45 days to 980 TOEIC on the first attempt

For many office workers, a TOEIC certificate is more than a line on a résumé, it relates directly to employee benefits. That was exactly the case for Linh Ngo, an import & export specialist at Yamaha, who spent 45 days studying with Prep Edu and scored 980 on the TOEIC at her very first sitting.

A first TOEIC test with a 950+ target

Linh Ngo studied in the English-taught program at Foreign Trade University, yet she never took the TOEIC during her four years there. Her current role at Yamaha requires her to use English every day, and the company offers a tiered allowance based on TOEIC score, with the highest range reserved for those who reach 950 or above.

"When I compared my options, I saw that Prep Edu gave more detailed explanations, with examples and full translations, so I decided to sign up," Linh Ngo shared.

A Personalized 45-Days Roadmap with Prep Edu’s AI

Working full-time meant Linh could only study in the evenings. Prep Edu lets learners pick a roadmap that fits their actual schedule: 45, 60, 80 or 120 days. Linh Ngo chose the tightest option: 45 days.

"At first I was worried it wouldn't be enough time, but once I followed the roadmap I realized 45 days is completely doable," she said.

Her strategy unfolded in two phases. In the first phase, she worked sequentially through the video lessons in the TOEIC Listening & Reading Intensive course, focusing on the step-by-step approach for each question type. As test day approached, she shifted to studying and taking mock tests in parallel with Prep AI Test Practice.

That is where Linh spent most of her final sprint. "The practice tests here feel very close to the real exam. The system also tracks time precisely and auto-submits the moment time is up, so you really have to stay focused," she noted. Her practice scores settled consistently between 925 and 950 - a strong indicator of how accurately Prep Edu's AI scoring system reflected her real performance.

For vocabulary, Linh Ngo stuck to the themed word lists Prep Edu had prepared and listened to the pronunciation in the video lessons on repeat. "Once you know the exact pronunciation of a word, you recognize it much faster in the listening test," she explained. The Daily Tasks feature, along with its badges and trophies, kept her study rhythm steady every evening after work: "Every day has a learning mission, like a game, so studying becomes more fun and I stay motivated to keep going daily."

980 TOEIC and the next chapter with Prep AI Virtual Room

Although the computer-based TOEIC format, which doesn't let test takers preview the Listening questions in advance, caught her slightly off guard, Linh stayed composed thanks to the dozens of mock tests she had already run with Prep AI Test Practice.

The result exceeded her original target: 980/990, with a perfect 495 in Listening and 485 in Reading, which well past the 950 threshold for Yamaha's top allowance tier. "I feel it was absolutely worth the investment I made in the course," Linh said. When asked how much of her expectations Prep Edu had met, her answer was 99%.

Her English journey isn't stopping here. Linh is already planning to return to Prep Edu for the remaining two skills through Prep AI Virtual Rooms in case she later decides to move into teaching English. If you are also looking for a TOEIC roadmap that fits around your school or work schedule, explore Prep Edu's 45, 60, 80 and 120-day options at prepedu.com.