Natapos na rin ang IELTS written exam ko sa wakas, speaking na lang on Wednesday! Sa BC SG ako nag-register, sa Regent Hotel yung venue ng exam. Ang daming pinoy, meron ba dito na kasabay ko din kanina? Yung katabi ko Pinay din pero hindi kami nag-usap ni Ate. 😃 I think I actually did well in the exam, meron lang konti sa listening part na hindi ako masyadong sure sa sagot. I am hoping na tama yung self-assessment ko. 🙂 Eto lang mga tips ko sa mga mag e-exam pa lang.
Listening - Do not always expect na kung ano yung exact words sa selection of answers eh yun din ang babanggitin sa audio lalong lalo na sa 4th section ng test. Understand the topic being discussed then select the most logical answer.
Reading - Again, same with listening, intindihin mabuti ang topic. Hindi kailangan i-memorize word by word, basta nakuha mo lang yung gist ng story you'll do fine. Pag hindi mo makita ang keyword sa tanong, himayin ang passage para makita ang sagot. Yung 1st, 2nd and 3rd section madali lang... pwede mo ngang basahin muna ang tanong bago hanapin ang sagot. Pero yung last part, eto na yung medyo mahirap kasi ang mga sagot sa tanong hindi masyadong obvious. Yung content nya is comparable sa Academic Reading. Kung itong section ang weakness mo, I suggest you practice using Academic materials para masanay ka how to read between the lines.
Writing - Ang swerte ng mga nag-exam kanina kasi madali lang yung topics assigned. Yung 1st part is personal letter, you just need to write to a friend and describe the vacation you just had and how the guide book you borrowed from him/her helped you in planning the trip. You also need to mention when you will return the book. Yung essay naman is you need to discuss why some people believe that children should always follow what their parents say while some believe that children should learn how to think for themselves. Then state which side you agree with. Eto lang ang tips ko:
Do not write your answer in the question booklet! Nasayang lang yung oras ko sa pag-transfer sa answer sheet kaya medyo nastress ako during the last 10 minutes of the exam. Pwede ka naman gumamit ng pencil so in case may gusto ka baguhin madali naman magbura.
Stay in familiar territory, this is not a time to explore on a subject you are not familiar with. Nagsayang ako ng halos 10 minutes sa 1st part ng writing kasi ang una kong napili idiscuss is yung dream vacation ko in Egypt. Eh since hindi pa naman ako nakapunta talaga sa lugar na yan kaya nahirapan ako i-describe yung details ng holiday. So binura ko yung ginawa ko at kinwento ko na lang yung bakasyon kunyari sa pinas, problem solved. 😃 Remember that you should only spend a maximum of 20 minutes sa Task 1 ng writing so you should use your time wisely kasi mas malaki ang mark sa Task 2.
It pays to be naturally curious. Read, read, read! Remember na ang topics for the writing exam is diverse so kung hindi ka familiar sa topic eh mahirap magpaka-creative.
Focus on practicing how to arrange your thoughts logically and how to link your arguments. Do not forget the 3 main parts of an essay (Intro, Body and Conclusion). Practicing will help you a lot, which I didn't do, unfortunately. Buti na lang madali lang yung topic sa Task 2 kaya hindi ako masyadong nahirapan at buti na lang din nagbasa ako ng IELTS tips sa writing at nakinig ng IELTS podcasts.
Wag i-max out ang oras sa pagsusulat ng content. If possible, spend at least 5 minutes to count the words kasi sayang naman ang score mo kung below the minimum ang word count.
Yan lang ang mase-share ko. I am hoping and praying na makakuha ako ng mataas na score. Goodluck sa mga mag-eexam pa lang. 🙂