I recently took IELTS exam with British Council and it went pretty smooth. I am awaiting the results but I am expecting 7 or more bands. Today I am going to talk about the biggest hurdles in the way of actually taking IELTS exam and this article is based on the experience of myself and 3 other fellows of mine, 2 of which actually appeared in the exam along with me and the experience was as smooth for them as mine.
Even though, I was aware of the importance of IELTS in availing scholarships or admissions in foreign universities but still I couldn’t summon up the power to take that step and actually appear in the exam. In my case, the biggest obstacles in my way were the general view of people related to IELTS and the lack of decision power.
The first problem, I have been listening to people complaining about how tough IELTS is over and over again and it affected me in different ways. Everybody was suggesting that at least 30-45 days should be given to IELTS preparation in order to score 7+ bands, which is Bullshit because nobody knows how much time a person needs to prepare something. It varies from person to person, for some it might be 45 days and for others maybe 5 days will do (me=7 days, my friends=5 days). Then there were different opinions about BC and AEO and some also mentioned that headphones are not provided at some centers. LOL!
The second problem, which was the product of the 1st problem, that I never really felt prepared enough. So, close to every deadline I felt that I am short on time and I will apply next month and it kept happening to me for more than half a year. When there is money involved, which is another reason for my indecision, we get a little over sensitive in making decisions.
The solution, when I finally had enough so I sat down and I asked myself two simple questions. What is the worst that can happen if I took this test with only 7 days remaining? What are the benefits of taking the tests? When I wrote down the answer to these questions and rated my excuses and what will its effects on my life be from 1-10, surprisingly, I rated my problems 1 out of 10 and the benefits 9 out of 10. There was never really a problem but somehow I did not see this until I asked myself these questions.
My Final advice, you are the only person who knows your weaknesses and strengths, so sit down, relax yourself and ask yourself these questions. Also, Its better if you have more time for preparation but if you are not that hard working of a person then just go for the test, I know people with only average English scoring 6.5 and plus bands. If you fail once, you will have the experience and time to prepare for the next one. SO BUCKLE UP AND GO FOR IT!!
