HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR IELTS SCORE IN 30 DAYS

 

 

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a globally recognized test that assesses English proficiency for academic and general purposes. Whether you’re preparing for the Academic or General Training IELTS, improving your score in just 30 days requires a structured and disciplined approach. This article provides a step-by-step 30-day plan to help you enhance your skills and achieve your desired band score. It is an achievable goal if one is focused and has structured a study plan. 

Here’s a 30-day strategy to help you boost your score:

Week 1–Go through all the four skills

 First and foremost is to understand the format of the test. Before starting preparation, it is essential to understand the format of the test:

• Listening – 4 sections, 40 questions, 30-40 minutes.
• Reading – 3 sections, 40 questions, 60 minutes (Academic vs. General Training varies).
• Writing – 2 tasks, 60 minutes (Graphs & essays for Academic, Letters & essays for General).
• Speaking – 3 parts, 11-14 minutes (Introduction, Long Turn, Discussion).

Once you are accustomed to the pattern, take a full-length test under timed conditions. This would give you a sense of where you stand today and which are your strengths and weaknesses. Also, make a proper analysis of your mistakes as to where improvement is needed most. Also, the first week should be crucial in building grammar and vocabulary as well. Master verb, tenses, prepositions, sentence structures, and commonly used IELTS vocabulary for writing and speaking mastery. Add reading habits of newspapers, academic articles, and online blogs to enhance your vocabulary.
We suggest setting your goals by noting down your strengths and weaknesses and focus on one section per day to master it. Dedicate time each day for practice tests, vocabulary-building, and listening exercises. 

For section-wise practice guide, read the below mentioned pointers: 

 1. Listening Practice-

• Use IELTS Listening tests from official materials or reputable websites (e.g., British Council, IDP).
• Listen to a variety of English accents (British, Australian, American, etc.).
• Focus on improving your note-taking and identifying key information quickly.
• Practice listening to audio multiple times, focusing on different skills (e.g., identifying details, understanding the main idea, etc.).

2. Reading Practice-

• Practice reading passages from different topics and difficulty levels (academic and general).
• Focus on improving reading speed and comprehension.
• Work on strategies like scanning, skimming, and identifying keywords.
• Do timed practice sessions to simulate test conditions.
• After each test, review your mistakes to understand where you went wrong.

3. Writing Practice-

• Task 1 (Academic & General):  Focus on structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Task 2 (Essay Writing): Learn the formats and then practice writing under time pressure.
• Review sample high-scoring essays.

4. Speaking Practice-

• Practice speaking English every day, even if it’s just with yourself.
• Focus on fluency, pronunciation, and answering questions in full sentences. If possible, find a speaking partner or tutor for mock interviews. You can also join HighBrow coaching to get proper speaking training.
• Record yourself and listen to your responses to evaluate areas for improvement.

 

Week 2: Intensive Practice for All Sections of IELTS

Having established a good background, the second week should be used to work on each of the sections individually. Listening practice should include exposure to variations in English accents, for example, British, American, Australian, and Canadian. Listening to podcasts, news reports, and TED Talks will enhance understanding. In the exercise tests, try to pick out the keywords and most commonly found synonyms in the audio as IELTS tends to rephrase what has been said in the recording.

 

For the reading section, it is very essential to manage your time. Master skimming and scanning techniques for locating information fast instead of reading every word. Practice with easier texts first, then move to more complex passages. Be especially attentive to the tricky question types like True/False/Not Given and Matching Headings that require careful analysis of the text.

 

The writing section requires structuring the writing of responses in an appropriate way. In the case of Academic IELTS, Task 1 requires you to write a clear, coherent report on the graph or chart, while Task 2 is the essay: it requires good arguments with suitable examples. Train your writing with timed essays where you will include suitable connecting words, varied structures of sentences, and relevant examples.

 

For the speaking section, familiarize yourself with common IELTS topics including family, education, technology, and travel. Focus on fluency and self-confidence rather than memorizing your answers. One of the helpful ways to evaluate your pronunciation, fluency, and grammatical accuracy is recording yourself while responding to practice questions.

Week 3:Developing writing and speaking skills.

As you step into the third week of preparation, spend some more time in enhancing your skills on Writing and Speaking. In many candidates’ views, writing is a rather challenging section and so essay structure practice, clearer development of ideas, and perfecting grammar becomes essential. Examining sample essays and analyzing what examiners expect will help to get an insight. In addition, the coherence and cohesion of your essay will be enhanced by proper paragraphing and logical connectors, hence improving your score.

 

Speaking practice should now be focused. Practice fluency, pronunciation, and lexical resources using a variety of different sentence structures and vocabulary. Use speaking to your friends/family or record yourself and monitor and make any improvements needed. Answer questions as if it were an actual mock test. Be as detailed in your answers; do not give one-word answers. If you feel that you are struggling with specific topics then do research on some common ones and prepare yourself for those questions.

 

Week 4:Final Test Strategies and Full-Length Practice

In the final week before the exam, focus on time management skills and taking full-length practice tests under exam conditions. By this stage, you should have developed an effective approach to tackling each section. Use this time to work on your weakest areas while reinforcing your strengths. Pay special attention to time allocation, ensuring that you can complete all sections within the given timeframe.

During practice tests, avoid spending too much time on difficult questions. If you are stuck on a Reading or Listening question, move on and return to it later. In the Writing section, allocate sufficient time for planning, writing, and proofreading your responses. Reviewing your answers for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes can prevent unnecessary loss of marks.

With just a few days left before the exam, focus on reviewing your notes, vocabulary lists, and key strategies rather than learning new concepts. Take at least one final full-length practice test to assess your overall progress. On the day before the exam, relax and get plenty of rest to ensure that you are mentally prepared for test day.

For getting a personalized schedule, reach our website, Highbrow IELTS. By following this strategy and remaining dedicated, you can improve your IELTS score in just 30 days. Good luck!

By HARPREET KAUR