD of a practice listening test and footage of students taking their speaking tests.Top Tips for IELTS AcademicIf you’re taking the Academic test, then this IELTS practice book is a must-read. It comes with a CD-ROM containing:. an interactive practice test. sample answers and scores. test feedback.To give you a clearer idea of what you’ll need to do when taking your test, a video of a Speaking test is also included.Top Tips for IELTS General TrainingThis guide is really helpful for those of you taking IELTS General Training.
It includes important advice for all four parts of the test, as well as a CD-ROM containing:. an interactive practice test.
sample answers and scores. test feedback.To give you an idea of what to expect on your test day, a video of an example Speaking test is also included.See also.
By on January 30, 2018, UPDATED ON May 6, 2019, inIELTS study materials are an investment. You put time, energy, and money into them with the expectation that they will help you achieve the band scores you need. Yet, not every IELTS book is created equal and not all IELTS resources are the same. What helps one person may not be as effective for another.
This post introduces some of the best IELTS materials, including the best IELTS books and free IELTS resources (like Magoosh’s ), currently available and categorizes them according to their strengths. This should help you prepare for the IELTS in a smart, efficient, and focused way. Good luck!Resource by TopicPublisherTitleRankingBest Practice QuestionsBritish CouncilCambridge ESOLIDP: IELTS Australia1Practice QuestionsCambridge University Press2Practice QuestionsIELTS3Best Test StrategiesKaplan1Test StrategiesCambridge University Press2Test Strategieswww.ieltsliz.com3Best GrammarPearson Longman1The Best IELTS Practice ExamsOfficial IELTS Practice Materials Volume 1 and Volume 2It is very important to take several full-length practice exams before your test day. Practicing with official IELTS material will benefit you most.
Official Ielts Practice Materials 2
And are definitely worth your investment. They include model answers at various band score levels for the Writing tasks. Volume 2 includes a DVD with very useful videos of people taking the Speaking exam. Make sure to use all of the official materials provided by IELTS. You should spend time studying the free sample questions on the IELTS website in addition to these full-length exams.The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTSCambridge English also offers official practice exams.
I recommend the IELTS book, which includes six full-length Academic IELTS practice exams and two full-length General Training practice exams. This IELTS book also contains useful chapters with exercises and tips to help you prepare. If you plan to purchase only one IELTS book, this is most likely the one to choose.Sample Test Questions on the IELTS WebsiteTo be more accurate, I should say that I am recommending the sample test questions in the IELTS web sites, plural. As you may already know, there are.
Eurosoft pc check 7 2. When it comes to practice questions the, two most “user-friendly” official IELTS websites are IELTS.org and the British Council IELTS website. Features every single question type you might possibly see on the exam. (And IELTS.org also has. The British Council’s IELTS website offers, with enough material for one full General Training IELTS or one full Academic IELTS. IELTS Resources: Tips and Test StrategiesIELTS LizEarning a high IELTS band score requires a strong command of English.
However, mastering test strategies can bolster your score as well. Take time management, for example. Time is very limited on the IELTS Writing and Reading papers. If you don’t know how to manage the clock well, you will almost certainly lose precious points. Multiple choice strategy, strategic reading skills such as skimming and scanning, and so on are also part of the whole picture.To learn about the language of this exam and winning approaches to take the IELTS, start with the excellent videos and study materials on. This high-quality (and free!) resource is produced by an experienced IELTS instructor.Kaplan’s IELTS Premier with 8 Practice Tests (Third Edition)I’ve already presented above as a great source of practice exams.
Although the official study guide chapters are useful, they are not very concisely organized around test-taking strategies. Each chapter in Cambridge’s official book includes tips, but they also contain many language development exercises that may not be as useful for some students. This is where a supplemental IELTS prep source like Kaplan comies in.For a clearer presentation of IELTS strategies, is an excellent resource. Kaplan’s practice exams are also well designed and worth studying; but remember, they are unofficial. Kaplan’s text combined with one or more of the official practice exam options listed above would make an excellent set of resources for self-study.IELTS Resources: English Language DevelopmentUltimately, the IELTS exam assesses your English proficiency. There is no magical way to improve your English without a great deal of hard work over an extended period of time.
Chances are you’ve already put a lot of effort into learning English. So what materials will help you improve before exam day?The Best IELTS Resources for Improving VocabularyThe IELTS rewards a deep vocabulary. Your ability to paraphrase and find synonyms will impact your score tremendously. Spelling also counts on the IELTS!
Make sure you focus on spelling when you learn new words. You don’t want to lose easy points because of misspellings.A great way to expand your vocabulary for the IELTS is to read well-written articles that are similar to the IELTS in content and tone.
As you read, keep track of new vocabulary in a notebook or on your device. Here is a list of good journalistic resources for IELTS study:.Additionally, Magoosh offers a. Download it and try to learn 20 new words every day!is another vocabulary resource to consider. Each chapter includes practice questions and reading passages to reinforce your understanding of new words. Bear in mind, however, that this book is really meant for intermediate-level English learners.
If your English vocabulary is very advanced or very basic, you may not find this text very useful. Additionally, I would not recommend investing in this Barron’s IELTS book if you only have a short time to study (6 weeks or less) because you won’t get through it. That said, with enough time, this IELTS book could be a good addition to your IELTS study plan.The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources for Grammar PracticeIf you need extra grammar practice, one of the best resources for self-study is.
It includes many practice exercises and very clear explanations of complicated English grammar topics. This IELTS book is for advanced non-native English speakers. If you struggle with English grammar or understanding grammatical concepts, you may want to start with. This is an intermediate grammar text within the same series.Note: There is also. It’s very similar to the 4th edition; the major difference is that the 5th edition’s supplemental materials are stored online rather than on CD. I’m recommending the 4th edition instead because I feel that a CD is a more user-friendly standalone resource, especially for students with slower Internet or limited Internet access.The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources to Improve Your WritingThe IELTS Writing section is difficult. You only have one hour to complete the two writing tasks.
Many native speakers would struggle with this section! You should practice responding to as many IELTS Writing prompts as you can before test day. Time yourself strictly and (if at all possible) get feedback about your writing from a native English speaker. If you have nobody to give you feedback, then at least compare your answers to model answers in the Answer Key of your IELTS book or these. You can also use the IELTS scoring criteria for and to help you assess your approximate level.If you have more time to prepare and want to improve your writing skills generally, make a habit of writing a little bit in English each day.
Write with pencil and paper (don’t type!) to model the format of the IELTS. Pick a topic and write without stopping for 10-15 minutes. This is like a workout. Over time you will generate ideas faster and you will write more in less time. Review our and to improve. Here are to focus your practice!Right now, I’d also like to mention that as of May 2019, Magoosh has started offering IELTS Writing grading on student essays.
Paid subscribers to both and can get up to 6 score reports for their essays. So that’s definitely another valuable resource to consider.The Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources for IELTS ListeningThe Listening portion of the IELTS exam includes speakers with different accentsBritish, American, Australian, etc. It is a very good idea to train for the IELTS by listening to a wide variety of material. Good IELTS resources for listening practice include:. from NPR.
from the British Council. from David Recine on Magoosh’s TOEFL blogThe Best IELTS Books and IELTS Resources for ReadingRead as much as you can in English every day! There is a good list of online news IELTS resources in the “Vocabulary” section of this post (above).
This reading material represents the level and type of language you can expect on the IELTS. Otherwise, just read what interests you most! Books, magazines, academic journals.reading a little bit each day will benefit you on the IELTS.The Best IELTS Resources for SpeakingSpeaking English with native speakers is by far the best way to improve your skills. If it is at all possible for you to find native speakers where you live, seek them out! Join a group or find social and opportunities to interact with English speakers.
Check out to find an interest group in your area. Sign up for English conversation classes and/or find a tutor online. You cannot improve your speaking skills without speaking English regularly.Not Recommended IELTS Books and IELTS ResourcesBefore we take a closer look at these not-recommended books and resources, let me say that I am not strictly saying that no one should use the IELTS prep materials listed below. In fact, I will mention their good points as well as their bad.
But these definitely are not “must have” resources. And in spite of their good points, they’re really the sort of thing you should purchase at your own risk. I’d say use these only if you’ve exhausted other more highly recommended materials.If you’re looking for additional practice questions, this text is worth considering. However, it would be much better to use the authentic practice exams from IELTS and Cambridge English (described above) first before investing Barron’s IELTS.
Additionally, while this book offers solid skill building advice, many of the related exercises do not offer sufficient practice for meaningful improvement. A final issue is that it lacks focus. The study guide chapters mix test strategies with skill building exercises in a way that is not as clear as other study aids.This text (and the version for students) targets aspects of the English language that cause problems for many IELTS takers. The authors compiled these problem areas by analyzing real student errors on IELTS exams.
This could be very useful information for educators. Teachers could use it to build a more expansive set of lessons around common IELTS mistakes.
Unfortunately, as a resource for self-study, the text is not very useful. Many of the grammatical concepts lack adequate explanation. Occasionally, the explanations lack clarity and precision. Finally, the practice exercises and accompanying feedback in the answer key are insufficient for real improvement.This IELTS book focuses on test strategy and it includes a variety of useful tips.
The “Writing” section is the strongest chapter, with solid strategies, example questions, and example responses. Yet, this IELTS book would not work very well as a primary study guide. It does not include enough practice exercises with feedback. Furthermore, in a number of places, the strategies and tips lack examples to demonstrate how to put the advice to use.
About Eliot Friesen Eliot is the IELTS Curriculum Manager at Magoosh. He brings a love of language and assessment to the role, along with years of experience as a college ESL instructor. After completing his graduate studies at New York University and Harvard, Eliot taught at Northeastern University, University of California-Irvine, and Harold Washington College.
He enjoys cooking and exploring new places. Above all, he loves the ocean and never passes up a chance to hit the beach with his family or go scuba diving.