A full mock, marked honestly, and a dated plan with a marker in it

The situation

Find the real band your target actually requires, then sit all four modules under exam conditions, analyse every wrong answer by its cause, mark your own writing against the official descriptors and have somebody competent mark it too, record three speaking cards, and write a dated study plan whose most important line is who is marking your writing and hearing your speaking.

What you'll be able to show

• Know the exact requirement from the official source before paying for anything
• Sit each module under real conditions and classify errors by cause
• Measure the gap between your self-mark and a competent marker's
• Plan by weakest module, with feedback booked before the exam

What you need

• Free official practice tests for all four modules
• A strict timer, answer sheets, a phone to record speaking
• One teacher or competent English speaker to mark writing and hear speaking

Tasks

1. 1The requirement, at the source
   From the official page of your target programme or visa route: Academic or General, the overall band needed, and any minimum per module. Then take a free full practice test for an honest starting position.
   A correct result: The requirement with its URL, and four starting bands.
2. 2Listening, causes counted
   One full Listening test: single play, no pausing, answers transferred properly. Score it. Replay every wrong question and write the cause: spelling, word limit, lost place, distractor, genuinely did not hear. Count which cause leads.
   A correct result: A score and a cause count naming your training target.
3. 3Reading, the NOT GIVEN trap
   One full Reading test with a strict sixty-minute timer, answers on the sheet as you go. Count blanks and rushed answers. Count True/False/Not Given questions you got wrong by answering FALSE instead of NOT GIVEN. Redo just those slowly and write why each is what it is.
   A correct result: A score, the two counts, and the redone questions with reasoning.
4. 4Writing, marked twice
   Read the official band descriptors for both tasks. Write one Task 2 essay in exactly forty minutes on a real past prompt, in the form your test uses. Score yourself on all four criteria, then get it marked by a competent marker. Record the gap.
   A correct result: The essay, your four self-scores, the marker's four scores, and the gap.
5. 5Speaking, recorded
   Three real Part 2 cards with a strict one-minute preparation and two-minute answer, recorded. Count hesitations, one-word gaps, repeated vocabulary, and whether you filled the two minutes. Redo one card after fixing the biggest problem.
   A correct result: Three recordings with counts, and the redo.
6. 6The plan with a marker in it
   Write the dated plan: current bands from the real test, target, weekly hours per module weighted to the weakest, mock test dates, and who is marking your writing and hearing your speaking. Book that feedback before booking the exam.
   A correct result: A dated plan naming the marker, and a booked feedback session.

What to hand in

The requirement note, the four module results with their analyses, the twice-marked essay, the speaking recordings and counts, and the dated plan.

How it is marked