Is coaching necessary for IELTS.

[Ichowdhury]

Hello seniors,
My IELTS is scheduled on Nov 21, 2015. So I have a fair amount of time in hand.
I am aiming at securing the max points. So should I enroll myself into any coaching centre or practising at home is enough to secure atleast band 8 or so.
Also, please suggest some books and online resources for the same.
TIA.

 

[dobes]

Hello seniors,
My IELTS is scheduled on Nov 21, 2015. So I have a fair amount of time in hand.
I am aiming at securing the max points. So should I enroll myself into any coaching centre or practising at home is enough to secure atleast band 8 or so.
Also, please suggest some books and online resources for the same.
TIA.

You can study at home - as an IELTS teacher in Europe I used the Cambridge University Press IELTS prep books, many of which contain authentic tests. One is called Official IELTS Practice Materials. It comes with an audio CD, which is important, as the IELTS listening uses many different accents. These books really help you know what to expect in terms of the format of the test, so you can concentrate on the content. Another is Cambridge English - IELTS 10, just released this year with 4 practice tests.

Make sure the ones you choose are for the general test, not the academic. Just google IELTS online and you will find lots of support materials and practice tests.

If you take a course, it's best (IMO) to take it with British Council. You really want to avoid getting a teacher who hasn't got the first idea what s/he is doing, and the British Council screens teachers pretty effectively.

Good luck!

 

[Liara]

Hello seniors,
My IELTS is scheduled on Nov 21, 2015. So I have a fair amount of time in hand.
I am aiming at securing the max points. So should I enroll myself into any coaching centre or practising at home is enough to secure atleast band 8 or so.
Also, please suggest some books and online resources for the same.
TIA.

That depends on where you're at. If you're close to band 8 already, it might suffice to practice on your own (as in, without a teacher but with suitable learning materials). If you have to upgrade from a lower grade, you'd better get some aid, or, at least, someone to correct your pronunciation and grammar (you can practice Listening and Reading on your own at any level, but this may not be the case with Speaking and Writing).

 

[Ichowdhury]

You can study at home - as an IELTS teacher in Europe I used the Cambridge University Press IELTS prep books, many of which contain authentic tests. One is called Official IELTS Practice Materials. It comes with an audio CD, which is important, as the IELTS listening uses many different accents. These books really help you know what to expect in terms of the format of the test, so you can concentrate on the content. Another is Cambridge English - IELTS 10, just released this year with 4 practice tests.

Make sure the ones you choose are for the general test, not the academic. Just google IELTS online and you will find lots of support materials and practice tests.

If you take a course, it's best (IMO) to take it with British Council. You really want to avoid getting a teacher who hasn't got the first idea what s/he is doing, and the British Council screens teachers pretty effectively.

Good luck!

Thank you dobes for your suggestions. I am giving my IELTS test under IDP. So will British Council coaching still serve the purpose? And this is the first time I am taking the test. I am trying to practise as much online and planning to give the first test after self learning.

 

[Ichowdhury]

That depends on where you're at. If you're close to band 8 already, it might suffice to practice on your own (as in, without a teacher but with suitable learning materials). If you have to upgrade from a lower grade, you'd better get some aid, or, at least, someone to correct your pronunciation and grammar (you can practice Listening and Reading on your own at any level, but this may not be the case with Speaking and Writing).

Thanks a ton Liara. But this is the first time I am giving the test.

 

[Asivad Anac]

Thank you dobes for your suggestions. I am giving my IELTS test under IDP. So will British Council coaching still serve the purpose? And this is the first time I am taking the test. I am trying to practise as much online and planning to give the first test after self learning.

It is the same test so the coaching would help. Focus on two areas - improving your language skills AND understanding the test structure. Either of those without the other wouldn't get you the best results.

 

[anujgupta84]

- There are loads of videos at YouTube giving effective tips. Go through them.
- Download 'IELTS Speaking app' from Play store or istore, that would help you with Speaking part of the test.
- There are close to 50 days for your test, make sure you complete a sample test in a day (real time situation, keep stop watch handy and judge yourself)
- Try to improve the score from the previous sample test you took.
- Listen to English news (BBC, Times Now, etc) for an hour a day and make sure you are listening carefully and hence understanding what the reporting is speaking about.


If you do all this sincerely, coaching won't be needed at all. All the best!

 

[One_Topsy]

Hello seniors,
My IELTS is scheduled on Nov 21, 2015. So I have a fair amount of time in hand.
I am aiming at securing the max points. So should I enroll myself into any coaching centre or practising at home is enough to secure atleast band 8 or so.
Also, please suggest some books and online resources for the same.
TIA.

Practice! Practice!! Practice!!!