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IELTS and TOEFL Are Performance Tests

IELTS and TOEFL do not only test what you know. They test what you can do under exam conditions.

You need:

English accuracy
fluency
academic vocabulary
listening stamina
reading speed
writing organisation
speaking confidence
time management

A student may know grammar well but still lose marks if they cannot organise an essay, manage time, or answer speaking questions clearly.

That is why your preparation should include both:

language practice + exam strategy

Step 1: Learn the Test Format

Before practising, learn exactly what happens in the exam.

IELTS Academic Format

IELTS Academic has four sections:

Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking

The timing is approximately:

IELTS Section	Time
Listening	about 30 minutes
Reading	60 minutes
Writing	60 minutes
Speaking	11–14 minutes

The full IELTS test takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes, not including possible scheduling differences for the Speaking test.

TOEFL iBT Format

TOEFL iBT also measures four academic English skills:

Reading
Listening
Speaking
Writing

TOEFL iBT is designed to reflect how English is used in academic settings, such as lectures, research, and classroom discussions.

Current TOEFL score reports use a 1–6 scale in half-point increments after the January 2026 update, with a transition period that also provides a comparable overall score on the older 0–120 scale.

Because TOEFL details can change, always check the latest ETS page before booking your test.

Step 2: Take a Diagnostic Test

Do not start with random practice.

First, take a diagnostic test or sample test to find your current level.

A diagnostic test helps you discover:

your strongest skill
your weakest skill
your timing problems
your vocabulary gaps
your common grammar mistakes
your exam strategy problems

After the diagnostic test, make a focused study plan.

Example:

Skill	Problem	Study Focus
Listening	Missing details	Practise note-taking and repeated listening
Reading	Running out of time	Practise skimming and scanning
Writing	Weak structure	Practise thesis and paragraph organisation
Speaking	Long pauses	Practise timed answers and common topics

Step 3: Practise All Four Skills

Do not only practise your strongest skill.

Many students make this mistake. They read well, so they keep doing reading practice. However, they lose marks in speaking or writing because they avoid those sections.

A balanced weekly plan should include:

listening practice
reading practice
writing practice
speaking practice
vocabulary review
error correction

Even if one skill is weaker, do not ignore the others.

Step 4: Study the Scoring Criteria

To improve your score, you need to know what examiners reward.

For IELTS Writing, learn how your answer is assessed.

Common IELTS Writing criteria include:

task response or task achievement
coherence and cohesion
lexical resource
grammatical range and accuracy

For IELTS Speaking, focus on:

fluency and coherence
lexical resource
grammatical range and accuracy
pronunciation

For TOEFL, check the official ETS rubrics and sample responses so you understand what strong answers look like.

Do not guess what a good answer means. Study official score descriptors.

Step 5: Practise Under Time Limits

Timing is one of the biggest exam challenges.

You should practise with time limits from the beginning, not only in the final week.

Examples:

IELTS Writing

Academic Writing Task 1:

at least 150 words
about 20 minutes

Academic Writing Task 2:

at least 250 words
about 40 minutes

IELTS Speaking

Practise giving answers that are:

clear
developed
natural
not memorised

TOEFL Speaking and Writing

Practise short, organised answers under strict time limits. TOEFL tasks often require you to understand information, organise it quickly, and respond clearly.

Step 6: Build Academic Vocabulary

Do not memorise random vocabulary lists.

Learn vocabulary by topic and use it in speaking and writing.

Useful topics include:

education
technology
environment
health
work
transport
family
society
culture
economy

For each topic, learn:

useful nouns
useful verbs
collocations
examples
opposite ideas
formal phrases

Example topic: education

Useful phrases:

access to education
academic performance
learning environment
develop critical thinking
provide feedback
achieve long-term progress

Example sentence:

Regular feedback can improve students’ academic performance and help them develop critical thinking skills.

Step 7: Review Your Mistakes Systematically

Practice alone is not enough. You need correction.

Keep an error log.

My Mistake	Correction	Category	New Example
depend of	depend on	preposition	Success depends on practice.
I am agree	I agree	verb pattern	I agree with this opinion.
many informations	a lot of information	uncountable noun	The article gives a lot of useful information.

Review your error log every week.

This helps you stop repeating the same mistakes.

IELTS Preparation Tips

1. For Listening

Practise:

predicting answers
listening for numbers, names, and dates
following conversations
recognising distractors
spelling answers correctly

2. For Reading

Practise:

skimming for the main idea
scanning for details
identifying paraphrases
managing time
understanding question types

3. For Writing

Practise:

planning quickly
writing clear thesis statements
using paragraph structure
explaining examples
checking grammar and vocabulary

4. For Speaking

Practise:

answering directly
extending answers naturally
using examples
speaking without long pauses
correcting yourself smoothly

TOEFL Preparation Tips

1. For Reading

Practise:

reading academic texts
finding main ideas
identifying details
understanding vocabulary in context
recognising text organisation

2. For Listening

Practise:

listening to lectures
taking notes
identifying main ideas
recognising speaker attitude
understanding examples

3. For Speaking

Practise:

organising answers quickly
using clear structure
giving reasons and examples
speaking naturally under time pressure

4. For Writing

Practise:

summarising information from reading and listening
writing clear opinions
supporting ideas with examples
using accurate academic language

Common Mistakes Students Make

Mistake 1: Studying Only Vocabulary Lists

Weak approach:

I memorise many words, but I do not use them.

Better approach:

I practise vocabulary inside speaking and writing tasks.

Why?

Exams reward your ability to use vocabulary accurately, not only recognise it.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Timing Until the Final Week

Weak approach:

I will practise timing later.

Better approach:

I will do timed practice from the beginning.

Why?

Time pressure changes your performance. You need to train for it early.

Mistake 3: Memorising Fake Speaking Answers

Weak approach:

I memorised perfect answers for common questions.

Better approach:

I practise flexible answer structures and natural examples.

Why?

Memorised answers can sound unnatural and may not fit the exact question.

Mistake 4: Not Reviewing Mistakes

Weak approach:

I did many practice tests, but I did not review them carefully.

Better approach:

I analyse my mistakes and practise the weak areas again.

Why?

Improvement comes from targeted correction.

Real-World Examples

Casual English

I practise speaking by answering one IELTS question daily.

Professional English

I need a TOEFL score for university admission.

Academic English

The essay presents a clear position and supports it with evidence.

Exam Preparation English

I reviewed my mistakes and noticed that I often lose marks in task response.

Key Learning Points

IELTS and TOEFL test both English ability and exam performance.
Learn the format before doing full practice tests.
Practise all four skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
Use official sample questions and score descriptors.
Practise under time limits from the beginning.
Build vocabulary by topic and use it actively.
Keep an error log to stop repeating the same mistakes.

Pro Tips for Faster Learning

Tip 1: Take One Diagnostic Test Before Planning

Before you start preparing, take one sample test.

Then ask:

Which section was hardest?
Where did I lose time?
Which question types confused me?
What mistakes did I repeat?

Use the answers to build your study plan.

Tip 2: Build Flexible Templates

Templates can help you organise answers, but do not memorise fake full answers.

Good speaking frame:

In my opinion, __________ because __________. For example, __________. That is why I think __________.

Good writing frame:

This essay argues that __________ because __________ and __________.

Use frames to organise thinking, not to replace real communication.

Tip 3: Practise with Official Materials

Official materials help you understand:

real task types
real timing
real instructions
expected answer style
scoring criteria

Use unofficial materials only after you understand the official format.

Tip 4: Review One Skill Deeply Each Week

Example four-week plan:

Week 1: Listening
Week 2: Reading
Week 3: Writing
Week 4: Speaking

Each week, continue light practice in the other skills, but focus deeply on one main skill.

Practice Exercise

1. Write a two-sentence opinion on remote work

Example answer:

Remote work can improve productivity because employees often have fewer distractions and more flexibility. However, companies should still provide clear communication systems to keep teams connected.

2. Speak for 45 seconds about your hometown

Try to include:

where it is
what it is known for
what you like about it
one example or detail

Example opening:

My hometown is a busy city with many schools, shops, and historical places. What I like most about it is that people are friendly and daily life is convenient.

3. Read one short paragraph and summarise it in one sentence

Example paragraph:

Many students prefer online learning because it saves time and allows them to study from home. However, some students find it difficult because they miss face-to-face interaction with teachers and classmates.

Example summary:

Online learning is convenient, but some students struggle without direct classroom interaction.

4. Create an error-log entry

Mistake:

I am agree with this idea.

Correction:

I agree with this idea.

Category:

Verb pattern

New example:

I agree with the writer’s main argument.

Final Summary

To prepare for IELTS or TOEFL, you need more than general English study. You need a smart plan that combines English improvement with test strategy.

Use this formula:

format knowledge + four-skill practice + timed tasks + scoring criteria + error review

The best preparation is focused, consistent, and based on official exam requirements.

Resources and Further Learning

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