Part 1 · Band 7

Do you work or study?

Source-reported band score · 35 words

Sample answer

I just recently completed my senior secondary education and now I'm planning to go abroad for my higher studies. I'm thinking of pursuing computer science as my major and architecture as a minor in university.

Answer analysis

Fluency & Coherence

The ideas follow a clear sequence: “completed my senior secondary education” establishes your current stage, then you explain your overseas study plans and name two subjects. The answer is relevant and compact, though a brief link between finishing school and choosing these subjects could make it feel more developed. Practise speaking it in 25 seconds, adding one genuine reason for your subject choice if you can.

Lexical Resource

You use relevant, specific study vocabulary, including “computer science,” “architecture,” “major” and “minor,” which clearly communicates your plans. “Higher studies” is understandable but less idiomatic in many varieties of English; “further studies” or “further education” may sound more natural. To extend your range, practise adding one precise phrase about what attracts you to your chosen field, without adding unsupported personal details.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The response shows control of different structures: “I just recently completed” describes a finished event, while “I’m planning” and “I’m thinking of pursuing” express future intentions. The sentences are easy to follow, and the major/minor construction is parallel. As a small refinement, “at university” is a more widely idiomatic choice than “in university”; practise using these structures to describe past actions and current plans.

Pronunciation

This is a practice guide, not an assessment of a recording; no judgement about your actual pronunciation is possible from text alone. Practise the word stress in “senior secondary education,” “computer science” and “architecture.” Group the answer into thought units: “I recently completed my senior secondary education / and now I’m planning to go abroad / for further studies.” Record it, check that each phrase is clear, then listen again while following the text.

A transcript shows language and organisation. Fluency, delivery and pronunciation require an audio recording; the synthetic voice demonstrates the text, not the original speaker.

  • Practise a 25-second version that keeps the same sequence: recent education, plan to study abroad, and intended major and minor.
  • If it reflects your real reasons, add one short explanation of what interests you about computer science or architecture.
  • Record yourself using pauses between the main ideas, then check whether “major” and “minor” are easy to distinguish when you listen back.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Give your current status and where you study or work: you are a student researcher at NIAB.
  • Briefly describe your research focus: crop germplasm and marker-assisted approaches.
  • Add a personal view and a future direction: the work is rewarding, and you see yourself growing in the field.

Suggested structure

  1. Answer the work-or-study question directly.
  2. Name your institution or workplace.
  3. Describe your research area in one concise sentence.
  4. Add how you feel about the work.
  5. Finish with a relevant future plan.
Useful vocabulary & examples
student researcher
A student who carries out research as part of their studies.

I’m a student researcher at NIAB.

marker-assisted approaches
Methods that use genetic markers to support research or selection in crops.

I work on crop germplasm using marker-assisted approaches.

challenging and rewarding
Difficult in some ways but satisfying or worthwhile.

I find my research both challenging and rewarding.

grow in this field
To develop skills or progress in a particular area of work or study.

I can see myself continuing to grow in this field.

Practise your answer →

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