How Birgit Scored Band 8.5 and Started a New Life in Canada
When Birgit moved from Germany to Canada, she had one big goal in mind: to achieve a high IELTS Academic score. She had taken the IELTS General test a couple of years earlier, so she wasn’t starting from scratch, but this time, the stakes were higher. She needed to hit her target, especially in Writing and Speaking.
With hard work, a solid plan, and the right resources, Birgit achieved incredible scores: Band 9 in Listening and Reading, Band 8 in Writing, and Band 8.5 in Speaking!
Here’s how she did it – in her own words – and how you can do it too.
How Birgit Prepared
1. Using Band 8 Model Essays and Reports to Boost Writing
Birgit knew Writing was going to be one of her biggest challenges, so she signed up for the IELTS-Blog VIP Club Membership to access the Band 8 Model Essays and Reports. These turned out to be one of her most helpful resources.
“To be honest, I didn’t quite start from scratch. I had taken the IELTS General two and a half years ago, so I was familiar with the format. Meanwhile, I have moved to Canada, and I needed the IELTS Academic and a higher score now, especially in the writing and speaking parts,” Birgit explained.
She focused on studying the Band 8 Model Essays and developed a clever strategy for improving her own writing:
“I focused on these areas [writing and speaking], and the most useful resource for me were the model essays and reports of IELTS-Blog and the practice test books. I prepared by reading one of them and then writing my own answer using words I learned from the model texts.”
By consistently practicing this way, Birgit built a strong set of synonyms, phrases, and grammatical structures that she could adapt to different writing tasks.
2. Getting Feedback with the Writing Correction Service
While practicing was important, Birgit knew she needed feedback to really improve. That’s where the IELTS-Blog Writing Correction Service came in.
“In addition, I used your very fast and affordable writing correction service, which gave me valuable feedback,” she said.
This feedback helped her fine-tune her essays and feel more confident about meeting the Writing test’s high standards.
3. Improving Speaking with Podcasts and Practice Questions
Birgit also put a lot of effort into preparing for the Speaking test. She used a mix of resources, including IELTS-Blog podcast and YouTube videos:
“To prepare for the speaking test, I listened to the IELTS-Blog and All Ears English podcasts and watched YouTube videos of tests from various IELTS teachers. I then tried to answer the questions in the practice task books and the recent questions on IELTS-Blog.”
By practicing these questions, she became more fluent and comfortable speaking about a variety of topics—exactly what’s needed to score high in Speaking!
4. Getting Test-Ready in the Last Two Weeks
When the test day was just around the corner, Birgit focused on fine-tuning all her skills:
“The last two weeks before the test, I used your online practice tests for IELTS on computer and the practice test books to practice all skills and to hone my listening and reading abilities.”
This intensive practice helped her feel confident and fully prepared for the test.
The Results
All of Birgit’s hard work and smart strategies paid off with these incredible scores:
Listening: Band 9
Reading: Band 9
Writing: Band 8
Speaking: Band 8.5
Birgit’s Advice for Other IELTS Test-Takers
If you’re feeling stuck, especially with Writing, Birgit has some great advice:
“By following this strategy, I achieved a score of 9 for both Listening and Reading, 8 for Writing, and 8.5 for Speaking. I hope that my story encourages other students. Especially the writing part can be frustrating. I would recommend starting to write your own essays early in the preparation process rather than spending too much time just reading model essays.”
