My 3/4 IELTS Experience

Last Saturday (March 15,) I had my written exam for the IELTS. It is one of the requirements for the scholarship I will be applying for. The deadline for the said scholarship is on April 30, meaning I have to make sure my papers are complete 2-3 weeks prior before I pouch them. Aside from getting the required overall bandscore width (6.0 for student visa for Australia), I need to secure government clearances such as NBI Clearance for International Travel, renew my PRC ID and Driver's License. This means putting another hole in my, er, Mom's wallet. :) As of the moment, she already cashed  out about P15,000 for review and exam fees. At least the exam fee is reimbursable once successful.



I have to say, the written exam was way better than the Speaking Test. I was relaxed all throughout the 3-hour test. Except maybe for the last 2 minutes when I was writing so fast I doubt my penmanship was even legible still.

I arrived at the venue at around 8:15 a.m.  This time, the exam was held in a 5-star hotel in Ortigas, Pasig, Crowne Plaza Galleria. Just a few blocks away from Taipan Place, where British Council was situated. I was surprised at the multitude of examinees in the lobby of 4th floor. It was a good thing that I decided to go early. I assumed majority of them were nurses - some young, some not-so young.

At around 8:45, we were asked to queue according to our respective seat numbers. Mine was #122. After going thru the registration and after depositing my backpack at the baggage counter, I then proceeded to the Verification Area (which was at the entrance of Ballroom 4). My thumb was scanned and my ghastly picture appeared on the screen. Smiling was not allowed when they took my picture, so needless to say, I was not too happy with mine.

I entered the hall with a slightly gaping mouth. It was as if I was joining a quiz bee or something. At least 300 2-seater tables were neatly arranged with tags that contained the examinee's number, name, ID number, and some other important details.

The first subtest was Listening. After the invigilators distributed the exam booklets and answer sheets, and the emcee gave out the instructions, the 10-minute recording started playing. It was a telephone conversation about a (British) woman making reservations for her husband's birthday party. I thought the recording was fast. I had been listening to some recordings of past listening tests, and I really thought the speed in the actual test was fast. I listened carefully to my ear and heart's content and wrote down my answers on the answer sheet as legibly and confidently as I can.

Next was the Reading subtest. I could not remember how many passages where there. But I do know that there's a difference between the two exam modules, General Training and Academic. My module was the latter. On one part, we were asked to label the parts of a Chinese Chariot. The last part was about an article of a theatre. And the questions pertained to how well you understood the passages. I was pleased with myself because I thought I did well.

At around 11 o'clock, my bladder was already busting its seams, but I could not go to the rest room because it was less than 10 minutes before the end of reading subtest. With will and determination, I used the mind over matter trick to contain my urge to pee (not good on my kidneys, I know.) It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Had I went to the bathroom at that time, I might not have enough time to finish my Writing subtest.

There were (2) tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. Task 1 was a bar graph of shares of world production. While task 2 was an agree-or-disagree essay. The topic was about having squares/parks in a city or town. Remembering our mentor's tip in the review center, I proceeded to doing the second task first. I had to make sure that I met the 250 words minimum. Forty minutes had passed and I was still on task 2. I knew I had to wrap it up, so I exhausted my remaining energies to come up with a decent conclusion.

Less than 20 minutes left, it was the part that I dreaded the most..., interpreting a graph! I am not sure what I was writing anymore, as long as I just kept working at it. 60 seconds... 20 seconds... 10 seconds!!! I was still writing!!! and when the emcee announced that the time was up, I placed my pencil down and just wished myself good luck. Whew!

After getting my bag from the counter and after drinking 2 glasses of (free) water at the lobby, I went out to  meet a friend in Megamall.

The results are scheduled to come out on the 29th, 13 calendar days after the exam. I am hoping and praying that I would get my required score needed for the scholarship. Wish me luck!


#fingersandtoescrossed