Last Updated on 1 year by AlexJames
Myths serve no purpose. They only lead to confusion and ignorance. We often tend to believe in commonly circulated myths. As we all are social animals, we tend to get influenced a lot by the opinions and beliefs circulating in society. Society creates several myths about education, career, exams, etc. If we talk about the IELTS exam then there are a lot of misconceptions about the same.
All those who want to study abroad need to clear the IELTS exam. Several non-native speakers of the English language attempt this exam every year. Are you one of them? If yes then why not take expert guidance by joining the best institute providing IELTS online coaching and clear all your myths about the IELTS exam.
We have written this article to make you aware of some very common myths about the IELTS exam and how the majority of them are extremely misleading.
Myth 1- The IELTS exam is very hard
One of the most common myths about the IELTS exam is that it is very hard to clear. Students feel scared of it. Now, this is all unnecessary fear built around the IELTS exam. See nothing is easy in life. Whether you are preparing for IELTS or any other exam you are bound to face challenges and hardships. But whether you will be able to clear away all such obstacles, depends upon your consistent hard work and top-notch preparations.
Those who are well prepared will not find it hard. So if you are someone who is worried about the difficulty level of the IELTS exam then hang in there! Prepare well, put in all your hard work, and then you will realize how easy it was all.
Myth 2- You should speak in an American/British accent
Some students believe that adopting an American or British accent can help them get a good band score. But this is completely wrong. The examiner is not there to test your accent. The only thing which matters is that your speaking style has to be clear and confident while speaking. If you adopt a fake accent and end up sounding forced and unnatural then it may not leave a good impression on your examiner and affect your band score. So remain natural and speak in your usual comfortable tone. This won’t put any unnecessary pressure and stress on your mind.
Myth 3- Writing more will increase my score
Another common myth that students tend to believe is that writing more content will generate more marks. Due to this, they end up exceeding the word limit. Now in the IELTS exam, you have to strictly adhere to the word limit. The quantity of content doesn’t bring marks but it is the quality of the content- the way you express your ideas and opinions, the kind of vocabulary you use, etc. So try to write in a concise and effective manner. For this do enough practice beforehand and attempt as many writing tasks as possible before your IELTS exam. The same rule applies to the PTE exam. Are you appearing for the PTE exam this year? We suggest you take regular PTE online coaching and give your preparations a flying start.
Myth 4- Reading is the most difficult
Another common myth about the IELTS exam is that reading is very difficult. A lot of students think that the reading passages in the IELTS exam are tough to understand but again it’s not true at all. As we mentioned before when you don’t prepare yourself well for something then you will always perceive it as difficult. So burn the midnight oil and practice reading daily. Go through various books, and articles, sample long passages, etc. You need to grasp the ability to scan through a large quantity of information and filter out all the unnecessary information.
Myth 5- IELTS can only be taken once
There is no such upper limit on the number of times you can attempt the IELTS exam. So even if you fail to get a good band score on the first attempt you need not feel demotivated and depressed. You can easily re-appear for the exam. The exam is conducted every year and 4 times in 1 month. The universities don’t really mind about the number of times you appeared for the test. They just need a good band score. But yes you will need to pay the fees again. Also, keep in mind that the IELTS score is valid for 2 years.
When you are giving a reattempt then make sure you have worked on your previous mistakes. It is pointless to appear for the IELTS exam again and again as it leads to a waste of time and money. So pull up your socks and try to give your best in the first attempt itself.
Myth 6- I need to score above 7 in all sections
There is no doubt that getting a band score above 7 is a very good thing. But even if you manage to get 6 or 6.5 then you have opportunities open. The basic requirement is to get at least 6 bands. So don’t feel demotivated if you scored a bit less in some sections.
Myth 7- Using complex words and grammar will fetch a higher score
Some students think that writing complex words in their writing tasks will help them to get more marks. There’s no harm in using such words but you have to be very clear about their usage, spellings, etc. If you are unsure about some word or sentence then delete it and write a shorter and simple sentence. Often students put conditional clauses, modal verbs, etc in their writing forcefully. So avoid doing this.
Summing it up
So we hope this article will help you to dispel some of the most common myths about the IELTS exam. Keep your mind clear from all these unwanted myths and thoughts.
