Exams always bring chills to most of the students. In addition, when the exam is not conventional. When a student or candidate sits for an exam like IELTS she is well aware of the fact that she is going to compete with the best competitors. A student from a non-English speaking country is aware of the fact that she is going to compete with native English speakers. But one thing every candidate should keep in mind is that in the case of IELTS, the competition is not on a personal level. There is no ranking system in this test, so nothing to scare you of what your rank is. In IELTS only the band score is counted. Getting high scores like 7+ or 8 is as easy or as difficult for a non-native English speaker as it is for a native English speaker, it depends solely on how well a student or candidate is prepared.

So what are fears about? Well, some factors wander in the student’s mind like:

1) Would I be able to listen and understand ‘Native English Speakers’ audio clips, which is quite easier for native English speakers, but difficult for me?

2) What if I miss some words or a question while listening to the audio?

3) How kind would the examiner be during the ‘Speaking Test’?

4) Will I be able to communicate correctly with the examiner during the ‘Speaking Test’?

5) Would I be able to impress the examiner with the variety of my vocabulary during the speaking test?

6) What happens if I get nervous during the speaking and stuttering test?

7) Will I be able to complete the ‘Reading Test’ within the time?

8) It is known that writing is the most difficult of all. Would I be able to write about completely unknown topics?

So on and so on. It is suggested to the students/candidates that they do not allow themselves to be dominated by fear, the more tense you are, the more prone you are to make mistakes. A candidate who panics is bound to make mistakes. In reality, candidates panic because IELTS is not just another conventional test. It is a totally different form of the exam to measure a candidate’s ultimate proficiency in all forms of the English language. For example, in many non-English speaking countries, the English language taught in schools or universities is ‘British English’. But in the case of IELTS, if a candidate is going to a North American country, he must be familiar with the North American accent and style. That is, in the listening and speaking tests, you will be judged on your command of “American” English. Similarly, if a native US speaker wants to go to the UK, they will need to listen, speak and write British English.

Considering the toughness and pattern of the exam, there are reasons for a candidate to be afraid, but only when they are not prepared for the real contexts of the test. A serious candidate should start their preparation at least two months before the exam date. But in the case of a non-English half candidate from a non-English speaking country, the preparation must be even earlier. First of all, a candidate who is weak in English, listen, speak, read and write a lot for the basic preparation of it. Doing all this under the guidance of an expert English tutor is a must. Hopefully, a candidate weak in English should take 3-4 months of extensive study to get to a level from which she can think of starting her IELTS preparation. Another two months of prudent and sincere practice under the guidance of an expert IELTS teacher or reputable IELTS training center is a must for an aspiring candidate to achieve a good band score of 7+.

It is often found that even a very well prepared candidate collapses in the examination room. So the obvious question comes to mind, ‘How to get rid of fear factors’. There is no one-size-fits-all suggestion, rather a general suggestion can be provided that is applicable to any candidate. First of all, a candidate must know about himself whether he is nervous or not. If he is a nervous person by nature, then he should try much harder to get rid of his nervousness, whatever the situation. Getting nervous easily and panicking is all about mindset, which needs to be changed with a lot of practice and by focusing on the areas that make you nervous. As a general solution to get rid of fear in the exam room, we can suggest:

1) Focus on your weak areas from day 1 when you start your preparation and build those areas.

2) From the first day, prepare yourself mentally to face many unknown topics.

3) Get admitted to a ‘Professional IELTS’ training center as they would take quite a few mock tests which will gradually increase your confidence level. Because the mock tests replicate the real exam, you would be accused of unknown topics.

4) Practice from the beginning so as not to panic in the exam room, if necessary, seek advice from a specialized counselor.

5) Think about your strong areas as well to gather courage. Each and every person has some strong areas and some weak areas, you are not the only person with some weak areas.

6) Focusing on your areas of strength and strengthening them would strongly ensure that you get higher test scores.

7) He looked for what scares him in the exam room. Unknown issues? Fear of losing focus? Fear to fail? Or something else? If by rigid practice you can overcome the fear factors that is fine, otherwise you should visit a psychiatrist as these are mental problems that can be cured with counseling or medication.

8) Take mock testing more seriously, assume you are facing real tests, it would go a long way to make you a cool customer.

9) Have a piece of Cadbury chocolate, it will stimulate your nerves and keep you positive.

Anything said ‘A nervous person’ will get nervous, some people suffer from a strange type of ‘test phobia’, they will suffer and panic. So, it’s not going to happen overnight, that a nervous person becomes a fearless person without stress in mind, a panicky guy would not become fearless overnight. What the candidates have to do from the beginning of the preparation is that they have to tell their teachers about their problems, to get help from them to get rid of the problems. Also, one must do a self-analysis, ask yourself why you should be nervous or scared. When you know full well that falling into the clutches of fear would cause you to make a mistake, it diverts your concentration and eventually makes you a loser. So from the start, a candidate should work on their weak areas and try to perpetually ignore fear. Practicing a lot and being evaluated by the teachers would be very beneficial. Above all practice, practice and more practice, be confident and mentally prepared to handle any situation with a fearless mind.