Barriers to IELTS, TOEFL and TOEIC success and how to overcome them.

ScottsEnglish · September 2016

Even though you have studied very hard for your exam, you still may not achieve your desired score

. What are some of the reasons (barriers) why this happens? The table below offers some answers and solutions...

Barriers to Exam Success

Barrier	Solution
Not familiar with exam environment (e.g., too cold, distracted by other test takers).	Visit the exam centre.
Run out of time (e.g., IELTS Writing Tasks 1 and 2).	Do practice tests under exam conditions.
Nervousness	brahmi (herb) could help? Forget about people around you! breathe deeply practice, practice, practice Brain Gym – PACE (search 'Brain Gym' on Google).
Remembering past negative performance	Pinpoint the exact problem and create a strategy to overcome it. (e.g., ask a teacher, a friend, parent who knows you well). Go back to easier texts and slowly build confidence. (e.g., IELTS Academic students could try General Training passages 1 and 2. This will encourage the building of positive thoughts toward the test ).
Tired	Sleep well the night before!
Get lost in the listening test!	Build specific exam strategies (e.g., practice answering two questions at a time).
Don’t know about the topic (e.g., reading, writing)	Develop a LOVE for IELTS, TOEFL & TOEIC topics! Read widely, listen to a variety of different documentaries, current events programs and news outlets.