For the IELTS candidates, to perform well during the speaking test, a strong vocabulary is vital. According to the experts, vocabulary makes up 25% of your mark for the Writing and Speaking parts of the IELTS test. Are you worried that you do not have good enough vocabulary? Have no fear! Here are the quick 5 tips from the experts.

Learning long lists of words won’t help

When preparing for IELTS exam, remember that it is not a memorisation test, but it’s a language exam. So don’t waste your time memorizing long words to make a positive impression, but save your time with the words that are short and easy to speak.

The main reason to opt for simple and short words is that you are less likely to make mistakes, which can result in a negative impression on the IELTS examiner.

Expanding vocabulary takes time

Vocabulary is just like achieving your desired fitness goals. It is going to take time. You can’t expect to achieve a strong vocabulary overnight – you need to be able to walk before you can run. Be patient and keep reading to achieve the desired vocabulary level. Start from easy read novel books to more complex ones. Besides reading, do not forget to listen to English news.

Many people make the mistake of believing that advanced vocabulary must consist of long or complicated words. However the fact is that these words aren’t necessarily ‘high level’, they’re just difficult to spell!

The key point to keep in mind is that you must be confident to speak naturally when interviewed by an IELTS examiner.