Skip to content

November 2011

How Vy Got Band 8.0 in IELTS

Have you ever wondered why some people have to struggle and re-take IELTS several times – while others manage to get it right the first time?

Band 8 in IELTS My personal view, backed up by years of experience with IELTS test takers, is that if a person prepares in the right way and verifies their progress and estimated score before the real exam, they are likely to succeed and get the desired score the first time.

Taking the test again and again harms one’s self-esteem and confidence, not to mention they have to spend all that extra time and money on the exam. This is why it is worth investing in your preparation the first time – just like Vy Bui did.

Vy Bui is a 20-something year old Vietnamese lady, who currently resides in Australia. She took the 1st place in our IELTS results competition in October (Band 8 in the Academic Module). Here is how she describes her IELTS preparation:

“I never had done IELTS before and I was wondering what band score I would belong to. Three years ago a sample test showed that I was at 6.5. Now I had to take the test and I reckoned I had to get at least 6.5. I was so stressed out because I thought 6.5 was too much. I went onto Google and typed in “IELTS band 7” and I discovered your blog.

I was not interested in the practice materials but the practical skills provided by all IELTS takers all over the world. I tried a lot of books but never found useful tips and experiences like this. Some really apply for me. I was so much into the essays that you provided and also the speaking materials.

I got a result of 8.0 Amazing I could not believe it. However, I learnt that you got to select what could be good and what could not work. I had a low self esteem and I did not feel confident at all. After reading the successful case study I got a little bit of hoping that I could get the score I want. And there it goes, thanks Simone, your blog was a brilliant idea to share the IELTS experience across the whole world.

If I didn’t read how people achieved the best score they want I wouldn’t even think about getting a 7.0. Your blog was really useful. I did not read any book except the Cambridge practice test book (no tips in there). It was all your blog that helped me.”

IELTS Results competition winners in October 2011

If you are skeptical about getting Band 8 in IELTS – think again. Every month we prove over and over again, that non-native English speakers CAN achieve Band 8 (or higher!) in IELTS.

And the winners in October are …

Academic Module – 1st placeBand 7 in IELTS

  • Victor Jivanescu from Romania, Band 8
  • Thuy Vy Bui from Vietnam, Band 8
  • Priyanka Verma from India, Band 8

Academic Module – 2nd place

  • Bader Alduways from Saudi Arabia, Band 7.5

Academic Module – 3rd place

  • Harjot Kaur from India, Band 7
  • Ahmed Saber from Egypt, Band 7

General Training Module – 1st place

  • Sanjeewa Karunatilake from Sri Lanka, Band 8.5 (with Band 9 for Listening and Reading!)
  • Saadia Gauhar from Pakistan, Band 8.5 (with Band 9 for Listening!)

General Training Module – 2nd place

  • Saeeda Sana from Pakistan, Band 8

Congratulations to the happy owners of these outstanding results! We are sending the special winners’ certificates to your emails, and your IELTS results will be displayed in the IELTS-Blog hall of fame.

But I guess what everyone would like to know is HOW the winners achieved their scores. And here I want to share something with you.

The people who visit IELTS-Blog.com are AMAZING. Their kindness, compassion, ability to help others, to share, always leaves me speechless. They have never physically met one another, but somehow it doesn’t matter – they just want to make things better for other test takers. This is why I am confident that our winners will be happy to share their secrets, to help others achieve better results in IELTS.

As soon as we hear from them – expect to see another post on the blog, or if you’re subscribed to daily updates – in your mailbox, telling you exactly how people manage to get a high score in IELTS.

P.S. IELTS results competition runs every month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn how to enroll here.