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IELTS Study Requirements by Country

So you want to study overseas? Chances are you will be required to submit an IELTS of TOEFL score to the universities of your choice to prove your abilities to speak, write, read and listen in English. The IELTS, which stands for International English Testing System is a globally renowned English proficiency test. However, the real question on your mind must be, what score do I need to get into my dream school? The annoying but accurate answer is that it depends on the course, country and university.

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IELTS and TOEFL – Connectors

Firstly, we must ask, what is a connector? Well, a connector is a word or a phrase we use to link two or more ideas together. Secondly, we have to question, why are they useful to learn for TOEFL and IELTS? In fact, connectors are incredibly useful to illustrate your fluency of the English language, to strengthen your argument, to add structure to your writing and speaking and finally to show off your amazing vocabulary. Therefore, I thought I would share with you some easy connectors and explain how you can incorporate them into your speaking and writing task to boost your IELTS or TOEFL score.

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Academic IELTS – Graph Vocabulary

 

Those of you lucky Academic IELTS test takers are tasked to write a graph report in the writing section.  This is the first section of your IELTS writing, and you are allocated 20 minutes to complete the graph report and write at least 250 words. What happens is you are presented with one or two different graphs. You then need to analyze the graph(s) and construct a graph report to explain what you see. The graph report is certainly a tricky task for many IELTS students as the only way to master this section is to understand the types of graphs you could be presented with and to learn the vocabulary needed to describe the graphs. What I have done is to compile a useful list of graph vocabulary to help you on your way to IELTS writing success.

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General IELTS – Letter Vocabulary

Hello all general IELTS test takers! Unlike your academic IELTS test takers, you are tasked to write a letter as your first assignment of the writing section. You are given instructions to construct a letter for a particular purpose to a stated recipient.

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More Idioms for TOEFL and IELTS

As mentioned in previous ICON+ blogs, using idiomatic expressions in your speaking and writing for the TOEFL and IELTS is a fantastic way to achieve top marks. Incorporating idioms into your sentences helps show the examiners your fluency in English. Furthermore, it adds emotion and creativity to your work.  If you are getting bored with your revision for TOEFL and IELTS, spice up your language by using some of the idiomatic phrases below in your speaking and writing.

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Get the Most Out of Your TOEFL or IELTS Course

Every year, we at ICON+ work with hundreds of students preparing for the TOEFL and IELTS exams.

The scores they achieve impact which colleges, universities, and graduate programs they attain admission to; career opportunities; and even whether or not they can migrate to their countries of choice. A great deal of impact for tests that each last less than four hours, huh?

Although our students pay for the same course to prepare them for these crucial exams, we’ve noticed that some students walk out with disproportionately higher improvement on scores. We’ve scratched our heads and come out with the following tips to help you get the most out of your TOEFL or IELTS preparation course:

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IELTS – Tips for Perfect Pronunciation

Many students worry about their pronunciation, which can significantly affect their overall confidence on the speaking section of the IELTS. The truth is the IELTS exam is not going to mark you down for having an accent. What IELTS wants to see is that you can communicate your points effectively to the interviewer. I’ve compiled a list of tips to help improve your English pronunciation.

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Worthwhile Revision Books for TOEFL and IELTS

Getting started on your revision for your IELTS or TOEFL is always the biggest step. Purchasing a great revision guide can be the easy kick start you need to get going with your preparation. These revision tools provide useful techniques and tactics to effectively answer different question types as well as general exam advice.

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IELTS – Requirements for Schools and Immigration

 The IELTS is a wonderful multipurpose exam. This English proficiency test is not only used for applying to academic institutes but also for immigration purposes and work visas.

So the question is what mark do I need to attain on the IELTS to be successfully admitted to the school of my choice or to migrate to the country of my choice? Well, to be honest, the answer is not as simple or straightforward as many hope, as each country and academic program has different criteria to fulfill.

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Popularity of the IELTS

Two weeks ago, we posted a blog about the increasing popularity of the TOEFL. To be fair, the numbers of IELTS test takers have also been rising.

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