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Recent IELTS exams

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

IELTS in Australia – November 2009 (General Training)

I have to interrupt the sequence of IELTS tips we were so lucky to get from Debashis, our Band 9 achiever, to update you on the latest IELTS topics people are sharing with me. All credits for today’s report go to S. from Australia, who remembered this much about her exam:

Listening Test

The only thing S. remembered was many questions of “fill in the blanks” type, using one – three words, and a few of multiple choice questions.

Reading Test

Passage 1: A tour package.

Passage 2: Medical policy for university students.

Passage 3: Studies about differences between men & women throughout history.

Questions: Filling in the gaps (one,two or three words), Multiple choices (a,b or c), Matching headings to paragraphs.

Writing Test

Writing task 1 (a letter)
Write a letter to the head of the department of education to show your appreciation of a course you attended. In you letter
– explain about the course,
– how have the course benefited you in your life/work.

Writing task 2 (an essay)
Machines have taken over domestic jobs that used to be done by hand. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? Give examples from your own experience.

strong>Speaking Test

Interview
– What is your name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where do you live?
– Why did you choose to live there?

Cue Card
Talk about the climate in your country, you should say:
– How hot or cold is the climate?
– How much rain do you get?

Discussion
– Do you think your friends will like the weather here, in Australia?
– Compare the Australian weather to the one of your home country.
– What kind of weather do you like and why?
– How do you think weather affects economy?

IELTS Speaking questions from Italy and Mongolia – October 2009

People who had IELTS exams in Italy and Mongolia share their questions for everybody to enjoy. Thanks to C. and M., here is what they were asked:

Speaking test in Italy

Interview
– What’s your name?
– What do you do? Work or study?
– Why have you chosen your work?
– What are the good things about your work?

Cue card
Talk about an important decision that you had to make that involved other people. You should say:
– What type of decision was it?
– Who were the other people?
– Why was it important?

Discussion
– Do you think that music is important during school period?
– What’s the most popular instrument chosen by children?
– Do you play some instrument? What kind of instrument?
– Are team sports important for child? Why?
– Is group activity important at work? Why?
– Do you think that competition can affect workplace?
– Do you see any difference between men and women regarding competition at work?

Speaking test in Mongolia

Interview
– What is your full name?
– Do you work or study?
– Why did you choose that job?
– Do you like shopping?
– What kind of things do you not like to buy?
– Do you prefer to shop in big supermarkets or in small ones?
– Do you like to travel? Why?
– Which country did you like the most? Why?

Cue card
Talk about a traffic jam you got in, you should say:
– How and where it happened?
– How long did you stay in it?
– How did it make you feel?

Discussion
I was asked some general questions regarding problems with traffic jams.
– Should governments be responsible for solving this problem?
– Should individuals be involved in this?
– Is public transportation necessary? Why?