IELTS in Nigeria – Crush your next IELTS test with these tips
The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is a wildly accepted English proficiency test designed to evaluate the language mastery of the candidate who plans to study, migrate or work in other countries where English is the common language used in communication. The IELTS in Nigeria test score plays a major role in helping candidates achieve these dreams.
IELTS proficiency test is required by many institutions, countries and organisations to evaluate the level of comprehension and speaking competency of individuals for admission, hiring and or immigration.
The IELTS score ranges from 1-9 (“non-user”- “expert”) there is also a band score of 0 (“did not attempt”). Each part of the IELTS skill gets a band score within this range i.e; Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. There is also an overall band score for the whole test.
IELTS Overall Band Scores
| IELTS BAND SCORE | SKILL LEVEL |
| 9 | Expert |
| 8 | Very Good |
| 7 | Good |
| 6 | Competent |
| 5 | Modest |
| 4 | Limited |
| 3 | Extremely Limited |
| 2 | Intermittent |
| 1 | Non-User |
| 0 | Did Not Attempt |
Generally, the higher your IELTS score the better, for academic purposes the basic accepted score to gain admission into an institution requiring a student to take the IELTS or any other proficiency test is
If you are planning to take the IELTS test soon, the following tips will be very helpful to not only help you prepare adequately but ace your test.
- – Identify your weak point amongst the four skills to be tested and tailor your study sessions giving priority to those areas. For example, if you get nervous speaking in front of strangers, write slowly or read slowly, if you tune out of long boring conversations.
- – Study the material provided in the email after booking your test, if you cannot afford to attend an IELTS training Centres in lagos, or where ever else you are taking the test in Nigeria or hire a private tutor, then watch YouTube channels dedicated to the IELTS testing such as E2 IELTS, IELTS Speaking Success, Fastrack IELTS.
- – Practice until you are confident in your skillset. For example, if you are a fast speaker, record your answers and practice pacing your sentences to slow down to a more natural pace.
- – When practising for the written test which consists of the writing, listening and reading test, ensure to time yourself to ensure that you will be able to finish the whole test in the allotted time.
- – Confirm your test location, dates and time, usually, the speaking test for IELTS in Nigeria is held one week before the written test, failure to show up for the test might mean a strict penalty.
- – On test day, ensure you arrive ahead of time for the test, do not underestimate the IELTS, it is an exam as well and as such it is best to be at the venue in time for registration and any other last-minute preparations so you are not frazzled.
For The IELTS Speaking Test
- – Pay attention to the questions asked and speak as freely and eloquently as possible, it is okay to have exam jitters but ensure that you speak naturally.
- – If you are asked a question that you do not understand or if you do not know the answer, ask the examiner to rephrase the question and enable you to buy time to cook up an intelligent answer.
- – Make sure you elaborate your answers, while it is entirely acceptable to give one worded answers here and there, the speaking test tests the vastness of your vocabulary. A great tip here is to relate the question to the past, the present and the future. E.g. What is your favourite sport? Bad answer: Football. Good answer: As a child, I grew up with four brothers and so I usually got bored playing with my dolls and reading books and so I usually joined my brothers to kick a ball around. I also enjoyed going to the stadium to watch football matches with my brothers and father. Currently, I get together with my brothers every other weekend to watch a match or two and catch up. In the future, I would love to take my children to the stadium to watch matches as this was my favourite childhood past time.
For The IELTS Listening Test
- – Ensure that you through the questions before the test begins.
- – Try to not get distracted as missing one word might make miss some answers.
- – Sometimes the answers do not come one after the other, so ensure you have read the whole question.
For The IELTS Reading Test
- – If you cannot find the answer to a question, skip it and move on to the next.
- – Underline keywords while reading to make answering the questions easier.
For The IELTS Writing Test
- – Do not write with your speaking English.
- – Ensure your writing is neat and legible.
- – Answer Task 2 first as it carries more marks.
In conclusion, relax, it is just a test of a language you have been speaking all your life. Good Luck!
