Best if you want a target exam and level, and will use My materials each day for vocabulary, listening, and speaking items. For everyday scenes, use the Everyday speaking path.
Today’s step on Home still tells you which step you are on.
The five steps
- Speaking level check (not a formal exam): get a rough sense of level. See What the speaking level check is.
- Get materials: in Learn → Material store, claim or buy materials for that exam level into My materials. See Store and My materials.
- Make an AI plan: choose Exam prep (full layout) or Single skills (only the vocabulary / listening / speaking items you tick), save under Not started, then tap Start. See Plan types, Make an AI plan.
- Drill every day: open Learn → Today for today’s step; or open Vocabulary / Listening / Speaking items and tap Go practice. For scoring, see AI scoring. Listening and speaking items also support Mock exam.
- Check Progress: review each session and stage changes. See What Progress shows.
How it differs from “just speaking”
| Exam prep path | Everyday speaking path | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan types | Exam prep, Single skills | Scenario practice, Other |
| Daily home base | Learn (Today, vocabulary / listening / speaking items) | Practice (Go practice from Practice tasks) |
| Materials needed? | Yes—from My materials | Scenario practice usually does not need them |
| Plan steps? | No speaking steps; Learn lays out content from materials | Has plan steps, listed under Practice tasks |
Exam prep and Single skills do not add “Plan · speaking” rows under Practice tasks. Finishing today’s vocabulary / listening / speaking items on Learn is what moves the plan forward.
A day by role (short examples)
- Personal: level check → claim materials → make an exam prep plan and start it → drill on Today → review in Progress.
- Parent: help the child get materials → make Exam prep or Single skills and start it → the child practises on their own account → the parent checks progress.
- Teaching: check whether the learner has enough materials → make a plan or assign exam-style tasks → the learner practises → review the summary before class.
If…
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| No materials for this level yet | Switch to Scenario practice, change level, or practise only the skills you already have |
| The plan wizard says materials are short | Choose Use what I have; missing pieces join an Exam prep plan when they arrive |
| You also want everyday speaking | Fine—add a scenario plan, or speak freely on Practice; the two paths are not mutually exclusive |
| You only want speaking items | Choose Single skills and tick only speaking items under “What to practise” |