Band guide

Choose a skill row and a target band to explore typical practice priorities, then return to the skill hub for the wider curriculum and related guides. The numbers organise learning routes; they do not diagnose a starting level or predict a test result. Read neighbouring pages if their focus better matches a difficulty you have actually noticed.

Begin with one manageable practice step, keep a short evidence note and try the same learning move on unfamiliar material. Keep Academic and General Training requirements separate when selecting Reading and Writing work. The local timers measure time only, and typed Speaking work cannot establish pronunciation or fluency.

The Reading row moves from locating simple details towards careful inference, error-pattern review and consistency under time. Listening begins with key words and spelling, then explores speaker changes, distractors and longer explanations through Listening Through Speaking. Writing routes develop task response, paragraph logic and control of language while keeping the two test types distinct. Speaking routes move from extending short answers to discussing abstract ideas and adapting during a conversation; sound and delivery require an appropriately consented audio review.

Read across a row to compare how its practice demands change. These are starting points for a conversation about learning. Choose one priority you can observe, use the linked guide to inspect it and keep the result separate from any wider judgement about proficiency.