14-year-old Vietnamese student achieves 8.5 IELTS score on first attempt

Le Thuy Phuong, a ninth-grader at Song Tri Secondary School in Ha Tinh Province, received her results in late August after just three months of dedicated preparation. She earned perfect 9.0 scores in Listening and Reading, along with 7.5 in both Speaking and Writing.

"I only hoped to get an 8.0, but this result far exceeded my expectations. I felt ecstatic, shouted, and ran to hug my mother while jumping with joy," she shared.

To ensure an accurate test environment, Phuong and her mother traveled to Hanoi. The nearest center, in the bordering Nghe An Province, only offered the Speaking test via video call. "I wanted the examiner to see my demeanor and accurately assess my skills, avoiding any technical issues," Phuong explained.

Her score is exceptionally rare. According to IELTS statistics, most candidates in Vietnam are aged 16–22, with only about 1% achieving a score of 8.5 or higher.

A long-term journey

Phuong has been exposed to English since age three, when her mother took her to a nearby English center just to listen to lessons for older students. From then on, she practiced speaking with native teachers regularly.

Her talent was evident early. In 7th and 8th grade, Phuong won first prize in the provincial English competition, which is designed for 9th-grade students. Most recently, she and two friends won first prize in the "English window" program organized by the provincial Department of Education and Training.

In May, Phuong enrolled in an online IELTS course, planning to use the certificate for a specific academic purpose: Ha Tinh Province allows students with international language certificates to convert them into provincial-level academic awards. Typically, an 8.0 IELTS score is equivalent to a first prize.

In addition to three weekly classes, Phuong self-studied by practicing past papers, watching Writing tutorials, and simulating the Speaking test online.

"For Listening and Reading, what made me interested is that I could track my progress and challenge myself to see if I could get full marks, and figure out my mistakes if I didn't," she said.

The most challenging part was Writing. "I practiced a lot but didn't feel I was improving, which was frustrating and stressful," she admitted. Encouraged by her mother and friends, she continued practicing, had teachers correct her essays, and studied sample answers.

On test day, the Writing task asked for a discussion on whether health and education services should be free. "I panicked because the topic was quite broad," she said, noting she spent 1–2 minutes planning her approach. She argued that while the budget could prioritize other issues, health and education should be free as "essential services."

For the Reading section, Phuong used the 10-15-20 method (allocating 10, 15, and 20 minutes per passage, respectively), leaving uncertain answers blank to return to them at the end.

In Speaking, she was well-prepared. Before the test, she reviewed practiced topics and was fortunate to get a task she had encountered before: "describe an energetic person you know." She pictured a friend, describing traits that perfectly matched the prompt.

After the exam, her next goal is to gain admission to Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted. Phuong hopes to continue pursuing a career related to English in the future.