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Recent IELTS exams

Real students tell about their recent IELTS exams: IELTS questions, topics, tasks, answers.

IELTS test in Vietnam – January 2010 (Academic Module)

IELTS in Vietnam was described by our kind friend T., whom we thank for the following information:

Listening test

Section 1: Don’t remember the topic, but there was a form to fill.
Section 2: A map about Eco-friendly campus.
Section 3: Evaluation of students relating to the English module.
Section 4: A research into cultural heritage.

Reading test

Section 1: Taking risks.

Section 2: Preservation of nature (how to use science to increase the number of birds in extinct species).
Questions: Information matching (match headings to paragraphs).

Section 3: Don’t remember.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)
There were two charts about the reasons why people choose to leave or stay in the UK.

Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some people say that charity organizations are established to aid people in the greatest need, no matter where they live. However, some may argue that they should support their own country first. Discuss and state your opinion.

Speaking test

Interview
– Can you tell me your name? Your ID?
– Are you a student or working? What’s your major?
– Let’s talk about clothes and fashion. Do you like shopping?
– What do you think about the fashion nowadays in your country?

Cue card
Describe something that you made yourself, you should say:
– what was it,
– how you made it,
– when you made it,
– why you made it yourself.

Discussion
– Talk about factory-made products and handmade products.
– What do you think about mass production in your country?
– Does mass production have any effect on the industry?
– Does globalization influence mass production?

IELTS test in the USA – January 2010 (Academic Module)

IELTS exam in the USA was described by R. (thank you, our kind friend!), who remembered it all and made this update possible, for the sake of all IELTS test-takers out there:

Listening test

Section 1: Conversation between two people regarding online shopping.

Questions: filling in the blanks, multiple choice questions.

Section 2: Radio Announcement regarding an upcoming festival.

Questions: filling in the blanks in a table.

Section 3: Lecture/Report regarding the results of a research.

Questions: multiple choice, filling in the banks.

Section 4: Don’t remember.

Reading test

Passage 1: About glass-making.

Questions: Information matching (match which paragraph contains the topic item), filling in the diagram, True/False/Not Given.

Passage 2: Studies about dreams.

Questions: information matching (match the person/persons to their contribution/statements), multiple choice questions.

Passage 3: Underwater Archeology.

Questions: multiple choice, filling in the blanks/summary.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)
We had 4 line graphs: amount of nitrogen oxide emitted of 4 different vehicles in relation to speed.

Writing task 2 (an essay)
Museums and Galleries are no longer needed because historical objects and works of art can now be seen using a computer. To what extent do you agree / disagree?

Speaking test

Interview
– What’s your name?
– How shall I call you?
– Where are you from?
– Can you tell me something about the place you came from?
– Did your family ever moved away from the place you were born? Why?
– Talk about activities that you and your family enjoy doing.
– Where do people nowadays go to for leisure time?
– What kind of types of outdoor activities are there?

Cue Card
Talks about a park/garden you’ve been to, you should say:
– what it looks like,
– what you can do there,
– what people you would go with there with.

Discussion
I had various and random questions. Sometimes they were connected to the previous ones, and then the examiner would change the subject. Generally, the topics we talked about were about gardens, leisure time environmental changes, government roles, cooking, etc. I listed few of the questions that I can remember:

– Is it important to have gardens/green spaces in the city?
– Do you think it’s important for the government to do something about the environmental changes happening today? Why?
– Do you think people have a role in the climate change today? Why?
– How do you think cities affect the areas surrounding them?
– Do you like cooking?
– Do you see yourself cooking more or less in the future?