Why you need a 7.0

As most IELTS candidates know, universities in English-speaking countries such as UK and Australia usually require a score of 6.0 for undergraduate programs and 6.5 for Master's and PhD programs. However, this is just the basic requirement, and students with these minimum scores are always going to struggle, especially in the areas of reading and writing. Successful students are those who, on a daily basis, can read and comprehend large amounts of academic material (much longer than the articles in an IELTS reading test) and then weave that material together in written form in a way that demonstrates their understanding and particular point of view on a topic. This is not easy, even for native speakers who are capable of IELTS 8.5 or 9.0. For non-native speakers below 7.0, it is extremely difficult to do better than 'just pass', and many may not even be able to do that.

In my opinion, which is based on 9 years experience as an and undergrad and postgrad student, 6 years as a professor, as well as 15 years as an IELTS examiner, students from non-English-speaking backgrounds really should be aiming to achieve an IELTS score of 7.0 before taking the step of embarking on studies at foreign universities. The worst thing that can happen is, due to a lack of language skills, you fail to complete your program of studies and have nothing to show for all the time, money, and effort that you spent. I've seen it happen.

To improve one whole level (or 'band', as they are called in IELTS) takes time. Some features of English proficiency, such as vocabulary, cohesion in writing, or certain aspects of pronunciation can be improved more quickly than others, and these should be the first areas of attention if your goal is to improve half a band. But things like increased reading speed, speaking fluency, and the ability to write long and complex sentences correctly require a longer period of focused study and practice.

Everyone will have their own approach to study that works best for them. But one strategy that I would not recommend is memorizing model speaking responses or essay templates. Not only are these more appropriate for candidates aiming to for a 6.0, they will be more-or-less useless to you once you hit the real world of university study in an English-speaking country. Instead, the advice I provide on this website is intended help you kill two birds with one stone: get an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher and develop the skills that you will need to perform reasonably well in your future studies.