Straight from Amsterdam, this update was shared by an anonymous student, who is planning immigration to New Zealand – good luck, pal!
Listening test
Section 1. A male person was complaining over the phone to a female person about items which were broken during transportation. They spoke BBC English. There was an easy table to fill in the gaps.
Section 2. The story was about a female person telling what kind of employees they are searching for, for their clothing company. The task was a filling in the gaps. They spoke BBC English.
Section 3. A student was talking about a survey held about fat (food) replacements. Not so clear to hear, because of an accent. Questions: Multiple choice, filing in the gaps, table completion.
Reading test
Passage 1. A leaflet about different sightseeing tours in London.
Questions: Multiple choice, easy stuff.
Passage 2. Library rules.
Questions: true/false/not given, headings matching. Not that difficult, but you had to read carefully.
Passage 3. The differences between men and women.
Questions: headings matching, true/false/not given. Difficult to read, even if it was in my native language (Dutch) it would be difficult to match the right headings.
Writing test
Writing Task 1 (a letter)
Write a letter to a friend asking for help with a short holiday in the area where this friend lives, ask for information, etc.
Writing Task 2 (an essay)
Sometimes students are working for companies for free. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Speaking test
Interview
– The examiner started with general questions, such as where do you live, do you like your village etc.
– How about the weather in Holland, are there problems with it?
Cue Card
Talk about a postcard or a letter that you recently received.
Today we are delighted to share an article written especially for you by Jessica Beck from IELTS Energy and All Ears English. In this article Jessica explains what exactly happens on the IELTS test, and what you should do about it.
I’m Jessica Beck from IELTS Energy and All Ears English and today I will show you exactly what happens on the IELTS Listening test so that you can get the high score you need.
Firstly, and most importantly, I want to remind you that IELTS is a valid test, one that has been designed and fine-tuned over many, many years. They give you directions that tell you exactly what you should do, where you should look, and what you should pay attention to. Follow the directions!
IELTS Listening test: The Facts
There are 4 section on the IELTS Listening test.
Section 1 – Conversation between 2 people about a general topic.
Section 2 – Monologue (1 person talking) about a general topic.
Section 3 – Conversation between 2 people about an academic topic.
Section 4 – Monologue about an academic topic.
In almost every test center, the Listening test is done first, before the Reading and Writing portions of the exam.
The Listening test takes about 40 minutes- 30 minutes of listening, and 10 minutes to transfer your answers.
On test day, listen to the person on the CD, and follow these steps:
1. You will be told to open your test booklet. But don’t look at the questions yet! Take a deep breath, and focus your attention on the woman/man’s voice coming from the CD.
2. Each section will be introduced by the woman/man on the CD. She/he will say something like: ‘You are going to hear two students, Steven and Maria, talking about a museum they went to recently. You now have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.’
a. Listen to that introduction. It tells you who is going to talk, and what they are going to talk about. This is important! It warms up your brain to the topic you will hear discussed. You know how students talk, and you know some vocabulary related to museums. So, your brain is accessing that information, and, consequently, better able to understand Steven and Maria when they start talking.
b. There is time to look at the questions before you listen. The person on the CD says ‘You now have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.’ Use this time well, because it is short. When the person tells you to do this, look at the questions she/he says, and only those questions. Be active. Underline key words and think about what kind of answer you will listen for, such as a name or a number.
3. The woman/man on the CD will then say ‘Listen to the conversation and answer questions 1 to 6.’ Listen and focus on the key words you underlined. Remember that the questions are answered in order in the dialogue or monologue. Write your answers directly in the test booklet, and not on the answer sheet.
4. In the middle and at the end of the conversation or lecture, the person on the CD will say ‘You now have some time to check your answers for questions 1 to 6.’ If you feel unsure about some of your answers, only check those you are unsure of for spelling, grammar and logic. If you feel confident in most of your answers, you may use this time to look ahead at the next group of questions. This will give you extra time to circle key words and predict answers.
5. At the end of all four sections, you will have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to a separate answer sheet. This is plenty of time. Do not try and go quickly. Just copy your answers carefully.
How can you be confident? Prepare!
All students who get a 7 or higher on the exam will tell you that preparation is key – not only learning the test strategies, steps, and doing test practice, but investing real time into improving overall listening skills. After all, if you don’t understand the English that you hear on the test, you won’t find the answers, no matter how many times you practice the test. Try and balance your time between general listening practice (podcasts, movies) and test practice. Good luck!
I’m Jessica Beck from IELTS Energy and All Ears English and today I will show you exactly what happens on the IELTS Listening test so that you can get the high score you need.