More IELTS Myths

Here is another set of IELTS myths that I often encounter, but not as much as the first set. 

·         A specific sub-test is harder than the others – most of the students asking this was directing the myth towards speaking and writing. The rationale behind these was simple, the thought of an interview made some people nervous; as for writing, most of our students would say that they haven’t written essays in some time now or they’re insecure about their opinion.  Whatever the case may be, this myth just isn’t true.

·          The score is dependent on the examiners mood – this myth is directed towards the speaking and writing exams, although the 2 sub-test are relatively subjective and everyone does have good and bad days.  It is also very important to remember that the examiners are trained professionals and trained well, the marking for the IELTS has a standardized system that they follow at all times.  It is also worth noting that keeping your answer sheet neat, your penmanship easily read, your appearance presentable and your manner proper will not hurt your chances.

·         Differences in points of view will affect the score – No, go to your room and stay there.  The IELTS examiners are all mature enough to respect the difference in opinion.  A student of mine came to my office after her IELTS speaking test, she was so concerned because she said the interviewer disagreed with her and they had an argument;  my answer was, your conversational skill was good enough to get your interviewer to really discuss something and maybe treat you as an equal.  She got a very high score.  The scores are never based on the opinions and facts presented; you may get your facts wrong, give the wrong dates with historical data, but the IELTS isn’t a history exam.

There are more myths in the coming days.

If you have any myths or theories you want to ask about, feel free to leave it in as a comment and I’ll try to address it as soon as I can.

For other myths please check the IELTS Myth Category