The Fear of The Examiner

You put considerable effort into IELTS preparation, then you enter the room on the test day, see the examiner and can’t put yourself together. A real disaster!

What could be done? How to cope with the stress in the interview? Many would say “Don’t worry. Be happy”. But it doesn’t work. Even more, it irritates when you are so stressed and somebody tells you “Everything will be fine.” Blah, blah, blah!

Today we’ll do two things: firstly, we’ll learn some negative feedback given by candidates who took the exam, then figure out what we can do with this information. As the Latin proverb says, “Forewarned is forearmed”.

??Case1: I’ve taken IELTS three times in the same centre and had the same examiner. He had always been stony-faced, unfriendly, and similar to a robot. (It’s OK. The examiner is not Father Frost. Take it easy. It’s just his job.)

??Case 2: I expected to have a serious examiner. In contrast, mine was unusually lively and weird. (You had a stereotype of an examiner in your head while we are all different. Try to visualize various examiners in your head, male, female, of different ages. It’s fun.)

??Case 3: The examiner interrupted my speech abruptly. It was quite rude. (I know it’s unpleasant but remember there are only 11-14 minutes for everyone. If the examiner stops you, it means that “you are willing to speak at length”. Good job!)

??Case 4: The examiner asked me about farms in part 1. I explained that I had nothing in common with farms, I tried to do my best and told him everything I knew but he was not flexible at all. Farms, farms time and again. (Yes, some examiners are more cooperative and can a little adapt the list of questions while others are quite rigid. Keep in mind that you can still demonstrate the ability to speak effectively. It’s a language test anyway).

??Case 5: My examiner was an elderly lady that murmured something to herself. It was awful. I wasn’t ready for this. (It never hurts to listen to several elderly speakers on YouTube. It’s true that listening to the elderly can be challenging.)

Word of Wisdom

You see, the situations could be different. Try to visualize your interview with different people. Accept the fact that they are only humans after all and that‘s their job. Don’t connect your achievements with the type of examiner you’ll have. When you go to a medical laboratory, your blood test will be YOUR blood test, regardless of the medical technician.

Some Unusual Psychological Tricks

Let’s programme our brain and get rid of our fear. You can choose which mindset resonates with you.

If you are artistic and creative, bear in mind that it’s your performance. Maybe, you attended a drama club as a child. Play your role. Shine like a diamond. Remember Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage”?

If you are an adventure person, turn on an inner gambler. It’s an adventure. “Catch me if you can”. You are a competitor. Feel the drive!

If you are very empathetic and kind, shift the focus from your ego to the examiner. “Poor guy! Every day he has to listen to many people. It’s such an exhausting job to communicate with nervous test-takers. I don’t want to make him upset. I want to help him. I’ll be calm and friendly and he’ll feel better.” (Paradoxically, it has helped me. That was my exam mindset.)

Good luck with your exam! Hold the line!