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If you listen to all our episodes till the very end, you'll get a high score in the exam.
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Hello, lovely, and welcome into our first episode 2022.
Thank you very much for listening subscribing, sharing the podcast with your friends, helping us grow.
You are making this episode possible.
You are making this podcast possible.
So welcome into our special episode this year.
This episode is going to be about the IELTS test.
Oh, wow.
Really?
Really, Maria?
It's going to be about IELTS?
Yes.
So we've decided to take you on a crazy ride around the IELTS test.
We'll take you through the whole exam, from the beginning to the end.
What happens in the test?
What happens in the classroom when it happens.
Tips and tricks, do's and don'ts for each part of the exam.
And then at the end of the episode, we'll talk about stress and anxiety on the day of the exam and how to relax, what to do with it.
It's gonna be really practical and really useful.
So you should listen till the very end.
So, first of all, the day before the exam.
So, this day arrives.
You have one day left before the exam, before taking IELTS.
What are the do's and the don'ts?
What should you do?
What shouldn't you do one day before the exam?
We said do and don't.
We should actually try a different verb.
What will happen?
You will feel anxious, probably.
Everybody feels anxious before a test.
But you don't give in to anxiety.
You keep calm.
How can we keep calm?
You know, if you think that IELTS is the most important thing in your life and if you don't get this 7 for IELTS, you'll die.
Then yes, you'll get anxious.
But if you lower this importance, if you understand that, well, nothing will happen to me, I will stay alive, I'll be myself. whether I get this 7 or no.
So just change your importance of the exam a little bit.
Yes, you may not get the desired band at the first attempt, or you may.
You don't know, right?
So just stop thinking that this is the most important thing in your life and you will die soon after this.
Okay, you won't.
You'll stay alive, believe me.
I've done it several times and i'm alive.
Look at me.
So yeah, this is the first thing.
Think about how you look at the exam itself.
And then the day before exam, to feel more relaxed, you should relax.
Forget about preparation at night.
Forget about it.
Just know.
People start preparing, start reading, writing the essay, taking classes with the teacher one day before the exam.
But believe me, you really should relax.
You should relax.
You should listen to something in English, watch a cartoon in English, listen to our podcast.
So do something in English that you like and have this day just for eating sleeping, listening and doing whatever you like to do.
Seriously.
Gentle revision and avoiding stress.
Yes.
Because the thing is, in regular exams, which are usually a test of memory and things like that, you can cram the day before the exam and it's going to make a difference.
But...
It doesn't work that way for IELTS, because IELTS is a test of skills, your English language skills, which is something that you build up over time.
You're not magically going to be able to bump up your score 24 hours before the exam, and it will come about as a long process that you've been on throughout your whole life.
True.
The only thing that you can do before the exam is you can have a look at the speaking topics.
So you can open Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts whatever app you're using to listen to this podcast and just look at the topics that we've been discussing, because we're choosing fresh IELTS speaking topics.
And you can also find them online.
So just Google speaking IELTS speaking topics 2022.
Yes, we are in 2022 now.
So and you can have a look at the topics.
So just for you to know what topics...
They have in the exam.
I think this is the only thing.
But don't write essays on these topics.
Don't write like 15 words for each topic that you have to use in the exam.
No, don't do that.
Just be in the know that, okay, I can get this topic.
So we are not panicking.
We are gently revising and we are preparing ourselves.
If you can, take a day off from work.
Make sure that you're relaxed, that you go to bed at a sensible time and get sleep, because your brain will need to use all of these resources that you've built up on the actual day.
So there's no point wandering into the exam completely burnt out, because at best that is not going to help you a lot.
True on the actual day.
Usually the exam starts at 10 am in the morning, which means you have to be at the center at like 930 in the morning.
This is early.
Like seriously, you need your energy.
If you're young, like maybe under 21, well, maybe you can be cool, right?
But me, for example, no, if I haven't slept the night before the exam, forget about it.
I'm going to be like a zombie doing a listening test.
Seriously, Rory, can you do that?
Can you just like party half of the night and then take the exam and be okay at 10 a.m.?
?
No, no.
And I wouldn't recommend anyone else did that either.
It's not very responsible.
To be honest, this section is called the day before, but really it should be the period before the exam.
Make sure that you're constantly exposed to the exam in a gentle fashion, not cramming, not panicking, and building yourself up over a period of time.
True.
So on the actual day of the exam.
So this is now the day of your exam.
You get up early in the morning again for a paper-based exam if you take a paper-based IELTS using paper not a computer-delivered test, but a paper-based exam.
Usually it's in the morning, so 10 a.m.
So you should come to the center, well, 30 minutes before the exam.
You can come in 15 minutes before.
And you come in, they have your photo taken.
They take a picture of you and they take your fingerprints.
You put all your clothes phones, your bag in a special room and usually they lock this room so it's secure.
Again, it depends on the test center.
But you should leave all your belongings in this special room.
So the managers will tell you where to put everything.
And you should leave your phone.
Your phone stays there together with your watch, with your iWatch, with your headphones.
What other gadgets do we have?
With your...
All gadgets.
Smartwatch.
Did you say smartwatch?
Smartwatch.
Yeah, your smartwatch.
So everything stays there.
Then you are ready to come in the room.
It could be a room, a classroom or a big hall, depending on the test center, where all students are are sitting and waiting for the exam to start.
Oh, and you have your passport.
Oh yes, sorry, I forgot about the passport.
You have your passport that you used to register for the exam.
It should be the same passport, the same ID.
So you have your passport.
You can have a bottle of water.
And that's it.
So just your passport, a bottle of water.
Can I have a bottle of water with some words written on it?
Nope.
No labels on your bottle of water.
Yeah, no labels.
It's just a bottle and water.
That's it.
Also, you can't have your own bottle, like a thermos or something.
Well, actually, you can if there are no words.
The rule is that you mustn't have any labels.
So you mustn't have any words.
If you have a bottle of water with a word written in English oh no no no, you can use this word in the essay.
So, yeah, it's ridiculous.
I know.
So you enter the room, you show your passport.
Again, you give them your fingerprints and then you are escorted to your seat.
You sit down, you have a special number.
So you have a special paper with the number, the candidate number, some other details.
And Rory, can I take my own pens?
If I have a unicorn pen, my lucky pen, can I take it with me?
I think everything is provided for you, isn't it?
Yes, it is provided.
So, at some centers, they tell you to write only with a pencil, so you can't use a pen.
Okay, you do the listening using a pencil, reading a pencil.
In writing, in some centers, you have to use a pencil, not a pen.
That's why they give you their pencils.
So I'm not sure that they can let you in with your own pen pens and pencils and stuff, so they give everything to you.
Now what else is interesting?
You know when i took the exam in august paper-based exam in moscow in august last year, 2021.
I entered the room and there were like 20 people sitting there, you know, like staring at me.
The atmosphere was like a zombie city.
Oh, it was so tense.
Oof.
And some people come in very early, so they are sitting there doing nothing.
Rory, do you think it's a happy atmosphere?
No, if memory serves, when I did my exam, not my IELTS exam.
This was a different exam for teacher knowledge.
It was like that as well.
So just come in not extraordinarily early.
There are no points for being early.
Nothing happens if you come in early because everything is organized before then.
And then for people that are there early, that's their problem.
But there's nothing to do.
So you're going to be bored and you'll just overthink and overstress.
So there's no point.
Yep.
So together with you, there could be 50 people or 20 people or 10 people.
Again, depends on the center.
Once I took IELTS and there were like over 100 people.
It was like a huge hall.
So many people.
But it was comfortable because, again, each of us had our own desk and a chair.
So it's okay.
So it depends on the test center how many people are going to be together with you during a paper-based exam.
Usually there are two or three managers, people who manage the whole thing, who also like check that you're not cheating.
So people who give you booklets, paper booklets.
So usually there are two or three managers and the main manager is who gives you the instructions, who starts listening.
So there's kind of like the boss and some other managers who kind of help you.
You can also raise hands.
The manager will come to you and answer all your questions.
Okay, so you are in the room, okay?
And then the boss starts giving the instructions.
There might be a screen, so you see all the instructions on the screen.
Again, depends on the test center.
Sometimes they write things on the board if there is no screen.
So the manager, the main boss, will start, hello, welcome, blah, blah, blah, IELTS, blah, blah, blah.
And then they will give the instructions for listening.
Rory, tell me, in paper-based IELTS, where do they play it from?
Do they use a tape recorder, speakers?
Do they read the listening script?
It's played from a, well, my best to describe it, a CD player?
Or it was when I did it.
You are right about the CD.
So in august in moscow, they actually used a cd, a cd.
Do you know how it looks like a usual cd disc.
It's crazy.
That's for security though, isn't it?
Is it really for security?
Well yeah, so it's easier to keep track of a CD than files that could be downloaded and stolen.
True, because all the materials are secured.
So this boss of the bosses takes the CD from a special box or bag, she shows the CD to you and then she puts the CD into her laptop.
And then the sound could come from the speakers.
Again, depends on the test center.
Some test centers use a tape recorder like a usual tape recorder.
This, you know, ancient piece of equipment.
So yeah, again, depends on the test center.
So this is a paper-based example.
So when listening starts, or actually before they start playing the recording, they give out the listening booklets.
So the managers just go around and distribute listening booklets.
So just like usual paper with listening tasks.
And also you have an answer sheet.
What's an answer sheet?
It's a sheet of paper with lots of boxes on it and you put one letter in each box when you're writing it.
Yeah, you put your answers, right?
So a letter or a number or whatever it is.
Before that, you fill it in and the managers will tell you how to fill it in.
You write your name surname, using a pencil, your candidate number, which is right on the desk with you.
So the managers will help you out with this.
They check that everybody filled it in and then the listening begins.
And then they play the recording and then it goes, now turn to section one.
Section one.
Rory, now I have a question for you.
Is there an example in the first listening section?
Do they give you an example?
Yes.
Isn't there a zero?
No, not anymore.
Really?
Yes, they've removed the example.
So now the listening starts from question one.
So they just say, now turn to section one.
You have 30 seconds to read questions.
One to five.
They give you 30 seconds.
You read.
Now we shall begin.
You will listen to the recording once blah blah blah, and then you start listening and writing the answer for question one.
No examples so, which is dangerous, because if you are using old materials, what can happen?
Oh, you could get confused.
Yeah, you might be waiting for the example but oops sorry, we've removed the example.
Yeah, so this is listening.
Now, any tips?
So let's focus on three top tips for listening.
Read.
There's time to read before the listening starts.
Read what the text is that you're supposed to be completing as you listen, so that you know what you're supposed to be listening for and you can sort of get your brain ready for hearing keywords.
Yes.
Read and underline keywords.
Read the task.
Do they ask you to write one word or two words?
Believe me, it's very stupid, but many people just don't read.
Seriously.
You have a pencil, you have a booklet in paper-based exam, so read and underline.
In a computer-delivered test.
You do everything on screen using a computer, but you do have some paper and a pencil, so you can take notes if you wish.
Okay, what else?
Don't get distracted.
Some people might make noises.
They might...
They might do this.
Stay focused.
Also depends on the test center.
If there is a window open and it's noisy, stay focused on the task.
Do as much as you can.
Do your best.
There's no point of getting angry at people who are coughing or making noises.
Focus on what you're doing.
Now, a question, Rory.
Can I go out during the listening test?
Can I go out to the bathroom?
You know, like, oh, I need to go to the bathroom.
Let me out.
Why would you do that?
They're not going to stop it for you.
A test is exactly as long as the recording, plus 10 minutes, right?
So they have time to transfer their answers.
Yes, so the listening section is 40 minutes and 30 minutes.
3-0 is just you listen and do the tasks.
They cannot let you out during the listening, okay?
Everybody stays during the listening.
And then 30 minutes.
The listening is over and the voice will tell you.
Now you have 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet.
And what do you do during this stage?
Transfer the answers and make sure you do it correctly.
Yes.
And clearly.
Number one, number one.
Yes.
Do you use small letters or capitals?
Well, I would say it's best to write in block capital letters, because that way there's less of a chance of making any mistakes and it's clear for everybody.
Yes, capitals.
Use capitals.
Write everything in capital letters, big letters.
Make sure that it's clear.
You can erase your answer and write it again.
So check spelling, make sure that number one is number one, number five is number five.
You copy paste from your booklet.
Then the managers will collect the booklets.
So they will take all listening booklets away from everybody.
So usually I have a question like...
If I'm done with listening, can I start reading?
If I'm done with reading, can I start writing?
No, you can't.
Because listening, only listening, then it's over.
They take the paper booklets. together with the answer sheets, away from you.
They take them away and then they give you reading booklets.
You see?
They take reading booklets away.
At the end of reading, they give you writing booklets.
This is the procedure.
Do I have any break between listening and reading?
Yeah, because they have to give you out the paper.
Exactly.
You see?
So what I did, so they are taking away the listening booklet.
What I did, I stretched.
I, you know, I took a deep breath.
I moved my arms.
I moved my feet.
People were looking at me as if I had three eyes or a unicorn horn on my head.
But Rory, why do you think this was important for me?
To kind of to stretch, to move a little bit, to breathe?
Because you've been sitting down for a prolonged period of time and that makes your body all stiff and not ready for what's coming next.
Yes.
So my advice for you there is a short break, a couple of minutes, while they are taking away the listening booklets.
So while they're doing this, Breathe in, breathe out.
Move your hands, fingers.
Close your eyes.
Think about Rory in Scotland riding a bear, drinking whiskey.
Think about something pleasant, right?
Relax, because the next part is going to be intensive, right?
It's going to be reading.
So have this break for yourself, right?
So breathe, relax, and move your body, stretch.
Then they give you a reading booklet and you have to again wait until everybody gets a reading booklet.
Reading starts.
Do you have the time?
Do you have a clock somewhere?
Because you are not allowed to have a watch.
No watch allowed.
So where can you see the time?
On the clock at the front.
Yeah.
Usually there's a clock or there is a board with a timer so you can see the time clearly.
In the...
Computer-delivered test, you see the timer on a screen.
You're using a computer.
In a paper-delivered test there's a clock or a timer or some electronic clock, depending on the test center.
During reading, they tell you, now you have 20 minutes left.
Now you have 15 minutes left.
You have 5 minutes left.
The test is over.
Put down your pencils.
Rory, would you find this annoying?
Like you are struggling with this true, false, freaking not given.
And they just tell you, you have 15 minutes left.
It's just the thing that happens.
That's all.
Just keep going and do as much as you can.
I found it very distracting and annoying, but I focused, I soldiered on.
Okay, so you should do like this.
Now, can you go out during the reading part?
I don't know.
If it's like other exams that I've done, you can go out, but you can't go out within the first 30 minutes and you can't leave in the last 20.
It's something like that, isn't it?
Hmm.
Actually, in IELTS reading, you are allowed to go out during the reading part.
Yeah, you're quite right.
Not at the very end, because they're going to be collecting the booklets.
But, for example, the reading starts.
I'm given the instructions.
Now open your booklet. and let the reading begin.
After this, you can go out.
So, do you think people actually go out during the reading part?
Do they?
They probably do, but I don't think that's true for the vast majority of people.
Okay, anyway, you are allowed to go to the bathroom during reading and writing, right?
But you lose time, okay?
So you just lose time.
So reading, it's 60 minutes, and we have three texts in IELTS Academic.
In IELTS General, we have more texts.
Rory, they give you an answer sheet, but do you have extra time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet?
No, write the answers on the answer sheet, for the love of God.
Yes, true.
If your answer sheet is empty when they take it away from you at the end of the reading, you will have zero.
Zero for reading.
All your answers should be on the answer sheet.
Rory, what's the best strategy here?
I complete one section of reading, then I transfer the answers, or I just go one by one?
That depends entirely on the kind of person you are.
Like for me, for example, because I read quite fast, I just write them all on the paper and make some notes to justify it.
Go back and check.
And while I'm checking, just transfer the answers that way.
But some people find it faster to do it one answer at a time, and other people find it easier to do one section at a time.
But either way, find the way that you're most comfortable with.
Don't faff around thinking about it for a million years.
That just wastes time in the test.
Don't faff around.
Check out our course on phrasal verbs to know what faff around means.
The link is in the description.
Successwithielts.com forward slash podcourses.
I remembered it this time.
Do you use a pencil or a pen during a reading test?
Depends on the center.
Pencil's better, because if you have to change the answer, then you don't screw it up.
No, only pencils.
Everywhere.
Really?
I thought it depended on the test center.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Listening, reading... are done using pencils only.
This is the requirement of Cambridge.
Why?
Nobody knows.
This is the requirement of Cambridge.
Yeah.
So, only pencils.
So when you write down the answer in the answer sheet, you can again erase it.
You have an eraser, a rubber, so you can erase it and write it again.
Make sure it's clearly written and use capital letters.
The same in listening.
We write everything in capitals.
Oh, it's better.
It's not a must, but it's just better.
It's easier to read.
So...
What I usually do I complete five answers, so half of a section, and then I transfer them, copy-paste them, into the answer sheet.
Then I do the other half of the reading section.
In section one there are like two, two tasks usually.
So the second task and then i transfer like five or six answers.
So i do like this.
Sometimes i do one, so i have one answer, i put it down in the answer sheet, you see.
So yeah, Then at the end of the test they tell you no, the reading part is over.
Put down your pencils.
So if you don't put down your pencil and you keep writing, what could happen?
Rory, what do you think?
Put the pencil down.
But if you don't... Then death.
Can they torture her?
Well, actually they might say that you are not allowed to continue because you don't follow the instructions.
And I think I heard this story from somewhere that one person kept writing and they said this they asked this person to leave.
So they were just, that's it.
For them, the test was over, because they didn't follow the instructions and they were asked.
They were forced to leave the room.
So they were not allowed to continue the exam.
When they tell you that the reading part is over, put down your pencils.
You put down your pencils, even if you haven't finished.
Okay, so 60 minutes on reading.
Then again you have a break.
You have a kind of like not a break, but the time when the managers take the paper booklets away from you and they give out, they first take away reading, they collect all the reading answer sheets, they put it in some special bag and And then they collect the answer sheets and they put the answer sheets in a special bag.
What can you do, Rory, while they are collecting and giving out the writing booklets?
What can you do during this time?
You are sitting there.
How do you breathe?
Do you start like making noises?
Relax in a way that's as uninvasive to the people around you as possible.
Yeah.
What would you do?
Like you're sitting in the chair.
What would you do?
Think about what I'm going to write, because I've been listening to our podcast and recalling all of the good structures that can be used.
True.
Our writing podcast.
Yeah, the link is in the description.
Yeah.
So what I did?
So after reading, you are quite exhausted because again, listening took 40 minutes, reading took 60 minutes.
Again, I took deep breaths.
I relaxed my body.
I moved my back.
I moved my legs and my feet.
I kind of... I lifted my legs and kind of like shook them a bit, you know.
I was shaking my hands because I was uh nervous, perhaps like um underlining the keywords reading these texts, so i shook my hands, i kind of i moved my body.
Okay, i closed my eyes, i breathe, i did the breathing, so do that, so i Okay, it's important.
So this is the only break that you have before writing.
Then they give you the writing booklet.
With how many tasks?
Two.
Two tasks.
Yeah.
In IELTS Academic Graphs and the essay.
So a booklet actually has only like two pages.
So they give you the booklet and they give you answer sheets with lines.
Again, you fill in some information in the answer sheet.
And then again, they tell you now you can open your booklets.
You have 60 minutes, 60, 6-0 to complete the two tasks.
And the same with the timing.
They tell you, now you have 20 minutes left.
You have 15 minutes left.
You have 5 minutes left.
So they give you time warnings.
Are they useful, do you think, time warnings?
Well, I think so.
Because you can get carried away, and then when you hear this, you have 20 minutes left.
Well, it means you have 20 minutes left.
And if you're still writing about a graph, oops.
You use your time as you want, but you need to spend 20 minutes on the graph and then move to the essay, which requires 40 minutes of your attention.
But again, you are given 60 minutes and you can use this time however you want.
Rory, is it a good idea to spend 30 minutes on the graph and 30 minutes on the essay?
Because again, I can use this hour however I want.
Depends on the individual.
The advice on the exam is 20 minutes for the graph and or 20 minutes for part one and 40 minutes for part two.
Yeah.
If you find that you're writing in equal amounts of time, then do that.
Just make sure that you plan.
Please plan and brainstorm or brainstorm and then plan.
Yeah, you should plan how to write about the graph, look at the graph, underline the key features.
You can write things inside the booklet, it's okay.
So where you have the graph, you can underline, you can draw flowers, you can draw hearts and write Rory was here, the name.
And yeah, so do whatever you want with the booklet.
You can, I don't know, eat it, tear it apart and eat it.
Remember what was on it and then tell us so that we can make our podcast more relevant.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, gosh.
So underline things, brainstorm the ideas for the essay, spend about five minutes.
Some people say spend 10 minutes on planning.
And then you start writing on the answer sheet.
Now Rory, if I don't have enough of the answer sheet, so I'm writing my essay and like oops, you know, I don't have any more space.
I need another answer sheet.
What should I do?
Put up your hand and ask for more.
Yes.
Do I write my writing using a pen or a pencil or a marker?
No marker.
I'm guessing pen or pencil, whatever the exam center decides.
Yeah, actually, this one does depend on the exam center.
But now I think most test centers ask you to use a pencil, unfortunately.
I find it quite annoying and inconvenient.
What about you, Rory?
I don't care.
It doesn't bother me.
Because the pencil would rub off.
I'm just writing frantically like, oh, graph.
And then the pencil would rub off and I'll have to ask for another pencil.
It takes time or I need a sharpener.
This pencil sharpener, this device you use to sharpen your pencil.
And some people prefer sharp pencils.
Oh gosh, this is a mess.
It takes time and really seconds, then minutes are spent on this pencil.
How messy is your handwriting, woman?
Seriously.
No, it's quite messy, to be honest with you.
I have to cross out things and I have to write certain things again.
So, yeah, it could get quite messy.
Can I cross things out in my IELTS answer sheet in writing?
Is it okay?
Yes.
How should I do it?
One line through the middle is enough.
For the examiner to be able to what?
Read it.
So the examiner should be able to read it.
Respect the examiner.
In computer delivered test, you type.
You type everything, you see how many words you have written, you have the time limit on screen.
Computer delivered test is more convenient in this respect.
Whereas on paper, you have a freaking pencil.
Well, if you're lucky, you have a pen.
Depends on the test center.
And unfortunately, you need to cross things out.
It's okay as long as it's clear.
And you need to count the words.
You need to make sure that you have written at least 150 for the graph, 250 for the essay.
Do you have time to count the words?
No, do not waste time counting words.
You should practice writing on an official writing sheet before your exam to have a clear idea where you should stop, where your 150 words stop on an exam sheet.
Oh my gosh, is it clear, do you think, Rory?
Practice, just practice, please practice.
Practice brainstorming, planning and writing on the papers, please.
That will help you so much and it will save me so much stress when I'm trying to tell other people to do this.
Yeah, use the official writing answer sheet to write your essays if you're gonna take a paper-based test.
Yes, you can go to the bathroom during the writing part.
It's possible.
Okay, so these are the parts of the written exam.
Listening, reading, writing non-stop.
How long does it take?
About three hours with the instruction.
It usually takes about three hours.
So when they take the writing booklet and answer sheets away from you...
They just say, thank you very much.
This is the end of the test.
Goodbye.
And off you go.
Yeah, you just go to this room.
You pick up your belongings.
You don't pick up other people's stuff.
Only yours.
And that's it.
You're free to go.
When does speaking take place, Rory?
The same day, later.
What about our speaking?
It can happen on the same day, or it can happen three days before the written part, or three days later.
Oh, that's cheating.
You should do it on the same day.
Really?
You think so?
Why?
It's just easier to get everything done in one go.
I was pretty tired after all this.
Gosh.
You are an overachiever, Rory.
Think about it from a psychological... No, no, think about it from the psychological point of view.
You've just deployed all of your schemata in your head for like accomplishing reading, writing and listening.
So it's already there in your head.
Why not go into the exam with everything fully deployed and ready?
That to me makes much more sense.
True.
Again, it does depend on the test center where your speaking is.
So the test center tells you before the test, right?
A couple of days before the test.
Your speaking is before the written test or after on the same day.
You can ask the test center to organize the speaking on the same day.
Usually it's possible, but again, depends on the test center.
So, for example, in August, when I took the exam, it was on the same day because I asked them to organize it on the same day.
And I had about three hour difference.
So I took the listening, reading, writing, and then I had three hours to just practice.
And then I had my speaking.
And you know what?
During the writing part, there was one girl who recognized me.
What did she say?
No, nothing, nothing.
She then wrote to me on Instagram and said like, oh, Maria, did you take the exam today?
Like, I saw you.
I was with you.
Like, yeah, I'll speak in for success podcast.
And I go.
Oh, it could be such a great fun, you know, in the hall to meet our podcast fans while you are taking the IELTS exam.
It would be great if examiners were listening to us and they were like, hey, I recognize you.
And you'd be like, hi, God.
Oh my, could you imagine that?
You go in, yeah, an exam.
Oh, I'm a big fan.
I'm a big fan.
Can I have your autograph?
Band 9, off you go.
Oh gosh.
The Examiners, if you're listening, thank you.
And we'd like to have nine.
Please leave a comment saying that we are actually achieving band name scores.
That would be fun.
So, speaking.
Speaking happens.
Again, now you know when.
So, you go to the test center.
Speaking is always offline.
It's always face-to-face with a real person.
In TOEFL, speaking is online.
You are talking to a computer like an idiot.
Some people find it very strange talking to a microphone.
So speaking in IELTS is always with a person, which is nice.
How many examiners are in the room?
Just one.
The examiner, you and the recording device.
Why is it recorded?
Why is speaking recorded?
So if the examiner makes a mistake or if you appeal your result, then they have something to look at and listen to.
So if you got an 8 for your speaking, you disagree, you think like, oh, I got an 8, it was a 7.
It wasn't an 8, it was a 7.
So then you disagree, you appeal.
It was a joke.
Yes.
Usually people get like six.
They disagree.
They think it was a seven or 6.5.
So you pay for the recheck procedure.
It's called appeal procedure.
You pay and then your speaking is going to be listened to by another examiner.
So a question that people usually ask me is, does one examiner check your speaking?
Or the examiner who is asking questions checks your speaking and then the other examiner listens to it and also gives a score.
Well, it depends.
Did you say for a new examiner?
No, just like a usual situation.
Okay, if it's a usual situation and you don't appeal the result, then it's just the score given by that examiner.
However, if it's a new examiner, then for their probation period their scores are checked by a more experienced examiner too, just to make sure they are in line with the standards.
Wait, wait.
So a new examiner gives a score, for example.
Okay.
So I'm an examiner.
You take the exam.
I give you, okay, seven.
Then I'm a new examiner.
Then the super examiner more experienced examiner, listens to your speaking and says no no no, it's actually an eight.
So will you get my seven or his eight?
Truth be told, I don't know.
But as far as I'm aware, the original score sticks unless it's been appealed.
But I don't know what the procedure is for that.
Yeah, really, we don't know.
What we do know is that when you disagree with the score, you pay for it, you appeal, then it gets checked by another person.
And if you win, if the score you originally got was 6 but actually after a recheck it's 65 or 7, you win.
You get this score 65 or 7, right.
And the money is given back to you.
So if you win, they can raise your score.
Can they lower your score?
Nope.
It can only go up.
No, no, no, no.
Or stay the same.
I mean, if you're wrong, then obviously they'll keep the money, because that was what it cost to reject.
Yeah, so it stays the same or it gets higher.
So the speaking.
Before the speaking, you have your passport with you.
So you go to the center.
They check your ID.
You also give your fingerprints.
They take your photo in the office.
So all this done, then they escort you to the room and they will tell you sit here.
So you're just like sitting there on the chair in front of The room where the examiner is interviewing somebody.
Or you are standing, depending on the test center.
I was standing there.
Listening because you can listen, you can actually hear.
I could hear what the examiner was asking and what the candidate was saying.
Yeah, so you can eavesdrop.
But that won't help you because the examiners are supposed to rotate the question.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
So i mean, the best is that you'll get used to the sound of your examiner's voice and like, see how they are, but you won't be able to use any of the things that the other candidate says.
No no no, no.
Yeah, you'll get some other questions.
So what can you do while you are waiting?
Because usually you can wait for five or ten minutes sitting on that chair in front of this room before the examiner opens the door and asks you in.
What can you do while sitting on that chair or standing next to the door?
Think about what you might say.
Or you can breathe.
A good thing to do is to warm up.
So to warm up is...
Like to get your mouth and organs ready for English.
So what I do, I say a tongue twister.
Out loud.
Yes, you should say it out loud, dear listener, while you're waiting for your speaking.
You're there, you're just saying it out loud.
For example, you can say red Rory, yellow Rory, but say it fast 10 times red rory, yellow rory, red rory, yellow rory, red rory, yellow rory, any other tongue twister rory, give us a tongue twister.
She sells seashells by the seashore, Yeah.
Or something like Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.
A pack of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
Why do tongue twisters help us to warm up, to be ready for speaking?
Well, it means that your articulators are warmed up and prepared for what it is that you need to say.
Yes.
If you know a poem in English, recite this poem.
To be or not to be.
That's not a poem.
That's a play.
Oh, yes, that's a play.
Okay.
Hello, Shakespeare.
Or if you know a sonnet or a song, so say something in English, okay?
The easier.
Just learn some tongue twisters, learn two or three tongue twisters, and before you're speaking, just say it out loud, out loud.
Okay, again, you leave all your stuff somewhere in a locker or in a special room.
So you go to the exam only with your passport.
No pens, no pencils, nothing, just your passport and you.
Then the examiner opens the door.
You see the examiner, your heart pounding like, oh my God, it's happening.
And the examiner tells you, please come in.
You come in, you sit down.
The examiner might be wearing a mask.
So, Rory, tell us what's about this mask thing?
Well, it might be difficult to understand what the examiner's got to say, but they have a choice.
They can wear a mask or a face shield, and the center should have those.
Most of them do.
Yes.
Again, depends on the test center.
So, dear listener, before you take the exam, you should call the test center and ask...
In the speaking exam, will the examiner be wearing a mask?
Right?
Because, again, if you are low level, so pre-intermediate, intermediate, if you know that it's difficult for you to not see the mouth of the person you are talking to.
So just find it out in advance about the mask or a shield.
I had to wear a mask.
The examiner was wearing a mask.
So yeah, but you can ask the examiner to repeat the question.
It's okay.
It's fine.
You can ask the examiner to repeat the question several times.
So it's absolutely fine.
So, yeah, find out about this mask situation.
And, yeah, the examiner asks you questions, blah, blah, blah.
The examiner gives you a pen, a pencil or some paper and some paper.
In speaking part two, the examiner controls the time.
You don't worry about the time.
You just need to speak.
Rory, any more tips about the speaking test?
Well, in the same way that you shouldn't worry about speaking for too long, because the examiner will stop you when that's required, you shouldn't worry about speaking for too short a time as well, because the examiner will just look at you if they expect you to say more, and they'll probably raise their eyebrows, and that's the signal for you to keep going.
Mm-hmm.
This is especially true in part two.
Yes.
So if in part two the examiner kind of like shows you come on, come on boy, you can tell me more.
Come on, we'll say something more.
And it's not okay to give short answers.
Yes, I agree.
So if the examiner asks you, do you like flowers?
No.
Now, come on, this is not an answer.
Explain why not.
Explain how you hate all these flowers.
Yum, yum, yum.
You can eat flowers.
Check out our flowery episode.
Okay, now, the examiner then tells you, thank you very much, this is the end of the speaking test.
And what do you do?
Do you hug them?
Do you shake hands with them?
Take their phone number?
Give them money.
Give them some tips.
Say thank you.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you, buddy.
Oh, by the way, can I get your phone number?
Yeah, you just say thank you very much, smile, laugh hysterically, nervously.
It's over.
Yeah, and then you go and party and celebrate.
You do this, you close the door and you go like, yeah, who's the man?
You start like, you know, doing this dancing thingy.
Right, the exam is over.
When do you get the results?
When do you get the results?
In the paper-based exam, you get your results on the 13th day.
The 13th day, you go online or they send you an SMS.
They sent me a message with my score.
That was nice, so I didn't have to go online and put down my passport details to see my score, so I just got a message.
It depends on the test center.
On the 13th day in paper-based...
In a computer-delivered test, you can get the result on the second day or on the third day.
So from three to five days, computer-delivered test.
So what about stress, anxiety, anything like before the test, after the test, during the test?
Any tips that we are ready to share about why you're stressed.
So yes, if you're nervous, so breathing helps.
So we've discussed what you can do between the sections.
So before reading, you just breathe, you move your, shake your body a little bit.
Then, after listening again, you breathe, close your eyes, shake your body, stretch.
Please stretch.
Move your feet around, right?
Especially for girls, for women, for ladies.
Like we...
Should kind of move.
We are flexible.
We should move our bodies, you know, to feel more comfortable.
So do this.
Be open.
Breathe deeply.
Take like three deep breaths, please.
Also the same after reading, after writing.
When the written exam is over, you should treat yourself to something nice.
Also, before speaking, eat or drink something that you like.
Either like delicious tea or nice chocolate.
Or, I don't know, go and have McDonald's if you love McDonald's.
So have some endorphins, like dopamine.
Or did you know that the pictures of babies and animals raise our dopamine levels?
Really?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
How?
Because we look at babies and we feel love and happiness.
Like, hey, they're so cute.
We have butterflies in our stomach.
So, look at cats.
Look at babies.
Look at the cats.
No, seriously.
If you like dogs, look at puppies, cute kittens copybaras, I don't know, like some nice animals.
Seriously, it will relax you, you will feel joy and happiness, even if you are annoyed and nervous.
What would you do to make yourself happy in kind of like 10 minutes before the speaking test?
Well, I just revise in my head things that I would like to say, things I need to know.
No, but not vision, just something like eating, drinking or listening or watching something.
Well, whenever i've been in an exam, i always have like i always eat chocolate beforehand, for example.
Okay, there we go bananas.
No, we know you hate bananas.
So, dear listener, please believe that IELTS is not the most important part of your life.
Has IELTS killed anybody?
Now, everybody stayed alive after taking the exam.
Yes, it is hard.
It is exhausting.
For me, it was exhausting.
I'm a bit old for this now.
I feel, you know, like I feel the age.
Oh, I can't do this anymore.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm not as fast as I used to be.
Anyway, it could be exhausting, but you can do it, right?
And there are more important things in life, seriously, okay?
And nothing really will happen if you don't get this nine.
You will be alive.
So IELTS does not threaten your life.
You will stay alive after exam.
Okay?
No heart attack.
No heart attacks.
Rory, any final word from you into the world?
Good luck.
Thank you, Rory.
Rory is very concise today.
Yes.
Thank you very much for listening.
We hope that it's been a useful episode.
So thank you very much for listening till the very end.
Oh, gosh, it's been a long, long, long, long episode.
If you enjoyed it, if you find certain things useful, please share it with your friends or with your teacher or with teachers, with everybody you know, with your grandma, with Rory's relatives.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Good, bestest, bestest luck and successful success with your iOS.
Bye.
Bye.
