5 things that IELTS taught me

After a few weeks of waiting, I finally got the result of the exam that I took last May 30. I really feel happy because I know that He is working in me whether I am faithful or not. His goodness in my life never fails and I just can't help but share it to everyone who will take major and costly exams like NCLEX and IELTS. Let me just share these 5 things that I learned from taking the English exam. Call these practical or spiritual but these are the things that God has taught me. If this will bring you enlightenment, then all the glory goes to the Lord. He is the author of everything that is good within me.

5. A test taker's performance in an exam does not depend on review centers. I am not trying to discourage people from enrolling in review centers to help them nail an exam. What I learned from this experience is that we can never depend on what we have or what do not have. If you have the resources, then by all means enroll yourself in a reputable review center. But never forget that it's HIM who guides you in the right way that you should go-- before, during and after the exam. I took my IELTS and NCLEX without any reviewer who helped me. All I know is that when you ask, He will answer. Keep the faith and do not forget that it is Him that we should depend on in whatever that we want to accomplish. Keep Him first and He will honor your efforts, with or without a review center.

4. When taking an exam in a place that's airconditioned, it's good to bring a sweater, if allowed to do so. One of the things that I hated during my IELTS exam was the room's temperature. It was really freezing in Marriott but thankfully, the staff in the hotel was sensitive enough to lower it in the later part of the exam. Praise GOD!

3. There are books that are simply nicknamed "heaven sent". My sister sent me a couple of books to help me with my review. One was entitled IELTS TESTBUILDER. The moment I answered the first few chapters, I knew that it was perfect for me. I answered everything in the book and even bought the 2nd part of it which was sold in National Bookstore for 600 pesos. It was really worth it. I was also surprised when a friend of mine, who was reviewing somewhere, told me that it's the book that was being used in her review center. Indeed, during the exam, I felt that I was just sitting at home practicing using the said book. It was really sent from heaven. God really knows my needs.

2. When you ask, be specific. Before I took the exam, I sincerely asked God to give me 8 as a band score. For those who are not familiar, the highest is 9 (expert user) and 8 is considered as Very Good User. I know well that I do not deserve it but I also know that with Him, all things are possible. Honestly, I really did not spend too much time reviewing. I just answered two books with less than 180 pages each. Those books look relatively thin and yes, the letters there are huge. So, I prayed and brushed the worries aside. I did my best for Him and I know that He made a miracle out of those times that I have reviewed. He answered my prayer indeed with a lot of other surprises. I got an average of 8. I got 9 in one part of the exam (Listening) and 7.5 was my lowest (Speaking). I got 8 for both Writing and Reading.

1. Give the glory to God in all your success. There's a song that caught my attention lately. It simply said "I'M ALLOWED TO LIVE TO MAKE MY MAKER SMILE." Indeed, He smiles everytime we give back to Him the praise and glory that He deserves. No matter how imperfect we are, we are capable of drawing a smile in His face and He delights in those things. There are a lot of reasons to believe that all our victories are fought by Him. First of all, we know well that anything can go wrong in an exam. It could be an instruction that you missed to follow or a material that you are completely unfamiliar with. So, when you get what you've asked for, don't forget to let the world know of His greatness in your life, though most of the time, we know that those are undeserved blessings.

May the God of Grace bless those who are about to take any exam. Always remember, He's not deaf to hear your plea. Jesus is good, all the time!