IELTS test takers from India and Sri Lanka shared the questions they were asked in a Speaking test:

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you live in a house or an apartment?
- Do you like it? Why?
- Do you plan to move in the future?
- What would your future home look like?

Cue Card 1

Talk about a recent program on radio that you have listened to. Please say

- What was the program about?
- When did you listen to it?
- Was it interesting? Why?

Cue Card 2

Talk about your favorite place that you have visited recently. Please say

- What place was it?
- Where is it located?
- Why is this your favorite place?

Discussion 1

- What is the benefit of having a national radio?
- How are advertisements done on the radio?
- How often do you listen to the radio?

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IELTS test takers D and S from Australia shared the topics they remembered from a recent exam:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a line graph comparing percentages of tourists using different types of transport to travel within a particular country from 1999 to 2009 (tourists can use more than 1 type of transport).

Writing task 2 (an essay)

In many countries, the quality of life in the large cities is worsening. What possibly can cause this problem? What measures can be taken to resolve it?

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Where do you live at the moment?
- Is it a house or an apartment?
- What is your favorite room? Why?
- Do you plan to move to another place? Why?
- Do you communicate via letters or emails?
- Do you receive letters often?
- How many do you get?
- What kind of letters are these?
- Do you prefer to send letters or emails? Why?

Cue Card

Talk about a place where people go to listen to music. Please say:

- Where is this place?
- What kind of people go there?
- What music is played there?

Discussion

- What new technologies are used in the music industry?
- Do you think we need to pay to download music? Why?
- Do you think new technologies influence music these days? How?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies?

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These Speaking questions were shared by M who took the IELTS test in Brisbane, Australia.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Have you ever been to a museum?
- Did you go to museums as a student?
- Do students in your country always go to museums?
- Do you think students should go to museums?

Cue Card

Describe a garden that you like and visit often. Please say

- Where is it?
- What kind of garden is it?
- What do you like the most about it, and why?

Discussion

- Do your friends visit this garden too?
- Do you think gardens are important for people?
- What are the benefits of gardens for different age groups?
- Should government encourage more gardens in cities?

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The IELTS test taker from Sydney, Australia (thank you P!) shared the following questions and topics:

Listening test

Section 1. A woman was filling out a form for volunteering to do community work.

Section 2. A professor and a student were discussing her dissertation and how to do it better.

Section 3. A talk on how to do a good report.

Section 4. A talk about market research for a certain product and how to improve sales.

Reading test

Passage 1. A description of various tour options.
Questions: matching headings to paragraphs.

Passage 2. A description of conditions and time for night shift workers.
Questions: filling in blanks, True/False/Not Given.

Passage 3. About tree houses.
Questions: filling in blanks, information matching (titles to authors).

Passage 4. Car hire facilities in the UK.
Questions: True/False/Not Given.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

Write a letter of complaint to the manager of an online shopping site about a few products that you bought and aren’t happy with. In your letter

- Give details of your order.
- Explain about the problem with the products.
- Say what you want the manager to do about it.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

In many countries school-age children are spending their free time in doing homework. Is it a good or bad thing? What is your own opinion? Give examples to support your view.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you live in a house or an apartment?
- Do you like your home?
- What will your future house look like?
- What public transport do you usually use?
- Why do you use it?
- Do you think people should use public transport more?
- What would you do to improve Sydney’s public transport?
- Do you think public transportation is expensive in your city?
- What time of the day do you like the most? Why?
- What you do in that time?
- How is your day’s structure different now compared to the past?

Cue Card

Describe an advertisement which made you buy a certain product. Please say

- What was the product?
- What was shown in that advertisement?
- What did you like about the advertisement/product? Why?
- Why was the product important to you?

Discussion

- Do you think advertisements influence people’s choice for products?
- Who is showing advertisements in your country?
- Other than food and clothing, what products are advertised there?
- What do you think about showing or mentioning children in advertisements?
- Is it a negative thing?
- What are the other means of advertisement in your country?
- What is the most effective media in your view?
- Do you think a lot of advertising is harmful?

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The 1st place winners of our IELTS Results competition, Felix and Sandra, who scored band 8.5 and 8 in the IELTS exam asked to share their tips for success with everyone. Enjoy!

Felix said:

“I guess it helped that I had some colleagues in the language school I used to work in help me before I took the test. I will say that there’s no shortcut to achieving a good band score in IELTS. It takes hard work and perseverance. Kind of ‘old school’ – but that’s that. Grab reputable Cambridge materials and STUDY!

I spent 2-3 hours a day for a month preparing for the test (except Saturdays and sometimes Sundays when my Aussie friends would pull me out for a few beers!) The IELTS exam requires strategy and a good tutor can help you through your preparation stage. Most important: relax! Being nervous has never helped anyone in anything and that’s what I tell all my students.”

Sandra said:

“Well, first off I’ve been studying English for a while now and what helped me most was reading I guess.

I read a lot of English novels, and when I see a word I don’t understand I stop and check in a dictionary and then check its usage in the book. I also try to put these new words into my everyday speech so I won’t forget them, slowly building up my vocabulary. I also read a lot of grammar books written for younger kids, there’s one in particular that really helped me , ‘Brighter Grammar’.

I also watch American movies, it might be hard to follow at first for a new English speaker but after a few months or weeks depending on the person, it usually gets easier. Also if someone is Indian for instance, and there are Indian movies with subtitles in English, that would also help.

Speak, speak, speak. If you don’t practice a language you’ll lose it. Try as much as possible to speak English for at least 2 hours a day if you can’t speak it all day.

I guess that’s it. Nothing truer than the saying “Practice makes perfect” when it comes to learning the English language.”

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This IELTS exam update was shared by D, who took the test in Canada (thank you D!).

Listening test

Section 1. Fill out a form for a strawberry picker position.

Section 2. Don’t remember the topic, but the task was to fill in the gaps.

Section 3. About extinct languages.

Section 4. About the textile industry.

Reading test

Passage 1. Seeds in agriculture.

Passage 2. Behavior experiment on children.

Passage 3. About modern tourism.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given two separate single bar graphs and a pie chart representing the number of students in Europe, the level of support from the government during the period from 1986 to 2009, and the average family income in 2009.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Nowadays big cities in many countries become overcrowded. Why? Give some reasons and solutions for this problem.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you live in a house or an apartment?
- Do you like this house? Why?
- What kind of house would you like to have in the future?

Cue Card

Describe a party which you have organized. Please say:

- Whom did you invite?
- Where did the party take place?
- How did you organize it?
- How did you feel about it?

Discussion

- What kind of special celebrations do you have in your country?
- Do you think youngsters nowadays participate in these traditional celebrations less than in the past?
- What are the advantages of having such celebrations?
- How do they organize a traditional festival in your country?

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Yet another update from India – these speaking questions were shared by the IELTS test taker N:

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you live in an apartment or a house?
- Do you like your home?
- What kind of house would you like to have in the future?

Cue Card

Describe an important plant in your country. Please say

- What is this plant?
- How did you first learn about it?
- Why is it so important?

Discussion

- Do you like this plant?
- Is farming important for your country?
- What measures should we take to protect our nature?
- Do you think future generations will be interested in farming?

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The IELTS exam update below was shared by S from Canada (thanks!)

Listening test

Section 1. About different types of bricks and why architects like or dislike them.

Section 2, 3. Don’t remember.

Section 4. About advertisements in airports, how they reach the public and their effects.

Reading test

Passage 1, 2, 3. Don’t remember.

Passage 4. About the birds that are almost extinct and actions taken to save them.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

Your local college is organizing an event on the International Student’s Day and is looking for people to talk about their country. Write a letter and say

- What topics would you like them to cover?
- Why would it be interesting for students?
- Ask questions about the arrangements.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Usage of private cars is increasing day by day. What are the problems associated with it? Suggest some solutions.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you like to read the news?
- Do you prefer to read it on a screen or on paper? Why?
- Tell me about the building where you lived as a child.

Cue Card

Talk about a special meal that you had. Please say

- When did you have it?
- Who was invited?
- Why was it so special for you?

Discussion

Don’t remember.

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The speaking questions below were shared by P who recently took the IELTS test in India.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you have a computer or a notebook?
- How much time do you spend every day on the notebook or internet?
- Why do you spend that much time on it?
- Do you wish to become a writer in the future?
- What do you usually do in the evenings?

Cue Card

Talk about the most interesting speech that you have ever attended. Please say

- What speech was it?
- Where and on what occasion?
- Did you like it? Why?

Discussion

- Are speeches necessary for children? Why?
- What kind of speeches do they need?
- Why don’t children listen to adults’ speeches?
- Is a visual aid necessary for the speech session?
- Why do people get nervous while giving a speech in public?

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Our kind friend S who took the IELTS test in the UK shared this update:

Listening test

Section 1. A phone conversation between a lady and a man regarding car rental options.

Section 2. A radio program about the South Island (New Zealand) and it’s tourist attractions.

Section 3. About different types of plastics.

Section 4. Don’t remember.

Reading test

Passage 1. Different kinds of writing techniques used in different centuries (pictographs, knots and so on).

Passage 2. Evolution of architecture over several centuries in Britain.

Passage 3. Antipodes islands in Antarctica.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a table showing the consumption of full fat and skim milk and butter in one European country by 4 different age groups.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

The advantages and disadvantages of computers and TV for the mental development of children.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What is your profession?
- What do you do for better concentration?
- Do you think your work is very demanding? Why?
- Do you enjoy the countryside?

Cue Card

Describe a library that you are going to. Please say

- Where is it located?
- What design does it have?
- Do you like or dislike it?

Discussion

Don’t remember.

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