IELTS PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET 10 January

📌 IELTS PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET 10 January 

(Best for Band 7–7.5 seekers)

🎧 LISTENING – PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET

What usually comes in easy January tests

Section 1: Form / Table completion (very direct)

Section 2: Map OR simple MCQs

Section 3: Matching opinions

Section 4: Straightforward academic lecture

Real pain points (students lose marks here)

❌ Wrong spelling of common words

❌ Writing plurals when answer is singular

❌ Missing numbers (dates, prices, times)

❌ Overthinking Section 3 answers

How to practise (NOT theory)

Practise only:

names

email IDs

phone numbers

prices

For maps:

say directions aloud while practising

“next to… opposite… on the left of…”

For Section 4:

practise predicting noun / verb before listening

Easy-exam mindset

👉 Answers are spoken clearly once

👉 Less paraphrasing than hard exams

👉 Trust the first correct answer

📘 ACADEMIC READING – PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET

What “easy” really means in Reading

Easy ≠ short

Easy = direct answers + less opinion traps

Passage-wise training focus

Passage 1 (Scoring passage)

Question types: T/F/NG + short answers

Pain point: ❌ confusing FALSE vs NOT GIVEN

Fix:

If opposite idea → FALSE

If idea missing → NOT GIVEN

No assumption allowed

Passage 2 (Time killer)

Question types: Matching headings / Matching info

Pain point: ❌ reading full paragraphs

Fix:

Read first 2 lines only

Match idea, not keywords

Passage 3 (Still manageable in Jan)

Question types: Yes/No/NG + MCQ

Pain point: ❌ mixing facts with opinion

Fix:

Yes/No = author opinion

True/False = facts

Practice rule for Jan exam

👉 Skip passage 3 initially

👉 Finish passage 1 + 2 fast

👉 Come back with calm mind

🟢 GT READING – PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET

Section 1

Notices / emails / ads

Pain point: ❌ over-reading

Fix:

Scan dates, prices, rules only

Section 2

Workplace guides / instructions

Pain point: ❌ ignoring words like must / should / not allowed

Fix:

Circle obligation words

Section 3

Opinion article (but easier in Jan)

Pain point: ❌ answering from own opinion

Fix:

Follow writer’s view only

✍️ WRITING – PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET

(This is where easy exams are won or lost)

🟦 ACADEMIC TASK 1 – PRACTICE FOCUS

What usually appears in easy Jan

Bar chart OR line graph

Simple comparison, no trick visuals

Common mistakes

❌ Writing too many numbers

❌ No clear overview

❌ Repeating same verbs (increase, increase…)

Fix strategy

Overview must include:

highest

lowest

general trend

Use trend vocabulary rotation:

rose / climbed / increased

declined / fell / dropped

remained stable / unchanged

🟦 GT TASK 1 – PRACTICE FOCUS

Likely letter types

Complaint

Request for information

Semi-formal work letter

Pain points

❌ Wrong tone

❌ Too informal or too robotic

Fix

Opening lines to practise:

I am writing to express my concern regarding…

I would like to request further information about…

One purpose per paragraph — no mixing

🟥 TASK 2 (AC + GT) – PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET

In easy Jan exams

Topics are familiar

Difficulty lies in clarity, not ideas

High-frequency task types

Opinion (agree/disagree)

Advantages vs disadvantages

Biggest pain points

❌ No clear opinion

❌ Ideas repeated

❌ Examples too general

Fix framework

Intro:

paraphrase + opinion (clear)

Body 1:

one strong idea + explanation

Body 2:

second idea + example

Conclusion:

restate opinion, no new ideas

👉 No need for fancy vocabulary.

👉 Examiner wants logic + clarity.

🗣️ SPEAKING – PRACTICE CHEAT SHEET

PART 1 (Easy but risky)

Pain point: ❌ One-line answers

Fix:

Add reason + small detail

Avoid “Yes / No” start every time

PART 2 (Cue card)

In easy Jan exams:

Daily life topics

No abstract themes

Pain point: ❌ Memorised answers ❌ No flow

Fix:

Think in 3 blocks:

situation

details

feeling/result

PART 3

Pain point: ❌ Going too philosophical

Fix:

Keep answers practical + simple

Use:

In my view…

In most cases…