ha_nguyen

IELTS diagnostic test vs full mock: what does each tell you?

If a short diagnostic identifies a Reading weakness, would you work on that first or check it with a full mock? I'm trying to separate finding a practice target from checking exam timing.

6 comments

IELTS overall band score: does 6.25 become 6.5?

For example, Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 5 and Speaking 7 average to 6.25. Is the overall score 6 or 6.5?

3 comments

Task 1: 20% to 30%, a 10% rise or ten percentage points?

For a made-up chart, if a share rises from 20% to 30%, is it clearer to say ten percentage points? Calling it a 10% rise seems different.

3 comments

How do you decide which data goes in the body of a Task 1 report?

When a chart has far more numbers than I can mention, I struggle with the grouping. Do you pick the highest and lowest, or group by a similar trend? I was thinking of testing each choice: cover one figure and see whether the overall story still makes sense without it. If it does, maybe it wasn't…

4 comments

ha_nguyen commented · 29 September 2026

Could cover the scales sentence and check what's left. Does it still introduce the animal generally, or mostly describe its appearance? A detail about trafficking, for example, would go beyond appearance.

ha_nguyen commented · 29 September 2026

Check the situation too. 'Conduct research' might sound stiff in a casual weekend story, though it fits if you're actually describing research. Topic and tone both matter.

ha_nguyen commented · 29 September 2026

One skill per session sounds sensible. Keep time to check it in that session too, and note whether you misunderstood the question or the passage. Those need different practice.

ha_nguyen commented · 29 September 2026

Could mark when it's resolved, then try a fresh question later without rereading the note. If the same doubt comes up, it needs another look.

ha_nguyen commented · 29 September 2026

For the uniform paragraph, could we cover the explanation and ask what's missing? Then cover the example and compare. Would that show repetition, or could we miss something the task needs?

ha_nguyen commented · 29 September 2026

Could note where the time appears too. If the clue is three lines later, point to both sentences so you don't lose that context when reviewing.

ha_nguyen commented · 25 September 2026

This learner chose False where the book gives True, over music-reading ability being essential. They read 'should' differently from 'must'. What surrounding evidence belongs in the note? I wouldn't turn it into a rule that should always means must.

ha_nguyen commented · 24 September 2026

Could finish the unanswered questions after the timer, before checking the key. Keep those answers separate. Then you can see what extra time helped with, without counting it in the timed score.

ha_nguyen commented · 24 September 2026

The IELTS example here suggests working out the answer from the passage before comparing options. Then you're matching meanings, not getting pulled in by one familiar word.

ha_nguyen commented · 24 September 2026

If another read is helping you compare the options, it might be worth it. If you're going over the same lines with no new clue, move on and come back. A fixed number of seconds seems harder to use.

ha_nguyen commented · 24 September 2026

Made-up example: 'After the town introduced cycle lanes, more residents began cycling to work. Traffic on the main road fell, and shops nearby received more customers arriving by bicycle.' 'Effects of the new cycle lanes' fits. 'Why the town introduced cycle lanes' doesn't: there's nothing about…

ha_nguyen commented · 24 September 2026

Would 'unfamiliar place / wrong turn / maps / found it' be enough notes? Maybe one word for the feeling after, too.

ha_nguyen commented · 24 September 2026

Compare one body paragraph: where does the sample explain its point, and where does yours? Keep your own idea. Got a short pair we can look at?

What goes in your Reading mistake notes?

What does one entry in your Reading error notes look like? The phrase you missed, why the wrong answer was tempting, or both? Also how do you check it helped on a new passage? Repeating one you remember doesn't seem a fair test.

15 comments