Study plan: how the course works, week by week
You can set up your learning path and plan a week of study that uses each part of the course.
You now know what the test asks and how it is marked. The last thing to settle before Unit 1 is how you will study.
Your overall band is the average of all four papers, so every topic unit teaches all four skills. I'll show you how the course is laid out and what the rest of the app is for. Then we plan a week of study that fits around work.
How it works
The course, in order
The parts, in order
The test, the scores, and how to study. This is the last starter lesson.
Each unit takes one topic, such as education, work or health. A language lesson teaches its words and grammar, then lessons in reading, listening, speaking and writing use them.
Lessons for the last days before the test, and for the day itself.
Inside a lesson
The lessons share a set of headings, so you always know where you are. How it works teaches the method, and in Watch me do one I work an example out loud. Practice with Elita holds the lesson's own exercises: you answer, and I explain every answer, right or wrong. Before you go lists what to do differently from then on.
Set your learning path
- 1Choose your test
Academic or General Training. Academic shows you the Writing Task 1 lessons on charts, maps and other visual information. General Training shows the Task 1 letter lessons in their place, and two more Reading lessons on everyday and workplace texts. Every other lesson is the same for both. In Daily drills and Full tests, Reading and Writing follow your choice.
- 2Choose your target band
Choose the band your university, employer or visa asks for. The choices run from 6 to 9, so if you need less than 6, choose 6. You see every lesson whichever band you choose. What the band changes is my feedback: when you write or record an answer, in a lesson or a drill, I judge it against that band.
- 3Change it when you need to
A lesson asks for your path at the top until you set one, and you can change it in Settings at any time. Each test keeps its own progress, so if you switch, your progress on the first one is still there when you switch back.
What each part of the app is for
These lessons, in order. Work forwards from here, one unit at a time.
Short drills in each skill, marked as soon as you answer. Each takes a minute or two.
Whole papers under exam timing. I mark Writing and Speaking on each of the four criteria, so you can see which one is holding your band back.
Your bands over time, and every test you have sat.
If you would also like a person to read your essays or hear you speak, Kriti and Christine teach live classes. You can study with them one to one, or in a group of up to six. You will find them under Tutors.
A week that fits around work
- 30 min: Monday: the next lesson
Take the lessons in course order.
- 30 min: Tuesday: the next lesson
- 20 min: Wednesday: drills
In the skill with your lowest band.
- 30 min: Thursday: the next lesson
- 60 min: Saturday: one timed paper
A full test under exam timing. Take the skills in turn, and your weakest more often.
- 30 min: Sunday: review
Your wrong answers, my feedback on Saturday's paper, and your words to keep.
Total: 200 min
Friday is free, and so is most of the weekend. If a day goes wrong, move its session to Friday and keep the order. Sit Saturday's paper on a computer when you can, because you will take the test on one.
Give any extra time to your weakest paper. It is where you have most to learn. And if your requirement sets a minimum for each paper, your weakest paper is the one most likely to miss it.
Watch me do one
I'll plan one week. Say you work full time and need 6.5 overall. Your first full tests gave you Listening 7, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5 and Speaking 6.
First, where you stand. The total is 25, the average 6.25, and that rounds up to 6.5. You are on target, but only just.
Half a band lower in any paper, and the total is 24.5. The average is then 6.125, which gives 6.
Writing is the weakest, so it gets the extra time. Wednesday's drills are Writing drills, and this Saturday's timed paper is a full Writing test.
The lessons stay in course order. Each unit's writing lesson uses the words from its language lesson, and skipping ahead would lose them.
On Sunday you read my marks for that test, criterion by criterion, and pick the one to work on next week.
Practice with Elita6 questions
Six questions on using the course. Where a question gives you a situation, choose what this lesson's plan says to do.
Parts of the app
Match each part of the app to what it gives you.
Fifteen minutes
You have fifteen minutes on a bus, and your phone.
Which fits those fifteen minutes best?
Choosing General Training
You set your learning path to General Training.
What changes?
Which criterion?
Your Writing band is lower than you need, and you want to know why.
What should you do first?
Where the extra time goes
Your bands in full tests: Listening 6.5, Reading 7, Writing 6.5, Speaking 5.5. Follow the plan in this lesson.
Which skill should Wednesday's drills be in?
Skipping ahead
Writing is your weakest paper, and you are tempted to do only the writing lessons.
What does this lesson's plan suggest?
Before you go
Set your learning path before your next lesson: your test and the band you need.
Take the lessons in course order. Each unit's words and grammar come back in its later lessons.
Use Daily drills on short, busy days, and sit one full test a week.
Give extra time to your weakest paper, and check Progress after each full test.
Next: Unit 1, on education. It starts with Words for education, and giving reasons.