Common English Test Mistakes That Cost ASEAN Students Band Scores

Writing mistakes that cost marks

IELTS Writing has strict minimum word counts published on the official IELTS sample test pages : at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2. Writing under the minimum costs you marks under Task Achievement even when your grammar and vocabulary are strong, because the examiner marks an incomplete response as underdeveloped.

TOEFL changed its second writing task on July 26, 2023. The old independent essay was replaced with Writing for an Academic Discussion, according to the official ETS announcement . You read a short professor prompt and two student replies, then post your own response in 10 minutes. ETS says an effective response runs over 100 words. Students who write a full five-paragraph essay here waste time they need for reading the discussion carefully and run out of minutes before finishing their point. ETS redesigned TOEFL Writing again on January 21, 2026: the old Integrated Writing task is gone, replaced by two new tasks, Build a Sentence (about 7 minutes, arrange-the-words items) and Write an Email (about 7 minutes, 80-120 words), confirmed on the current official ETS Writing section page . Write for an Academic Discussion is now one of three writing tasks rather than the second of two, but its own rules are unchanged: 100+ words in about 10 minutes.

Across all three tests, memorized templates and pre-written paragraphs cost marks. Examiners and AI scoring engines are trained to flag content that does not answer the specific question asked, and a response built from a memorized template rarely lines up with the actual prompt. Answer what the question asks, not what you rehearsed.

Speaking mistakes that cost marks

Long pauses and filler words such as "um" and "like" repeated often lower your Fluency and Coherence score in IELTS and your Delivery score in TOEFL. A short pause to think is normal, but stopping mid-sentence to search for a word signals weak fluency to the scorer.

Memorized answers also hurt speaking scores. Reciting a rehearsed paragraph creates unnatural rhythm and stress patterns that do not match how you speak when answering spontaneously, and trained examiners notice the shift. Answer the actual question in front of you, using your own words even if the sentence structure is simpler.

One-word or very short answers in the opening Speaking questions cost marks too. Even simple prompts like where you are from need a full sentence with one supporting detail, so the examiner has enough language to score.

PTE-specific mistakes because an AI marks your answer

PTE Academic is scored by an automated engine, so it reacts differently to hesitation than a human examiner does. A long pause or restart in Read Aloud or Repeat Sentence lowers your fluency and pronunciation score even if the words you eventually say are correct.

Background noise, a weak microphone or speaking too far from the mic also reduce your score, since the engine needs a clean audio signal to score pronunciation accurately. Test in a quiet room with a stable internet connection and a decent headset microphone.

In Repeat Sentence and Read Aloud, match the exact wording and keep a steady pace instead of speeding up or slowing down mid-sentence. The engine scores against the exact reference text, so skipped or reordered words cost marks even when your meaning is close to correct.

Quick fixes before test day

• Practice writing Task 2 and the Academic Discussion task with a timer, not open-ended, so you learn your real pace

• Record your speaking answers and play them back to catch filler words and long pauses

• Read every part of a multi-part question before you start writing or speaking, so you address all of it

• Drop memorized templates and practice building answers from the actual prompt in front of you

• For PTE, rehearse in the same quiet setup and headset you plan to use on test day