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Hi Violette,
Unfortunately, your recorded test will be graded.
On the video recording for UKVI, there is no audio.
Can I ask where you took the test?
All the best,
David

Hi Neesh,
Good luck with both tests! I'd say that the vocabulary and grammar should be common to both, but I'm not very familiar with GRE.
David

Hello Neesh,
As Jill suggests, posting a sample of your writing (T1 and T2) would be helpful.
David

Hello willhunting! Thank you for posting this! I think the stats you mention are very revealing. Clearly, for 6 or higher, the answers must be longer, though the increased level of grammatical accuracy moving from 5 to 6 need not be great. This fits with my personal experience and with the more deta...

Hello!
As far as I know, correction pens are not permitted - and in my opinion are a waste of time.
The exam should be written in pencil, but some candidates do use a pen.
All the best,
David

Hi All,
Hyphens are generally not an issue. 'Website' is written as one word, not hyphenated.
As drsid says, spelling is far more important.
All the best,
David

Hello!
Good questions!
1. Yes and yes
2. I see very little difference between GT and A T2. They are scored in exactly the same way. The phrasing of GT T2 is usually simpler.
All the best,
David

Hi aasher,
Recently I did this test with my students and I think that the words 'in' and 'small' are acceptable. As you say, the transcript says this and there is no problem grammatically.
Generally, my advice is to keep answers short in order to avoid problems.
Thank you!
David

drsid,I love your contributions and hope we won't lose you now that you have achieved a high score! Congratulations!
David

Hi Sandeep, This is not a common situation, but it seems that the BC is following standard procedure. There are several reasons why this could happen, including the following (and I have no idea which it could be or if it is for another reason!) ... 1. They suspect you of cheating. They have to demo...

Hi Aasher, Great question! I cannot give you a definitive answer for every single situation, but here are some guidelines. First, check the question paper. Does it say (for example) a) The woman bought a sports ... or b) The woman bought a ... In the case of a) if you write 'sports bag' it is clearl...

Hello! The simple way to deal with this situation is to use your imagination. Also, you have probably seen an accident on TV or in a film. You are lucky to be such a careful person. I remember falling off my bicycle when I was a kid! I remember just recently accidentally putting both tea and coffee ...

Hello glisounik! Don't worry! T2 Academic preparation certainly helps with T2 General prep. The General questions are considered easier than the Academic ones. As a general rule, the academic essays require you to look at an issue from more than one viewpoint whereas general ones don't. The strategi...

Hello drsid,
I agree with your thoughts.
As examiners, we quickly become able to spot a short essay! Those that are 'around' 250 words are the worst, as we have to count the words. Mind you, we soon become pretty fast at that!
I like your suggestion that T1 is like a TV ad!
All the best,
David

Hello!
The simple answer is to meet with people of a similar level and talk with them. Some people prefer to use Skype, but less 'tech' based suggestions are an English corner or find out if there is a cafe nearby where you can meet similar-minded people.
All the best,
David

Hello!
Yes, basically you're looking at the low 30s range. The number of correct answers required to get a particular score (e.g. 7) does vary. The IELTS creators run tests to see if an individual test is slightly more/less difficult than average and vary the scores accordingly.
All the best,
David

Hello! Thank you for your questions! 1. I am not permitted to say publicly, but there are certainly many such reports on the internet. 2. You can use the word, but I strongly recommend to my students that they avoid this kind of vocabulary. It seems that some candidates want to make the data report ...

Hello again drsid! Your suggestion to write an 'inference' is a good one! Given the choice between leaving the report under length and including your opinion, you should include your opinion unless you are convinced that your essay is band 8 or 9. With band 7, a very small amount of irrelevant mater...

What drsid said!

If anyone would like these materials, please send me a message with your email address!
Sorry for the problems!
David

Dear Students, I have a 'teaser' question about Writing Task 1. Let's start with a few facts. a. In Writing Task 1, you should not include your opinion about the data or process or map. b. You should write at least 150 words. Question: If you have written 138 words and cannot think of anything more ...

Hi Claire,
Good question, and this is why you must make the complaint immediately. Then the staff can check if the examiner has a mobile, which is not permitted. Even if you cannot prove she was playing with it, she will be in trouble for that.
All the best,
David

Hi Ruchu, Sorry to hear that you didn't achieve your desired score. Let me give you a few tips. To achieve 7 in each criteria, try the following 1. Task Response - Make sure that you develop your answer by providing solid arguments, reasons and a few examples. Do not let the examples take over your ...

Hi Claire, Complain!! Examiners are not permitted to have phones in the test room. At my centre, the local staff actually check us! Complaints should be made immediately after the test has finished to the local test centre staff. They have a form for this. I have had candidates complain about me bef...

Hi Avijit, Complain! However, I think you are supposed to complain immediately after the test. Recently a woman complained that I had given her a short interview and cut her off during her answers. The recording went to a senior examiner and he confirmed that the interview was actually close to the ...