IELTS Education Vocabulary

These are useful words and phrases area based around education vocabulary, a common topic in IELTS. This vocabulary will help you with all parts of the test if the topic arises.

As with the other vocabulary on these pages, although common word forms are given, not all word forms are here, so remember that once you understand the word you should study it further to make sure you understand exactly how it is used in different contexts.

You will find:

The word	The definition
The word	An example sentence

At the bottom of the page you will find links to essays connected to education topics.

Education Vocabulary

Graduate	To complete a first university degree successfully
Graduate	I graduated from the University of Salford in 2009. My graduation ceremony was in 2009.
Curriculum	The group of subjects studied in a school, college, etc.
Curriculum	Schools must ensure they have an excellent curriculum.
Qualification	An official record showing that you have finished a training course or have the necessary skills, etc
Qualification	Good qualifications are really important if you want to get a well-paid job. I am qualified to teach English.
Coursework	Regular work done by students as part of a course, but assessed independently of formal exams.
Coursework	The coursework on my degree was really difficult.
Co-educational	When male and female students are taught together in the same school or college rather than separately
Co-educational	Co-educational schools prepare students for their future better than single-sex schools.
Cheat	To behave in a dishonest way in order to get what you want
Cheat	He did really well in his exams but he cheated. He copied from a friend. Cheating on exams is not recommended.
Literacy	The ability to read and write.
Literacy	Literacy rates have declined considerably in Western countries over the last decade. However, most children are literate.
Illiterate	Unable to read and write
Illiterate	Many children in the poorest countries are illiterate.
Primary (elementary) Education	First years of formal education from around age 5 to 11.
Primary (elementary) Education	A good primary education is crucial for a child's development.
Secondary Education	Education during the time as a teenager.
Secondary Education	I loved it at my secondary school as I had so many friends.
Higher (tertiary) Education	Non-compulsory education after finishing school, such as university, as well as vocational education and training at colleges.
Higher (tertiary) Education	60% of children now go into higher education after they finish school.
Concentrate	To direct your attention or your efforts towards a particular activity, subject or problem
Concentrate	It is difficult to concentrate on my work if there is a lot of noise. I keep losing concentration due to the noise.