The IELTS exam is strictly conducted within a specified time duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Therefore, effective time management skills are of utmost importance. Many candidates who lack proper time management skills often encounter challenges such as:

– Difficulty transferring reading answers on time

– Spending too much time describing a bar graph

– Having insufficient time to solve the last reading passage

– Feeling rushed while trying to read questions within the 1-minute time limit during the listening test

– Struggling to think of ideas to explain in the essay due to time constraints

These are common issues faced by candidates who do not manage their time properly during the exam.

To effectively manage time during the exam, you can keep an eye on the projected timer on a big screen, which helps you keep track of the time while attempting the test.

Now, let’s explore how you can manage your 2 hours and 40 minutes effectively to complete all the questions on time and perform well in all the modules.

Time Management in the Listening Test

In the listening test, you will be given 1 minute to read a set of questions, such as the first 4 or 5 questions in section 1 or 10 questions in section 4.

During this 1-minute time, you must read the assigned set of questions, but if you have a few seconds left, you can quickly glance at the other questions as well. Stay focused and read the questions quickly, underlining keywords that you can listen for during the audio.

Trying to thoroughly understand every question in 1 minute won’t be feasible. Instead, quickly go through the questions and get an overview of them.

When transferring your listening answers from the question paper within the given 10 minutes, do it efficiently and carefully to avoid spelling mistakes.

Time Management in the Reading Test

The reading test requires careful time management, as you have 1 hour to solve a total of 40 questions divided into 3 sections. You must read the passages in each section attentively to answer the questions correctly.

Reading Pitfalls

Let’s address the pitfalls that can affect your time management while answering the questions:

– Casual reading of passages makes finding answers difficult, leading to more time consumption while re-reading the passages.

– Getting stuck on a particular question and spending excessive time on it leads to time shortage for other questions, resulting in rushed answers and potential errors.

– Reading slowly, without a focused approach or failing to grasp important information from the paragraphs, hinders correct question-solving within the time limit.

– Spending more time on one section leaves less time to read other passages and solve pending questions.

Reading Strategies

To avoid these pitfalls, you can employ effective reading strategies for solving the reading questions.

Reading Strategy 1

For a section with around 13 questions, follow this time management strategy:

– Reading Section 1 (around 13 questions): 20 mins

– Rapid reading of questions: 1 min

– Skimming the passage: 9 mins (Skimming: Reading the passage for the main idea)

– Scanning the passage: 9 mins (Scanning: Finding specific answers)

– Transfer answers: 1 min

By adopting this strategy, you can complete one section with around 13 questions within 20 minutes.

However, if there are two small passages in one section, you may follow the below strategy:

Reading Strategy 2

For a section with around 13 questions, follow this time management strategy:

– Reading Section 1 (around 13 questions): 20 mins

a. Reading passage 1 (around 6 questions): 10 mins

   – Rapid reading of questions: 1 min

   – Skimming the passage: 4 mins

   – Scanning the passage: 4 mins

   – Transfer answers: 1 min

b. Reading passage 2 (around 7 questions): 10 mins

   – Rapid reading of questions: 1 min

   – Skimming the passage: 4 mins

   – Scanning the passage: 4 mins

   – Transfer answers: 1 min

By completing a reading section in 20 mins, you can solve all 40 questions within the allotted 60 minutes.

It is recommended to complete the first 2 sections as quickly as possible to have more time for the 3rd section, which is comparatively lengthy and difficult.

Time Management in the Writing Test

The writing test requires both patience and quick thinking to generate ideas and write effectively within the 1-hour time limit. Whether you are taking the Academic or General Training module, you will have two writing tasks: Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2.

Strategy for Writing Task 1

In the Academic module, Writing Task 1 involves report writing, where you describe a diagram in 20 minutes. Divide your time as follows:

– Read the question to understand the diagram: 2 mins

– Analyze the diagram for important insights: 3 mins

– Write Introduction, Body paragraphs, and Conclusion: 13 mins

– Review for grammar or punctuation errors: 2 mins

In the General Training module, Writing Task 1 requires writing a letter in 20 minutes. Divide your time as follows:

– Read the question to understand the purpose and requirements of the letter: 1 min

– Think of ideas to be explained in the letter: 2 mins

– Write Introduction, Body paragraphs, and Conclusion: 15 mins

– Review for grammar or punctuation errors: 2 mins

Strategy for Writing Task 2

Writing Task 2 involves writing an essay for both the Academic and General Training modules, for which you get 40 minutes. Divide this time as follows:

– Read the question to understand the topic, tasks, and decide whether to give an opinion or not: 5 mins

– Think of ideas to be explained in the body paragraphs: 5 mins

– Write Introduction, Body paragraphs, and Conclusion: 25 mins

– Review for grammar or punctuation errors: 5 mins

Feel free to develop and use other time management strategies that make you feel comfortable during the test. Remember, practical implementation through mock tests is essential to get the feel of time constraints during the actual exam.