well,our batch had our exams last 2 weeks.one three-hour-marathon of listening-reading-writing, and another session for speaking which occupied two consecutive weekends of our sem3 lives.finally, 8th october came.the day the results were to be announced. we were having biology class.but i think no one could fix their attention on the board already.our minds and hearts were only focused towards our ielts results.my classmates were jumping over joy, some got 7,7.5,band 8..in my head, i was like, ‘7.5,7.5please oh god.at least, 7’.i was texting my mther.i didnt check till the very last minute.

and then, the last message made me cry. urgh.gler malu.i hope no one saw.my table mate, hana obviously did though.she was like ‘menyampah nye budak ni.tak check lg pun da nak nangis.i’m sure u’ll do fine lah!’ all my other classmates pun said i’ll do fine.

so finally, i asked my friend to type in my ID and rgstration number on that britishcouncil.gov page. “fathin, congrats!u got band __point__”

syukur alhamdulillah.though i was reluctant to believe it was true,it was.;}syukur.syukur ya Allah.so to those who’ll be takin their IELTS, i suggest u dont take it THAT lightly;

-do some modules, exercises.at least.

-you should listen real careful and really concentrate on the listning part.recordings wont be replayed and the accents can get pretty tricky.careful with symbols and capitalization, one mistake there and your answer will be considered wrong :0

-reading requires thorough understanding.i recommend doing other parts first and the yes,no,not given section,the last. this might need you to read the passage and digest it,a few times. underline sentences which match statements you chose to answer yes and no,just to show that you have proof for ur decision.doing this helps me a lot.

-writing. i only got band 7 for this component.hah.never seem to hit it right.thankfully this time round, task 2 wasnt argumentative or discussive.more onto cause and effect.study well for this part bcuz our lecturers always stress on formats,formats, formats! remember, read the question and answer EVERY single thing stated in it.

for argumentative essays, first introduction paragraph should have ur thesis statement.this is based on the question.paraphrase it, cuz you cant rewrite wht is given.state ur stand in the last line,whether you agree or not.

then,move to prgrph 2: point nmbr 1,pargrph 3: point nmber 2, paragraph 4: opponents' view & refutation.

eg: some might think that blogging is a waste of time.Reason being, it causes addiction, is a major source of language pollution, and is a total invasion of privacy. I totally disagree with all this because blogging keeps u motivated to write and is a channel supporting freedom of speech. Language pollution only happens if the writers choose not to discipline themselves. Addiction, is only a problem to those who do not comprehend the meaning of restriction and time management.

bold text 1, is the opponents view.followed by reasons why they think so.bold text 2 is the refutation, along with points and elaboration.

discussion, involves discussing both views equally.not being lopsided on any halves.our lecturer always reminds us to clearly state the thesis statement which does not have any clear stand,unlike argumentatve.and closing paragraph might be your suggestion, conclusion or summary, followed by your stand. i never could write well, cuz im so used to just write my heart out, taking no consideration of formats and thought organization: BAD.

-speaking. its easy,as questions are more on thoughts and opinions.not too focused on current issues or anythg that requires sharp analytical skills.tips ; dont talk too fast, smile a lot, please,make sense when you talk.use the two minutes you have to prepare for your topic card by writing points you wish to elaborate. You can pause but not for long.pandai2 lah cover :P whatever you blurt out,be confident.like ‘man, i know wht i’m talking about and no one can stop me’. [thumbs up for positive attitude.AHAH!]i think thats about it.

any questions on enquiries feel free to contact the writer.if you buy her a cuppa hazelnut coffee, theres a greater chance she’ll reply and give you the answer you’re looking for*laugh out loud*=)

cheers!