Overcome IELTS score anxiety through active learning with Prep Edu

After months of feeling intimidated by test scores, Anh Do returned to IELTS with a new mindset: focus on progress. With Prep Edu’s comprehensive course, Anh turned mental challenges into determination and standout results across all four skills.

From IELTS exam phobia…

Anh Do planned to study IELTS early, but schoolwork and the fear of low scores held her back. She recalls, “My biggest struggle occurred 1 year ago. Every time I got a low score, I felt discouraged, shut my laptop, and didn’t continue for days. When I tried to restart, I felt lost and didn’t know what or how to study.”

With Prep Edu, Anh shifted her focus to reviewing mistakes and improving weaknesses step by step. She also registered for an official test to stay motivated. During this time, she combined Prep Edu’s structured study plan and comprehensive online learning content with materials she found on her own to build a method that fit her most.

…To conquer the Speaking - Writing duo

Two months before test day, Anh focused mainly on Speaking with Prep Edu. “The scores from PREP AI were accurate, especially the pronunciation feedback. I like practicing with Prep Edu because it gives me more ideas and ways to restructure my answer.”

She shares her study routine: even though the real test lasts 10-15 minutes, she often spends 30 minutes to an hour refining every single answer. When she wanted to train quick responses, she switched to Exam Mode to feel under real test pressure. If the score wasn’t high, she moved back to Practice Mode to adjust and align better with IELTS scoring criteria.

For Writing, Anh targeted a 6.5 for Task 1 so she could invest more effort in Task 2. She explains, “I read many English sources. I read news on related topics, reflected on the ideas, picked the strong ones, and applied them to my essays. It helped me remember better and strengthen my essays”. She also relied on PREP AI scoring, especially the Sample section. “I read samples a lot, picked ideas that could be reused across topics, and noted them down”. 

And master Reading and Listening skills

At first, Anh practiced Reading only by doing tests without identifying question types, so her score plateaued. That changed with Prep Edu. “The Reading tasks were clearly divided by type. It was new to me but extremely effective. Furthermore, Prep Edu’s explanations are the clearest among all places I’ve studied. When I struggled, I either posted the question in the Prep Student Community or asked ChatGPT for detailed explanations.”

For Listening, Anh immersed herself in English every day. Besides Prep Edu’s Test Practice, she watched YouTube, listened to podcasts, and consumed English content mostly. “Every morning, I listened to a podcast to warm up, then did practice tests. Later, I watched English discussions like TED Talks. I didn’t stick to one channel but chose based on the topic I needed. When taking mock tests, besides Cambridge, I also practiced Prep Edu’s Path to Success series. For me, it was a process of small steps adding up.” 

Daily exposure strengthened her Listening skill and helped her stay calm when facing difficult questions. And her results were outstanding: 9.0 Reading and 8.5 Listening.

Building positive habits through IELTS preparation

IELTS preparation reshaped Anh’s habits and mindset. “Because of studying IELTS, I started doing things I had never done before: deleting social media for three months and practicing constantly. I used to hate reading news and rarely talked to others, but I tried everything because I knew it helped.”

Anh’s journey is defined by consistency, reflection, and the ability to combine Prep Edu’s guidance with her own methods.

If you’re also looking for a clear direction and a personalized AI companion for your IELTS journey, explore Prep Edu’s course here: https://prepedu.com/en/ielts