The OPIc IH Strategy Guide is a 30-page, teacher-made PDF packed with frameworks, vocabulary cards, sentence frames, a mock test, and a 7-day study plan — everything your students need to break through the Intermediate Mid plateau and score Intermediate High.
20+ Years of ESL Teaching Experience
Designed for OPIc IH Level • Covers All 6 Task Sections • Immediate Digital Download
Does This Sound Familiar?
Your students sit down for the OPIc and freeze.
They know English. They study English. But when that recording starts — when the test asks them to describe a scene, compare two options, or role-play an unexpected situation — their minds go blank.
The problem isn’t their English.
The problem is they don’t have a strategy.
Here’s what most OPIc test-takers experience:
❌ They stop after 3 sentences and don’t know how to add the detail IH actually requires
❌ They say “and… and… and…” instead of “moreover,” “however,” and “as a result”
❌ They freeze on role-play and problem-solving scenarios because they don’t have a structure
❌ They’ve watched YouTube videos, read forums, and still can’t pinpoint what separates IM from IH
That gap between “Intermediate Mid” and “Intermediate High” is exactly where this guide lives.
Introducing: The OPIc IH Strategy Guide
A 30-page, no-fluff PDF guide that takes your students from the frustrating plateau of Intermediate Mid through every skill, strategy, and sentence frame they need to break into Intermediate High — with practice prompts, a mock test, and a 7-day study plan built right in.
This is not another vocabulary list.
It’s a complete speaking performance system — frameworks, vocabulary, transitions, sentence frames, a mock test, and a 7-day study plan — built from 20+ years of watching real students learn to communicate.
30 Pages. 12 Sections. Everything Your Students Need.
Each section builds on the last — from understanding the test, through vocabulary and frameworks, to a full mock exam and 7-day prep plan.
1. How to Use This Guide
Setup and orientation for teachers and self-studying students — with a clear explanation of how every section builds on the last. Includes a Teacher Tip for classroom deployment.
2. Understanding OPIc & the IH Level
A full breakdown of the OPIc rating scale, what IH looks like in practice (vs. IM), the four scoring criteria, and a self-assessment quiz students score out of 15. Includes a side-by-side IM vs. IH response comparison.
3. IH Speaking Strategies
Three core frameworks: the EXPAND Framework (a 6-point pre-response checklist), the 3-Part Response Structure (Answer → Explain → Connect), and a Time Management guide for the 60–90 second test format. Plus: intonation and emphasis techniques.
4. Vocabulary for the IH Level
Six vocabulary card sets covering: Opinion & Perspective, Comparison & Contrast, Giving Examples, Cause & Effect, Narration & Sequencing, and Uncertainty & Nuance. With upgrade exercises and a vocabulary matching challenge.
5. Transition Phrases That Score IH
A master table of IH-level connectors organized by function — adding info, contrasting, conceding, emphasizing, summarizing, and more — plus three full sample dialogues showing the transitions in real context.
6. Conversation & Narration Skills
The IH Narration Formula (Set the Scene → What Happened → How You Felt → What You Learned), with a full worked example and three practice prompts. Plus: techniques for keeping the conversation going when ideas run out.
7. Problem-Solving Response Framework
The SOLVE Framework — a step-by-step structure for OPIc role-play scenarios (State → Offer Empathy → List Solutions → Verify → End Positively) — with a full example and three practice scenarios to complete.
8. IH Sentence Frames Toolkit
Four ready-to-use frame categories: Opening Your Response, Adding Details & Examples, Opinions with Nuance, and Wrapping Up Strongly. Fill-in-the-blank practice included. The fastest shortcut to sounding like an IH speaker.
9. Mock OPIc Practice Test
Six full test questions across five difficulty levels (IM through IH+), with a background survey simulation, narration task, role-play scenario, and abstract opinion question. Includes a complete self-scoring rubric with a 15-point scale.
10. IH Mistakes to Avoid
Ten specific, named mistakes that stall students at IM — from stopping too early and overusing “and” to skipping the wrap-up and studying silently instead of out loud. With a personal mistake self-assessment and action plan worksheet.
11. 7-Day IH Study Plan
A day-by-day prep schedule for the week before the test: Foundation → Vocabulary → Transitions → Narration → Problem-Solving → Mock Test Day → Review & Rest. Each day has a checkbox and recording assignment.
12. Progress Tracker
A weekly speaking log, a skill confidence meter (rate Vocabulary, Transitions, Narration, Problem-Solving, and Response Length), and a goal-setting page with space for test date and target score.
This Guide Is For You If…
✓ You teach ESL to Korean students or corporate professionals preparing for OPIc
✓ Your students are stuck at Intermediate Mid and you’re not sure what’s holding them back
✓ You’re a self-studying test-taker who wants a proven structure — not scattered YouTube tips
✓ You need a ready-to-use classroom resource you can assign, discuss, and practice from today
✓ You want your students to have sample answers, sentence frames, and frameworks — not just explanations
✓ You need a mock test and structured study plan you can hand students the week before their exam
This guide was built for:
ESL Teachers • Hagwon Instructors • Corporate English Trainers • Self-Study Learners • University EFL Students
Who Made This?
Hi, I’m Jim.
I’ve been teaching English for over 20 years across settings most teachers never encounter: university classrooms, corporate boardrooms, Korean language schools, prison education programs, and workforce training for restaurant workers in Arizona.
I hold an Alternative Teaching Certification in Arizona and have spoken at TESOL events. But the credential that matters most? Two decades of watching real students — from all backgrounds, all levels — learn to actually speak.
The OPIc IH Strategy Guide comes from the same place all good teaching materials come from: watching what doesn’t work, figuring out what does, and writing it down clearly enough that it helps someone else.
— Jim Stepnowski, teachingenglishisfun.com
Here’s Everything You’re Getting
✓ 30-page OPIc IH Strategy Guide PDF (12 sections)
✓ EXPAND Framework + 3-Part Response Structure
✓ 6 Vocabulary Card Sets with upgrade exercises
✓ Master Transition Phrases table with sample dialogues
✓ IH Narration Formula + SOLVE Problem-Solving Framework
✓ Sentence Frames Toolkit — 4 categories, ready to use
✓ Full Mock OPIc Practice Test + Self-Scoring Rubric
✓ 10 Mistakes to Avoid + personal self-assessment
✓ 7-Day IH Study Plan with daily recording assignments
✓ Progress Tracker, skill confidence meter, and goal-setting page
✓ Instant PDF download — use in class today
All of this for $6.50 on TPT or $5.50 on Gumroad.
Common Questions
| Is this for teachers or for students studying on their own?Both — and it’s designed to serve both at the same time. Every section includes a “Teacher Tip” callout and a “Student Strategy” callout so the same guide functions as classroom material or independent study. The 7-Day Study Plan makes it especially powerful for self-directed test prep. |
| How long is the guide and what format is it?It’s a 30-page, print-ready PDF with 12 sections. You get an instant download link after purchase — no special software needed. Open it in any PDF viewer, print copies for your class, or use it on a tablet or phone. |
| My students are already at Intermediate Mid. Will this actually move them up? That’s exactly who this was designed for. The guide targets the specific gap between IM and IH — including the EXPAND Framework for building longer responses, transition phrases that signal a higher level, and the Mistakes to Avoid section, which names the 10 patterns most likely to keep students stuck at IM. |
| Does this cover every type of OPIc question?Yes. The guide covers personal background, description, narration, comparison, opinion, and role-play/problem-solving scenarios — plus the self-scoring mock test includes six full questions at increasing difficulty levels from IM through IH+. |
| What if I teach general ESL — is this still useful?Very much so. The frameworks in this guide — the EXPAND checklist, 3-Part Response Structure, IH Narration Formula, SOLVE Problem-Solving Framework, and Sentence Frames Toolkit — are foundational spoken communication skills. Even outside OPIc prep, they work as everyday speaking lesson materials. |
| Is there a refund policy?TPT has its own seller policies for digital downloads. For Gumroad purchases, reach out directly at jim.stepnowski@gmail.com — I stand behind this material and will work with you if it isn’t what you expected. |
Ready to Get Your Students to IH?
Stop hoping they find the strategy on their own. Give them the guide.
✓ Instant Download ✓ PDF & Print-Ready ✓ Works Today
