Cambridge IELTS Trainer: A Complete Guide for IELTS Success
What is Cambridge IELTS Trainer?
If you are preparing for the IELTS exam, you may have heard of or used some of the books from Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English, such as the Cambridge IELTS series. These books provide authentic practice tests that reflect the format, content, and difficulty of the real exam. However, apart from these books, there is another IELTS book from Cambridge that you may not be familiar with. It is called Cambridge IELTS Trainer.
Cambridge Ielts Trainer
Cambridge IELTS Trainer is a book that contains six complete IELTS Academic practice tests with guidance and tips on how to answer the questions in the first two practice tests. It also provides answer keys and explanations for all six tests. The book is designed to help you improve your test-taking skills and achieve your desired band score.
The book was first published in 2011 as IELTS Trainer, and it was followed by a second edition in 2019 as IELTS Trainer 2. Both editions are suitable for candidates who aim for a band score of 4.5 or higher. In this article, we will review both editions of the book and show you how to use them effectively for your IELTS preparation.
Why should you use Cambridge IELTS Trainer?
There are many reasons why you should use Cambridge IELTS Trainer as part of your IELTS preparation. Here are some of them:
It provides realistic practice. The practice tests in Cambridge IELTS Trainer are based on real IELTS exams, so they give you a good idea of what to expect on your test day. You can familiarize yourself with the question types, topics, formats, timings, and scoring system of the exam.
It offers expert guidance and tips. The first two practice tests in Cambridge IELTS Trainer are fully guided with step-by-step advice on how to tackle each question. You can learn useful techniques and strategies for each skill and question type, such as how to analyze the task, plan your answer, avoid common mistakes, manage your time, etc.
It gives comprehensive feedback. The answer keys and explanations in Cambridge IELTS Trainer are very detailed and clear. They show you the correct answers for each question, as well as the reasons why they are correct and why the other options are wrong. They also give you some tips on how to improve your performance and avoid errors.
It helps you measure your progress. The practice tests in Cambridge IELTS Trainer are graded according to the official IELTS band score criteria. You can check your answers and calculate your score for each test, and compare it with your target score. You can also identify your strengths and weaknesses, and focus on the areas that need more improvement.
How to use Cambridge IELTS Trainer effectively?
To make the most of Cambridge IELTS Trainer, you need to use it in a smart and systematic way. Here are some tips and suggestions on how to do that:
Use it as a supplement, not a substitute. Cambridge IELTS Trainer is a great resource for practicing your test-taking skills, but it is not enough to cover all the aspects of the IELTS exam. You still need to use other materials to improve your language skills, such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc. You also need to expose yourself to a variety of texts and topics that may appear in the exam, such as newspapers, magazines, podcasts, videos, etc.
Use it in combination with other Cambridge books. Cambridge IELTS Trainer is compatible with other Cambridge books, such as the Cambridge IELTS series, the Cambridge Vocabulary for IELTS series, the Cambridge Grammar for IELTS series, etc. You can use these books together to reinforce your learning and practice. For example, you can use the vocabulary and grammar books to review the key words and structures that appear in the practice tests, or you can use the IELTS series to do more practice tests after finishing the IELTS Trainer.
Use it in a realistic way. To get the most benefit from Cambridge IELTS Trainer, you need to simulate the real exam conditions as much as possible. You should do the practice tests under time pressure, without any distractions or interruptions. You should also follow the instructions carefully, and avoid looking at the answer keys or explanations until you finish each test. This way, you can test yourself honestly and accurately.
Use it in a reflective way. After doing each practice test in Cambridge IELTS Trainer, you should review your answers and analyze your performance. You should check not only whether your answers are correct or wrong, but also why they are correct or wrong. You should also identify your common mistakes and errors, and try to avoid them in the future. You should also note down any new words or expressions that you learn from the tests, and try to use them in your own sentences.
What are the features of Cambridge IELTS Trainer?
Cambridge IELTS Trainer has a clear and user-friendly structure and content. It consists of four main parts: Introduction, Practice Tests 1-6, Answer Keys and Explanations 1-6, and Listening Scripts 1-6. Let's take a closer look at each part:
Practice Tests
The practice tests are the core of Cambridge IELTS Trainer. There are six full practice tests in total, each consisting of four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Each section follows the same format and content as the real IELTS Academic exam.
The first two practice tests are guided with detailed instructions and tips for each question. The instructions tell you what to do before, during, and after each question. The tips give you some useful techniques and strategies for answering each question type effectively.
The remaining four practice tests are not guided, but they have some general advice at the beginning of each section. The advice reminds you of some important points to consider when doing each section of the exam.
Guidance and Tips
The guidance and tips are one of the most valuable features of Cambridge IELTS Trainer. They provide expert advice on how to approach each skill and question type in the exam. They cover topics such as:
Listening: How to predict information from visuals or context; how to deal with different accents or speeds; how to identify synonyms or paraphrases; how to recognize distractors or changes; how to transfer answers correctly; etc.
Reading: How to skim or scan texts for general or specific information; how to match headings or features with paragraphs or sections; how to identify main ideas or details; how to understand references or implications; how to deal with unfamiliar words or concepts; etc. 71b2f0854b