My journey into the world of AI really began back in 2022, the first time I got my hands on ChatGPT. That was my introduction to the incredible technology of Large Language Models, or LLMs.
Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with exploring the boundaries of what LLMs can do, constantly looking for ways to apply their power to my daily life and work. It didn't take long for me to discover a killer application: foreign language learning. I realized that AI could slice through problems that were once considered incredibly difficult, like a hot knife through butter.
My first experiments were focused on improving my English information intake. For example, whenever I was reading an English article and came across a word I thought I knew, only to find it used in a strange or obscure context (a concept we call "熟词僻意" or "familiar word, rare meaning" in Chinese), I would have the AI break it down for me. I’d ask for its specific meaning, different usage examples, and a comparison to other similar words.
Another thing I'd do: if I came across a long paragraph with a particularly complex sentence structure, I would feed it to the AI and ask for a complete grammatical breakdown. I’d have it identify everything: whether it was a simple or compound sentence, pinpointing the subject, predicate, and object, and then tagging every single modifier—the attributive, the adverbial, the complement, and so on.
Next, I leveled up my use of AI to focus on my English output. If I wanted to say or write something but wasn't sure if it was correct, I'd have the AI check my work, pointing out errors and suggesting where things could be said or written better.
I discovered that with careful and skillful prompting, AI could produce English text in any style, at any level, for any scenario. This sparked an idea: Could you leverage AI to prepare for—and ace—high-stakes exams like the IELTS, TOEFL, or GRE? Based on my previous research into these tests, I was convinced the capability was there. In theory, with the right methodology, it was entirely possible.
So I did something to put this theory to the test: I booked an IELTS exam. I wanted to be my own guinea pig and validate this hypothesis with my own experience.
With that goal set, I got to work.
Deconstructing the Problem
First, I went deep into the official IELTS guide, studying the exam requirements for listening, speaking, reading, and writing. I obsessed over the scoring criteria, analyzing it word-for-word to understand exactly how each requirement was tested and graded.
Then, I began to analyze the flaws in traditional test prep methods. I quickly realized the existing landscape of solutions was either inefficient, expensive, or in many cases, both. Typically, a candidate has three options:
- Self-Study
- Prep Courses
- Private Tutors
Self-study means spending a huge amount of time just trying to find the right materials. But the most critical failure is the lack of a feedback loop. You have no idea if what you're doing is right or wrong until you get your final score.
Prep courses are a "one-size-fits-none" solution. Classes are large and filled with students at different levels, but the instructor can only teach to the average. You get very little targeted, personal guidance.
Private tutors present two major problems. The first is the insane cost—a single one-hour session can easily cost ¥200-¥400 (or more) for a well-known instructor. The second, and more critical, issue is quality. Most tutors are not native English speakers and struggle to write flawless, let alone idiomatic, essays. Even if the tutor is a native speaker, being a good writer doesn't automatically make them a good writing coach; that requires specialized training.
Pinpointing the Real Bottleneck
After getting a clear picture of the broken system, I began designing my own solution as I prepped for the exam, building a framework based on the official standards and my own needs.
It didn't take long to pinpoint the biggest bottleneck: English writing.
When faced with a writing prompt, I’d often just stare at the screen, my mind completely blank. I had no idea what to write or how to structure it. I looked this up online and quickly discovered I wasn't alone.
Official data from IELTS confirms this. In 2022, Writing was the lowest-scoring section for Academic test-takers, with scores averaging about 0.42 points lower than their overall score.
This phenomenon isn't hard to understand. An essay is a comprehensive test of a candidate's vocabulary, grammar, and logical thinking, and you have to get all of it right at the same time. For a non-native speaker, mastering just one of these areas is a huge challenge; trying to ensure all three are perfect at once often leads to a situation where focusing on one causes another to fail.
This is especially true for Chinese test-takers due to what I call the "Input-Heavy, Output-Light" learning model. In China, the education system forces students to spend the vast majority of their time on input skills like reading and listening. Why? Because these skills can be graded with standardized, objective answer keys, which is essential for massive national exams like the gaokao. Writing and speaking, being more subjective, are harder to grade at scale and are therefore neglected. Over time, this creates a significant and predictable skill gap in writing and speaking abilities.
So, I focused my efforts on a single goal: using AI to solve the English writing challenge for Chinese test-takers. I broke the problem down into four key areas for the AI to handle:
- Ideation & Brainstorming: The first hurdle is often a blank screen. The AI needed to analyze a prompt and suggest different angles and perspectives to kickstart the writing process.
- Evidence & Examples: Standardized tests require you to support your arguments with examples. The AI needed to act as a research assistant, providing relevant examples to help me build a library of source material.
- Error Correction & Grading: After writing a draft, I needed a teacher. The AI had to analyze my essay, tag and correct all grammatical, vocabulary, and phrasing errors, and effectively "grade" my work.
- Expression Upgrading: Finally, the AI needed to act as a writing coach, suggesting advanced vocabulary and alternative sentence structures tailored to my skill level to help me diversify my expression.
After a period of development, I had a working prototype. The final tool included the following features:
Topic Analysis
- Prompt Analysis: Breaks down the core concepts and arguments in the prompt.
- Writing Angles: Suggests different perspectives to take in the essay.
- Supporting Examples: Provides relevant examples to support key points.
- Similar Topics: Lists related prompts from past exams.
Writing Evaluation
- Cohesion & Coherence Analysis: Assesses the logical flow and structure of the essay.
- Lexical Resource Analysis: Evaluates the richness and appropriateness of the vocabulary.
- Grammar Analysis: Checks for grammatical accuracy.
- Error Correction: Pinpoints and corrects specific errors in grammar and vocabulary.
- Improvement Suggestions: Provides actionable advice for elevating the essay.
- Topic-Specific Vocabulary: Lists key vocabulary relevant to the essay's subject.
- High-Scoring Examples: Provides model essays for comparison.
With my custom-built tool in hand, I prepped for a while and then walked into the IELTS exam center. A few weeks later, the results were in.
My score:
- Listening: 7.5
- Reading: 9.0
- Writing: 6.5
- Speaking: 7.5
- Overall: 7.5
I was happy with the overall 7.5, as I knew that a 7.0 is the target score for most Chinese students. But I have to admit, my initial reaction to the 6.5 in Writing was a sting of disappointment.
Then I did some research on the official IELTS website to put that number in context. I found that the average writing score for Chinese test-takers is just 5.8. More importantly, a 6.5 is the magic number—the writing score threshold required for admission to many master's programs in Europe and North America. It's the score that people retake the exam over and over again, just trying to achieve.
And once I realized that, I wasn't disappointed anymore. I was relieved. I had cracked the code.
After my success with the exam, I started sharing this tool and my methodology with friends, especially those who were also prepping for exams abroad. The interest was immediate and they were excited about it. I shared the tool with a few of them, but we quickly ran into some problems.
This early feedback was crucial. It showed me that while the core idea was powerful, my personal tool couldn't fully meet their needs. There were two main issues:
First, there was a major usability problem. This was a tool I had hacked together for myself, so the features were rudimentary. More importantly, it required some basic programming knowledge to run. For anyone who wasn't a developer, it was a non-starter.
Second, the scope was too narrow. My entire experiment was laser-focused on IELTS because that was the test I was taking. But some of my friends were prepping for the TOEFL, and others for the GRE. A tool built only for IELTS couldn't solve their whole problem.
After some consideration, I made a decision. I was going to turn this personal script into a real, polished product. The vision was clear: create a single platform to help students master the writing sections for all the major exams—IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE—with a simple, intuitive interface that anyone could use.
So, I reached out to two friends, and together, we started the journey of transforming my personal tool into a full-fledged web application.
Today, the live version of the website includes all the features I've mentioned, but we’ve also added a few more things based on the practical needs of test-takers.
First, we've added a PDF Export function. You can now export all topic analyses, writing evaluations, and high-scoring model essays to a PDF file. This makes it easy to review your materials on any device or print them out for offline study.
Furthermore, I've built a comprehensive question bank of around 300 real essay prompts from past IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE exams. We're keeping it constantly updated—it even includes new prompts that appeared for the very first time this month. The goal is to ensure you are always prepping with the most authentic and relevant materials possible.
I'm thrilled to announce that the site is now officially live. If you want to check it out, head over to https://essayly.ai.
Registration is quick, and you can start using it immediately.