THose who have cleared their IELTS tests (and cleared :))
A) Do you think there is a need to prepare using some standard materials before going for the exam? If yes, can you please suggest some standard references?
B) If you are fluently conversant in English (from a day-to-day needs perspective), Is the exam easy to clear?
Thanks much in advance for your responses - Appreciate any pointers relating to this.
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A) If you're not a native speaker and also like most exams, you might want to familiarize yourself with the exam format and have a rough idea of what is required. At the same time, the test materials would give you an indication of your current level of English, and you would then have an opportunity to remedy to any existing deficiencies.
You can get some standard test materials from the center in which you're gonna take the test. They are available for US$25. Or you can obtain some more materials from your bookstore or Amazon.com
If you don't buy any test materials, then you're on your own!
B) Well that's the whole point of the exam, isn't it? It's suppose to test whether you're fluent in the first place and it'll be easy for those who GENUINELY know the language. ;)
If you're fluent, you'll naturally obtain a band ranging from 8-9. If you're mildly conversant, then you'll be getting a band ranging from 5.5-6.5 and so on...
I am a native French speaker, but have been living in Anglo-Saxon countries for almost 10 years now. Result: I got a 9 on my IELTS. I prepared for harder exams like SAT or GRE before. So if you have that level of preparation, then there's no reason why you shouldn't score between 8-9.
In a nutshell, you should be familiar with the English language. If you can read an English newspaper and if you can understand 90% of an American movie, then you should be all set. If not, then you have to start brushing up your English.
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You can also find a couple of pointers on the web by a guy named Rad Danesh:
http://www.ielts-exam.net/
He discusses the structures of the exam and some basic strategies required. It will just help familiarizing yourself with the exam format. It won't push your marks from zero to a hundred. Only a solid knowledge of English will help you score.
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