A part of the requirements of my UK fiance visa is to prove that I have a grasp of the English language. To do so, I had to get an IELTS A1 Certificate. I chose to take the exam with The British Council Manila. Make sure you're taking the exam with IELTS/UK Government-certified centers.
For the IELTS A1 Life Skills test, there are only two tests: speaking and listening. Please note that this is NOT the same as the IELTS Academic exam which has writing exams.
IELTS During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Days leading up to my IELTS appointment, I had a terrible case of food poisoning and suspected COVID-19 symptoms. I sent them an email (ieltsonline@britishcouncil.org.ph) with a medical certificate from Eva Digital Clinic and The British Council Manila was quick to respond and reschedule my appointment, free of charge (obviously).
When taking the exam, I had to wear a mask and do the usual protocols like contact tracing and social distancing.
My IELTS A1 Speaking and Listening Experience
The Waiting
Let me sum it up for you: The wait was longer than the exam itself. Upon arriving at The British Council, you'll be asked to keep your valuables in a locker and you'll have to wait for your turn from there. Cellphones are not allowed in the waiting room, which was a bummer because I waited for so long. They are strict about this so keep your phone in your bag in the locker.
The Speaking and Listening Exam proper
You'll be in a room with another candidate and a facilitator. The facilitator will be asking questions to both candidates, simple getting-to-know-you questions like:
Where do you live?
What is it like where you live?
What do you do for a living?
The facilitator will also play a sound bite that you have to decipher. This listening part has a lot of sample tests online, there's one on the IELTS website itself. I would recommend you take these sample tests from the official IELTS website just to get a feel of how it goes.
Here's my advice for you
There are "trick questions". For example, the facilitator will say "SHOW me your passport" and the other candidate I was with turned over her passport to him, missing out on the keyword SHOW. Thus, the facilitator said "I said SHOW me not give me."
I practiced writing, too! Total waste since the IELTS A1 I was just expected to do the listening and talking exam.
Always verify what exam you're supposed to take since there are different types.
Should you study for the IELTS A1?
Personally, I feel like I wasted my time studying and preparing for it. It was literally like having a normal conversation with a friend. Again, your preparation should vary based on what you know about the English language and the IELTS exam you're taking. Since I speak in English often, I didn't find the need to prepare for it.
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