You must have had friends who cannot jot down all the answers because of the time constraint despite knowing them really well. On the other hand, there are people who answer all the questions at exactly the same time. Well, IELTS is such an exam where time management matters— a lot!
With that being said, strategy comes into play only when you have the skillsets required. No tips will work until you have enough familiarity with the modules and the English language at large. Research says that our speed of using a language comes with the instant assumptions we can make about the next word/phrase going to be used.
Understanding the texts and knowing the question types are essential to get the question at the first read and speed up your game. Therefore, to learn to use the time properly, prepare yourself well and sit for a few mocks to stimulate real exam experience.
Reading
For the IELTS reading, you have to deal with 40 questions based on 3 texts arranged in easiest-to-hardest formation. Therefore, the second and third passages beg more time than the first one. Generally, you can allot 15 minutes for text 1, 20 minutes for text 2 and 25 minutes for text 3. While finding answers, if you struggle to find any specific answer, don’t waste too much time on that. Just guess and move on. Come back later if you have time.
Skim through the passage: At the first glance, the entire passage is not necessary to read in depth in order to grasp the gist of it. You don’t need to read every word because that would be too time-consuming and pointless. Read the headings, subheadings and first lines to find out the core information in the passage. It will help later find the solutions. Don’t take more than 3 minutes to skim through a passage.
Pay attention to the introduction and conclusion: The introduction and the conclusion are common places for authors to state their viewpoints. As you skim the main body of the passage, read the introduction and conclusion carefully. It will save you time later when you will find information from the passage.
Read questions before answering: Before you begin answering, have a quick look at all the questions first. Remember that questions appear in groups of 3, 4, or more, so read that group of questions before studying the text.
Finally, read good-quality texts as much as you can. Here are some sources from where you can read sophisticatedly written articles.
Identify key words: Make sure to highlight the key information words in your questions and passage as well. It will make it easier to find your answers. A keyword will help you identify the concept associated with the passage. This can help you answer most question.
Answer every question: You are not fined for wrong answers in IELTS. So, answer every question even if you cannot find the answer or option. If you are running out of time, make an educated guess and you may get the answer right.
Check your answers: Checking your answers can help you improve your IELTS Reading score. Make sure you answer all the questions and allocate at least 10 minutes for checking. You can use the practice materials available on our website and time yourself to perfection.
The IELTS Reading section can be intimidating for test takers however, prior preparation and time management can make the difference between an average score and a great one.
Listening
For the four listening tasks, you have 30 minutes to answer 40 questions before you can review your answers (the amount of time is based on whether you are taking the IELTS computer or paper exam).
Try to quickly skim the questions prior to each task in search of subjects and keywords that will guide your listening. If there is any graph, notice the X and Y axes. Pay attention to the numbers, dates, and proper nouns.
There are always two speakers in the first and third listening sections, while there is only one speaker in the second and fourth. Pay close attention to who is saying what and keep an ear out for any changes in the speaker. It will prevent you from running out of time and scrambling to recall something.
You will have two minutes at the end of each task on the computer-based IELTS exam to review your responses before they are submitted automatically. Review any questions you might have missed during this time, and be confident that you answered the ones you did correctly. Two minutes is not much time. Always fill in every field because there is no penalty for giving an incorrect answer.
For the paper-based exam, you will have 10 minutes, in the end, to transfer your responses from the “Questions” sheet to the “Answers” sheet. Make sure you have responded to every question, even if it’s just a guess, just like on the computer exam.
Writing
There are two tasks in the IELTS writing test. Tasks 1 and 2 each have time limits of 20 and 40 minutes, respectively.
Task 1 needs at least 150 words, and Task 2 needs at least 250 words. Instead of counting words one at a time, practice counting lines of words. To get used to writing a specific number of words per line, practice writing on the standard IELTS writing answer sheet.
Allow three minutes to plan your answer for task 1, ten minutes to write it, and two to five minutes to review it. Task 1 is descriptive and requires you to write down what you see while using proper grammar and complete sentences.
For task one, read The Business Standard for better practice as it comes with several charts/graphs every day. While reading TBS, jot down your favourite expressions (‘shot up’ for ‘increase’, for example) and get them ready in your head by practising them at home. It will save you a lot of time as you will be using some ready-made phrases.
The essay in Task 2 is more formal. Spend 5-7 minutes planning your response, 30 minutes writing it, and 3-5 minutes editing it.
Grammar, spelling, and legibility do matter for both tasks. Write carefully and slowly; it’s better to take your time and do it right the first time than to have to redo it.
Speaking
The speaking module of the IELTS exam is closely regulated by the exam proctor. Your responses will be timed and you will be cut off at the proper point. Be comfortable conversing on a wide range of subjects. You should be able to speak for 3-5 minutes straight about such themes as your hometown, your interests, travel, sport, media, school, etc. Take the first 3-5 seconds to think about your first line in your head and then keep speaking slowly in a relaxed manner. Don’t get excited; the fast you go the more you are likely to make errors.