Posted on 12th December 2017 by New College Group

Tips To Avoid Stress During The IELTS Exam

It is completely normal to be nervous before an exam. However, exam nerves can be a potential hindrance to success in your IELTS exam, therefore it’s important to know some helpful tips and tricks to help you succeed in the IELTS exam by minimising or avoiding exam stress.

The IELTS exam is a high stakes exam with pressure to pass affecting your prospect of a university acceptance or a successful job application.

If you feel you’re not confident enough yet to take the IELTS exam to the best of your ability then take a look into our IELTS preparation course which will give you all the knowledge you need to confidently pass the IELTS led by experienced teachers with an in-depth knowledge of the exam. 

Learn to control your exam nerves below with our top tips to avoid stress and ace your IELTS exam.

Stay in control through preparation

Preparation is the key to passing any exam and the IELTS is no different. 

The best way to prepare is to find out everything you can about the IELTS exam before you take it. Even knowing little details that may seem insignificant can help you calm your exam nerves. 

Do your research on where and when your exam is. If you don’t know where the venue is find out and do a practise trip. You will know how long it takes you and you can make sure you arrive in plenty of time. Rushing to the venue could cause you to lose focus and you may not be permitted to take the test.

One of our top tips is to do your research to see what you are and aren’t allowed to take into the exam. There may be rules regarding bags and certain equipment. Having your exam bag prepped will help eliminate any stressful last-minute rush to find things. 

Familiarise yourself with the format of the test so that way you won’t be met with any surprises. Practice tests are vital and should 100% be part of your revision. 

Preparing these areas in advance will help you to avoid stress and set you up for success. 

Slow down

Make sure to breathe! Give yourself a minute before the exam starts to take a breath and gather your thoughts together. 

Slow everything down and try not to rush through the exam. Remember you’ve put a lot of preparation into taking the IELTS exam.

It’s important to be conscious of the time, but rushing through the questions means you are more likely to make mistakes. Focus on fully reading or listening to the question, make sure you completely understand what is being asked, and think about how you will answer. Gather your thoughts before you answer the question and you’re more likely to give an answer that will score you top marks.

Eat well and stay hydrated

Feeling your best during the IELTS exam is vital to succeeding and scoring top marks. Your mental and physical and health before and during the exam is dependant on what you have eaten and drank beforehand. 

Our top tip is to make sure you have a good, healthy breakfast and drinks lots of water. A full stomach will allow you to concentrate throughout your exam. And you won’t be distracted by stomach grumbles! 

Staying hydrated is known to help your brainpower and will help you perform well in your exam. You should be permitted to take a bottle of water into the exam with you in order to stay hydrated. Make sure to bring a full bottle! 

Stay positive 

One of our top tips to succeed in the IELTS exam is to stay positive! Having a bad mental attitude going into an exam can manifest itself in your performance and therefore your results. If you have already decided that you will fail then you may very well fail. 

Having a positive attitude will improve your overall well-being therefore helping to eliminate stress and nerves and leading to a better performance. It’s hard not to put pressure on yourself for the IELTS exam. Remembering the exam doesn’t define your academic career and can be taken again will help you stay positive and hopefully provide exam success. 

Get good sleep

Sleep is essential to make sure you are in the best position to succeed in any exam. Good sleep is known to help eliminate stress and anxiety. You shouldn’t be rushing to cram in any new information the night before your exam. The best thing you can do is go to bed early so you are well rested for the big day. 

Reading over your notes is a good choice for some last-minute revision that should also help you go to sleep. You should aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before in order to feel the most fresh, ready, and awake to avoid any stress and succeed in your IELTS exam.

The main thing to recognise with the IELTS is that it’s just a test of knowledge and if you have prepared well enough for it via an accredited IELTS course then you will do well. Try your best to relax and if you don’t do as well as you’d hoped it is not the end of the world and you always have the option to take it again!