Trying to Reach a 7 When You Should Try for an 8

Very little draws as much buzz and attention at the IELTS Tips and Tricks page as when a candidate posts some remarkable test results. This happened the other day with the results you see in the pic.  The double 9’s in the receptive skills of reading and listening are remarkable. Generally, a score of 38 out of 40 or better is needed to earn Band 9.

I’ve had students in my classroom over the years who could do this during practice tests. 38+ every time while their classmates averaged in the mid-20’s. Then when it came to writing practice, it was not unusual for them to produce essays that were not that much better than the norm.  Like this person, they were stuck at the 6.5 plateau.

I am of the mind that what a candidate needs to do to get past that barrier differs depending on where you are in the rest of your skills.  There’s loads of advice out there on the internet aimed at helping the average candidate who is around a 6 in each category write a Band 7 essay.

That’s not the same advice that a Band 9 reading/listening candidate should be following.

The former group needs to tighten up.  Using strict outlines and structures as well as utilizing certain connecting words and phrases at key points in the essay is the way to go for them.

The latter candidates, like this guy, need to loosen up. They need to let their natural English come out without worrying too much about structure.

He wrote a "Best Way" essay back in March. One of two essays he'd posted before his test. Neither of them were given feedback. Here's 22 minutes for him.