Nguyễn Anh Khôi: Achieving 8.0 IELTS in Just 3 Months with Discipline and Consistency

Self-Study Tips to Achieve Reading 9.0 and Listening 8.5

With a strong foundation in English from school, Nguyễn Anh Khôi was already familiar with long and complex reading passages before starting his IELTS preparation. Despite this advantage, he remained diligent and meticulous, carefully taking notes and following each lesson on Prep. Khôi's secret to achieving a Reading score of 9.0 was his focus on understanding the full content of the passage. He would then identify the key phrases in the questions and match them with corresponding keywords in the text. He emphasized that students should avoid over-relying on Scan & Skim techniques, which can lead to missing important details. These techniques should only be used for complex and difficult questions.

Khôi also stressed that mastering the different types of Reading tasks requires a steady, methodical approach. He recommended focusing on the video lessons first to build a solid foundation before moving on to practice tests.

For Listening, Khôi believed that the goal of the test is to assess how well students can process and interpret information. To improve this skill, he followed the detailed methods and techniques provided by his Prep instructors. Additionally, Khôi made a habit of watching movies and YouTube videos entirely in English, which helped improve his reflexes and listening comprehension.

When it came to practicing Listening tests, Khôi focused on the Cambridge 15, 16, and 17 test materials available on Prep. “I found that Prep’s interface for accessing test papers is really convenient. I could take tests, receive direct feedback, and see detailed explanations of the correct and incorrect answers. This helped me learn from my mistakes and improve my performance on subsequent practice tests,” he shared.

Revealing the Strategy to Achieve Speaking 7.0 and Writing 7.0

Admitting that he is a bit shy when meeting people and talking to others, Anh Khôi was most concerned about the Speaking skill when starting his IELTS preparation. The biggest obstacle for him was having many ideas but not knowing how to express them logically, fluently, and coherently enough to meet the requirements of the exam.

To improve his Speaking skill, Anh Khôi actively set aside time to practice on VSR (Virtual Speaking Room) of Prep, to familiarize himself with the types of questions in the exam and build confidence under the pressure of time with the exam simulation mode.

Anh Khôi shared: “I practiced speaking in the Virtual Speaking Room continuously for 3 months during my preparation. Each time, I worked through all three parts to receive detailed feedback. In the beginning, I wasn’t used to it, but after 2 or 3 weeks, I saw a significant improvement in my pronunciation, fluency, and especially in my vocabulary, which expanded considerably.”

When asked about how he reviewed after each Speaking practice, Anh Khôi said: “After each Speaking practice, I actively review the transcript to check if I’ve covered all the points, and if the vocabulary from previous lessons has been added. Then, I go over how I developed my ideas, compare it with model answers, and save advanced vocabulary to improve my speaking in future practices.”

For Writing, he placed full trust in the course at Prep. Anh Khôi mentioned that the Writing skills in the Advanced course impressed him because the lessons were short and concise, without unnecessary details, yet the knowledge shared was of high quality. The way the teachers delivered the content was also very clear and easy to apply in the actual exam.

“I learned many new vocabulary topics, understood how to build and develop ideas scientifically, and how to meet the grading criteria. Whenever I thought my essay was already good with few mistakes, I immediately received extremely detailed and accurate feedback from the teachers at Prep, even including knowledge not covered in the lessons. From that, I expanded my knowledge, learned how to express myself, analyze questions, and develop ideas and logical arguments more effectively. What I like most is that after each essay, there is an action plan that gives me more guidance on how to improve my band score. I truly believe that the teachers are very experienced and dedicated."

Advice for Those Preparing for the IELTS Exam

Learning a foreign language is always a journey that requires determination and perseverance, especially when faced with moments of "trying hard but the score remains the same" or "making a lot of mistakes." Therefore, for Anh Khôi, the previous English foundation is not as important as hard work and persistence.

Looking back at his self-study journey, Anh Khôi shared one piece of advice he wants to give to fellow students: "Put your dedication and focus into each skill with a suitable study plan. Create a steady, continuous learning rhythm so that your knowledge and skills are built up every day. And above all, never be complacent."

We thank Anh Khôi for always trusting and choosing Prep as his “companion” to help him conquer this English learning journey. We hope that the experiences, knowledge, and the 8.0 IELTS certificate that Anh Khôi earned in over 3 months at Prep will benefit him greatly in the future! We also hope that Anh Khôi's method of self-studying for the IELTS exam will be helpful for those of you who are currently preparing.

If you're interested in IELTS courses or the virtual exam preparation room feature at Prep, please contact us via the Prep For IELTS fanpage or our hotline for the fastest consultation!