Meet Raisa Shamma. She is currently pursuing a Master of Management Analytics at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Her IELTS result was an overall 9.0, with 9.0 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, and 8.0 in Writing. And yes, she really did begin preparing only two days before the exam.

But when I sat down with her, she was careful about one thing from the start: please do not read this as a story about two days.

“My exam preparation lasted two days, but the English skills I relied on had developed over many years. That distinction is important when someone is deciding how much preparation they need,” she told me.

So this article is about both. The two days, and the years behind them.

Background

Raisa studied in the English Version of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, following the National Curriculum in English. She completed her first master’s at the University of Dhaka and worked as a Research Analyst at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). But her relationship with English started much earlier.

Because of her father’s government job, her family lived in different parts of Bangladesh until she was seven. Through all of it, her parents made a conscious effort to help their children grow up with both English and Bangla. They encouraged the kids to read newspapers in both languages, introduced them to books, and sometimes asked them to speak English at home so they could practise. Even cartoons played a part, since watching them in English made listening a natural habit.

It would be easy to assume that someone with a 9.0 was always fluent. She says that was never the case. “Having early exposure helped, but it didn’t mean I always spoke fluently or knew how to express everything correctly.” She mispronounced words and sometimes felt unsure of herself, like anyone learning a language.

What carried her through was that she genuinely enjoyed the things that kept her around English. She asked her parents for English and Bangla books on her birthdays. An Oxford dictionary sat on her table, and she looked up unfamiliar words as she met them. Learning a word through a story helped it stay, because she could see both what it meant and how it worked in a sentence.

For speaking, she practised English with a friend at school and took part in public speaking competitions. She was not always confident, but those chances made her more comfortable before she felt completely ready.

So when she registered for IELTS, her English was not what worried her. What she still needed was an understanding of the exam itself: the format, the expectations and the approach to each question type.

The two-day story

Raisa’s preparation story is, in her own words, “a little funny”.

She had just sat for her master’s finals and, like many students at that stage, was thinking about studying abroad. IELTS seemed like a natural first step, so she registered while also applying for jobs in Dhaka. After a few rounds of interviews, she was selected as a Research Analyst at IFPRI. Her exam happened to be scheduled for the end of the same week she started the job, and her master’s thesis defence was still ahead of her. The week she had meant to set aside for preparation simply disappeared.

She started two days before the exam. She briefly considered postponing, but decided to make the best use of the time she had.

She was not careless about it, though. She had heard that Writing was particularly challenging, so the writing strategy videos got most of her attention. Then she went over the basics of Reading and Listening, watched an overview of Speaking, and took one full mock test. After each mock test, she went through every mistake, reviewing why the answer was wrong and what she should do differently next time, instead of moving on after seeing a number.

“My preparation was therefore organised around understanding the exam rather than completing a large volume of material,” she says. “I’ve always felt that when the foundations are in place, learning the right approach can make a considerable difference.”

She did all of this alone. There was no coaching centre or no private tutor and nobody checked her writing. Her main resource was E2IELTS on YouTube, which she used to learn the format and the strategies for each question type. She does not want to give the impression that she worked through piles of books and apps, because she did not. With so little time, she picked one source and actually used it.

She is quick to add that this worked for her because she was already comfortable with English and only needed help understanding the test. Someone still working on the language itself may need more time or more individual guidance, and in her view that choice should depend on what a person needs, not on the assumption that everyone must prepare the same way.

Because she took only one mock test, Raisa is honest that she cannot offer a long history of practice for every question type. What she can share is how she thinks about each section.

Listening

For Listening, years of exposure had already made her comfortable, so she focused on the questions. Her habit was to read them before the audio began and work out what kind of information she needed, whether a name, a number, a place or an explanation. She also learned to listen for the full meaning, because a speaker might mention an option and then reject it or change their mind, and catching a familiar word is not enough. Spelling was not something she drilled separately.

Regular reading and looking up words had built her familiarity over time, but she suggests that anyone who loses marks this way keep a short list of the words they personally misspell and test themselves on it later. If you miss an answer mid-recording, her advice is to let it go and return to the audio straight away, since dwelling on it can cost you the next few. You can reconsider it afterwards.

And if you are stuck at Band 6 to 7, she would spend more time reviewing practice tests before taking another one. Repeated testing shows you that a problem exists, while careful review shows you how to fix it. Listen again to what you got wrong and compare it with the transcript, because you may find you recognise a word in writing but struggle to catch it in speech.

Reading

Reading worked in a similar way. Years of books and newspapers had built her vocabulary and her comfort with long texts, so she concentrated on how the questions worked. Her rule was to always find the evidence in the passage before settling on an answer, since something can sound plausible without being what the text says.

She also paid attention to meaning instead of hunting for matching words, because a question often expresses the same idea in different language. Her own method was to skim the passage first and highlight key words, then read the relevant part for each question.

She does not insist it is the only way. If you are undecided, try both approaches in timed practice and see which helps you find the right information in time, and practise finishing the whole section either way, because it is easy to spend too long on one hard question.

On True, False, Not Given, she boils it down to a single question: does the passage contradict the statement, or does it leave the question unanswered? If the passage says a library opens at 9 a.m., a statement saying it opens at 10 a.m. is False. If the passage only gives the library’s location and never mentions the opening time, the answer is Not Given.

Writing

Writing got the most attention in her two days. For Academic Task 1, she says to understand the information before you start, identify the main features and build a clear overview, then choose the details that show the key comparisons or changes.

Otherwise you end up with a list of disconnected observations. For Task 2, understanding the task helped her more than memorising material for particular topics. She spent a little time planning, made sure she understood every part of the question, and thought about how her ideas connected.

A few ideas developed clearly say more than a long list you never explain, and the essay should answer the question you were actually asked, not a memorised one you hope will fit. As for vocabulary, she does not think you need “complex” words in the way many people assume.

A broad vocabulary is valuable, but the word has to fit both the meaning and the sentence. This is where her reading habit paid off. “The dictionary could explain a word’s meaning, while the book or article showed me how it was used.” A word used only because it sounds impressive can weaken the sentence.

Speaking

Speaking is where her earlier years mattered most. Her immediate preparation was just an overview so she knew the format. The rest was built slowly. “I didn’t wait until I could speak perfectly before taking those opportunities, and I think that willingness to practise was important.”

For anyone preparing now, she thinks recording yourself is worth trying, since listening back helps you notice repetition, long pauses or unclear pronunciation that you miss while concentrating on what to say. It feels awkward at first, but it gets easier. If you are nervous, she suggests focusing on communicating with the person in front of you, because judging every word makes it harder to follow your own thoughts. Give yourself a moment, then build your answer at a comfortable pace.

You also do not need a British or American accent. IELTS accepts different accents and what matters is clear pronunciation. Raisa mispronounced words when she was younger and improved through exposure and practice. And if you have no English-speaking environment, start with a few regular chances, like a friend at school. With no partner, explain something aloud: summarise an article, describe something you learned in class or share an opinion, and record it.

The important thing is to begin before you feel confident, because practice is what builds confidence.

Exam day, and the day before

Raisa believes in having your own strategy for time management in any exam. She calculated how much time she would spend answering and how much on revising, and she thinks a tailor-made plan works better than blindly following what someone else did. During the exam, stay on the task in front of you. Carrying frustration from one hard part into the next section makes it harder to answer questions you are perfectly capable of getting right.

As for the day before, “Despite my own last-minute preparation, I wouldn’t recommend leaving everything until the final day!” Ideally, you use that day to review what you already know, check your test arrangements and rest. She would avoid changing your whole approach because of one new video, or trying to memorise unfamiliar vocabulary overnight.

When she saw her result, her first reaction was disbelief. It took a moment to sink in, and then came a flood of happiness.

What makes IELTS hard, and what it costs

I asked Raisa what she thinks makes IELTS difficult for Bangladeshi students. She named two things. The first is that students begin with very different levels of exposure to English. Some have had regular chances to read, listen and speak since childhood, while others have had far fewer, and comparing timelines without considering that can be discouraging. The second is the fear of making mistakes, especially when speaking. If you feel every sentence will be judged, you may avoid the very practice that would help you improve. Her advice is to use English beyond exam exercises.

Is coaching necessary? She says no, since she prepared independently and still got an overall 9.0. But she recognises that her earlier exposure made that easier. A good teacher can give structure and feedback that is hard to find alone, so it depends on the person and the support, and she would think carefully about what you actually need before spending money. If you are preparing alongside HSC or university, she suggests starting with an honest look at your current level and the score you need, so you are not copying a schedule built for someone else. Keep sessions manageable, use shorter blocks for individual skills and longer ones for full tests, and make reviewing mistakes part of the plan instead of something you do if there is time left. Her own exam collided with a new job and a thesis defence, so she knows how quickly other responsibilities take over. “If you have the flexibility, give yourself more breathing room than I did.”

If you cannot afford expensive coaching, she says to begin with free resources and use them thoroughly. E2IELTS helped her understand strategies, and the official IELTS website has sample questions.

Choose a manageable set, work through it consistently and spend time understanding your errors. She adds that AI tools can create extra practice, like generating speaking questions, though she would not treat an estimated band score as authoritative. “Free preparation still requires effort and discipline, but the cost of coaching should not make someone feel that learning is out of reach.”

From IELTS to Rotman

Raisa thinks her score helped show that she could communicate comfortably and adapt to an English-speaking university. But she would not credit her admission to it alone. IELTS serves one purpose in an application, which is proving language proficiency. Her advice is to check your programme’s overall and section requirements, meet them, and then give the rest of your application the attention it deserves.

Her own process asked for far more than English. It involved three rounds of interviews, including assessments of her mathematics and coding skills, and she drew on her academic background and research experience throughout. “The IELTS result was an achievement I was very happy about, but the application required me to demonstrate much more than English proficiency.”

For anyone aiming for a top university, she starts with one point: choose the right programme first, based on your strengths, the skills you want to build and the work you hope to do afterwards. From there, start exploring early, so that if you find a gap in your knowledge you have time to fill it through coursework, projects or work. Build a balanced shortlist with both ambitious choices and close matches, and only include places you would be happy to attend. Be ready to explain why your next degree matters, and to talk about your past work with specific examples: the problem, your contribution and what you learned.

Knowing how to do something and explaining your reasoning are different skills, so practise the second. Finally, plan backwards from deadlines, because references, transcripts and tests take time. For resources, she would start with official programme websites and admissions sessions, and talk to current students and alumni.

The years behind the score

At the end of our conversation, I asked Raisa if there was anything she wanted to add. She went straight back to where her story began.

“I would like people to remember the years behind the score, especially my mother’s efforts and the encouragement I received from both my parents.” Newspapers, cartoons, birthday books, looked-up words and practised conversations might have seemed small at the time. Together, they built her relationship with the language.

“I wasn’t always this confident, and I didn’t become fluent overnight. I improved gradually because I kept reading, listening and speaking, including when I made mistakes.”

Everyone’s starting point is different, so give yourself the time you need. If you have been comparing your timeline with someone else’s, maybe it is time to stop. The score is the part everyone sees. The years are the part that counts.