Yes, after 76 days of silence, Nick and I are back to start a new season of My IELTS classroom! Today, we consider how much IELTS actually prepares you for university life in the UK. We will consider what skills you need to succeed in a degree course and how many are covered in the exam. More importantly, we’ll think about what “gaps” a student might have in their academic skills even if they gave achieved a high-level score. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/ Watch the free ..read more

Hey! Today, Nick and I tackling the listening test from IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4. This is the latest book of past test papers, so is a great chance for you to practice the most recent IELTS test format. Plus, Nick and I will analyse all of the questions and discuss which we think are "easy" and which are difficult. This is an interactive lesson, so you can download the listening test that we use in this lesson here:.Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/ Watch the free video le ..read more

Hey. Last week Nick and I answered 6 of your questions about the IELTS exam. Today, we go though more of my mailbox to give you answers to enquiries such as  how can you tell if a letter is semi-formal or informal when you should complain about speaking scores whether singular and plural nouns are important in the listening exam or not You can ask me a question any time by emailing hello@myieltsclassroom,com. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/ Watch the free video less ..read more

Use code BLACK15 to get a 15% discount on all our courses this week. Find out more on this link: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writing Hey! IELTS is well-known for recycling the same topics for Speaking Part 2 again and again. However, they do sometimes introduce new topics into the exam, which can confuse some students. Today, Nick and I analyse 5 new IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics from 2022 to show you how you can come up with ideas quickly for ANY topic. Plus, we will provide model answers for two questions. Useful Links  Join our next intensive speaking course: https://www ..read more

Hey! A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from one of our listeners (thanks Adam!) asking if all the fuss happening on YouTube about the "NEW IELTS Band Descriptors" was true. My immediate reaction was "probably not", but when I did a deep dive, it turned out that it was! Yes, IELTS have finally released the examiner version of the band descriptors for writing. Let me be clear, this will NOT change the way that your writing is marked in any way. However, it does give students a better idea of the "ceiling scores" that can prevent you getting a high score. Find out what those ceiling s ..read more

Every week I get dozens of emails from our My IELTS Classroom students, podcast listeners, YouTube followers and Newsletter subscribers asking questions about the IELST exam. They range from questions are about exam procedures to questions about how the exam is marked or how the student can maximise their preparation. Today, I thought that I would share a range of the emails that I have received in the last couple of weeks. Not only will that give you an insight into the life of an IELTS teacher, but it may also answer some of your own doubts about the exam. You can ask me a question any tim ..read more

Just a reminder that we are  giving you the chance to record your own responses to five IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions and send them to us for feedback on next week’s episode. Record your answers to the following questions on your phone or computer, and email them to us at hello@myieltsclassroom.com before March 12th to be on the show. Remember, your recording should be no more than about 4 minutes!   Why are people more likely to expect things instantly now than in the past? Do you think society today is more strongly influenced by young people or old people? Is communication tec ..read more

Yes! Finally, on our third attempt, Nick and I have managed to successfully record an episode analysing the essays in the new Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic book. We offer our ideas and insights into the new questions, including how we will organise each essay and what our position would be. Plus, we rate the difficulty level of each question. This is an interactive lesson, so make sure you spend at least 5 minutes generating ideas for each essay before you listen. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielt ..read more

Hey! A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from one of our listeners (thanks Adam!) asking if all the fuss happening on YouTube about the "NEW IELTS Band Descriptors" was true. My immediate reaction was "probably not", but when I did a deep dive, it turned out that it was!  Yes, IELTS have finally released the examiner version of the band descriptors for writing. Let me be clear, this will NOT change the way that your writing is marked in any way. However, it does give students a better idea of the "ceiling scores" that can prevent you getting a high score.  Find out what tho ..read more

Today, we continue our journey into the world of IELTS listening any how the exam writers try to confuse you by playing with opposites. This week, we move away from lexis and into the word of grammar. In particular, the 2nd and 3rd conditionals.  Nick and I will explain exactly what the 2nd and 3rd conditional are, how they are formed, and how IELTS using them in listening recordings to confuse you! This is an interactive episode so please have a pen and piece of paper ready so that you can join in the activities.  Useful Links  Join our intensive listening course: https://ww ..read more