Millions of students’ dreams are to study abroad where excellence and opportunities never fall short. Lakhs of students migrate to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, etc for higher studies. One of the prereq1uisites for students belonging to non-native English-speaking countries to study in universities abroad is to prove their proficiency in English. There are several tests designated for this purpose like IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, etc. 

Among these, IELTS is the most prominent test accepted by the highest number of universities in the world. IELTS is the short form for International English Language Testing System which is not just a test anymore, but a smart skill. 

IELTS is such an important aspect that influences the decision of whether you will be admitted or not to the desired university. Therefore, one should judiciously prepare for this test. One of the popular myths about IELTS is that it seems to be very difficult. But the fact is that if you have sound knowledge and good confidence, then you can crack it easily. Moreover, to assist in the preparation, we have some proven hacks which can help you score better. While hacks are not shortcuts, instead they help to learn and prepare in a smarter way. The hacks are explained below: 

1. Always adhere to the word limit 

Some students think like exceeding the word limit will make them look intelligent or it will improve their score but it’s a big NO. Increasing 20-30 words is good but writing 100-200 extra words will not only waste your time but also decrease your efficiency. So, be precise in what you write and try to tell your perspective in less but effective words. 

2. Practice for improving your vocabulary 

Expanding your vocabulary will not only help you to score better on this test but you can use it for your further professional life. Always use distinct words which you don’t use in daily communications. You need to use this extra vocabulary in the IELTS speaking test and the IELTS writing test. 

3. Watch English movies and shows 

Entertainment is one thing that everyone wants. Watching English movies and shows will make you familiar with different accents, speaking tones, and new vocabulary. You will also learn the pronunciation of different words which is very important for speaking tests. Hence, this one thing will serve two purposes at the same time and you won’t be feeling bored while preparing!

4. Solve one mock test every day 

To see where you are lacking behind, it is good to practice as much as you can. Solving Mock tests with time limit is best way to check your performance and work on your eliminating your mistakes. Solving one mock test per day is extremely important for inducing perfection. Several websites offers versatile mock tests for free, so you have enough resources to prepare. 

5. Always write everything you listen

As you know, people who prepare the questions for such tests are smarter than anyone. So, in the listening test, one strategy is followed in which wrong information is provided in first sentence and then that same information is corrected in the subsequent sentences. This is done to mislead the candidates. Hence, you should write everything you hear and cut off the wrong answer. 

6. Fluency not necessarily means being fast

A common myth among the people is that speaking fluently means that you have to speak quickly. But fluency means high level proficiency language, not speaking fast. Instead you should be precise and clear in your words and accent. Try to work on eliminating your hesitation as speaking without any hindrance matters the most.