7.0 IELTS: A golden ticket to the university in dreams

For many high school students, IELTS is more than just a language certificate, it is a strategic advantage in the stressful competition for university admission. And Yen Chu, a high school senior from Ba Vi, chose Prep Edu as her companion on the journey to securing a spot at her dream school.

The pressure of preparing for university entry  

As a 12th grader, Yen Chu began her IELTS journey under significant stress. The stakes were high, as her results would directly impact her dream of entering the National Economics University (NEU) - one of Vietnam’s top-tier institutions. 

She found that balancing a heavy school curriculum with the rigors of an academic exam like IELTS was a daunting challenge. The pressure peaked as the test date approached. “I studied day and night because I was afraid I would not get the score needed for university admission,” Yen shared.

The challenges of studying alone 

Despite having a foundation of English, Yen Chu admitted to a noticeable imbalance between her skills. While she could improve her Listening and Reading through podcasts and dictation, Speaking and Writing remained formidable barriers. Without external feedback, identifying pronunciation slips or nuanced expression errors felt nearly impossible.

Her primary struggle originated from grammatical inconsistencies, which often made it difficult to organize and express her ideas effectively. 

Furthermore, "self-studying at home made it easy to lose motivation since there were no enforced deadlines. Most importantly, I was stuck because I didn't know exactly where I was going wrong," she shared.

Making a breakthrough with Prep Edu’s flexible and personalized support 

After discovering Prep Edu through social media, Yen Chu decided to trust the platform. The Virtual Speaking Room and Virtual Writing Room quickly became the features she used most. In fact, “my actual test results for both skills were 6.0, which was very close to Prep Edu’s assessment,” she said.

Beyond accurate scoring, it was the personalized feedback that totally convinced Yen Chu. Each response was reviewed carefully, with even the smallest grammar mistakes pointed out in detail, something that would have been difficult to catch through self-study alone. Yen also shared, “At first, I felt quite pressured because the AI graded very strictly. But it pushed me to pay closer attention,” making sure even minor mistakes were corrected to deliver her best possible performance.

The flexibility of online learning was another significant perk. As a busy senior, Yen Chu could “fully manage my own schedule and rewatch lessons anytime I forgot something.”

Hard work pays off: Surpassing the Goal

A combination of unwavering dedication and the right methodology paved the way for Yen Chu to achieve a band of 7.0, enough to support her application to the university she had been aiming for.

For Yen Chu, “AI is now developing very fast” and can be “extremely strict in giving feedback,” allowing learners to study more flexibly and at a lower cost than offline IELTS courses at language centers. 

To discover more about how Prep Edu’s AI features support learners, check out more stories in our Hall of Fame section.