IELTS Community discussions

I'm so really happy to share my results here. Thankfully, the minimum score I need for writing is 6.5. For my speaking section, I was asked questions about my profession, space travel and tall buildings. In writing, I had a line graph in task 1 and a question about museums in task 2. I believe a lot the students here also got questions about museums. One of the happiest days ever. AMA

If an essay is about what schools should teach, can 'curriculum' and 'syllabus' replace each other? An example where one fits better would help.

What does one entry in your Reading error notes look like? The phrase you missed, why the wrong answer was tempting, or both? Also how do you check it helped on a new passage? Repeating one you remember doesn't seem a fair test.

If a short diagnostic identifies a Reading weakness, would you work on that first or check it with a full mock? I'm trying to separate finding a practice target from checking exam timing.

If a comparison tool shows the IELTS band a course asks for, does that count? Or does the course need to list PTE separately?

For example, 'Education should be free.' Why is there no 'the' before education? Is it because we mean education in general?

I keep getting stuck between two headings. One fits the start, the other fits the rest of the paragraph. How do you choose? rereading it isnt getting me anywhere

Would an uncorrected Writing answer be useful, or should I do a full practice test first? I want to ask for something more useful than just a band estimate.

Do you write first or read the sample essay first? I can compare vocabulary, but what if the sample uses totally different ideas? What would you change in your paragraph without copying it?

Hello, how can I develop ideas for essays?

When a chart has far more numbers than I can mention, I struggle with the grouping. Do you pick the highest and lowest, or group by a similar trend? I was thinking of testing each choice: cover one figure and see whether the overall story still makes sense without it. If it does, maybe it wasn't needed. Not sure that's a fair test though, since some numbers support the overview even when they look minor.

Some people think that university education should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree? You should write only the introduction ( 2 sentences max). I'll provide feedback in the comments.

What do you add after the cue-card points? I don't want to repeat myself. Could someone show a small example, and what notes you'd make for it?

Hi folks! Hero Teacher here. I've just uploaded 10 vocabulary PrepEx special edition PDFs in the resources section. You can easily download the books and enhance your lexical resource beyond measure. Let me know what you think about the PDFs in the comments section below. Cheers!

I know the words when I see the transcript, but cant catch them in the recording. After reading it, replaying feels a bit like remembering the answer. When do you move to a fresh clip? Looking for something around 10 minutes, maybe dictation or repeating after the speaker.

Does typing the answer mean a computer marks it too? I'm not clear how official marking is different from an AI Writing checker used for practice.

For example, Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 5 and Speaking 7 average to 6.25. Is the overall score 6 or 6.5?

If you forget 'thermometer', can you just say 'the thing used to check temperature' and carry on? How much description is enough? Thinking of practising with objects without saying their names.

What sections are you currently working on? 1. Listening 2. Reading 3. Writing 4. Speaking Which one is your favourite?

Tell us the IELTS task you are working on, what you tried, and the exact point that is confusing. Upvote a question if the answer would help you too. The most useful highly upvoted questions will be selected for Aydin's Friday answers. Selection depends on available teaching time.

Passage first or questions first? I'm worried about picking a matching word and missing the meaning. @The Hero Teacher, could you show the first couple of minutes? Would you do it differently for headings and True/False/Not Given?

I've heard that these are the toughest sections but unsure where to start. I'm learning solo and no idea.