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IELTS test in the UAE – November 2014 (Academic Module)

IELTS test in the UAE – November 2014 (Academic Module)

An IELTS test taker from the UAE (thanks, A!) remembered the following questions from a recent IELTS exam:

Listening testIELTS test in the UAE

Section 1. About an international art exhibition.

Section 2. About a travel through parts of Russia, China and Mongolia by train.

Section 3. Information about different courses at the university.

Section 4. A lecture about vitamins in fruits. There was also a comparison between fruits grown in the USA, Kenya, Indonesia, New Zealand and their vitamin content.

Reading test

Passage 1. About the history of malaria in Italy.

Passage 2. Comparison of fruits and vegetables in Africa and Europe.

Passage 3. Comparison of animals in Australia and Africa.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a line graph showing four categories of car owners in the UK. The graph showed people owning one, two, three and four cars respectively between 1975 and 2005.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people say that advanced technology can prevent most crimes. Do you agree or disagree?

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 lot of friends?
– Do you prefer few or many friends?
– Do you have a lot of shoes?
– Do you like comfortable or fashionable shoes? Why?
– What shoes do you wear to work?
– How often do you buy shoes?

Cue Card

Describe a mobile device or a tablet that is important in your life. Please say

– What is it?
– When did you buy it?
– How often do you use it?

Discussion

– Why do you think it’s so useful?
– How does technology affect people?
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology on a personal level?

Onaburekhan got Band 8.5 without reading any IELTS books, here’s how

Today we’re bringing you the story of Onaburekhan, a 33 year-old man from Nigeria who took the IELTS test to become a pharmacist in the UK. Not only did he get a truly remarkable score and won in our monthly IELTS results competition, but also achieved it without studying any IELTS books while preparing for the exam. Here is how Onaburekhan did it, in his own words:

Band 9 in IELTS“I never imagined in a million years that I would achieve this result, it just happened. I actually thought I was doomed after I finished the test because I found it quite difficult. I am in the military and I haven’t really done anything academic for over 3 years, and I wanted to use this test to gauge myself academically and find out how much I have gained or lost.

I only started revising for the test about 2 weeks beforehand because I was busy with work. I needed a Band 7 in all the 4 elements in a single sitting to apply for a Pharmacy conversion programme (OSPAP) here in the UK. I didn’t study any books, I used www.IELTS-Blog.com, to understand the structure of the test and what to do to get the right band scores. I think it helped that I already have a research-based MSc from a UK university because I did quite a lot of writing to achieve a good MSc grade. It also helped that I am more of a BBC and Channel 4 news kind of person, these programmes have helped boost my understanding of English and speaking.

I would advise IELTS candidates to improve their Speaking and Listening skills by watching the BBC News coverage from around the world. They can also improve their Writing and Reading skills by engaging in loads of practise prior to the test. To be honest, I didn’t really practise reading and writing because I have been subconsciously doing so all through my studying and working career as a Pharmacist in my home country. Candidates who do not have English as a first language would definitely need lots of practise if they are aiming for a high score in IELTS.

IELTS-Blog.com should be the first point of call for resources that would help boost a candidate’s IELTS score. I used it and it helped me achieve what I need in the first attempt, and I strongly recommend that candidates should follow the guidance written there in order to get the Band they need.”