Advice for Native English Speakers
Even people who are native English speakers need to take the IELTS under certain circumstances.
These will usually be determined by the government (permanent residence applications, for example), a higher-education institution, or professional association, especially if you are in a healthcare-related field, or a teacher.
It is important to prepare for the test even if you are a native English speaker as the tasks are specific and timed. Lack of preparation can result in avoidable mistakes and scores lower than required. If you don’t take the test seriously you may end up having to do it again.
You may want to think about the speaking test as if it were a job interview.
Be sure to:
- take the correct test (Academic or General Training) for your situation
- familiarize yourself with the format of the test (our free Road to IELTS online course is ideal for this, or try the IELTS Prep App
- complete our free practice tests to practice your test-taking skills (time yourself as well)
- review and practice your pen and paper writing skills
During the test you will need to:
- listen very carefully for specific information in the Listening test
- be asked to carry out tasks that you have never done before in the Reading and Writing tests
- write clearly and legibly on your listening and reading answer sheet if you do a paper-based test
- speak fluently and coherently on a topic, regardless of whether you find it interesting
