Good enough to move forward

My second IELTS attempt: Good Enough to Move Forward

I got my second IELTS test result! Luckily, I scored higher than the first time, and it's enough to meet the admission requirements for most universities Yayy!!

To be honest, I didn't practice that much this time. I simply took the test based on my current level of English. There is still room for improvement, and with more thorough preparation, I believe I could achieve a higher score.

I also have the option to retake just one skill. If I improve that skill by 0.5 band, my overall IELTS score would increase. However, I've decided not to do it for a few reasons:

  • I'd rather focus on my current work. If I can achieve strong research outcomes, they may strengthen my applications even more than a slightly higher IELTS score. 

  • Realistically, I don't think I would spend enough time preparing for a One Skill Retake, just as I didn't this time. So there's no guarantee that it would improve my band score.

  • At the same time, I prefer to continue developing my practical English skills rather than prepare for another exam under pressure. I hope to demonstrate my English ability through interviews and real communication rather than just a test score.

  • The fee is almost as expensive as taking the full IELTS test. If I'm going to invest that much money, I'll choose to retake all four skills and improve my overall English ability when I have enough time.

  • A One Skill Retake is indicated on the Test Report Form, and some universities do not accept scores obtained through this option.

For now, I'm fine with my result. It meets the admission requirements for most universities, and it's time to focus on the next goal.

A little review after my IELTS test

Listening

I thought my Listening score would be a little higher. I think I may have lost some marks because of singular and plural noun forms (missing -s/-es). I was confident about many of my answers, but under test pressure, it's easy to overlook small details like word endings. Everything happens so quickly, and you can't spend too much time on a single question.

Reading

Similar to my first test, I was confident about most of my Reading answers. I think I got most of them right. However, time has always been my biggest challenge in the Reading test. I ran out of time and wasn't able to answer all the questions, so I lost marks on the unanswered ones.

I got confused by one of the Matching Names questions. At first, I thought each names had to match multiple statements, but that wasn't the case. Each name only matched one statement. While reading the passage, I found a statement that didn't seem to relate to any of the names given in the question, so I kept wondering what I had misunderstood. I only realized my mistake when I was filling in my answers. Huhu. 

Tip: The number of answer options usually matches the number of questions. For example, if the questions are numbered 25–28 (four questions), there are usually four answers to match - one for each question. 

After that, I quickly moved on to the last passage, which was about bilingualism. Fortunately, I found the topic quite interesting and easy to understand. Looking back, I think it might have been a better strategy to read Passage 3 first. If I had done that, I might have achieved an even higher Reading score.

Writing & Speaking

Writing and Speaking were the two skills I practiced the least, so I'm not surprised by my scores. I think the results were fair. 

Overall, everything happens incredibly fast.

The Listening test starts immediately, and wearing headphones with the high volume just made my mind go blank.

The Writing test really requires strong writing skills to complete both tasks well within the time limit. There's not much time to stop and think. You just have to let the ideas and words flow.

Even the Speaking test moves so quickly. As soon as one part is over, you're already on to the next. There's barely any time to breathe!

Only Reading test, you can manage your own pace. LOL.




Hanoi, July 01, 2026



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