CarolineD82 Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Hi thereI sat the IELTS exam yesterday. I had to sit the academic (I'm a nurse). I'm so disappointed in myself, I feel like I've failed miserably! I ran out of time in the reading & the speaking, which I thought I'd have no problem with, but was actually the worst for me! I am used to talking nonsense to people I don't know (my fellow nurses will agree lol), but for some reason I was so nervous! I did speak obviously but i dont think in depth enough, and definitely repeated myself a couple of times. Nerves just got the better of me. I only need 7 points though & with English as my first language how can I fail...mortified!! Anyone else who's first language is English failed at speaking or just me lol. Get my results in 2 weeks, think I'd better get revising again :-( x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatpack Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Hey don't despair, I too am a chatter box and could talk the hind legs off a donkey, but when it came to the speaking part I froze and started talking crap, repeating myself and stuttering. Yet I scored 8.5, whilst it was only the general IELTS and not academic test I'm sure you did better than you think! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted June 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Hey don't despair, I too am a chatter box and could talk the hind legs off a donkey, but when it came to the speaking part I froze and started talking crap, repeating myself and stuttering. Yet I scored 8.5, whilst it was only the general IELTS and not academic test I'm sure you did better than you think!Good luck.Thanks for your reply & optimistic words. I think the speaking part of the test is marked the same whether general or academic. Well done to you- great score! I'm just praying I've done enough for a 7 then we can get this visa process under way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilwiz3 Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 yea good luck with this , i think if your first language is english you would have to have done really really bad to fail, if you ran out of time in the reading that may be your downfall, im up again in 10 days for my 4th attempt, i always seem to fail by 0.5 on reading and listening tho last time i also failed on writing for the 1st time a very poor 5.5 and i actually thought i did well in it......aaa well one day lol, good luck on your results its propper nervy aint it on the day you get them. Ps if anyone has any good tips on listening or reading please post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted June 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 yea good luck with this , i think if your first language is english you would have to have done really really bad to fail, if you ran out of time in the reading that may be your downfall, im up again in 10 days for my 4th attempt, i always seem to fail by 0.5 on reading and listening tho last time i also failed on writing for the 1st time a very poor 5.5 and i actually thought i did well in it......aaa well one day lol, good luck on your results its propper nervy aint it on the day you get them.Ps if anyone has any good tips on listening or reading please post Hi I wish you luck for 10 days time, 4th time lucky I'm sure. Must be so frustrating but I dont care how many attempts it takes for me though, I will do it & get to perth!! Let us know how you get on and I wil do likewise. Best wishes, Caroline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatpack Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 I think the best tip that I could give to anyone sitting an IELTS exam is to get your mindset right, in the weeks and months leading up to your test. When you do any writing, typing or texting, make sure you spell correctly, don't use shortened versions of words and use the correct punctuation. Then when you're sitting your test it comes naturally, you won't be trying to do it, you just will. It might seem like a bind but it will help when it comes to sitting the test! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilwiz3 Posted June 24, 2013 Report Share Posted June 24, 2013 I think the best tip that I could give to anyone sitting an IELTS exam is to get your mindset right, in the weeks and months leading up to your test. When you do any writing, typing or texting, make sure you spell correctly, don't use shortened versions of words and use the correct punctuation. Then when you're sitting your test it comes naturally, you won't be trying to do it, you just will.It might seem like a bind but it will help when it comes to sitting the test! yea thanks makes sense, i know people who pass just say practice practice practice but on my last test i did 4 days a week practice for a month and on the day it seemed to do more harm than good because you think ... well i cant do any more than i have and it seemed to put extra pressure on, like you say i think you just have to try to prepare natrually with a little studying on the build up once you know the format and what to expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 I think the best tip that I could give to anyone sitting an IELTS exam is to get your mindset right, in the weeks and months leading up to your test. When you do any writing, typing or texting, make sure you spell correctly, don't use shortened versions of words and use the correct punctuation. Then when you're sitting your test it comes naturally, you won't be trying to do it, you just will.It might seem like a bind but it will help when it comes to sitting the test! Good advice Flatpack - agree totally. Also, if you have to resit the exam, consider going to a different centre as I have been told this often works as the adjudicators are different. Seems that if they keep seeing you back at the same centre, they mark you down. I don't know how true this is, but a few people have told me this, so it might be worth a try. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 On 6th of July I will have my first date with IELTS and English is not my first language. If English people are so worried and doing so badly then what the heck - I'm not worried at all. Here goes nothing! Good luck all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redsquare Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Good luck to all sitting the IELTS. The OT passed first time (thankfully) even though she thought she'd failed. Practicing is the key. I tested her before she took the test. We used the books supplied but I also made her read newspapers and tested her understanding on the stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted June 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 On 6th of July I will have my first date with IELTS and English is not my first language. If English people are so worried and doing so badly then what the heck - I'm not worried at all.Here goes nothing! Good luck all!I'm sure you'll do just fine. As others have mentioned above, being prepared and calm is the key- I think I just let nerves get the better of me. I'm telling myself that was a practice run lol & no excuses next time! I don't even know my results yet but have prepared for the worst. Good luck to you on the 6th July. Caroline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redsquare Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Hi Caroline. Let us know your results when you get them. The wife thought she'd failed miserably on the spoken test and spent 2 weeks worrying about having to take the test again. She got her highest score on that test! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted June 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 Hi Caroline. Let us know your results when you get them. The wife thought she'd failed miserably on the spoken test and spent 2 weeks worrying about having to take the test again. She got her highest score on that test!Ah thanks for that, it makes me feel a little more positive. I will let you know. And as my husband has said to me it really isn't the end of the world if I fail lol I can just re-sit. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelchic Posted June 25, 2013 Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 You can check your results online on fri after 12pm. Fingers crossed you won't have to re sit. Debs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted June 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2013 You can check your results online on fri after 12pm. Fingers crossed you won't have to re sit.DebsAw thank you! 10 day wait now-will be at the computer for 12pm then lol thanks again,Caroline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Just to update- I failed Am gutted. Listening 7 reading 7 speaking 9- (which I'd been worried about!), & 6.5 in writing. I need 7 in all areas so have to do the whole thing again now. And writing was the part I was probably most confident in?! I'm wondering if its worth getting a remark? Probably not. Devastated! Caroline x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redsquare Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Sorry to hear that Caroline, so close. Maybe a remark would be a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Sorry to hear that Caroline, so close. Maybe a remark would be a good idea.Thank you. I hear its highly unlikely my mark will change, but may be worth a try I guess. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolineD82 Posted October 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Hi, just to say I got my results from EOR today...12 weeks it has taken!! To get no change of result. I guess it doesn't matter now as I have had a change of heart and not migrating after all...but the £60 fee back would have been nice haha. Caroline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 Hi Caroline, sorry to hear that you didn't get the score increase. How come you're not migrating now? As in not at all? I got my EOR result in 7 weeks, via Bucharest-London. For what it's worth, I am planning to mess with these IELTS people a bit via the consumer protection agency (here in Romania) and also to write to the EU consumer protection agency. There are so called "abusive clauses" (for example in the borrowing contracts) and I want to see what this agency thinks about those "what's your occupation, why are you taking the test, where are you migrating, etc." questions - if all the British Council does via this exam is assess you English proficiency. Plenty of people have already asked me why would I do this, or that I'm wasting my time, but I just gotta try : )) If in 10 years those questions will disappear then I will be satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted October 11, 2013 Report Share Posted October 11, 2013 Hi Caroline, sorry to hear that you didn't get the score increase. How come you're not migrating now? As in not at all? I got my EOR result in 7 weeks, via Bucharest-London. For what it's worth, I am planning to mess with these IELTS people a bit via the consumer protection agency (here in Romania) and also to write to the EU consumer protection agency. There are so called "abusive clauses" (for example in the borrowing contracts) and I want to see what this agency thinks about those "what's your occupation, why are you taking the test, where are you migrating, etc." questions - if all the British Council does via this exam is assess you English proficiency. Plenty of people have already asked me why would I do this, or that I'm wasting my time, but I just gotta try : )) If in 10 years those questions will disappear then I will be satisfied. Levi I was also surprised they asked those questions as it indicated to me they could be biased and to avoid any criticism they shouldn't ask them at all. I think if you feel passionate about it certainly take it up with them...I wonder what they would do if you lied about your occupation etc, not that I would but it makes you wonder if it would make any difference. Lou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 They could cancel the TRF if someone lied on their application form and they found out. If one would get really good scores and then have the TRF cancelled, then that would be a funny situation. No, I'm not too passionate, but but such a complaint should pop its head up at least at some EU institution. On the other hand I go by this: Pay attention especially to the last sentence - that's why somebody needs to mess with these IELTS people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 My husband put 'other' in the reason for sitting the test rather than 'migration' as we had read people failing numerous times when putting 'migration' down. That is a bit dodgy and the fact he got the marks he needed first time with almost no practicing make me wonder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest10912 Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 These conspiracy stories about people being deliberately failed are absurd. How does it explain all those that pass first time with no effort whatsoever and there definitely are a large number of them too. To offset the theory above, I answered all questions honestly (so would have said it was for migration), practiced for 30 minutes the night before and got two 9s and two 8.5s. Was I just lucky that they didn't decide to make a bit of money out of me, or could it be because I am a native English speaker who uses literacy skills of reading, writing speaking and listening every day. I wonder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatpack Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 These conspiracy stories about people being deliberately failed are absurd. How does it explain all those that pass first time with no effort whatsoever and there definitely are a large number of them too. To offset the theory above, I answered all questions honestly (so would have said it was for migration), practiced for 30 minutes the night before and got two 9s and two 8.5s. Was I just lucky that they didn't decide to make a bit of money out of me, or could it be because I am a native English speaker who uses literacy skills of reading, writing speaking and listening every day. I wonder... This ^^^^ I feel for the people that are struggling to get the required grades but stick at it. Practice, practice & practice some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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