Skip to main content
The ABCD Journal

Examiner notes & band-score strategy.

Tactics, traps, and the reasoning behind the marks — written by the people who used to do the marking.

TR
Writing6 min

Task Response: the criterion most people misread

Why answering the question fully matters more than fancy vocabulary — and how examiners actually weigh it.

By A. Rahman · Jun 2026
P2
Speaking5 min

Part 2: what to do with your one minute of prep

A repeatable structure for the long turn that keeps you talking fluently for the full two minutes.

By S. Khan · Jun 2026
Listening4 min

The distractor trap that costs Section 1 marks

Why the first number you hear is usually wrong — and how to train yourself to wait for the correction.

By M. Jahan · May 2026
T/F
Reading7 min

True / False / Not Given, decoded

The single most expensive trap in the test, and a decision tree that removes the guesswork.

By M. Jahan · May 2026
±0.5
Strategy5 min

How to read a band score honestly

What a 6.5 really means, why half-bands matter, and how to set a realistic target date.

By ABCD Team · Apr 2026
CC
Writing6 min

Coherence & Cohesion without the cliché linkers

Examiners can tell when “Moreover” is bolted on. How to actually connect ideas for a band 7+.

By A. Rahman · Apr 2026

Get one examiner tip a week

Short, practical, no spam. Join thousands of candidates prepping smarter.

ABCD English

IELTS preparation built by former examiners. Every answer mapped to the exact reason it's right — across Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

© 2026 ABCD Consultancy · built with former IELTS examiners