Sample answer
Yes, both. I'm studying and working at my university. It is a great chance to improve my future career. After graduation, I'm going to study abroad.
Part 1 · Band 7
Do you work or are you a student?
Source-reported band score · 26 words
Answer analysis
Fluency & Coherence
Your ideas follow a clear sequence: “Yes, both” answers the question, the next sentences explain your current situation and its value, and the final sentence gives a future plan. The development is brief, so the link between your university work and career goal could be clearer. Practise a 20-second response using this answer, adding one true detail about how studying and working may help your career.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is clear and relevant, particularly “working at my university” and “study abroad”; the answer is easy to understand. However, the range is narrow, and “improve my future career” is not a natural collocation. Try a more precise expression such as “prepare for my future career.” For further practice, use one specific phrase about combining study and work, while keeping the answer conversational.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The response uses accurate basic structures, including “I’m studying and working” and “I’m going to study abroad.” The present continuous describes your current situation, while “going to” expresses a future plan. There is no clear grammatical error in this short sample, but most sentences use simple patterns. As a next step, join two related ideas with “because” or “which” while keeping the meaning unchanged.
Pronunciation
This is text-only, so pronunciation cannot be assessed from the answer; this practice guide is not an assessment of a recording. Practise the word stress in “university” (u-ni-VER-si-ty), “graduation” (grad-u-A-tion) and “study abroad” (stress STUDY and a-BROAD). Say the answer in thought groups, then record it and check whether each phrase is easy to distinguish and the key stresses are clear.
A transcript shows language and organisation. Fluency, delivery and pronunciation require an audio recording; the synthetic voice demonstrates the text, not the original speaker.
- Replace “improve my future career” with a natural collocation such as “prepare for my future career.”
- Practise expanding the answer to about 20 seconds by adding one true detail about how combining work and study benefits you.
- Record one practice response and check that the phrases “at my university” and “study abroad” are clearly separated.
Plan your answer
Try your own response before reading the samples.
Ideas to explore
- Briefly explain when you finished school to establish your timeline.
- Describe your current plan to explore career options.
- Give a reason for taking on projects and jobs, such as gaining experience before making a decision.
Suggested structure
- Answer directly by stating whether you currently work or study.
- Give the relevant background and time reference.
- Explain what you are doing at present.
- End with the purpose of those activities or your next decision.
Useful vocabulary & examples
- explore career options
- consider different possible types of work before choosing a direction
I'm taking a year to explore different career options.
- short-term project
- a piece of work intended to last for a limited period
I've been working on some short-term projects.
- gain experience
- develop practical knowledge or skills by doing work
I'm taking part-time jobs to gain experience.
- decide what to do next
- choose the next action or direction
I'm gaining experience before deciding what to do next.
Compare answers on this topic
Band 9
I graduated from school last year, and at the moment, I'm taking a year to explore different career options. I've been working on some short-term projects and part-time jobs to...
Band 8
Well, currently, I am working as a math teacher at a secondary school called Alicia. I have been working there for 2 years, and I was a volunteer in my 1st year. Additionally, I...
Band 7
I'm an IT engineer working in the most popular IT solutions company in this country. My main roles include managing network systems, designing hardware configurations, installin...
Band 6
Well, I'm a student at the university, and this is my 3rd year at this place. Also, I have a part-time job as a teacher at a vocational school. I'm still working this term at th...
Band 5
Well, I'm studying at school currently in 9th grade. I have subjects like English and events. Also, I help my father in a market in my free time.
Band 4
For now, I'm still a very school student. But sometimes during my own vacation, I work a part-time job. So I do work and study.