Describe a time when you received good news

I'd like to talk about the day I found out that I'd passed my IELTS exam with the score I needed, which was about a year ago. I had taken the test twelve days earlier, and I'd been waiting nervously because the result would decide whether I could apply for a master's programme abroad.

I was at work on a Thursday afternoon, in the middle of a meeting, when I felt my phone buzz. I wasn't supposed to check it, but I saw a notification from the test centre and sneaked a look under the table. It said that my results were available online. I could hardly concentrate for the rest of the meeting. As soon as it finished, I rushed to my desk, logged in and, with my heart pounding, opened the page. I had achieved an overall band 7.5, which was higher than I'd dared to hope for.

For a few seconds, I just stared at the screen. It didn't sink in at all. Then I stood up and, forgetting where I was, said yes quite loudly, and my colleagues turned around and laughed. The first person I called was my mother. She was so excited that she started crying on the phone, and then she told my father and the whole family.

I felt over the moon, and incredibly relieved. All the months of studying every evening had paid off. That day gave me the confidence to go ahead with my application, and I'm now preparing to study abroad.