My IELTS Journey 🧠 | Preparation, Mistakes, Exam Day Experience & Result

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

• Purpose of the video: The speaker shares their full IELTS/IS preparation journey, including:

  • how they prepared,
  • their exam day experience,
  • comparison of CBT vs “SPAN paper” (paper-based),
  • the mode they took the exam in,
  • and mistakes to avoid.

Coaching + structured learning (start phase)

• They joined coaching classes for preparation.
• Batch start: 7th August.
• They had already taken an A1 exam on 11th August, then joined IS classes from 12th August.
• In classes, they covered core language areas, especially:
  • grammar (tenses, active/passive),
  • phrases and idioms,
  • punctuation, and
  • module-by-module tips/tricks.
• They had a weekly FLT (Full Length Test) every Saturday that included:
  • listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

Recommendation if not joining classes

• If preparing independently, they recommend doing FLT at least once a week with:
  • proper timing
  • no reliance on internet help
• Goal: get used to exam conditions so nothing feels “new” on test day.

Switching focus before the exam (intensive phase)

• After about two months of classes, they stopped classes when university external exams began.
• Once external exams ended on 19th November, they quickly booked and prepared for the IS exam:
  • Exam date booked: 20th November
  • Test date: 4th December

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CBT vs Paper-based: key concepts and reasons given

• They chose CBT (computer-based) for multiple advantages:
  • Faster result time
    • CBT: result in 1–2 days
    • Paper: result in about one week
  • All modules in one day
    • CBT: Listening + Reading + Speaking + Writing in a single day
    • Paper-based: speaking separated; LRW done separately
  • Skill retake advantage (major point)
    • CBT allows one skill retake if you score below 6 in any one module, and then your overall band score updates
    • Paper-based does not offer this partial retake—if below 6 in one module, you must retake the entire exam (all 4 modules).
  • Practical note
    • If someone has bad handwriting, they recommend CBT.

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Their preparation methodology

Time available

• Only 13 days before the exam after booking.

Daily practice strategy (Listening/Reading heavy)

• They did two tests every day for listening and reading.
• They used CBT-style practice platforms:
  • iS Online Test
  • iGovate (noted that Cambridge tests are available there)

What they practiced most vs. least (and why)

• More: Listening/reading (focused on topics they were interested in)
• Less near the end: Writing practice, because they were already getting good writing scores in coaching classes

Speaking practice approach

• They practiced speaking in classes.
• They created custom cue-card stories that could be slightly modified for different topics.
• They also practiced speaking with ChatGPT by:
  • uploading cue-card material (referred to as a “Makar book” for cue cards),
  • asking ChatGPT to conduct a complete speaking test,
  • taking speaking tests multiple times via ChatGPT.

Cue card strategy (mentioned, details deferred)

• They planned/customized cue-card stories and claimed they could tailor the same story for many topics.
• They invited viewers to comment for a separate video explaining the cue-card story and method.

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Exam day experience: what happened

Schedule and reporting

• Slot booked: 9:00 to 12:00 for LRW
• Speaking at: 1:20
• Reporting required: 8:15

Arrival and security process

• Passport verification by a security guard.
• Security check performed.
• Only passports allowed inside.
• Inside:
  • fingerprints and photo taken
  • exam instructions explained (CBT process)

CBT setup steps (important detail)

• Taken to the exam room and had to log in.
• They had to set font and volume themselves:
  • avoid setting volume too high/low
  • set it to a comfortable level

One continuous exam flow

• They stressed completing the exam in one continuous flow:
  • Listening → Reading → Writing

Possible listening distraction

• Even with gaming headphones, they could hear a person’s voice behind them.
• Lesson: technical distractions can happen. If there is a glitch/internet/technical issue:
  • request and fill the feedback form the same day after the exam.

Writing task approach (sequence + time management)

• They started with Task 2 first (higher weight).
• Steps:
  • spent extra time understanding the prompt
  • made points
  • wrote about 280 words
• With about 12 minutes remaining, they started Task 1.
• They wrote until the very end.
• Task 1 word count ended up at exactly 150.
• They became nervous while checking the word count.

Speaking format and interaction

• Speaking was virtual (CBT).
• They interacted with a “foreigner madam” (interlocutor).
• They said everything went well, but during follow-up questions:
  • the examiner/interlocutor stopped them once or twice.
• Lesson: if the examiner interrupts/stops you, answer follow-up questions with confidence.

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Results and mistakes to avoid

Result timing

• Result appeared the next day at ~11:00 pm (consistent with CBT speed).

Their scores

• Listening: 6.5
• Reading: 6.5 (subtitle text is inconsistent; overall they report 6.5)
• Speaking: 6.6 (subtitle text shows “66,” likely meaning 6.6)
• Writing: 6.5 (implied by overall score; subtitle text is inconsistent)
• Overall: 6.5

Target vs. outcome

• Target: 7.5 overall
• They felt their actual score was lower than expected.

Main mistake described (what not to do)

• In the last days:
  • they practiced more the modules they were interested in
  • and practiced less writing and speaking
• Lesson: prepare equally for all modules (listening, reading, writing, speaking), not just the easiest/most interesting ones.

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Speakers / sources featured

• Speaker: The YouTube channel owner (unnamed in subtitles) sharing their IS/IELTS journey.
• Tools/platforms mentioned for practice:
  • iS Online Test
  • iGovate
  • ChatGPT
• Materials mentioned:
  • “Makar book” (cue cards; uploaded to ChatGPT)