| In the Reading and Listening tasks of the IELTS exam, | | | | those cases, if some of the answers in the series are |
| band scores are determined only by the number of | | | | in the correct order, they are considered correct. Do |
| questions answered correctly. There usually are about | | | | your best at getting the entire series right, but if you |
| 40 questions on each of the two tests. | | | | are confident of only a portion of the series, make |
| Many candidates who do not understand the questions | | | | sure those answers are in the proper order. |
| or do not know or are not sure of the answers leave | | | | - Even with short answer questions, put some words |
| blanks on the answer sheets for those questions. | | | | in the blanks - but never more than three - of |
| Never leave questions unanswered! Always write | | | | questions whose answers you are not sure of. In the |
| something on the answer sheet. No answer is | | | | case of IELTS Reading task short answer questions, |
| automatically wrong, but you may guess the right | | | | choose words that come directly from the text, as |
| answer, in which case you receive the point for it. | | | | they are more likely to be correct. |
| To score the highest number of correct answers: | | | | - To maximize the number of correct answers in the |
| - Do your best to understand the question and answer | | | | IELTS Listening test, mark the answers you choose in |
| it correctly. | | | | the question booklet and then, in the 10 minutes you |
| - If you do not understand the question or know the | | | | are allowed for transferring the answers to the |
| answer, figure out what kind of answer is required - T | | | | answer sheets after the tape is finished playing, |
| (true) or F (false), F (fact) or O (opinion), the letter or | | | | carefully transfer them to the answer sheet. If you are |
| letters that correspond to the correct answers to | | | | unsure of the correct answer to a question while the |
| multiple choice questions, short answers, and the like - | | | | tape is playing, mark the answer you think is best. You |
| and write an answer that is possibly correct. It may be. | | | | can think about it more after the tape has finished. |
| - Keep careful track of question numbers so that you | | | | Remember: do not use the time after each section of |
| put answers in the correct places. One of the | | | | the IETLS Listening test tape has finished to "check |
| problems with not answering a question is that you | | | | your answers" (as you will be instructed to on the |
| may forget to leave a space for the answer. If you | | | | tape). Instead, go on to read the next set of questions, |
| answer the next question on a line you have left blank, | | | | to add to the time you have to read them. You have |
| you could create a situation in which a whole series of | | | | nothing to check your answers against after the tape |
| answers - some of which might be correct - will be | | | | has finished. |
| scored as incorrect. Examiners who correct answer | | | | - In the IETLS Reading test, if for some reason you |
| sheets do so from master answer sheet keys and do | | | | have not allowed yourself enough time for the third |
| not make allowances for answers that appear on the | | | | reading, give yourself enough time before the 60 |
| wrong line. | | | | minutes has elapsed to look at the questions and see |
| - Pay special attention for some answers that come in | | | | what kinds of answers are required. Then guess. |
| a series. Sometimes IELTS questions ask you to put a | | | | In all cases, never leave answers blank on IELTS |
| number of answers in a particular series. In some of | | | | answer sheets! |