IELTS Test Day, With Jess Christie, Episode 9 [VIDEO]

You're there with another person. They understand that you might have missed the question and they'll just repeat it for you. and welcome to Episode 9 of IELTS Prepared by IDP, your trusted guide for test day success. I'm your host, Rocco Negro, and today I'm talking to IELTS expert, Jess Christie. Jess brings with her a wealth of experience as an IELTS test centre expert, supporting test takers across Australia and the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea. Over the past seven years...

Jess has worked in IELTS test centres in various roles and her primary focus has always been to guide and assist test takers on their IELTS journey. In today's episode, Jess will share her insights on what you can expect on test day, including what to bring... and effective time management strategies. And she'll also share her expert advice on boosting your confidence on test day. Jess, thank you so much for joining us. No, thank you.

Now, I'd like to start with a common belief that's out there. Some people say that the IELTS speaking test only happens immediately after the other three skills have been finished. Is that true? That is not true. Your IELTS test has four sections to it. Your listening, reading and writing test will all happen at the same time and will take about two hours, 45 minutes. That still leaves you with your speaking test.

It can be done up to seven days before or seven days after your listening, reading and writing test. I guess it might depend on the test venue as well. Yeah, so when you make your booking for your test, you'll see a couple of options about what is the available speaking time and you can pick from the available options. Thank you, Jess. That's good to know.

Now, let's move on and talk a bit about what to expect on test day for the test takers. Jess, what time should someone arrive for their IELTS test? As a general rule, it is always better to be earlier. Your confirmation email will have some important details in it and that will include what time you should arrive at the test centre. As a general rule, 30 minutes. Okay. And there's no harm if someone comes...

A bit earlier than that, is there? Absolutely not. We would prefer you to be earlier than later. What happens when a test taker arrives at the venue? So you'll turn up for your test. A staff member will greet you. You can just take a seat, relax, prepare yourself. About 30 minutes before the test is due to start, a staff member will come out and ask you to cloak your belongings.

What does that mean, cloak your belongings? Yeah, it's a bit of a strange word, but what they're asking is for you to put all of your personal belongings away. And what should someone bring with them on the test day? The only things you need with you on your test day is your valid ID. And... They have to make sure that it's the same one that they registered with? Yeah, so make sure that it's the same details and the same physical ID that you registered for with your booking.

Right, so even if someone maybe loses their passport, for example, they can't replace it with like a driving licence or something like that. It's really important to make sure that you know what ID is required and that... That can vary depending on what country you're in. In Australia, it will always be a passport. And what about the other things that people should not bring with them? I mean, you can bring anything with you to the test centre. It's important that you feel comfortable, but...

You will have to store all of those belongings in a secure location while you're inside the test room. What about things like pencils and erasers? So in most cases, the test centre will provide all the stationery that you need for the test. Your only responsibility is to bring your identification. And I assume that mobile phones are not allowed in the test. Absolutely not. Yeah, no mobile phones or any form of electronic devices. And that does include watches.

Does that also include mechanical watches? It does. Any form of watch, they're not allowed in the test room. But there will be clocks and a countdown on your screen if you're doing the IELTS test on computer, so you will be able to manage your time. So just to check with you, is there a place that people can leave their personal belongings or their bag?

Yep, so it will depend on the test centre. Some might have free lockers that you can use to store your belongings in, or others might just keep your bag in a locked room. Either way, though, anywhere you sit the test, your belongings will be able to be stored securely. Right. So they don't have to worry about any of those things. No, they don't have to worry. They'll just pick them all up at the end of the test. Now, Jess, there is another situation that is a...

Perhaps a bit unfortunate, if someone is sick on test day, what should they do? Look, we understand it happens. The most important thing to think about is making sure that you're okay. We would suggest leave the test. go home, get a medical certificate from a doctor, send that through to the test centre and they will offer you a transfer of your test or a refund. Right, Jess, there's no penalty if someone does that. No.

Look, if you're feeling unwell, you're not going to give a very good performance in your test. So please just go home, take care of yourself first. Of course. And you want to make sure that you can perform at your best. Good not to do the test while you're sick. Exactly. We want you to perform the best that you can. What about doing the IELTS test on computer compared to doing the IELTS test on paper? Are there any differences when it comes to what to expect on test day?

Yeah, the main difference is the order of the sections. So it's really important to make sure you know what to expect so you're not surprised when you turn up for the test. For the IELTS test on computer, your sections will go listening. reading, and then writing. In the paper test, it's the same order? In paper test, it's the complete opposite order. So you'll start with the writing test, then the reading test, and you'll finish with the listening test. Are the rooms very similar?

Paper testing for IELTS can be in very large rooms or very small rooms. With IELTS on computer, you'll be in a custom-built computer lab and they will normally be a lot smaller. Oh, so for the lab, do people have to bring their own headsets? Everything is provided by the test centre. So you don't need to bring headsets, your own computers. We provide everything for you.

And what about the location of this IELTS speaking test? Is it in the same room? That does depend on the test venue. A lot of times it will be in the same location, but in a different room. It will be in a small room where you'll be with an examiner. And there won't be other people in the room there? No, it'll be a private room. Now, sometimes people may need to use the bathroom in the middle of the IELTS test. What can you tell us about that?

I would always recommend you go to the bathroom before you start the test. Of course, good idea. Always a good thing. But you can go to the bathroom during the reading and the writing sections. You unfortunately can't go during the listening test because then you would miss the audio that was being played. And I guess that would also disturb the other people listening. Exactly. So try and hold for the 30 minutes of the listening test, but then during reading and writing.

you are free to go and would the test taker have some extra time to catch up no so bathroom breaks are taken on your own test time the test won't be paused when you leave the room

Let's move on and talk about time management in the IELTS test. Jess, when it comes to the listening test, do you have any recommendations about how test takers can manage their time? I think... The number one thing to remember for the listening test is that the audio only plays once. Right, just once. Yeah, so you won't be able to rehear any of the audio. So it's really important that you keep...

up to date with where the audio is up to. Try not to get distracted and lose focus, even if you're not sure about the question. Stay focused on the audio so when the next question comes up, you have the best opportunity to succeed. Is there an opportunity to preview and review the questions? The audio will run straight through, but you will have small breaks in between to read the questions that are coming up and small breaks at the end to go over your answers.

And also in the IELTS on paper test, they would need to transfer their answers to an answer sheet. What do you suggest to do there? Yeah, so that is one difference between IELTS on paper and IELTS on computer. In the paper test, you do have 10 minutes at the end of the listening test to transfer all of your answers. You don't have that in IELTS on computer because you'll just be entering your answers straight into the computer. And how should people manage their time in the IELTS reading test?

It's really important during the IELTS reading as well as the IELTS listening to remember that there are 40 questions and each question is worth one mark. Okay. So they're all equal. So the difficult question is worth one point. And the easy one is also worth one point. Correct. So I would recommend when you sit down for the reading test, skim through the whole test, try and identify which questions you might be more comfortable with. Start with those ones. You'll get a bit...

of confidence. You'll get some easy questions in the bank and then allows you more time when you come across the difficult ones. And how about spending a bit more extra or a bit extra time just on one question? I think that's why it's really important to do the easy ones first because there will be questions that you will struggle with. So if you allow a bit more extra time to focus on those questions, it'll help you feel more confident.

So the IELTS reading test is for one hour. Jess, is there time after the one hour to transfer answers to the answer sheet? No, everything has to be completed within that one hour. So that's one difference with the IELTS listing test, I guess. Yep. When it comes to the IELTS writing test, what do you recommend there for time management? The IELTS writing test is very different to the reading and the listening in the fact that there are two parts.

but they're not weighted equally. So what's the weighting there? So writing task two is worth twice as many points as writing task one. Okay, good to know. And what about... with writing the questions? Can someone maybe begin with task two first? I think it's important to note for the reading and the writing test, you don't have to complete it from question one through. You can start wherever you want to.

Okay. With the IELTS on computer test, if someone does go forward, is it easy enough to go back? Very easy. There's a button at the bottom so you can navigate between all the different questions. Okay. Wonderful. Also thinking about the IELTS speaking test. There are three parts there. How do you suggest test takers manage their time in that part?

I think the speaking test is quite different to the other three sections in the fact that you have an examiner there who is directing you through the questions. So you don't so much have to think about how you're going to progress through it. They're there to guide you through the test. They're kind of like they're the time keepers of the test, I suppose. Correct. They'll tell you when your time is up and when to start. In part two of the IELTS speaking test, there's a topic.

It's for two minutes. What happens if the test taker speaks for less than that time? No worries at all. You might run out of things to talk about. The examiner will just ask you some follow-up questions about what you've been talking about. There are times that perhaps the examiner might interrupt the speaker or the test taker. Is that...?

a bad thing if you're interrupted? It's not a bad thing at all. I think a lot of test takers feel like they're doing something wrong if they're being interrupted by the examiner. As I said, the examiner's there to keep you on topic, keep you focused, and they have to ask a certain number of questions. So them interrupting you is not a bad thing at all.

And if someone wants to explain more about something, can they go past the time limit for each section? The examiner will tell you when your time has finished and you will have to move on to the next section.

Just one other area I'd like to focus on is for the test takers to feel confident on test day. Do you have any suggestions about how a test taker can come to an IELTS test with... the best confidence that they can have. It's so important to remember that by the time your test has come,

You've done all the preparation you can. You've put in all of the work. Now it's just giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed and to show that those skills that you've developed are there. So I would suggest... Always make sure you know where you're going and what time to get there. Actually, some people think it's a good idea to visit the test venue the day before or something like that. Absolutely. I've seen a lot of test takers do that. If that can help you.

alleviate some of your stress on test day. It's a wonderful idea. Is there an option? Some people have not taken the IELTS on computer tests before. Is there an option to come into the test centre to see how it works? We don't have that at test centres, but what we have is an IELTS familiarisation test on the website and it's exactly the same interface as what you will be using for the IELTS on computer test. So it gives you an opportunity to get familiar with it from your own home.

home, click on all the buttons, see what it does. You can change the font size. You can change the color of the screen. And no matter where you sit the IELTS on computer test, it will be the same interface. So if someone has prepared their best for their IELTS test, what should they do perhaps on the morning or the night before? I would say make sure you get a good night's sleep. As I said, you've done all of the study.

Nothing else you can do. Have a good breakfast or a good lunch, depending on your time. Make sure you drink lots of water, stay hydrated. Bring yourself to the test venue as early as you can. And if there's something that helps you relax, whether it's listening to music or a podcast, give yourself the best opportunity to relax before the test.

I guess if someone is relaxed and rested, they can help them really focus and concentrate. Absolutely. Stress will be your worst enemy. So make sure that you're coming with the best opportunity to do your best. Would it be useful to do last minute? IELTS practice before going to the test? Trust yourself, trust what you've learnt and trust yourself to showcase your skills. Now, for some people, they can be very well rested and very well prepared.

but they still feel very nervous on test day. Do you have any advice for us? I think if you're sitting in the test and you're starting to feel... your confidence slipping and your stress increasing, you're starting to feel anxious, sit back, take a deep breath, just take 10 seconds. It's not going to impact your test, but it will let you ground yourself.

Remind yourself that you have studied for this. You have the skills and you can do the best that you can do. In the IELTS listening test, sometimes people panic because they've missed the answer to a question. What do you recommend there?

As I've talked about, the listening test audio only plays once. So you have to make sure that you keep track of the audio. It's very hard to get back on track if you've lost it. So even if... you're starting to feel anxious, you don't know the answers to the questions, just keep listening, keep concentrating, track the audio and be ready when the next answer appears.

Something that can cause a bit of stress in the IELTS reading test is seeing a word that's very unfamiliar. Maybe a test taker has never seen it before. How can they focus and be calm in a situation like that? I think in the reading test, it's really important to look at the context of the word. There are always words that we don't know, but look at the sentence. Look at the topic of the reading test. They're not words in isolation.

Try to see if you can understand what that word might mean based on the context of the word. In the IELTS writing test, sometimes there can be a question that perhaps the test taker has never... thought about or considered before in a case like that how can they become and focus on their answer i think it will always be hard in the writing test if you get a question that you don't know anything about

I think it's important to remember that the examiners are not marking you on your knowledge of that topic. They're marking you on how you perform with your English language skills in relation to that topic. Write what you can about it, but they're not there to fact check you. And sometimes people get a bit stressed when they hear a question, but they don't quite catch it or understand it.

What should someone do in a situation like that to be calm? Absolutely. In that situation, just ask your examiner to repeat the question. And they don't lose marks for that, do they? Absolutely not. The examiner will just say it again. I guess that's one of the advantages of a...

face-to-face interview? Absolutely. You're there with another person. They understand that you might have missed the question and they'll just repeat it for you. Thank you, Jess. That's some good advice to help settle some test-taker nerves.

In the next part, I'd like to look at some test taker questions that have been sent to us. The first one is about special consideration and particularly for people who are perhaps have low vision or maybe who are... hard of hearing. Are there any provisions for those kind of test takers? Absolutely. IELTS will always help accommodate.

any form of special access arrangements that are required. It's important to remember that it will take time for that to be approved. Okay, so how long should people let the test centre know beforehand? So a rule... to go by is that you need to contact your test centre six weeks prior to doing the test and you will need to provide the test centre with some form of doctor's report, specialist report, and we can get that approved and then you'll be able...

to be given different access arrangements, which could include extra time, papers with larger font size, Braille, or even a lip reading test. Okay. And if the documentation is in... perhaps their first language, should someone get it translated? Yeah, we've seen a lot where they've been translated by an official translator. It will need to be in English. Now, another question we've received is, can I apply for an IELTS?

test if I don't have a valid passport. We've seen a lot of this where maybe the passport has been stolen or lost or expired. As a rule of thumb you do need a passport to sit the IELTS test. However, if you don't have one, the test centre can go through a process where they verify your identity and give you permission to use a different form of photo ID. For example, a driver's licence, but you do need to let the test centre know.

before you turn up for the test day, normally about a week in advance. Right. So if it happens on test day, it can't be processed? No. So you do have to let them know in advance because they get approved by a different team. Some people have asked about...

the security procedures for the day. Can you tell us a bit about that? Yeah, so when you turn up for the test, you'll go through a registration process. So that will involve handing over your identification to the staff on the day. They'll do a visual check, making sure...

you're the person in the passport. They'll also check all of your details to make sure we have the correct details to print on your test report form. And what about in the IELTS speaking test? Does the test taker need to bring that to the interview as well? They do. So you need to have your ID with you for every section of the test. Afterwards, they'll ask you to scan your right index finger four times. Okay.

So Jess, that's very interesting. Why do they have to have their index finger scanned? So the point of it is just so that we can make sure that the same person did the speaking test as did the listening, reading, writing test. As we touched on earlier. You might be doing your speaking test on a different day. So it's just to make sure that the same person comes for all sections of the test, but we don't keep your fingerprints on file. They get deleted at the end of the test.

One more question is about something unfortunate that can happen is if a test taker arrives late on test day. I'm also thinking perhaps through other reasons like the train was delayed, for example. Yeah, look, we understand that things can happen. You can allow as much time, but there might be an accident on the freeway. Your train might be delayed.

In the situation, unfortunately, you won't be able to sit that test that day if you turn up late. But get any form of evidence that you can that shows why you weren't able to arrive. Send that through to your test centre and they'll make... a decision about whether to offer you a transfer or a refund for your test. They may have been asked that public transport company for example. Yeah definitely if you can get a screenshot from

Google Maps or evidence that there was some kind of delay, then test centres are quite lenient. And Jess, I guess that goes back to our earlier point. Come early. Absolutely. Allow extra time. Well, Jess... That brings us towards the end of our chat today. But before you go, could you possibly give us your top three tips that IELTS test takers can consider? First off, know your practical information.

know where you're going know when you need to be there and know what you need to bring secondly i would say make sure you bring your correct id of course if you don't have it with you on test day you will not be able to sit the test thirdly Just remember to breathe. You've done your preparation. You've done the best that you can to prepare. Trust yourself. Be confident. You can do it.

Wonderful. Jess, thank you so much for your time today. It's greatly appreciated. Thank you so much Rocco. And that concludes today's episode. Don't forget to explore the show notes for more information on today's topic. If you found this episode helpful, why not share it with others who are preparing for their IELTS test. In our next episode, I'll be chatting with Mei Hin from Vietnam. She'll be sharing her personal experience with the IELTS test.

and where it has led her. Thanks for listening to IELTS Prepared by IDP, your trusted guide for test day success. See you next time.