The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a challenging exam that people who want to study, live and work in an English-speaking country, such as the United States, The United Kingdom, and Australia, must pass. For this reason, you have to be enrolled in an IELTS exam preparation program in case you want to get your preferred visa.
Keep in mind, however, that the IELTS training isn’t just about your intellectual capacity for the English language in its three major forms, namely, American, British, and Australian. You must also repaper yourself mentally before and during the exam, especially since your nerves can have adverse effects on your ability to think clearly and, thus, to answer the questions correctly.
Have a Purpose
When you have a clear purpose in mind for taking the IELTS exam, you will be more motivated to pass it. Your purpose may be to study abroad or to work in a foreign country but regardless of your motivation, you have to keep your eye on the prize – and passing the IELTS exam is a step in getting it. You will be likely to study harder even when your lazy bones protest against it, for example.
Be in Control
While there will always be things beyond your control, you will find plenty of things that are within your control. During the IELTS training, for example, you can be in control of your study hours, your mental concentration, and your attitude toward the program and its instructors. The more in control you feel, the more confident you will feel, a must when you are already in the exam room.
Before the exam, you can also feel more in control by:
Getting to the exam venue on time. Before the day itself, you should already be familiar with the venue’s layout including the fastest routes to its location.
Having a plan for the exam. Your training for it should have provided you with a general idea about the time pressure for each section, which means you can have a plan of attack – how to listen to the instructions, how to answer the questions, and how to relax even under pressure, for example.
Taking control of your mind by willing it to relax. You may use meditation techniques including deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, and positive reinforcement so that your body and mind is as relaxed as possible. You shouldn’t be too complacent, nonetheless, as it can also have a negative impact on your mental readiness for the exam.
Avoiding stimulants including coffee and alcohol a day before the exam and during the exam day itself. Otherwise, your mental faculties will be reduced and your chances for passing the exam also decreased.
Suffice it to say that the IELTS exam preparation program may prepare you for the intellectual part of the exam but it’s still up to you to prepare yourself physically and mentally for it. Contact essglobal.com for more details
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ESSGlobal Joined: September 2nd, 2016 Articles Posted: 1
