We interviewed Trang, an IELTS candidate with a band 9 score in the Speaking Section of her IELTS exam. We asked Trang how she scored a 9 in the IELTS Speaking, how she managed her nerves on test day and what helped her more from our IELTS courses.
Trang lives in Hanoi, Vietnam. She works in marketing as her ‘day job’ but is keenly interested in social media and content creation. She has a blog and a Facebook page. Make sure you check them out!
- The band 9 IELTS speaking interview
- Trang’s IELTS test scores
- IELTS preparation and confidence are key
- What speaking parts did Trang find the most challenging?
- Trang’s main tips for success
- Conclusion
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- More Help with IELTS Speaking Parts 1, 2 and 3
The band 9 IELTS speaking interview
If you are planning to take the Ielts exam, you probably already know that the Speaking Section of the IELTS exam involves a live interview session with an IELTS examiner.
Watch our video below, with all of Trang’s high-scoring sample answers to some Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 IELTS Speaking Questions.
Trang’s IELTS test scores
Trang received an outstanding overall IELTS score of 8.5. Her scores by skill were: eight for the IELTS writing section, 8.5 for listening and perfect 9’s for IELTS Reading and IELTS speaking. Her 8.5 listening score is a bit of a sore point for her. She told us, ” I’m quite mad at myself because of that 8.5. I could have got a nine had I not drifted off towards the end of the listening section thinking about what to get for dinner.”
IELTS preparation and confidence are key
Many students like Trang feel nervous about taking the Speaking Test- especially because it is conducted by a live examiner. Even though she was nervous entering the exam room, Trang was confident because she knew she was well prepared. She had developed mental strategies and practised a lot before the interview. There is an important link between confidence and preparation!
Trang told us she was nervous when entering the test room. However, she became more and more comfortable as the test went on. The main reason she became more comfortable, Trang explained, was because she knew she had prepared well. Trang told us that she gained “confidence knowing that, okay, I had practised really hard. So maybe I got this. Yeah.”
What speaking parts did Trang find the most challenging?
Trang found IELTS Speaking Part 2 the most challenging question type in her IELTS Speaking interview. “Part Two was always my nemesis because normally, my brain tends to freeze up when I get into a test room. Not just IELTS.”
‘Brain freeze’ is normal for many IELTS interview candidates. Trang overcame that ‘brain freeze’ because she was prepared. She was ready for the question. “I got the topic of shopping which was right up my alley.” In addition, the IELTS examiner wasn’t scary at all. Trang’s examiner was “super friendly, super nice.” In her words, these “helped put me at ease and I was able to make up a story on the spot.” Preparation is the key because as Trang discovered “even if I was given another question, I would still have done quite well because I actually broke down the strategy that I would use in the yes in the test.”
Trang’s main tips for success
Trang has two main tips. Her first tip is “I think students should try to practise as much as they can and according to their own levels of English.” Her advice is to practise answering as many IELTS writing and speaking questions as possible, watching mock test videos and taking an IELTS prep course for people who are pressed for time. Why is an IELTS test preparation course essential? According to Trang, E2’s expert IELTS teachers “guide you in the right direction to save you a lot of time and effort.”
What about Trang’s second tip? Trang told us that “the one tip that I really want people to know is just to breathe and take a few deep breaths before each and every section so that you can calm yourself down and don’t let nerves get to you.”
Conclusion
Trang shared some helpful advice, insights and tips & strategies that other IELTS candidates can follow to raise their IELTS Speaking score.
By preparing and practising for the test, Trang was able to boost her confidence on test day. Being confident, she told us, was an essential part of managing her nervousness going into the speaking test. Despite being nervous, because she prepared, she settled herself down by taking a deep breath and telling herself that “I got this”.
You too can succeed and get an IELTS Speaking Band 9 score by joining E2 Test Prep and signing up for the IELTS training package that best suits your preparation requirements.
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More Help with IELTS Speaking Parts 1, 2 and 3
Need more help with your IELTS Speaking practice and preparation? We have you covered! For help with IELTS Speaking, head to our IELTS General or IELTS Academic pages and sign up for free to access method lessons, practice items, live classes with expert teachers and more. We have everything you need to help you quickly achieve your desired band score.
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Author Bio:
E2 is the world’s leading test preparation provider. Our expert teachers are fully accredited with TESOL, British Council or IELTS certification and years of IELTS examiner or IELTS teaching experience.
The post IELTS Speaking Band 9: Tips to get a perfect IELTS Speaking score appeared first on E2Language Blog.
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