Adviceo IELTS

Master book

VER 1.0

ADVICEO IN
Authored by: Coaching team, Adviceo

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Introduction:
We want to make this clear from the start, although it should be obvious, we need to be realistic
here, if you only have a week or so before your test then you will be very lucky (miraculous more
like) to get the score you need. For most people the optimal time is three months (more is better
obviously) as you not only need to have a good level of English but you also need to understand
everything about the IELTS, how it works, how it is assessed, the difference between the question
types, the common topics, and the techniques and strategies you need to answer them. So, experts
at Adviceo have prepared a framework of preparation ideas against timelines which will greatly
influence how everyday activities will improve your scores on the test day.

Things to have in hand:

1) Smart phone:

• Yes, having a smartphone of course will increase your scores in IELTS exams. Let me tell you
how. Having a smart phone is equal to having thousands of newspapers spread along your
hallway. You get to choose the articles you can binge read upon. You can have your IELTS
materials downloaded into your smartphones and you don’t have to waste a bit of time of
your IELTS preparation sitting inside a bathroom or while sipping a coffee. So, having a
smartphone is indeed essential for IELTS preparation.

2) Adviceo Materials:

• During your time of enrollment, Adviceo will provide you with ample amount of materials,
books, audio CDS and what not. The prime idea is to engulf our clients with the maximum so
that they will not waste time in searching for needed materials while they were in the
middle of preparation. We are very sure that you will not need any more materials with
regards to IELTS general other than what Adviceo has provided. The dynamic resource
content is our success.

3) Podcasts:

• Listening to Podcasts will “tune” your ears into the sounds of English. This can be done
while you are commuting to work, or whenever you have some time to spare. Some of the
podcasts allow you to download a transcript, which is very useful, as you can follow it and
annotate it if you hear some new vocab, etc. What I would suggest is that you don’t simply
listen to the audio passively, as background noise, you really need to conc entrate on it to
get the best out of this kind of practice. The links for Podcasts will be provided in the
Appendix section.

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4) Vocabulary.com (Android/iOS App)

• Trust me, this is the best free holistic app you will ever get when it comes to learning new
words. Download this app into your mobile (Pay a small amount to get ad -free content) and
start accumulating points. It will be fun as well as resourceful. This interface is created in
such a way that you will not forget the words you have learnt and will readily force you to
use those words in your daily routine. Adviceo personally recommends using this app to
learn new words and to build up your vocabulary. Suggested word groups will be provided
in later sections.

5) Readtheory.org in your bookmarks:

• Readtheory.org is a free program developed by experts to improve reading and writing skills
of students in English speaking countries for all ages and ability levels. Their custom web
application adapts to students’ individual ability levels and presents them with thousands of
skill building exercises that suit their needs. It’s a powerful tool to get your reading skills
fixed and yet it is not so famous. But since Adviceo’s research knows no bounds, we can
able to understand the power of this program and we personally suggest you bookmark this
program and start reading passages and answer questions. This can be done while
commuting as well as between office hours when your manager is not around. It will be fun
too !

6) Quora answers:

• As you all are aware of Quora and its popularity, it would be very much useful to have
an account and start writing answers on Quora. Choose a topic that will buzz you or you
are expert in. It can be anything ranging from answering questions on how to build a
predictive algorithm to the latest Hollywood gossip you know about. Writing skills can
only be improved through writing and Quora provides a free and complete medium to
improve your writing skills. Use the new vocabulary learnt which can add up your
written discourse. And ever thought of who will correct or improve my mistakes in
writing. Of course, we will help you out, but if you are in need of a quick solution. Just
login to (http://w ww.hemingwayapp.com/) and copy paste the written content and
you will find a great feedback and corrections for FREE!

7) Printout of Timetables and Timelines:

• The later part of the section will contain downloadable Daily/Weekly/Monthly

timetables and timelines. Please take a printout of it and use it to mark your
achievements. This will be very much useful to understand your progress as well as to be
consistent with the routine.

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Let’s quickly move on to the next section which is understanding the exam.

Exam Pattern:
Listening:

Questions: 40 [Each correct response receives one mark]

You will hear four recordings of native English speakers and then need to write answers for series
of questions.

• Recording 1 - a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context.

• Recording 2: a monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local
facilities
• Recording 3: a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training
context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.
• Recording 4: a monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture

Question Types:

• Multiple choice
• Matching
• Plan/map/diagram labelling
• Form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion
• Sentence completion.

Time:

• The IELTS Listening test takes approximately 30 minutes, and you are allowed an extra 10
minutes to transfer your answers from your question booklet to your answer sheet. [Paper
Based]

Reading:

Questions: 40 [Each correct response receives one mark]

• Three long texts which range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and
analytical mostly taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers.

Question Types:

• Fill gaps in a passage of written text or in a table

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 • Match headings to written text to diagrams or charts
• Complete sentences
• Give short answers to open questions
• Answer multiple choice questions

Time:

• 60 minutes including the transfer time

Speaking:

Questions: 3 Parts

Question Types:

• Part 1 – questions on personal/everyday topics (4-5 mins)

• Part 2 – a 2-minute talk on a given topic with 1-minute preparation time (3-4 mins)
• Part 3 – a discussion based on the topic in part 2, in which candidates will be expected to
express opinions, to speculate and to discuss on a more abstract level (4-5 mins)

Time:

• 11-14 minutes

Writing:

Questions: 2 tasks

• Task 1: Information Transfer 150 words 20 minutes

• Task 2: Discursive Composition 250 words 40 minutes

Questions types:

• Information Transfer - need to take information from a table, chart or diagram and
present it in the form of a short-written description.
• Discursive Composition - To give a statement or an opinion about something and to
present a view on that.

Time:
• 60 minutes

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Scores:
The tables below give you a guide for converting your specimen test results into Band scores. In the
real tests, each test has its own unique conversion table because there are sometimes slight
differences between tests. The tables below are the approximate raw scores needed for each Band
score.

The target score needed for CLB 9 (8777) would be Listening – 8 and Reading – 7. Since Listening
and Reading are quantitatively marked, students can try to target necessary correct answers
looking upon the tables below.

Listening

RAW SCORE BAND SCORE

1 1
2–3 2
4–9 3
10–16 (or 10–15) 4
17–24 (or 16–22) 5
25–32 (or 23–29) 6
33–37 (or 30–34) 7
38–39 (or 35–38) 8
40 (or 39–40) 9

Reading (General Training)

RAW SCORE BAND SCORE

1–2 (or 1) 1
3–5 (or 2–7) 2
6–11 (or 8–14) 3
12–17 (or 15–22) 4
18–25 (or 23–29) 5
26–34 (or 30–33) 6
35–37 (or 34–37) 7
38–39 8
40 9

Speaking:

Speaking is a qualitatively scored section and it is always useful if one understands how marks are
awarded on this section. The below table gives the descriptors on which speaking section is
examined.

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 IELTS Speaking band descriptors
Band Fluency and
coherence
• 9 • speaks fluently with only rare
repetition or self-correction;
• any hesitation is content-related
rather than to find words or grammar
• speaks coherently with fully
appropriate cohesive features
• develops topics fully and
appropriately
• 8 • speaks fluently with only occasional
repetition or self- correction;
hesitation is usually content-related
and only rarely to search for language
• develops topics coherently and
appropriately
• 7 • speaks at length without noticeable
effort or loss of coherence
• may demonstrate language-related
hesitation at times, or some repetition
and/or self-correction
• uses a range of connectives and
discourse markers with some
flexibility
6 • is willing to speak at length, though
may lose coherence at times due to
occasional repetition, self-correction
or hesitation
• uses a range of connectives and
discourse markers but not always
appropriately
5 • usually maintains flow of speech but
uses repetition, self
correction and/or slow speech to keep
going
• may over-use certain connectives and
discourse markers
• produces simple speech
fluently, but more complex
communication causes
fluency problems
4 • cannot respond without noticeable
pauses and may speak slowly, with
frequent repetition and self-
correction
• links basic sentences but with
repetitious use of simple
connectives and some
breakdowns in coherence
3 • speaks with long pauses
• has limited ability to link simple
sentences
• gives only simple responses and
is frequently unable to convey
basic message
2 • pauses lengthily before most words
• little communication possible
1 • no communication possible
• no ratable language
0 • does not attend
Lexical Resources
• uses vocabulary with full flexibility and
precision in all topics
• uses idiomatic language naturally and
accurately
• uses a wide vocabulary resource readily
and flexibly to convey precise meaning
• uses less common and idiomatic
vocabulary skillfully, with occasional
inaccuracies
• uses paraphrase effectively as required
• uses vocabulary resource flexibly to
discuss a variety of topics
• uses some less common and idiomatic
vocabulary and shows some awareness
of style and collocation, with some
inappropriate choices
• uses paraphrase effectively
• has a wide enough vocabulary to
discuss topics at length and make
meaning clear in spite of in
appropriacies
• generally, paraphrases successfully
• manages to talk about familiar and
unfamiliar topics but
uses vocabulary with limited flexibility
• attempts to use paraphrase but with
mixed success
• is able to talk about familiar topics but
can only convey basic meaning on
unfamiliar topics and makes frequent
errors in word choice
• rarely attempts paraphrase
• uses simple vocabulary to convey
personal information
• has insufficient vocabulary for less
familiar topics
• only produces isolated words or
memorized utterances
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Grammatical range and Pronunciation
accuracy
• uses a full range of structures naturally • uses a full range of pronunciation
and appropriately features with precision and subtlety
• produces consistently accurate structures • sustains flexible use of features
apart from ‘slips’ characteristic of native throughout
speaker speech • is effortless to understand
• uses a wide range of structures flexibly • uses a wide range of pronunciation
• produces a majority of error-free features
sentences with only very occasional in • sustains flexible use of features, with
appropriacies or basic/non-systematic only occasional lapses
errors • is easy to understand throughout; L1
accent has minimal effect on intelligibility
• uses a range of complex structures with • shows all the positive features of Band 6
some flexibility and some, but not all, of the positive
• frequently produces error-free sentences, features of Band 8
though some grammatical mistakes
persist
• uses a mix of simple and complex • uses a range of pronunciation features
structures, but with limited flexibility with mixed control
• may make frequent mistakes with • shows some effective use of
complex structures though these features but this is not sustained
rarely cause comprehension • can generally be understood
problems throughout, though mispronunciation
of individual words or sounds
reduces clarity at times
• produces basic sentence forms with • shows all the positive features of Band 4
reasonable accuracy and some, but not all, of the positive
• uses a limited range of more complex features of Band 6
structures, but these usually contain
errors and may cause some
comprehension problems
• produces basic sentence forms and • uses a limited range of pronunciation
some correct simple sentences but features
subordinate structures are rare • attempts to control features but lapses
• errors are frequent and may lead to are frequent
misunderstanding • mispronunciations are frequent and
cause some difficulty for the listener
• attempts basic sentence forms but with • shows some of the features of Band 2
limited success, or and some, but not
relies on apparently memorized all, of the positive features of Band 4
utterances
• makes numerous errors except in
memorized expressions
• cannot produce basic sentence forms • Speech is often unintelligible
Writing:
Writing is also a qualitatively scored section and it comprises of two tasks which has its own
descriptors. The below table gives the descriptors on which writing section tasks 1 and 2 are
examined.
IELTS TASK 1 Writing band descriptors
Band Task Achievement
▪ 9 ▪ fully satisfies all the
requirements of the task
▪ clearly presents a fully
developed response
▪ 8 ▪ covers all requirements of the
task sufficiently
▪ presents, highlights and
illustrates key features/bullet
points clearly and
appropriately
▪ 7 ▪ covers the requirements of
the task
▪ (Academic) presents a clear
overview of main trends,
differences or stages
▪ (General Training) presents a
clear purpose, with the tone
consistent and appropriate
▪ clearly presents and
highlights
▪ key features/bullet points but
could be more fully extended
6 ▪ addresses the requirements of
the task
▪ (Academic) presents an
overview with
information
appropriately selected
▪ (General Training) presents a
purpose that is generally
clear; there may be
inconsistencies in tone
▪ presents and adequately
highlights key features/bullet
points but details may be
irrelevant, inappropriate
or inaccurate
Coherence and
Cohesion
▪ uses cohesion in such a way
that it attracts no attention
▪ skilfully manages
paragraphing
▪ sequences information and
ideas logically
▪ manages all aspects of
cohesion well
▪ uses paragraphing
sufficiently and appropriately
▪ logically organises
information and ideas; there
is clear progression
throughout
▪ uses a range of cohesive
devices appropriately
although there may be some
under-/over-use
▪ arranges information and
ideas coherently and there
is a clear overall progression
▪ uses cohesive devices
effectively, but cohesion within
and/or between sentences
may be faulty or mechanical
▪ may not always use
referencing clearly or
appropriately
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Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and
Accuracy
▪ uses a wide range of vocabulary ▪ uses a wide range of
with very natural and sophisticated structures with full
control of lexical features; rare flexibility and accuracy;
▪ minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ rare minor errors occur
only as ‘slips’
▪ uses a wide range of vocabulary ▪ uses a wide range of
fluently and flexibly to convey structures
precise meanings ▪ the majority of sentences
▪ skilfully uses uncommon lexical are error-free
items but there may be occasional ▪ makes only very
inaccuracies in word choice and occasional errors or
collocation inappropriacies
▪ produces rare errors in spelling
and/or word formation
▪ uses a sufficient range of ▪ uses a variety of complex
vocabulary to allow some flexibility structures
and precision ▪ produces frequent error-
▪ uses less common lexical items free sentences
with some awareness of style and ▪ has good control of
collocation grammar and
▪ may produce occasional errors in punctuation but may
word choice, spelling and/or word make a few errors
formation
▪ uses an adequate range ▪ uses a mix of
of vocabulary for the task simple and complex
▪ attempts to use less sentence forms
common vocabulary but with ▪ makes some errors in
some inaccuracy grammar and
▪ makes some errors in spelling punctuation but they
and/or word formation, but they do rarely reduce
not impede communication communication
IELTS TASK Writing band descriptors

▪ Ba ▪ Task Achievement ▪ Coherence and Cohesion ▪ Lexical Resource ▪ Grammatical Range and
nd Accuracy
▪ 9 ▪ fully addresses all parts ▪ uses cohesion in such a way ▪ uses a wide range of vocabulary ▪ uses a wide range of
of the task that it attracts no attention with very natural and structures with full flexibility
▪ presents a fully ▪ skillfully manages paragraphing sophisticated control of lexical and accuracy; rare minor
developed position in features; rare minor errors occur errors occur only as ‘slips’
answer to the question only as ‘slips’
with relevant, fully
▪ extended and well
supported ideas
▪ 8 ▪ sufficiently addresses ▪ sequences information and ▪ uses a wide range of vocabulary ▪ uses a wide range of
all parts of the task ideas ▪ fluently and flexibly to convey structures
▪ presents a well- ▪ logically precise meanings ▪ the majority of sentences
developed response to ▪ manages all aspects of ▪ skillfully uses uncommon lexical are error-free
the question with cohesion well items but there may be ▪ makes only very occasional
relevant, extended and ▪ uses paragraphing sufficiently occasional inaccuracies in word errors or in appropriacies
supported ideas and appropriately choice and collocation
▪ produces rare errors in spelling
and/or word formation
▪ 7 ▪ addresses all parts of ▪ logically organizes information ▪ uses a sufficient range of ▪ uses a variety of complex
the task and ideas; there is clear vocabulary to allow some structures
▪ presents a clear progression throughout flexibility and precision ▪ produces frequent error-
position throughout the ▪ uses a range of cohesive ▪ uses less common lexical items free sentences
response devices appropriately although with some awareness of style ▪ has good control of
▪ presents, extends and there may be some under- and collocation grammar and punctuation
supports main ideas, /over-use ▪ may produce occasional errors but may make a few errors
but there may be a ▪ presents a clear central topic in word choice, spelling and/or
tendency to within each paragraph ▪ word formation
overgeneralize and/or
supporting ideas may
lack
▪ focus
6 ▪ addresses all parts of the ▪ arranges information and ▪ uses an adequate range of ▪ uses a mix of
task although some parts ideas coherently and there is a vocabulary for the task simple and
may be more fully clear overall progression ▪ attempts to use less common complex sentence
covered than others ▪ uses cohesive devices vocabulary but with some forms
▪ presents a relevant effectively, but cohesion within inaccuracy ▪ makes some errors
position although the and/or between sentences may ▪ makes some errors in spelling in grammar and
conclusions may be faulty or mechanical and/or word formation, but they punctuation but they
become unclear or ▪ may not always use referencing do not impede communication rarely reduce
repetitive clearly or appropriately communication
▪ presents relevant main ▪ uses paragraphing, but not
ideas but some may be always logically
inadequately
developed/unclear

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Conclusion:
As with the IELTS, and with all things, the “secret” is to have regular and consistent practice, this is
true in all activities, whether learning a language, learning to play an instrument, or whatever, the
people who are successful are those who put in the hours, it really is that simple! What that means
for your purpose is to spend some time every day, doing something in English. You can try to make
the most of your day, maybe do some listening on your morning commute to work, some reading
at lunchtime, and in the evenings, talk to a language partner on Skype, or do some writing practice.

Appendix:
Links for Podcasts:

https://www.internet-radio.com/
https://teacherluke.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english
http://www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks
https://ielts.allearsenglish.com/episodes/
https://www.ieltspodcast.com/

Links to download Daily and weekly planners: [Please download and take printouts]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1V42qlHsWS7q8fZ3Q1tc0ll2D0_EtwEHL – IELTS Daily Planner

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jOLUL5tA4G0p0xAnud-DcQ2qAmjaic8F – IELTS Daily Routine
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1reyXj2IqGTPDen9fKu0rNBvXDqmxH69h – IELTS Weekly
Planner

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