Teacher Leda’s Journey
From Teaching Exam Prep to Training Examiners: A 17-Year Path to Mastery
The journey that took me from passionate teacher to British Council examiner to helping 10,000+ students reach Oxford, MIT, Cambridge, and beyond.
2008: Where It All Started
The Wake-Up Call: Fresh out of university with my Bachelor’s in English Teaching, I thought I knew how to help students pass English exams. I was wrong.
The Problem: My first student who needed TOEFL for a US university scholarship failed. Twice. Despite months of classes. I was teaching English. She needed to learn how to PASS THE TEST.
The Result: Complete methodology shift. Third attempt: she passed with flying colors. Full scholarship to University of Southern California.
What This Taught Me: “There’s a massive gap between ‘good English teacher’ and ‘exam preparation specialist.’ I needed to become the latter.”
2009-2010: Pursuing Mastery
Milestone: TESOL Certification Obtained. Moved beyond intuition to evidence-based teaching methodology. Learned the science of second language acquisition.
- Professional Development: TESOL International Association certification, Specialized training in assessment and testing.
- Goal: Understand testing from examiner perspective.
- Career Evolution: 250+ students taught (cumulative). 100% focus on exam preparation (Cambridge, TOEFL). Pass rate: ~70%.
The Question That Changed Everything: “How can I truly understand what examiners want if I’ve never been one?”
Students Taught (cumulative): 250+
2012-2013: European Experience
Critical Shift: Teaching in Europe (Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic). European students had different goals than Latin American students: Targeting Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial College. Higher baseline English (many bilingual). More competitive environments.
What I Learned: The difference between Band 7 and Band 8 isn’t more vocabulary. It’s demonstrating specific features in specific ways. But which features? And how do examiners identify them?
Students Taught (cumulative): 500+
Selected for British Council Examiner Training
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. The Invitation That Changed Everything.
Why I Applied: “I can’t truly teach students what examiners want until I AM an examiner and understand assessment from the inside.”
The Training (6 Weeks Intensive):
- Week 1-2 (Speaking): How to apply band descriptors with precision. Inter-rater reliability training.
- Week 3-4 (Writing): Task Response criteria (what really counts). Coherence patterns examiners recognize.
- Week 5-6 (Standardization): Practice assessments reviewed by master examiners. Calibration to British Council standards.
Career Transformation: From this moment, I stopped being an “IELTS teacher” and became an “ex-examiner who teaches.”
Students Taught (cumulative): 1,200+ | Tests Assessed: First 100
2014-2015: Insider Knowledge in Action
The Unique Position: Living both sides: student struggles AND examiner perspective. Teaching IELTS students daily (20-25/week) while assessing official IELTS tests monthly (15-20 tests).
The Transformation: Before Becoming Examiner: “Use complex sentences to get Band 7.” After 1 Year Examining: “Use these 15 SPECIFIC complex structures that examiners are trained to identify as Band 7+ indicators.”
Result: Pass rate jumped from 70% to 85% within 6 months.
2016: Pattern Recognition – The Birth of SCORE Framework
After assessing 1,000+ tests, patterns became crystal clear. I codified this into the SCORE Framework:
- S – Specific Examples
- C – Coherence Patterns
- O – Outstanding Vocabulary
- R – Range Demonstration
- E – Examiner Psychology
For the first time, I had a SYSTEM based on 1,000+ assessments, not theory or guesswork.
2017: Recognition & Refinement
Milestone: 1,000th student reached target score. Examiner Credibility: 4 years active, 2,000+ tests assessed, 95%+ Inter-rater reliability.
Students Taught (cumulative): 4,000+ | Tests Assessed: 2,000+
2018: The Decision to Go Independent
June 2018: Officially registered Ahead Exam Preparation Limited (UK NI589423). The Vision: “Bring British Council examiner-level insights to students globally through systematic methodology.”
2019: Methodology Perfection
SCORE Framework 2.0: Comprehensive 50-page student guide, video lesson modules, and examiner commentary on 50+ Band 7-9 model answers. Group classes introduced.
Admissions Enabled: Oxford (3), Cambridge (2), Imperial (4), Toronto (12), McGill (8).
2020: Pandemic Brings the DET into Action
Already 100% online since 2018, leading to seamless continuation. The DET was growing and more students globally discovered online DET prep with an ex-examiner was BETTER than local courses.
Year 2020 Results: 1,200 Students Trained. 91% Pass Rate (IMPROVED during pandemic!). Expanded to 35 countries.
Students Taught (cumulative): 6,400+ | Tests Assessed: 3,500+
2021: Duolingo English Test + Team Expansion
New Service: DET Preparation. Applied same assessment principles from 8 years of IELTS examining to DET format for students targeting Yale, Columbia, Stanford. Hired first assistant instructor trained in “The Ex-Examiner Way.”
2022: Digital Expansion & Brand Building
“Teacher Leda” became a searchable brand. Waiting list established. Blog (50+ articles) and YouTube (30+ videos) launched. Elite Admissions: Oxford (5), Cambridge (3), Imperial (6), UofT (20).
2023: Market Leader Position Solidified
Milestone: 10,000+ Students Trained Since 2018. Average score improvement of 1.8 bands. Total top-20 university admissions reached 85+.
Students Taught (cumulative): 12,620+ | Tests Assessed: 5,500+
2024: The Transition – Maximum Teaching Impact
Major Decision: Transitioned from active examining after 12 years (2013-2024). “After assessing 6,300+ tests, I had learned everything examining could teach me. It was time to dedicate 100% to helping students achieve their dreams.”
Final Examiner Statistics: 12 Years. 3,500+ Speaking Tests. 2,800+ Writing Tasks. 95%+ Inter-rater reliability.
2025: The Present – Elite-Level Expertise Accessible Globally
17-Year Achievement Summary:
- Students Personally Trained: 15,000+ from 52 countries.
- Pass Rate: 92% first-attempt (vs. 61% industry).
- University Admissions Enabled: Total Elite University Admissions: 500+
Oxford: 38 | Cambridge: 25 | Imperial College: 45 | MIT: 7 | Stanford: 5 | LSE: 22 | Columbia: 20 | Yale: 4 | Harvard: 1 | UofT: 95 | McGill: 60 | UBC: 85 | Melbourne: 110
2025 Goals: Reach 20,000 students trained. Publish “The Ex-Examiner’s Guide to IELTS Band 7+”. Launch Teacher Leda Certification Program.
Students (cumulative): 15,120+
The Journey in Perspective: What 17+ Years Taught Me
2008: “I’m a good English teacher.”
2013: “I need to become an examiner to truly understand.”
2024: “After 12 years examining 6,000+ tests, I understand what separates Band 6.5 from 7.5 better than almost anyone.”
The Numbers That Matter
- ❌ A teacher who guesses what examiners want
- ❌ A coach who took a weekend IELTS course
- ❌ An instructor reading from generic textbooks
- ✅ Someone who assessed 6,300+ real IELTS tests professionally
- ✅ Someone trained by British Council to examiner standards
- ✅ Someone who maintained 95%+ inter-rater reliability for 12 years
- ✅ Someone whose students got into Oxford, MIT, Cambridge, Stanford
- ✅ Someone with a proven 92% first-attempt pass rate over 7 years
When your future depends on your DET or IELTS score (whether it’s Oxford, MIT, Canada immigration, or UK nursing license) you need someone who KNOWS the test deeply. Not theory. Not guessing. Not generic strategies. Expert knowledge. Proven methodology. Real results.
The Mission Continues…
“Every student targeting Oxford, Stanford, Toronto, or Melbourne deserves examiner-level insights. Not generic tips. Not guesswork. Real examiner knowledge from someone who did it for 12 years.”
Current Status: January 2026 | Ahead Exam Preparation Limited (NI589423) | Refund Rate: <2% | Student Retention: 89%