Tuyen Nguyen’s Journey To Boost IELTS Band From 5.5 to 7.5 With Prep Edu

Tuyen Nguyen, who had been exposed to IELTS early on and previously tried various offline, online, and self-study methods, finally found her breakthrough when she attended Prep Edu’s course. Discover how a structured plan, the right mindset, and smart tools helped her achieve a 7.5 IELTS score on her very first attempt.

Prep Edu and Tuyen - a “perfect match”

Tuyen first discovered Prep Edu in 2021 through YouTube, around the time the platform launched its first IELTS courses. However, it was not until late 2023 that she felt the platform aligned with her goals. After checking recommendations and engaging with the Prep Edu students' community, she decided to give it a try.

What stood out most for her was the flexibility the course offered. She can study anywhere, anytime, with a personalized Study Plan that is adjustable to her daily routine. Combined with the high-quality courses at affordable prices, Prep Edu quickly became her favourite learning platform.

Through consistent effort and smart strategies, Tuyen found her rhythm and eventually achieved the 7.5 IELTS score she had been working toward.

“IELTS is not difficult…”

Before jumping into Prep Edu’s course, Tuyen’s starting IELTS level was 5.5. To reach aiming band 7.5, she dedicated six months to knowledge-building and the next two months to focused practice and mock tests.

“On any given day, I couldn’t cover all four skills, so I would focus on two per day. For example, on Day 1, I would study Reading and Listening, and the next day, I would focus on Speaking and Writing. In the beginning, I followed Prep Edu’s Study Plan, but by the final months, I adjusted to create my own schedule,” Tuyen shared.

For Reading, she began by addressing weak grammar areas. The Intermediate Reading course at Prep Edu was especially helpful in rebuilding her confidence.

“Through my study, I realized two key things that were crucial for improving my Reading: logical thinking and strong vocabulary. First, I practiced a lot to identify where I was making mistakes, then I checked the errors and focused on question types I wasn’t good at, like True/False/Not Given and Matching.” To improve vocabulary, Tuyen focused on Cambridge IELTS materials she had used before and noted down new words, a method she applied rigorously throughout her Reading practice.

For Listening, Tuyen practiced on her computer with a Dictation app. She also regularly watched talk shows and popular TV series in English, which helped her get used to native intonation and pacing, significantly improving her listening reflexes.

Building confidence in Writing and Speaking

When Reading and Listening came more naturally to her, Tuyen invested extra effort into mastering Writing and Speaking. She completed every lesson of her course, using feedback from both test corrections and Prep Edu’s Virtual Speaking Room (VSR) and Virtual Writing Room (VWR).

“I learned from the lessons, sample answers, and feedback from AI and teachers, which provided useful insights into grammar and vocabulary that I could apply in my own Speaking and Writing tasks. The teachers not only pointed out my mistakes but also gave clear guidance on how to improve.”

For Speaking, she used sample answers but added her own twist. Rather than memorize blindly, she analyzed the content to ensure it matched her own thoughts. That way, her spoken answers remained authentic and reflective of her voice.

Prep Edu’s VSR and VWR became two of her most valued daily practice tools. “The feedback on my pronunciation from VSR was incredibly detailed, and I was impressed by how accurate the AI was. After each Speaking practice, VSR suggested vocabulary improvements and sample answers. I can give VSR a 10/10!” 

If you're interested in Prep Edu’s IELTS courses or would like to try the Virtual Speaking Room or Virtual Writing Room, visit us at: prepedu.com/en/ielts