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Recent IELTS exams

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

IELTS exam in Ireland – April 2009 (General Training)

This report came from Ireland where J had an IELTS exam and was very depressed and disappointed with it. Here are the topics and the questions:

Listening test

Section 1: Online shopping
Section 2: Information about a new library.
Section 3: Advantages and disadvantages of SUV (sport utility vehicles)
Section 4: Exporting fruit from Indonesia (this section was quite difficult, I could not get any question right and normally I score 7 or higher in the Listening test).

Reading test
Passage 1: About different library services provided to students, the questions were of matching information type.
Passage 2: About various means of public transportation in London, the questions: gap-filling.
Passage 3: About the history of pen, questions: matching and T/F/NG
Passage 4: About different driving directions to college, including motorway and national roads, the questions: matching and T/F/NG.

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (letter)
You should write a letter to your friend who is coming to stay in your home while you are away for holidays. In that letter:
– give necessary instructions
– explain where he or she can get help if there is a problem.

Writing Task 2 (essay)
People should change their job at least once in their life time instead having just one, do you agree or disagree. (I saw this topic in a practice book before I went for the test, sadly, I forgot everything. What a day.)

Speaking test

In the interview there were some questions about a bicycle.

Cue card
Describe an item you would like to buy, you should say:
– What does it look like?
– How long have this purchase been planned?

Discussion
The questions were about advertisement on TV, what are its positive and negative features.
From business’ or consumer’s point of view, what will they do in future about advertising?

IELTS exam in Toronto, Canada – April 2009 (Academic Module)

Here are some topics and questions from IELTS exam in Canada – thanks to V, who managed to remember quite a bit!

Listening test

Section 1: A man was trying to decide whether it was better to buy a gas or charcoal Barbecue. The sales woman described to him the models, prices and main features. They asked to complete some information from a table with three columns: name of the model, price and main features.

Section 2: There was a map with names of places and streets and a list of names of places and streets. They asked to relate each name to a letter from the map.

Section 3: Two students were asking a friend about a project that she has done before (they both need to do the same project). She explained some details about the project and gave them recommendations about what to study and which are the bests books to study with (there was a list with books and authors names and we were asked to complete some information).

Section 4: The history of the development of bicycles. There was a table with the type of bicycle, features and advantages and disadvantages They asked to complete information in the table.

Reading test

Passage 1: Text about “Pearls – a jewel from the sea”. There were 2 pages and 8 paragraphs, the questions were to match main idea of each paragraph to a statement, or to complete sentences with words given.

Passage 2: “The development of emotions in babies and capacity to understand the emotions of adults”. The questions were to match main ideas of some paragraphs to statements and about the research data.
The text described three different studies made by three researchers that suggest that since the babies are born they show their emotions and they understand adults emotions.

Passage 3: “Ways that multinationals manage the Linguistics problems that they have when they have offices in countries that speak a different language. The text described some ways of dealing with that problem and some advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (report)
A table with 4 different types of housing in 3 residential areas, the information was provided in percentages.

Writing Task 2 (essay)
People say that watching television is bad for children. What do you think? Develop both arguments, positive and negative, and give your opinion.

Speaking test

Interview
– What is your name?
– Describe the city where you live.
– Do you like to be informed of the daily news?
– How do you know the news?
– Do you consider being informed of the news important? Why?
– Who do you think watch or read more news: teenagers or older people? Why?
– Why do you think that (teenagers/older people) watch or read more news?

Cue card
Tell me about a work of art that you like.
– Describe it.
– Where did you see it?
– What do you feel when you saw it?
– What do you know about it?

Discussion
– What kind of art is popular in your country? Why?
– Why do you think it is popular ?
– Do the people visit museums in your country?
– Do you think that cardboard and signposts are a form of art? Why?
– What aspects must to observe a person watching a work of art?