Many of us associate the exam with long and exhausting weeks and sometimes months of preparation. Especially when it comes to such a complex and demanding exam as the IELTS.

But what about the good old-fashioned method of coming to the exam without preparation? Is there a chance to pass IELTS without repeating the times and the sign of wrong verbs?

We asked this question to the teachers of the Red Arrow Language Studio, who have been successfully preparing students for various international exams for 10 years, including the well-known IELTS.

(Ed.) Is it possible to pass IELTS without preparation?

Alexandra Kosolapova, General English, Business English teacher, exam tutor:
Brief answer: yes. IELTS is an exam that you can fail only in case you just don't show up at all.
The right question is: Can one get a high score at IELTS exam without preparation?
Brief answer: rather no. Unless, of course, you have been living in an English-speaking country since you were born and are not a native speaker.

If you need a high score (7.5 or higher), you need to prepare. And just knowing the language at a high level (B2 and above) will be a plus, of course, but still have to prepare for the exam: the structure of the exam, features, requirements, etc. At the IELTS exam you can easily lose points just by filling out the card incorrectly!
Thus, the key to getting high score at IELTS exam comprises two components: good knowledge of English (B2 and above) and a good understanding of the structure of the exam and its requirements.

Anna Lukyanova, CELTA-certified teacher, exam tutor:

It depends on the result you want to get and the level of your English. To pass at 5.5 overall and without preparation is quite possible, but for a higher score you still need to prepare? at least a little effort you need to apply. First of all, you need to know the format of the exam, i.e. how much time you've got to complete the tasks and, especially, what criteria are required to complete the tasks. In my opinion, passing IELTS without preparation is quite realistic if you pitch at a low score, but to achieve better results, as everywhere else, requires careful preparation.

Elena Bobrovnik, CELTA-certified teacher, exam tutor and coach:

IELTS can be passed without being trained, but even if a person has a very good level of language, one will need to figure out how the test works and what the task requires. This applies to all parts of the test, as everything has to be built according to plan. Writing and Speaking, the third and fourth sections of Listening, the third section of Reading will suffer most. In addition, it is important to fill in the answer forms correctly and in a timely manner, as even the correct answers are not counted if they are incorrectly entered on the form. Thus, all of the above can significantly reduce the chances of getting a good score.

Alexandra Simonova, General and Business English teacher, exam tutor:

It is possible to pass - but at a level lower than one's own. Excellent knowledge of English is not enough, you need to know the structure of the exam and certain Lifehachs, which will help you to get the score above: what you don't need and how to speak Speaking; what you need to be in Writing; how to find answers in Reading without reading all three texts from A to Z. What's more, all these skills need to be put into practice and brought to automatism. Take, for example, part of Listening. It is very difficult to listen to and respond to tasks at the same time. Especially considering the fact that the record is played only one time. If you have never done this before, you can be easily confused or just not keep up with the rhythm of the tasks, although you may be hearing perfectly. My opinion is a successful result at IELTS = good knowledge of the language + hard work on the exam model.

Thus, summarizing all of the above we can conclude that it is almost impossible not to pass IELTS, but if your priority is to get a high score - then there is no way to do without high-quality training under the supervision of professionals.
This article was prepared by Red Arrow English Studio for StudySo.