I am thrilled to share the inspiring journey of one of my dedicated students, a pharmacist from Egypt. Let’s call her Sarah for privacy reasons.
Sarah started her TOEFL preparation with me in January, enrolling in the intensive package of 4 skills and 20-hour classes. With no prior experience or tutoring, she bravely took on the challenge.
After our 20-hour sessions, she sat for the exam in March for the very first time, but the results were disappointing:
Reading: 16 Listening: 17 
Speaking: 25
Writing: 19
Despite writing countless essays and practicing numerous reading passages, her scores did not reflect her hard work.
She was determined and took the exam again, but her Reading score dropped to 13 while her Writing improved to 22.
At this point, Sarah faced a crucial decision. She could either believe that my methods were ineffective and look for other tutors, or she could trust in my expertise and continue working together.
Thankfully, she chose the latter. We analyzed her performance, discussed her scores, identified weaknesses, and co-developed a new game plan with more tools and strategies.
Our collaborative efforts in May and June paid off. She aimed to achieve her target scores by the end of June to qualify for the FPGEE exam in October. And here are her latest results:
Reading: 22 
Listening: 27 Speaking: 28 Writing: 28
Reading increased from 13 to 22, and Writing 19 to 28, with an incredible Speaking score of 27!
This story is a testament to perseverance and trust. Sarah didn’t waste time starting over with other tutors; instead, she bought another package of 8 classes and continued our co-created plan.
Sarah’s success is a reflection of my proven strategies. She trusted the process, and now she’s on her way to taking the FPGEE exam in October, without losing another year.
On the flip side, another Egyptian pharmacist who joined my intensive classes decided to work with other tutors after not seeing immediate results. Her biggest weakness was not working effectively with the plans and feedback I developed. She wanted instant results right after 20 classes despite not following my method and wanted the scores with little work. All she needed to do was trust the process, co-develop a plan with me, and study hard and effectively like Sarah did.
Use Your Critical Thinking Skills: If the tutor’s success rate is high and your scores do not make sense, ask yourself some questions:
Are you following all the strategies you learned from that tutor?
Are you practicing in the right way to get rid of your fossilized mistakes that block you from getting the scores?
Are you just jumping from one TPO to another while practicing or are you following the tutor’s advice?
While the other student is likely talking negatively about me, Sarah is recommending me to all of her friends because she knows the value of perseverance and trust.
Success requires patience, trust, and collaboration. Sarah’s journey shows that with the right guidance and determination, goals are within reach.