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January 2009

IELTS exam in Saudi Arabia – January 2009 (Academic Module)

M. from Saudi Arabia sent me this update after his Academic IELTS exam and he remembers a lot! This is probably because he wrote down the topics right after the exam.

Reading test

Passage 1 – about Alfred Nobel.
Passage 2 – modern and traditional construction materials (too long).
Passage 3 – babies, are they born with knowledge or they acquire it ? (too long and difficult).

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (report)
Bar chart with 3 bars representing the unemployment percentage for
1 – all workers,
2 – manual workers,
3 – professional workers
in the European Union in the period between 1900 and 2002.

Writing task 2 (essay)
Depending on machines for hard physical work is replacing the human role. State the advantages and disadvantages.

Speaking test

Interview
What is your full name?
Tell me about your city.
Do you like going to parties?
What kind of parties?
Is it popular with young or old people?

Cue Card

Tell me about your best friend, you should say:
– How and when you met him/her?
– What does he/she look like?
– What do you do together?
– Why you like him/her?

Discussion
I was asked questions about other type of relationships.
What do you think about relationships at work?
Work places need good relationships among workers?
Do international events help to ease tension between nations or not?

IELTS exam in Israel – January 2009 (General Training)

S. from Israel has kindly sent this update, here are the topics from his General Training IELTS exam:

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (letter)
Write a letter to the local planning committee. A new swimming pool is about to be built in your town, the local planning committee wants all residents to let them know where to place the pool in the centre of town or just outside the town.

Write a letter describing the importance of the pool, the location you prefer and why, explain why the other location isnt suitable. This is not the exact wording, but you get the general idea.

Writing Task 2 (essay)
Clothes these days play an important part in our lives. Write down what is your opinion about this and its influence on the individuals and society.

Speaking test

Interview
There were many questions about music.
-What is your favorite kind?
-Do you listen to it a lot and why?

Cue Card
Describe a good law in your country, you should say
– What is the law
– Why is it good
– Who does it affect

Discussion
The questions were about the police, police officers, what is the common opinion of the police and its officers, what does it take to be a good police officer.