Daily study routine — 2h/ngày 8 tuần lên band

Time investment for band gain

Band 7 → 8 typically requires:

• 200-300 hours of focused study
• 2 hours/day × 8 weeks = ~110 hours
• 1.5 hours/day × 16 weeks = ~165 hours

With effective routine, 8 weeks of 2h/day can move band 7 → 7.5 or 7.5 → 8.

Optimal daily schedule (2 hours)

Morning block (45 min)

0-15 min: Listening practice

• 1 full Section (1, 2, 3, or 4) from Cambridge
• Check answers immediately
• Review errors: why wrong? trap pattern?

15-30 min: Vocabulary

• 5 new words (AWL or topic cluster)
• 2 sentences per word
• Review yesterday's words

30-45 min: Reading

• Speed-build: 1 article from Economist/BBC (20-30 min budget)
• Or Cambridge Reading passage (timed)

Evening block (75 min)

0-30 min: Writing

• Day 1-3: Task 1 (30 min, write + self-review)
• Day 4-7: Task 2 (45 min for write)
• Alternate types: opinion, discussion, problem-solution

30-60 min: Speaking

• 5 Part 1 questions (record self)
• 1 Part 2 cue card (record self)
• 3 Part 3 questions (record self)
• Listen back to ONE recording per session

60-75 min: Grammar/error review

• Review writing errors from past week
• Drill specific grammar weakness (articles, tense, conditionals)
• Or vocabulary refresh

Weekly schedule

Monday-Thursday: Skills daily routine

Friday: Deep dive on weakest skill

• 2 hours all on weakest area
• E.g., if Writing weak: 2 Task 2 essays + analysis

Saturday: Mock testing

• 1 full Reading section (60 min)
• 1 full Listening section (40 min)
• Self-score

Sunday: Rest + review

• 30 min reading for pleasure (consolidates vocab)
• 30 min listening to podcast
• 1 hour: review week's mistakes, plan next week

Total weekly: ~13 hours active study + 1 hour rest review.

Skill allocation by current band

If at band 6.5, targeting 7.0

Focus 40% on weakest skill, 20% each on others.

If at band 7.0, targeting 7.5

Focus 30% on weakest, 25% on Writing + Speaking (productive skills), 20% on Listening + Reading.

If at band 7.5, targeting 8.0

Focus 35% on Writing + Speaking (often the ceiling), 25% on Reading, 15% on Listening.

If at band 8.0+, targeting 8.5+