IELTS & PTE lesson · Vocabulary

IELTS & PTE Education Vocabulary notesEducation words: say what you mean

Precise phrases for school and university. This IELTS & PTE lesson is a deck of 9 visual cards from BandLadder's own study library, written and fact-checked by our team.
  • 9 cards
  • Free to read online
  • PDF with any plan
  • Updated 30 September 2026

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What's inside

Along the way you get worked examples with the key words marked, before-and-after fixes that show why the first version loses marks, a one-page visual summary, word cards with meanings and examples (the curriculum, tuition fees, higher education and vocational courses), a quick check to test yourself and a recap of the rules to remember. Each card holds one idea, so you can read it on a phone between practice sessions.

Reading it online is free: create a free BandLadder account and the whole lesson opens in our study reader, on the web and in the app. Downloading the PDF to keep needs a plan; the free reader has every card.

The first 3 of 9 cards

Preview

  1. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Education

    Good, good, good

    it fits everywhere, so it says nothing

    Good fits any sentence about education, so it tells your reader nothing. A precise phrase says what is actually good.

    Online degrees are good for students.cheap? The hours are good,flexible? and the tutors are goodqualified? too.

    The fixes: low fees, flexible hours, highly qualified tutors.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material1 / 9
  2. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Education

    Swap the vague word

    name the thing you actually mean

    VaguePrecise
    good teachershighly qualified teachers
    a bad schoolan underfunded school
    a lot of pupilslarge class sizes
    clever pupilshigh-achieving pupils
    learn thingsgain practical skills
    a good job laterbetter career prospects

    IELTS writing, Band 7: “an awareness of style and collocation”. In PTE, the Essay scores vocabulary as its own trait.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material2 / 9
  3. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Education

    School and university

    the nouns an education essay needs

    • the curriculumwhat a school teaches

      Cooking belongs on the curriculum, next to maths.

      a broad curriculumon the curriculum
    • tuition feeswhat students pay to study

      Rising tuition fees put some families off university.

      pay tuition feeshigh tuition fees
    • higher educationstudy at university

      Free higher education would help poorer students.

    • vocational coursestraining for a trade

      Many chefs train on vocational courses.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material3 / 9
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9 cards

Contents

  1. 1Good, good, goodit fits everywhere, so it says nothingIn the preview
  2. 2Swap the vague wordname the thing you actually meanIn the preview
  3. 3School and universitythe nouns an education essay needsIn the preview
  4. 4What learners dolearn each phrase as one pieceFree account
  5. 5Ideas an essay runs onthe phrases that carry an argumentFree account
  6. 6In an essaythe prompt: swap some exams for projects?Free account
  7. 7Right idea, wrong partnersome words only go with certain othersFree account
  8. 8Your turnpick the word that goes with the restFree account
  9. 9Save thisthe education-words checklistFree account

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The BandLadder team wrote and checked it. It is original BandLadder material, not copied from books or other websites, and its exam facts are checked against the official IELTS and PTE pages.

Is it for IELTS or PTE?+

Both. The lesson is in the IELTS and the PTE study library, so it opens whichever exam you prepare for.

IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education Australia. PTE is a trademark of Pearson. BandLadder is not affiliated with either.

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

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