Introduction

Who is Action Plan for IELTS for?

Action Plan for IELTS is a short, self-study guide for IELTS, containing one complete practice test. It is designed for students with a limited amount of time to prepare for the IELTS test or for students who have already completed an lELTS course and would like a last-minute guide to the test.

It is for students at intermediate level or above, and is designed for self-study, although it may also be used in class as part of a short preparation course. It shows students what skills are tested in IELTS, what type of questions and tasks they wi11 see, and how to approach them.

There are two editions: one for the Academic module and one for the General Training module. Students should use the appropriate edition for their needs.

How is Action Plan for IELTS organised?

Action Plan for IELTS is organised by module: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. These are presented in the same order as the actual test. Each of the four modules begins with a clear introduction, which gives full details of what to expect in that part of the test and what is tested. There is also an overview of the different question types for Listening and Reading, and an explanation of the marking criteria for Writing and Speaking.

Each part of each module gives examples of the Listening and Reading question types, and the Writing and Speaking tasks. The Writing section of the book is organised according to the marking criteria for this module. The criteria are illustrated with short exercises, so students can see exactly what the examiner is looking for and decide how best to approach these parts ofthe test. The Speaking section of the book provides a step-by-step guide to the three parts of the Speaking test.

The question types and tasks are accompanied by a short, effective Action Plan, which gives advice on ways to approach them, and suggests strategies to prepare students for the test. The Key includes answers to all the exercises, sample answers to the Writing tasks and, where appropriate, offers tips and strategies that can be used to help get the right answers. An Audio CD/Cassette accompanies all listening tasks, and the Recording Scripts are also provided.

At the end of the book, there is a complete IELTS Practice Test.

How can Action Plan for IELTS be used?

Action Plan for IELTS is flexible, and can be used in different ways:

• Students who don’t know very much about the test and need a thorough overview should world systematically through the book, and then do the timed Practice Test at the end.

• Students who need more practice in one particular module may prefer to world through the book by doing all the Listening sections first, for example, followed by the Listening sections of the Practice Test, and so on.

• Students who are unsure about particular question types or tasks for the Listening and Reading sections can use the overview with the page references in the introduction for each skill and go directly to that section.

The Listening Test

A 30-minute test of your understanding of spoken English

How many sections does the listening test have?

There are four sections in the listening test. Each section has 10 questions, making a total of 40 questions. The sections become progressively harder. The answers to the questions come in the same order as the information on the recording.

Section 1 (3-4 minutes)

A conversation between two speakers on an everyday, social topic.

Section 2 (3-4 minutes)

A talk by one speaker on a general topic.

Section 3 (3-4 minutes)

A discussion between two to four speakers on a topic related to education.

Section 4 (3-4 minutes)

A lecture or talk by one speaker on an academic or study-related topic.

The whole test lasts about 30 minutes, including the instructions, your reading and listening to me, and the to me allowed for transferring your answers from the question paper to an answer sheet. The instructions are included on the recording.

ON THE DAY

The listening test is the first part of the IELTS test.

Arrive at the test room in plenty of time.

Take a pencil and rubber with you.

You write your answers on the question paper as you listen. You can use abbreviations at this stage if you want to.

You have to transfer your answers to an answer sheet after the test. The recording gives you time to do this.

You cannot take any books into the test room.