How to Prepare for IELTS at Home Without Coaching

IELTS instituted are very expensive. The majority of students can not afford the institute's expenses or many cannot adjust to the institute's teaching hours. Because working people also going for the IELTS Test. These people are working already and side by preparing for the International English Language Test. So, the main question is here: 

How to do IELTS preparation by yourself?

This is the question students ask from google most of the time. The answer is yes! IELTS preparation at home is possible but you have to be very consistent. I am going to explain, how you can prepare yourself for the IELTS exam at home. I tell you the easy 6 steps to improve your English skill.

Let's Start:

Step: 1. Learn About the basics of the IELTS test

Before starting your IELTS preparations, you should clear all your basics doubts.

• What is IELTS
• How to calculate the IELTS band score
• Types of questions
• Types of sections
• What is the IELTS structure

These are very basics simple things. If you clear all these first, you will get a general idea for the IELTS exam. 

Step: 2. Make a Goal

What is the requirement for 6 bands, 7 bands, or 7+ bands, etc? So set a target first. Let's say your current score is 6 bands but your requirement is 7 bands. You should have a clear picture of that. 

For example: if your current score is 6 bands but you need 7+ bands. Then you can not achieve 7+ with normal vocabulary. Here you need a high level of vocabulary phrases, idioms, etc. So, make a goal then practice accordingly. 

Step: 3. Practice with proper material

If you are non-willing to go to the IELTS institute then you should practice at home properly. For that, you need practice material. There are a plethora of websites, books, mobile apps, and PDFs. You can choose free and paid according to your choice. 

Also Read: IELTS Preparation Material for Practice Tests, Books, and Apps 

Step: 4. Proper Practice

The majority of students keep tasting themselves but trust me there will be no drastic change with tasing. So, stop tasting start practicing.

It does not mean how much or how many hours you practice IELTS, if you are not doing it under exam conditions, you will not get progress results. You will not get an exam atmosphere at home for sure but you create while practice Do proper practice of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

Listening: say no to your earphones and loudspeakers, use only headphones, Strictly use Headphones. Take 10 minutes to transfer your answers and do not ignore any of your mistakes. 

Reading: Do the same for the reading. Take only an hour to complete your task. You can set an alarm while doing the reading. Check whether you can complete your task or not. If you can, I must say very well. If you are unable to finish your reading task within 60 minutes. Then observe where you are lacking behind. 

For example, if you are getting your 30 answers correct, then practice where you are losing your 10 answers. Check your weak zone, practice, and move on. Do not repeat any of your mistakes. Only then you can improve your reading. 

Also Read: How to Find Reading Answers & Reading Hack For Matching Heading type Questions

Speaking: Try to speak on random topics. Speak in front of the mirror. Observe your own performance, identify your weak zones, and improve.

Writing: Do the same with writing. Write on random topics, tasks any topic, and write.  You will learn how to generate ideas while writing. Here do not repeat words. Try using new words, synonyms, sentence variations. 

Step: 5. Grammar

My next piece of advice is to focus on grammar, Grammar is very important but you do not need grammar for listening and reading. But you should have good command over grammar for speaking and writing. 

When to do grammar practice?

Do not start your IELTS with grammar. First, you should understand the basics of IELTS and its requirements, when exactly we need grammar. Then do grammar practice. From my point of view, you should grammar practice at least, after 15 days.

Also Read: Tips from IELTS Ex- Examiner

Step: 6. Improvement 

If you want to score high, you should focus on your performance, For example, your goal for the listening examination is 7 bands. That means you should get 30 correct answers, but currently, you are getting only 20 correct answers. 

Here is the question of how you will reach to 30 correct answers goal. The answer is, with the help of improvement. Identify your weak areas, work on these. 

Let's say, you do not get correct answers in the listening section - 4. Now, you need to focus on section - 4. Practice only listening section - 4. As I always say, consider your improvement.

Which is the best book for IELTS self-preparation?

Now I am going to talk about the best books you can use for IELTS preparation. Before we get into the actual books that I am going to recommend, I want to give a few suggestions.

When it comes to using books or IELTS material, I must say that the books and preparation materials you use are less important than your schedule, motivation, and learning techniques. 

• You have to practice tasks that improve your skills
• You need to understand the in the book
• Practice the skills that are shown in the books
• Go through a book two, three-five times, if you need to. There will be some things that are not clear, go back and do it again.

Let's look at 10 books that I Recommend Always:

1. The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

This book is a boon for IELTS students. Because this book is written by the producer's fo of IELTS exam.  Cambridge's official guide comes with s DVD-ROM. This book is suggested as a must-have book for those who wish to get the desired band in the IELTS exam.

• This book is fully based on examinations of actual exam-takers. 
• This book's primary aim is to guide our students with exam experience.
• Our book is rated with 5 stars and got excellent feedback from scholars.
• It is highly informative as it contains simple practice tests to improve practice.
• official IELTS reading book.
• Contains effective tips and answer keys.

Buy: The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

2. Target Band 7 by Simone Braverman - IELTS Academic

With the help of this book, you learn to improve your score: Target's seven-band book is written by a test taker, Simone Braverman, She wrote this book to make it easy to understand the IELTS format.

• Contains clarifications to the common obstacles which are commonly encountered by students during the exams.
• Ample useful tips and techniques are provided for self-study and analysis. 
• This handbook helped many students. 
• It is reviewed as the best IELTS preparation book.

Buy: Target Band 7 by Simone Braverman - IELTS Academic

3. IELTS Prep Plus 2019- 2020

This book is a work of Kaplan Test Prep. Now the question is what is Kaplan Test Prep. You can check here Kaplan's study material and questions are fully related to the exam which is written by experts who know students. Kaplan has been working for students for 80 years.

Full content is revised and updated, so you can have the most up-to-date information about the test. This book contains:

• Depth review of test-taking strategies.
• Audio CD for listening as well as personalized score reports to enhance your study focus.
• Sample answers with detailed explanations.
• Kaplan's proven method and skill-building strategies.

Buy: IELTS Prep Plus 2019- 2020

4. IELTS Academic and General with Answers Book 13 to 15

• Official papers from Cambridge Assessment English.
• Provided tests are exactly like real exams.
• Contains FOUR complete examination papers with details of each part of the test. it helps you to take a close look at the real academic test format. 
• Sample writing answers with deserving band score.
• You can access all Audio for listening and Video speaking via QR code in the book. 

Buy: Academic 

1. IELTS Academic Book 13 
2. IELTS Academic Book 14
3. IELTS Academic Book 15

Buy: General

1. IELTS General Book 13
2. IELTS General Book 14
3. IELTS General Book 15

5. IELTS Trainer 

Total six practice tests with test format details. All question types with a scoring system for Academic and General training students. 

1. You will get the first two tests with full guidance. 
2. The rest of the four tests are like real examinations which help you to develop your IETLS skill.
3. Contains vocabulary, grammar, and writing practice exercises, you can identify your common problems. 
4. A clear explanation of the answer key with model writing answers. 
5. This manual comes with 3 CDs of listening tests.
6. Contains 3 CDs for all the Listening tests.

Buy: IELTS Trainer 

6. Barron's IELTS Suprpack

Barron's Superpack is for both academic and general training students. This guide comes with MP3 CDs for listening. Barron Prep is a Trusted name in IELTS. 

• Barron's edition is not only for practice IELTS examination, but you will get more familiar with the American accent. This will help you with listening and speaking.
• IELTS tips and strategies are explained with an MP3 CD. It will help you to get an expert in answering questions more efficiently.
• Vocabulary is part of this Superpack. A total of 600 words commonly appears in the IELTS exam. Which are essential to write impressive writing task one and writing task two. These 600 are enough for speaking as well because you can learn phrases, idioms, high vocabulary words. 

Buy: Barron's IELTS Suprpack

7. Check your vocabulary for IELTS by Rawdon Wyatt

This manual is published to improve your vocabulary. This is quite a high-level book. If you understood all the words that are in this vocabulary book for IELTS, your vocabulary could be excellent. The more you can understand and the more you use the words. Not just about vocabulary comprehension but using an advanced vocabulary level is important, especially in speaking and writing. 

• Help you to build vocabulary on a general topic.
• This is the 4th updated edition.
• Clear instructions and easy use of the format.
• Enjoyable excises.
• Includes a comprehensive answer key with additional information.
• This guide contains IELTS-style writing and speaking with modal answers.

Buy: Check your vocabulary for IELTS by Rawdon Wyatt

8. IELTS Vocabulary Masterclass 8.5

IELTS vocabulary masterclass 8.5 is a complete pack of essential rich vocabulary to get a high score. This book is ideal for serious IELTS students, who do not want to waste his/her time and money. You can make your learning more efficient and with fewer efforts. That means you will have more to focus on the rest of the IELTS stuff.  This manual contains:

• Phrasal verbs.
• Vocabulary for the essay.
• Graph vocabulary.
• Excellent vocabulary for speaking.
• The book is packed with highly targeted words.
• Easy to follow exercises and explanations.
• Step by step guide through advanced level IELTS vocabulary.
• Review notes for the exam.
• This edition is ideal for serious IELTS students, who do not want to waste his/her time and money.

Buy: IELTS Vocabulary Masterclass 8.5

Bonus Tips:

Most students prefer to buy one module book, like the IELTS Writing book, IELTS Reading book, Best book for IELTS speaking, or IELTS Listening. But I will suggest you go for official stuff with the exam format. Let me clear: 

• Students can get familiar with the real exam format.
• Secondly, they can get all the modules in one book.
• There is no need to buy one book and read or practice the whole book. Because at the end of the day you will get confused. 
• Do not practice more otherwise you will get bored, it's human nature. For example, you are getting 25 correct answers in listening, and to get 35 answers correct, practicing more tests, is not going to help in your progress. What you can do is, identify your weakness and work on that. I have talked about it in the 6 Steps above, read again or carefully.

If you liked this post comment below or if you have any suggestions please let us know.  

Thanks for reading

Good luck with your exam!!