It might surprise you to find out, but those brilliant ideas or those crazy things you say during your test? More often than not, they don’t affect your score. But how controlled you were in your responses, how relevant those things were, and how organized they were in relation to the question? Those count. 1. […]
IELTS Is NOT a Knowledge Test! Read More »
Many IELTS candidates believe they lose marks because: That is almost never the real issue. IELTS is NOT a knowledge test. In Task 2, you are not graded on how “smart” your opinion is. You are graded on how well you develop and support it. According to the official criteria, Task Response assesses: Nothing about
IELTS Writing Task 2: Why Your Ideas Aren’t the Problem Read More »
Many IELTS candidates believe they lose marks because of their accent. They don’t. IELTS does not assess whether you sound British, American, Australian, or “native.” (Actually, the organization such as the British Council have now moved more toward using the term “naturalized” than “native”, which better encompasses the idea of “World Englishes”.) It assesses whether
Pronunciation Is Not Accent! Read More »
Most candidates think Band 7 requires “better English.” It doesn’t. It requires control. If you’re scoring 6.0 or 6.5, you likely already have enough language (ie, VOCABULARY). What you lack is consistency across the four scoring criteria: Use this checklist to diagnose yourself honestly. 1. Fluency & Coherence Band 6 pattern: Band 7 requirement: Diagnostic
The Band 6 to 7 Diagnostic Checklist (Speaking) Read More »
Many students and professionals studying for the IELTS often say they want a Band 7 or more and, to prepare, they rely on textbooks and YouTube videos that tell them certain grammar structures or words to use in their speech. The problem with those “tips” is that they don’t make them automatic. How do you
IELTS and Speech Pathology Read More »
Many students think Band 7 means “almost no grammar mistakes.” That’s not true. At Band 7, examiners are not counting mistakes. They are listening for patterns. Specifically, they are listening for errors that repeat in the same grammatical structure. Mistakes vs Patterns (This Matters) Everyone makes mistakes when they speak — even native speakers. A
What Band 7 Is Really Listening For Read More »
CELPIP often feels easier than IELTS on the surface. The tasks are shorter, the language is more everyday, and the contexts feel familiar. Yet many candidates plateau at Level 7 or 8 without understanding why. The reason is simple: CELPIP is not testing English knowledge in isolation. It is testing task performance in real-world contexts.
CELPIP Task Strategy Basics: What the Test Actually Rewards Read More »
One of the most common fears IELTS candidates have—especially at Band 6–6.5—is unfamiliar vocabulary. A word appears in the question, the reading passage, or your own mind goes blank mid-sentence, and suddenly fluency, confidence, and structure start to fall apart. The reality is this: IELTS does not test how many words you know. It tests
Handling Unfamiliar Vocabulary in IELTS (Without Panicking or Freezing) Read More »
Many IELTS candidates leave the Writing test knowing something went wrong—but not knowing what. The ideas felt reasonable, the grammar seemed “mostly fine,” and the task was completed on time. Yet the score comes back at Band 6 or 6.5. In most cases, the problem is not language ability, but a small number of recurring
Common writing errors that lower your band Read More »
How is the IELTS Speaking Test Scored? IELTS Speaking is often misunderstood. Candidates walk out feeling fluent, confident, and expressive—only to receive a score lower than expected. This usually happens because IELTS Speaking is not scored on how confident you sound, but on how consistently your language matches four precise criteria. The Speaking test is
How IELTS Speaking Is Scored (And Why Many 6.5 Candidates Fall to 6.0) Read More »
