Pham Quynh Trang, 17, is a 12th-grade student at Dinh Thien Ly Secondary and High School, TP HCM. Trang took the computer-based IELTS test on 24/8 and received her results the next day. She scored a perfect 9.0 in listening, reading, and speaking, and 8.0 in writing.

"I was shocked by the result, because during practice I usually scored 8.0-8.5. I never thought I would get a 9.0," Trang said.

According to 2024 statistics, the average IELTS score for Vietnamese people is 6.2. The number of Vietnamese achieving a perfect score is estimated to be over 20, mostly university students or working professionals. Trang is among the few high school students to reach this level at the age of 17.

Pham Quynh Trang. Photo courtesy of the subject

Pham Quynh Trang. Photo courtesy of the subject

Quynh Trang explained that her formal IELTS preparation lasted two months, but she has been exposed to English since childhood. In addition to studying English at school, Trang enjoys watching movies, listening to music, reading novels, and regularly conversing with friends in English. She believes that the language has been absorbed slowly and naturally through engaging with content she finds interesting.

At school, Trang is the vice president of the Ambassador Club, which organizes cultural exchange events with foreigners. She also founded a project to teach English for free to underprivileged students.

During her test preparation, Trang focused on practicing with past papers and learning new vocabulary, which proved beneficial for all four skills. She studied by topic; for example, for the environment, she would select 10 new words, write their definitions and parts of speech on flashcards, and place them around her house. To improve retention, she incorporated these new words into her IELTS writing practice.

When working through practice tests, Trang would complete all four skills, then review the sections where she typically lost points for focused practice. According to Trang, this approach prevented boredom from working on just one type of exercise or skill for several hours.

Trang considers writing and speaking to be the two most time-consuming skills. She often struggled with generating ideas for writing, so she expanded her vocabulary and read sample essays on challenging topics such as the environment, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI).

For the speaking section, she learned to manage her time effectively. After selecting a topic, test-takers have one minute to prepare for a two-minute speech. Previously, Trang often ran out of time due to lengthy notes. She changed her strategy by not writing down every thought, especially those already familiar to her. Instead, she focused on jotting down crucial and challenging keywords that could earn her points.

When speaking, Trang typically uses a structure of one opening sentence, two explanatory sentences, an example, and a concluding sentence. If time allows, she adds 1-2 sentences about her personal feelings.

"I think it's better to speak at length and be interrupted than to speak too little, as the examiner might think you lack ideas or vocabulary," Trang said.

Trang teaches English for free to students. Photo courtesy of the subject

Trang teaches English for free to students. Photo courtesy of the subject

On the day of the test, Trang felt fortunate that the topics were relatively easy and relatable. The writing task required her to analyze the impacts and solutions when older and younger generations compete for the same job positions. The speaking task asked about activities she enjoyed as a child but no longer does.

Tran Quoc Trung, Trang's speaking teacher, believes her greatest strengths are her clear pronunciation and natural intonation, which make her easy to understand. Additionally, she demonstrates confidence, fluency, and an appropriate speaking pace.

Over the two months of study, Trang improved her ability to organize ideas coherently and increased her use of academic linking words to connect ideas within her responses.

"I was certain Trang would score 8.0 or higher in speaking, but her achieving a 9.0 truly impressed me," Trung said.

From her IELTS preparation experience, Trang learned not to expect to know every word in the reading section, as this is nearly impossible and adds unnecessary pressure. Instead, she focused on practicing how to guess answers even when unfamiliar with specific words by relying on the meaning and context of surrounding sentences.

Trang views English as a language and a tool for life, not just a school subject. With this mindset, she is motivated to understand and use English effectively, rather than simply focusing on achieving a high score.

Trang will use her IELTS score, along with her 1530/1600 SAT score, to prepare her application for studying abroad. She is also learning French independently to broaden her language skills and opportunities.

Thanh Hang