Keep a mistake journal: the 15-minute habit that raises your score

Xin chào! Over the past five weeks we walked through every part of the TOEIC. Today, the habit that makes all of it stick, the one I named in the very first post: review mistakes more than you review lessons.

Why a mistake journal works

A practice test tells you your score; your mistakes tell you your next score. The TOEIC recycles question types endlessly; the trap that caught you today will be waiting, in different clothes, on exam day. A journal turns each trap into a one-time payment.

The four-column format

For every question you miss (or guess right without being sure), write:

1. Where: part and question type, e.g. "Part 5, word form" or "Part 3, paraphrase".
2. The trap, in your own words: "Chose the answer that repeated a word from the question."
3. The rule or paraphrase pair: "short-staffed = not enough employees"; "after 'the ___ of', choose the noun."
4. One example sentence, copied from the test, because you remember sentences better than rules.

Fifteen minutes after each practice test. That's all.

The weekly ritual

Once a week, read the journal (don't rewrite it, just read) and tally the Where column. When one type keeps appearing, you have found your next study week. That tally beats any generic study plan, because it's a plan written by your own errors.

Where to go from here

• Re-read this series, one part per practice test: Part 1 & 2, Part 3 & 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.
• Practice with real, timed tests, and journal every one.

Thank you for following the whole series. Hẹn gặp các bạn trong lớp nếu có duyên nhé! 🌸