Review of the week

David, lead educator, looks back over some of the highlights and discussions of the week, and shares some additional advice. You can find a video transcript at the bottom of this step.

David starts by saying how great it is to see people from (almost!) every continent in the world on the course. He suggests looking at the tips on step 1.3 to help you use the course, especially if this is your first time studying online.

He recommends checking out this week’s Facebook live video if you haven’t done so already and urges anyone with their test coming up soon to go to step 1.7 for help before your test.

David gives some excellent practical advice on dealing with numbers and spelling. You might find these extra resources helpful if this is a problem area for you:
numbers
spelling

He talks about advice from Catarina on the importance of understanding the question as well as tips on IELTS dos and don’ts from Naomi and Rouba. Please add your own advice on step 1.19.

David rounds up with a mention of what you’ll find in week 2. We hope you’ve found this first week useful and we’re looking forward to seeing you here next week!

Coming up in Week 2

Next week we’ll look at how widening your range can really improve your listening skills. We’ll talk about different task types and the language you need for success in these. We’ll also discuss how to stay focused during the test and you’ll have a chance to practise a part of the IELTS Listening test.

If you want to get started straight away, go to the To do list for Week 2.

Remember, you can always use the To do icon at the top of the page to see what’s coming up or go back to previous weeks and catch up.

If you need help with the Writing, Speaking or Reading sections of the IELTS test you can sign up for our Understanding IELTS program. This program of four courses explains each section of the test, what is being tested and what you have to do to demonstrate your language proficiency to the examiner.

Get extra benefits, upgrade your course

You can now get extra benefits by upgrading this course, including:

• Unlimited access to the course: Go at your own pace with unlimited access to the course for as long as it exists on FutureLearn.

• A Certificate of Achievement: To help you demonstrate your learning we’ll send you a Certificate of Achievement when you become eligible.

Find out more.

IELTS support during the COVID-19 situation

Due to the Covid-19 situation, in-person IELTS testing is suspended at the moment in many countries. You can find which countries the test is currently available here. If tests are not running in your country at the moment, you may be able to take IELTS Indicator, an online test which can be completed at home while IELTS testing is unavailable. You can find out more here.