This post focuses on a shortlist of some most common words used in IELTS Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening. Here, IELTS candidates can learn and practice education-related words and phrases. All the words are given here with definitions/meanings and their use in example sentences. This vocabulary list will help you write essays and speak on education, education-related problems and their solutions etc. 

Vocabulary list on ‘Education’:  

Academic year – the time of the year throughout which students attend school or university, usually considered from the beginning of the autumn term to the end of the summer term – He joined his new school at the beginning of the new academic year.

Acquire – obtain something for oneself – Hannah acquired a cheque of $500.

Admission test/entrance exam – a test designed to identify students who are capable of admitting a school or college – He obtained the highest mark in the admission test/entrance exam.

Analyse – inspect (something) systematically and thoroughly, typically in order to explain and interpret it – We need to analyse any new idea before coming to a conclusion about it.

Assignment – a specific task or amount of work assigned or undertaken by an authority – They had loads of homework assignments.

Audio – of or relating to the sound that is heard on a recording or broadcast – She listened to the audio script carefully.

Bachelor’s degree – a degree after four years’ study in a college or university – She earned a bachelor’s degree in law in 2018.

Coeducational school – a school where boys and girls study together – I studied in a coeducational school.

Cognitive – relating to conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding, learning and recalling) – She developed her cognitive abilities in her secondary school.

Compulsory / major – subject/subjects that you must study to obtain a degree – She had four compulsory /major subjects in her first year of Bachelor of Arts in English.

Cramming – the act of trying to learn a lot very quickly before an exam – Cramming right before the exam is not a good idea.

Credit – a unit that represents a successfully finished part of an educational course – The students attended all the classes because each of those classes was worth two credits. 

Curiosity – the desire to know about something or someone – The design of the building aroused my curiosity.

Curriculum – all the different courses offered by a school/college/university – Spanish is one of the optional foreign language on the curriculum.

Curriculum vitae / Resume – a summary of a person’s personal demographics, experience and skills – The Company has asked for complete curriculum vitae / resume of every participant.

Dean – the head of a university faculty or department or of a medical school – All the students much like the new dean after his visit to their dormitory.

Dictionary – a book or an electronic resource that catalogs the words of a particular language (usually in alphabetical order) and provides their meaning, or gives the comparable words in another language, often providing information about pronunciation, origin, and usage as additional information – I don’t have a Spanish to English dictionary.

Diploma – a qualification awarded to a student by a university or college or a high school – She’s achieved two diplomas in social work and child safety.

Discipline – a field of study – She was previously a student in science discipline at Stanford University.

Dissertation – a long piece of writing/article about a specific subject that is done to receive an advanced degree – The students submitted their dissertation on British Politics to their mentor before deadline.

Distance learning – a system of studying in which lectures are transmitted or lessons are conducted by correspondence, where the student does not need to be present at a school or college – Computer has helped enormously to spread distance learning all over the world.

Doctorate / PhD– the highest degree that is given by a university – She’s applied for a doctorate degree/ PhD in British Law in Queensland University.

Dormitory – a building or facility on a school campus where students can live – St. Gregory College has two large and separate dormitories for boys and girls.

Drop out – ditch or dump a course of study – She dropped out of college due to financial crisis. 

Elementary education / primary education –the early stages of studying – We should give importance on elementary education seriously.

Encyclopedia – a book or set of books giving information on diverse subjects or on different aspects of one subject and typically arranged alphabetically – I have an encyclopedia of prehistoric animals in my collection.

Evaluation / assessment – the construction of a judgement about the amount, number, or value of something – Many education specialists resent the evaluation/assessment methods used in the prevailing education system.

Faculty – a cluster of university departments concerned with a major division of knowledge – The Faculty of Arts in Cambridge University is extremely famous.

Higher education – any of various types of education following secondary education – Universities and colleges both propose higher education opportunities for a diversity of students.

Inquisitive – tending to ask questions; having a desire to know to learn more – She seems to be quite an inquisitive woman.

Interview – a meeting of people face to face, especially for consultation – I had an interview with the board last night.

Itinerary – a designed route or journey – All the students were given an itinerary before leaving the bus.

Language skills – skills relate to diverse aspects of using language; such as listening, reading, writing or speaking – Candidates in the IELTS exam are given band-scores on their English language skills.

Lecture – an instructive talk to an audience, especially one of students or teachers in a university – Today we have to attend three lectures about social changes and demographics.

Literacy – the capability to read and write – Many countries have experienced an upward trend in their literacy rate.

Master’s degree – a one/two years’ degree after achieving a bachelor’s degree – She’s also achieved a master’s degree in law this year.

Memorise – to learn something so that you will remember it exactly – I recall clearly that some of our primary school teachers forced us to memorise some poems.

Multimedia classroom – a classroom equipped with advanced technology such as laptops, tabs, projectors, digital chalkboard etc. – Nowadays most of the schools in developed country have multimedia classrooms.

Optional / non-major – parallel to the flat surface of the horizon; at right angles to the vertical – She studied Political Science as an optional / a non-major subject in her second year.

Pedagogy – the process and exercise of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept – A teachers’ training college is indeed a school of pedagogy.

Peer pressure – the strain of thinking about or doing something because other people in the same group do it – One of the main reasons of drug addiction is peer pressure.

Postdoctoral– a work that is done after achieving a PhD – She will go on working on a postdoctoral study in transformation of laws in the 20^th century.

Portfolio – a compilation of materials that exemplifies one’s beliefs, skills, qualifications, education, training and experiences – This portfolio presents excellent insights into her personality and work.

Practical – of or concerned with the real doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas – I liked Mr Chao’s classes because he’d always had a practical approach to discuss a topic.

Presentation – a speech or talk in which a new product, idea, or piece of work is shown and explained to an audience – The company official has delivered a PowerPoint presentation on how to use the product.

Procrastinate – holdup or postpone an action; put off doing something – Many students fail to achieve their goal in time because they procrastinate intentionally or unintentionally.

Professor – a university scholar of the maximum rank; the holder of a university chair – The old professor passed away suddenly.

Pupil – student, one who has been taught – She had some successful pupils who keep contact with her regularly.

Put down – record something in writing – She put down the gist of the speech beautifully in her notebook.

Qualification – skill or experience or knowledge that makes someone appropriate to do a specific job or activity – All the applicants with best qualifications are requested to participate in the coming exam.

Reference – supply (a book or article) with citations of sources of information – He used reference from at least 8 prominent articles.

Research – careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something – This research on chimpanzees will change the course of studying animal behaviour.

Scholarship / grant – a payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the foundation of educational or other achievement – Reeha has got a $10000 scholarship/grant for excellent academic record.

Secondary education – the stage of education following primary education – Success in secondary education is highly dependent on elementary education.

Seminar – a gathering in which people receive information on and training in a specific subject matter – They arranged a seminar on how to develop the lifestyle of rural people.

Single-sex school – a school where either boys or girls can study – My sister studied in a single-sex school. 

Stipend – a particular amount of money that is paid regularly to someone – All the pupils from poor family background get a £250 monthly stipend from the school.

Survey – to ask many people a set of questions in order to gather information about most people’s insight on something – The outcome of the survey in the rural areas is quite bizarre.

Syllabus – subjects studied in a particular course – The syllabus for English Literature in developing countries is rather confusing.

Term – one of the periods into which a year is divided at school, college, or university – She finished her term in the university successfully. 

Theory – a supposition or a system of proposals intended to make something clear, especially one based on general principles free of the thing to be explained – According to conspiracy theory, there is no obvious end game for countries with natural resources.

Thesis – a long original essay or dissertation involving personal research, written by a candidate for a university degree – They submitted their thesis to the professor.

Tuition fee – money that is paid to a school/college/university for the right to study there – Her tuition fee for the course is $4500 a year.

Tutor – a teacher; particularly works with one student – Mr Stephen is Graham’s tutor.

Tutorial – a period of teaching given by a university or college tutor to an individual or very small group – I joined the new tutorial on macro-photography.

Undergraduate – a student in a college or university who is yet to earn a degree, especially a bachelors’ degree – Roger is an undergraduate at Yale School of Law.

Verbal – spoken; not written – We had a verbal exam before commencing our third year in college.

Visual – of or relating to vision – This automation visual navigation is designed by a complicated software.

Vocational – (of education or training) aimed at a particular profession and its skills – Many countries are now leaning on vocational education to solve unemployment problem.

Viva voce – an oral examination, typically for an academic qualification – The candidates were called for viva voce.

Click here for vocabulary list on ‘Crime and Punishment’

Click here for vocabulary list on ‘Environment’

Click here for vocabulary list on ‘Science and Technology’

Click here for vocabulary list on ‘Pandemic/epidemic/medical crisis’