[Zishen (字神) IELTS High Score: Tips and Experience]

School and major: Special Education, University of Taipei

Score: 7

Test date: 2025/1/11

[Tips & Preparation for Each Section]

[Listening]

For me, listening is a double challenge of focus and feel for the language. When I first started, I often lost focus and missed key information, especially in multiple-choice and map questions, where I kept falling into the traps in the options. Later I changed my strategy and started doing intensive listening with real Cambridge tests: I split each recording into short sentences and transcribed them one by one, again and again, to train myself to catch details and take notes. Afterward I compared my transcript with the original and marked signal words for shifts in meaning such as like, such as, however and in contrast, to get a feel for the logic and rhythm that test writers typically use. In class, the teacher didn't just teach answering techniques but also helped me understand the difference between understanding what you hear and getting the answer right. For example, she showed us how to predict content from the questions and how to pick out key information from the speaker's tone and pauses, which gave me a clearer sense of direction in the real test. In my free time I listened to podcasts such as CNN, BBC Learning English and The Daily to practice how quickly I react and how well I understand across different topics and accents. This daily practice got me used to a range of speaking speeds and styles and also strengthened my listening memory and focus, so in the test I could settle in quickly without being thrown off by the situation.

[Reading]

IELTS reading is about the speed of logical reasoning and locating information, not word-by-word translation. At first I often fell into the trap of reading the whole passage, which left me badly short of time. In True/False/Not Given and paragraph-matching questions especially, I was often misled by similar sentence patterns, and my accuracy swung up and down. Later, following my teacher's advice, I changed my approach: read the questions first and circle the keywords, then go back to the passage, skim it and pin down the right paragraph, and use locator words and sentence structure to infer the answer instead of just matching words. To improve my comprehension, I also read all kinds of English material, including National Geographic, The Atlantic, popular science articles and commentary on current affairs. The range of topics made me familiar with different article structures and made me more tolerant of unfamiliar words and technical terms, so I no longer got stuck every time I hit a word I didn't know. I also kept my own error log by question type, noting the question types I often got wrong, the traps and the key clues, and kept fixing my blind spots. Through constant practice and reflection, my reading speed and reasoning improved steadily. I went from panicking and guessing to analyzing calmly and managing my time well, and that progress gave me confidence in reading.

[Writing]

Writing went from my weakest section to the one I'm proudest of. At first my sentence patterns were monotonous and poorly organized, and in Task 2 especially I often wrote arguments with no layering or failed to persuade the reader. So I split writing into two areas to train: building structure and expressing ideas in English. For Task 1, I built a bank of vocabulary and sentence patterns for each chart type (line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, flowcharts and so on), such as "the proportion of..." and "a significant increase from...", so I wouldn't be flustered in the test. Task 2 is where I put the most effort. I practiced building a line of argument, outlining every essay first in a three-part structure (position + two main body arguments + conclusion), and tried using transition signals to make paragraphs flow better, such as "In contrast", "Another compelling reason" and "From a broader perspective", which made the whole essay more persuasive and layered. Every week the teacher corrected my essays sentence by sentence, pointing out grammar mistakes, repeated words and weak points, and that continual process of fixing and strengthening helped me improve quickly. I also began deliberately imitating the style and word choice of high-scoring model essays, which taught me how to show logic and persuasiveness in English.

[Speaking]

For me, speaking tests your confidence and your ability to express yourself on the spot. At first I tended to talk too fast or pause too much because of nerves, and my mind often went blank on unusual topics (museums, public transport, traditional festivals). To improve, I practiced every day by asking and answering questions from an IELTS speaking question bank, then played back my recordings to adjust my pace, intonation and fluency. The teacher taught me template sentences for openings and transitions, such as "One thing that comes to mind is..." or "Well, to be honest, I haven't thought about that much, but...". When I didn't know how to answer, these phrases bought me time and helped me move more naturally to the main point. I also prepared high-frequency vocabulary and examples for different topics so my answers were concrete rather than vague. Taking a mock interview every week was the key to my progress: under the pressure of a realistic situation, I could practice staying calm and adjusting my eye contact and tone, and gradually I built the habit of speaking English naturally. Going from stammering in short sentences to expressing my views in coherent, logical English was my biggest gain in speaking.

[Study Plan]

To reach my target IELTS score in limited time, I planned to put in about 3 hours of study every day after work and moved forward steadily following the pace and advice of the Wordgod (字神) course. On weekdays I focused on listening and reading, using lots of real test questions and authentic material to sharpen my feel for the language and how quickly I solved questions; on weekends I practiced writing and speaking, simulating the real test to improve how I organized ideas and expressed myself on the spot. I took one full mock test every week and reviewed and fixed my wrong answers and weak points to make my study as efficient as possible. I also regularly organized my notes and high-scoring sentence patterns to make my English output more accurate and natural. With guidance from Wordgod's professional teachers and high-quality materials, I'm fully confident in my preparation and will give it my all to move steadily toward a high score.

[Test Center Report]

I took the computer-delivered test, and the test center was inside the Wordgod prep school, in the same classroom where I usually had class. That greatly reduced my nerves. The familiar environment made me feel more at ease walking in, and I settled in faster. The equipment was reliable, the room was quiet, and the whole process went smoothly. The invigilators that day were also very friendly and helped us go over the procedures and rules, so I could focus on doing my best. For test takers who get nervous easily, this kind of setup really helps.

[Words of Encouragement for Other Test Takers]

Preparing for the test is really not easy, especially when you're studying for it while also attending classes. You often feel short on time and scattered. Not every bit of effort pays off right away either; sometimes you do several practice sets and still get lots wrong, and that frustration really knocks you down. But I gradually realized that preparing for IELTS isn't about getting strong all at once. It's about moving forward a little every day, and if you keep at it, you will improve. For me, things only started to feel clearer after I followed the Wordgod courses. The teaching doesn't put a lot of pressure on you; instead it breaks down the key points of each section clearly, so I knew how to prepare efficiently. For writing, my weakest area, the teacher uses simple, easy-to-remember logic to show you how to build paragraphs and how to write sentences with depth; for speaking, you also learn small tricks for handling questions on the spot, like how to open, how to transition and how to keep your rhythm steady. Honestly, not every set of materials fits exactly what I need, but Wordgod's materials and methods really do help, and every mock test and walkthrough made it clearer where my weaknesses were. Most importantly, I wasn't alone while preparing. The experiences shared by teachers, teaching assistants and students who went before me, and even my classmates' hard work, showed me that this road is tiring but not lonely. So to you, still working hard: you're already stronger than you think. Keep going, believe in yourself and believe in Wordgod, and the results will repay your effort. Take a short break when you're tired, but don't give up, because the road you're on leads toward your dreams.

[Score Report]