Are you a candidate aiming for a 7+ band score in your upcoming IELTS exam? Or maybe you are looking for free and effective preparation resources? Well, we got you! IELTS Charlie is one of the best IELTS preparation tools. Packed with authentic study material, this website is helpful for all IELTS test-takers. With the huge amount of free and paid resources, you are bound to get a good IELTS test score if you follow this website.
Today we will review the IELTS Charlie blog while explaining how you can make the best of this website. We will also discuss each section in detail. Furthermore, we will also cover how each section of the website is helpful with which section of the IELTS Exam. Hence, making it an effective practicing tool for candidates all over the world.
Overview of IELTS Charlie
IELTS Charlie is a free IELTS preparation platform established by Charles Cornelius, otherwise known as Charlie. He is an experienced IELTS tutor, with 20 years of teaching experience. He designed this blog to help students all over the world with IELTS exam preparation.
Key features of the blog include preparation tips, study guides, model answers, and much more. The website covers effective preparation methods, concise advice for IELTS exam takers, and provides the best material for IELTS Band 7+ score. We will take a quick look at how these resources are integrated into all the sections of the IELTS test. We will also look at how you can utilize them to get the best out of these resources.
Charlie is highly professional as he has worked with the British Council and IDP. He aims to offer clear and practical advice to the IELTS test-takers. Moreover, his website covers the writing section, he has created resources for other modules as well.
This is the Homepage of the website.
IELTS Charlie Free Resources
Charles has published various resources for candidates planning to take IELTS. The resources vary from video lessons to study guides and are free of cost. Regardless of what type of resource is there, all the material will help you immensely while preparing for your IELTS exam.
To aid candidates with their prep, Charlie constantly updates the material on his blog. The material is divided according to each section, consisting of useful preparation tips and video lessons. If you visit the website, you will see the Start Here button on the menu bar. This section consists of the basic advice, resources for both the writing tasks and speaking part 2.
Charles has posted a plethora of material for the writing section. For writing Task 1, he has given an idea of what questions come under this task and the criteria for a perfect answer. This also includes a short study guide for the letter task in General Training IELTS. The section starts with the guide on assessments, followed by the types of questions you might expect in the exam. I found the division of types of questions to be very helpful when I was preparing for my IELTS exams. All the information was on a single page and was written concisely.
At the end of the blog, he has also provided walkthroughs to help students understand the question and explain their opinions. I recommend watching the video lectures as these helped me get a better idea of how to answer the question that can get me a 7+ band score.
Furthermore, for writing Task 2, he has published a simple, easy-to-understand study guide. In this, he has given tips on constructing a powerful essay. Alongside the key tips, he has provided some sample questions and topic ideas.
Charlie has published an efficient study guide for speaking Task 2. This essential guide includes key information about the task, criteria of the answer, topic ideas, and tips for preparation and the test day as well. Believe it or not, these tips were super helpful for the speaking section and even built up my confidence. There is a separate section for Writing Task 2 which covers more information and includes sample questions.
Even though there is not such vast material for listening and reading sections, Charlie frequently updates short lectures and tips about basic information and criteria for the tasks. You can find more here. Apart from these, there is an extensive section on IELTS Speaking Part 2 which is organized the same way as Writing Tasks. It covers information about the exam, the examiner’s expectations, and topics that might be asked in the IELTS exam. I found the tips given in this section to be very helpful. There is a Youtube video on the sample speaking test.
IELTS Charlie Youtube Channel
Another free resource I wanted to point out is his Youtube Channel. He updates it frequently with short lectures, tips, model answers, etc. There are several playlists for different topics. The videos are also downloadable, and hence you do not have to worry about getting distracted. This option helped me save my time as well!
IELTS Charlie: Website Experience
IELTS Charlie has a neat and hassle-free interface. The resources are divided into respective sections. There is a separate page for more resources so that it does not interfere with the main topics. The drop-down menu option is a good idea. If all the sub-sections would have been placed on the menu bar, it would be complicated to navigate.
One of the best things about IELTS Charlie is that this website is free and accessible anywhere.
However, there is no section for the paid resources/ services. You can only find the contact information and the pricing plan through the writing sections.
IELTS Charlie: Course Packages
Writing Correction Service
Feedback from professionals is essential, as it helps you know your mistakes. Charlie has established a writing correction service, where your work is sent via email and checked by him. Detailed feedback is also provided, which consists of corrections and suggestions regarding spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, structure, etc. Charles also gives model answers that are based on the criteria set by the examiners.
For one essay, Charles charges $29. If you want to get feedback on three essays, the cost is $79. For five essays, the cost is $119.
I decided to give this service a try. Depending on the number of essays, it is affordable, and many fellow test-takers said this aided them greatly. The detailed critique gave me an idea of how much improvement I had achieved. You can find more information here.
As of right now, this course is not available.
IELTS Charlie Prep Course
Charlie also offers an IELTS prep course on Udemy. This course includes video lessons, articles, quizzes, downloadable study material, a free ebook, and lifetime access! The course originally costs $84.99, but due to the New Year Sale, it is $9.99 until 6th January 2022. I enrolled in this course, and this proved to be of great help. In this course, Charlie helped us prepare for the speaking test, apart from giving us helpful advice and tips for the IELTS exam.
IELTS Charlie: Testimonials and Ratings
IELTS Charlie has received majorly positive responses from the candidates, especially for the writing correction services. Several test-takers stated that Charles gave external links to authentic resources to improve the weak areas. Other benefits of IELTS Charlie include fast replying service, within 24 hours.
Conclusion
The best thing about IELTS Charlie is that it is free and accessible anywhere, any time. There is no pressure to buy the paid services or resources, as Charles aims to help the struggling students through this platform. Likewise, the material provided onsite and in the prep course is authentic and easy to use.
However, there is room for improvement. Most of the resources are for writing and speaking sections. That means to prepare for the reading and listening section in-depth, you will have to find other websites or groups.
One more problem I encountered is the absence of a paid services option. You can find the links through the writing sections. Therefore, IELTS Charlie can create a separate option on the navigation bar for easy access.
To sum it up, IELTS Charlie is an excellent and reliable source for IELTS exam preparation.
FAQs about IELTS Charlie Resources and Review
- How do I contact IELTS Charlie?
You can find the social media handles on Charles’ Youtube Channel. He also replies to the comments on the website. You can contact him Via his email charlie@ieltscharlie.com.
- How do I register for IELTS Charlie?
Most of the resources are free, so you don’t need to register on his website. However, if you want access to the Udemy course, you can sign in there. For the writing correction services, all the conversation is done via email.
- Where can I pay for the services?
For the writing correction service, you have to fill out a form. The transaction is done through Stripe.
- Is there a guide for beginners?
IELTS Charlie has a complete guide for beginners, covering both Academic and General Training IELTS. You can visit this page for more information.
