How to Get a Band 9 on IELTS With No Effort

Introduction

In this brief article, I will explain that there are no tricks or magic for getting a Band 9 but there are ways to improve your exam performance. I will outline 10 essential strategies, which have helped students.

10 Strategies for You to Pass IELTS Successfully

There are over 100 million references on Google to IELTS and of these 20 million refer to Band 9. You could spend the next year reading everyone without coming to the end.

1. Stop wasting time looking for tips and tricks and despite the title of this article, it does take effort. It is students who are motivated and committed who get good results, it is not luck or chance.
2. Listen to English every day, listen to podcasts, join a language exchange group or work with an IELTS speaking buddy so you both learn speaking and listening skills
3. Have a strategy, be able to identify your weakness, and work on that, if it is time management in the exam then practice under exam conditions. If it is thinking of ideas, producing essay plans then focus on these.
4. Practice wisely, use a recognised study text, or view some well-established websites offering genuine examples and model questions, not those wanting to sell a 6-hour or 10-hour preparation course which might not be relevant.
5. Listen actively, when you are tired or distracted studying will be harder or even frustrating. Go for a walk, compose your essay plans while running, swimming, or walking up and down stairs, it will keep you alert and improve your mood.
6. Focus on what the examiner wants or the exam section is looking to assess. Good, clear communication which is concise and well-considered will earn higher grades than a scripted answer, which tries too hard to find complex clauses and collocations or exotic idioms.
7. There is a technique for IELTS, but it is not a test of intelligence or honesty. The examiner wants to know you speak and write well with a range of tenses and higher level vocabulary. Look at some model answers, but do not try to memorise them.
8. Be prepared, how much time can you devote to study?  When do you learn well?  Mornings?  Evenings? Weekends? Draw up a timetable and check your progress. IELTS is a marathon rather than a sprint, so think like a top athlete and consider your training strategy carefully.
9. Eat well, sleep well, and do not try to revise late into the evening before your exam, you need to arrive refreshed and alert on the day of the exam.
10. Confidence and remaining positive will help enormously in your preparations.  Do not book your exam date until you feel confident. If you are still not sure, then consider one of the many excellent online English tutors for IELTS from LiveXP.