FROM 5.0 TO 7.0: HOW BAO LINH NGUYEN RAISED HER IELTS WRITING AND SPEAKING

Despite struggling with both Writing and Speaking, Bao Linh Nguyen still reached 7.0 IELTS on her very first attempt. So what was her secret?

Challenges in Writing and Speaking Skills

Bao Linh Nguyen started learning with Prep Edu in the middle of 11th grade. She first heard about Prep through KOLs and chose the platform because it was affordable and fit her self-study habits.

With a solid language foundation, Listening and Reading were never a big obstacle. The real challenge lay in the other two skills. For a long time, her Writing score was stuck at band 5.0. "Back then, I just did practice tests without really analyzing my own ideas," she recalls. Meanwhile, her Speaking skills were just as tough, as she could barely respond quickly enough when answering.

The pressure mounted as Linh had to balance IELTS preparation with studying for the provincial academic competition. However, instead of getting discouraged, she chose to manage her schedule more effectively to maintain a consistent daily English study routine.

Practicing with Prep AI

Every day, Linh spent an average of three hours self-studying in the evening, focusing primarily on Speaking and Writing.

For Writing, Linh changed her approach by thoroughly analyzing each grading criterion based on the guidance in Prep Edu's courses. The Virtual Writing Room became her main tool. She used exam mode to simulate real pressure and received instantly graded essays according to IELTS examiner criteria while providing specific feedback for revision. "What I like most is the part that fixes errors and upgrades my essay based on my own ideas," she shares. Through this process, her Coherence & Cohesion improved significantly, lifting her Writing from band 5.0 to 6.0 and then 7.0.

For Speaking, she practiced her reflexes in the Virtual Speaking Room and learned templates to answer faster. She highly appreciated the detailed pronunciation grading from the AI, which pointed out minor mistakes in word stress or ending sounds for timely adjustments. "The AI pinpoints my pronunciation mistakes and helps me fix them," she says.

Prep AI's highly reliable grading, which closely follows IELTS criteria, also boosted Linh's confidence before entering the examination room. During the final preparation stage, the system graded her work at around 6.5 - 7.0, closely reflecting her actual exam results. Knowing her true competency helped relieve pressure.

A 7.0 on the first attempt

Linh's actual exam results reached an overall score of 7.0, specifically: Listening 7.5, Reading 8.0, Writing 6.5, and Speaking 6.5. Most notably, the two skills that once held her back both hit her target. "I'm satisfied with this score and with all the effort I put in," she says.

Looking back, Bao Linh Nguyen drew on her experience: It is essential to clearly understand the grading criteria and identify your specific weaknesses to focus on improvements.

If you are also stuck on Writing or Speaking, try the Virtual Writing Room and Virtual Speaking Room at prepedu.com to practice and get detailed feedback anytime.