IELTS Timeline and Report

In my opinion, taking the IELTS exam is the most difficult part of the 2015 EE FSWP. 

Imagine consuming 1 month to review not to mention all the stress and panic mode I have to deal with especially that I am the nervous type of person. Oh, and did I not remind you it is worth Php8,900.00. That is a big amount! Hah, at least I can share to you that I passed my IELTS exam on my first try after all my crying moments, LOL.

I took my speaking module test on the 27th of May 2015 at Salustiana D Ty Tower, Makati City. My interviewer is a Chinese woman with a very good accent.:) I was amazed by how she speaks and was intimidated actually, LOL. But she is very nice, thank you Lord. She was actually guiding me in the interview especially when I stop talking for a second or two. I mean, she will continue to ask question so I will have to continue talking. I think in speaking test, what they really like is for the IELTS taker to just talk and talk in the 11-15 minutes time frame. Note that your speaking test are recorded and this will be sent to IDP Australia for further evaluation.

The listening, reading and writing modules were all scheduled on the 30th May 2015 at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Makati City. Please bring your jacket when taking your exam because you will really shiver not in nervousness but in the full blast aircon of the hotel.

I really felt bad in my exam day. In my listening test, I have a hearing problem on my left ear. I called IDP Philippines Makati and informed them about it but I was too late to call them. They required me to provide a medical certificate but my doctor is in Baguio City so I cannot provide them with it for only 5 days left before my exam. As predicted, and since I practiced using a headphone, I did not hear the passages clearly because the speaker is located at the left side and I at the second to the last row of more or less 500 IELTS test takers. What I did, I turned my chair and myself facing my co-test taker and my right ear fronting the speaker. Problem solved. Good thing, no one confronted me.:) Bad thing, I already missed some of the passages.:(

In Reading module, on the other hand, I thanked Father God that the composition of our exam is mostly the fill-in the blank type. During my practice tests, I really got confused with the true-false-not given/yes-no-not given sections of the reading module. Also, the multiple choice, funny, but yes, I have troubles with the a,b,c,d choices.:) And guessing an answer is not an option for me but is the right thing to do when you does not know the answer. It is a must for test taker to never leave a number without an answer to it. Guess the answer, it might give you an additional point.:)

Writing module? Well, I am a blogger, in my work I usually do writing, so I really felt bad with my score. So the tip here is practice writing not less than 150 words in Section 1-Letter composition and 250 words in Section 2-Essay. Why? Because I failed to reach 250 words in my essay just when I thought I am done. I counted my essay 10 minutes or less out of the 60 minutes time frame and I failed to reach it. Minus points to me.:(

Done with the IELTS exam but the waiting game for the results of it made me a crazy freak. I know it is not normal but I really wanted to pass my IELTS and advance to the next stage of our EE FSWP. I even cry out praying to our Father God that He passed me on my IELTS exam. Who does not want to pass? Who wants to pay another fee of Php8,900.00? Certainly not me so praying is really my greatest weapon here.

During our exam, IDP Philippines Makati announces that we can view the result of our exam after 13 days here. But after 13 days, 13 June 2015 to be exact, or the day after that and the day after it, no result has ever popped out in said website. Imagine the agony I again encountered. I was crying to my husband. Oh, I know I am very emotional, I know I am not alone.:)

On the 16th day of June 2015, my husband woke me up at 5:30 AM with a big smile on his face and with a cellphone on his hand. Hahaha, I know from that smile I passed my IELTS exam and I was right. The results are there showing me the following: Listening - 6.0, Reading - 8.5, Writing - 6.0, Speaking - 7.0 and an Overall Band Score of 7.0. Thank you, Lord.

So, when I went to Makati to work, I also went to IDP Philippines Makati to pick up the original copy of my IELTS Report Form as shown below.

Finally, as I have said in my previous post: practice, time yourself and pray. That is the formula of passing your IELTS exam.