The majority of candidates who sit for IELTS in Sri Lanka waste time during the reading test, without realizing that they are doing so. Lack of time management skills can cause extreme stress and it can also result in you losing concentration and clarity in mind.
On the other hand, strong time management strategies will help you avoid unnecessary anxiety, stay focused and organized, and answer questions within your allotted time. It’s one of the simplest and most effective techniques to boost your performance in the IELTS reading test.
In the IELTS reading test, you may come across a variety of question types. Attempting model test papers during your preparation will help you have a better understanding of the kind of questions to expect on test day, as well as the time necessary to answer each question type. Furthermore, during these practice tests which are offered as part of any IELTS course in Sri Lanka, you may apply various reading tips and techniques taught in your IELTS class for each type of question and learn to solve them more quickly. This way, you will be able to determine how much time you should spend on each type of question and, if required, boost or reduce your pace according to the complexity of the question.
Generally, in the IELTS reading tests, the three sections are structured in such a way, that each section gets progressively challenging than the previous one. The first section is considered the easiest, while the last section could be the hardest. Therefore, rather than allocating 20 minutes for each section, it makes more sense allotting 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and 25 minutes respectively for the first, second and the third sections. This way, you may save time from the easier first section, to make use of the time saved when answering the questions in the more difficult third section.
Another good practice in the IELTS reading test would be to answer the questions YOU find easier first. This will make you feel more confident about the test and increases your chances of success. You may answer the easy questions fast and divide the time left over for the tougher ones. This will help you to inch towards the required band score, rather than getting stuck and wasting time on difficult questions early in the test.
Effective time management skills will improve your chances of securing an excellent band score in the IELTS reading test and hence, it’s worthwhile to spend time perfecting the same. We wish you best of luck at your IELTS test!
