Skip to content

Recent IELTS exams

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

IELTS exam in Brazil – April 2009 (Academic Module)

This update came from Brazil, where M just had her IELTS exam. She shares the questions and topics while they are still fresh in her memory:

Listening test

Section 1: A guy was trying to buy a Barbecue. The sales woman explained to him the models, advantages, disadvantages and prices.
Section 2: Specific characteristics of a Barbecue that the man had chosen and complements he should buy.
Section 3: Students gathering information about a project he needs to work on.
Section 4: The history of the development of bicycles.

Reading test

Passage 1: Text about “Pearls – a jewel from the sea”. There were 2 pages and 6 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”. The questions were to match main ideas of some paragraphs to statements and about the research data.

Passage 3: “Foreign Language – How it is managed in the business environment”. It was the most difficult one in my opinion because it asked for to many details on the last part of Reading . We had to complete a long paragraph with words given, to identify the main idea of the text and to complete sentences with words from the original text.

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
The examiner asked me:
– My full name
– Whether I work or study.
– Which tools am I using to study?
– Where is the closest swimming pool to my house.
– Do people in my country like to swim? Why?

Cue card
A stage in my life I liked the most.
– When was it
– Where I was living
– Why it was important

Discussion
– Talk about marriage. What are special stages in my country. Why do I think they are important?
– If there was a particular stage or age at which people are considered adults in my country. What do I think about it.

IELTS exam in Taipei, Taiwan – April 2009 (Academic Module)

Thanks to C who took Academic IELTS exam in Taiwan we know this much about the topics and the questions:

Listening test

Note: this is no mistake, the Listening is the same as in Australia.

Section 1 – a girl was looking for a part-time job.
Section 2 – a student-tutor conversation.
Section 3 – it was about a museum (with multiple choice questions A,B,C)
Section 4 – about graduates and employees, can’t remember exactly, but wasn’t hard at all.

Reading test

Passage 1 – a water extraction system used on an island, Stavo, in the Mediterrean, the questions were of “true or false” kind.

Passage 2 – about medical science, very difficult, even though the title was easy “Follow Your Nose”. I just know the word, hippocampus, a part of our brain, used for short term memory. The passage describes the nose function that associated with the brain, and quotes several experts’ researches.The questions were T/F/NG and multiple choice.

Passage 3 – about astronomy, also very difficult. It mentioned the orbits of gas, dust, and planets(Jupiter, Mars, etc.) I know the planets, but it didn’t help me. There were too many professional words. Ridiculous! The questions were T/F/N G and multiple choice.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (report)
We had a bar chart “Rates of Adult Literacy by Region”. There also was a comparison of males and females in these regions (Latin America, Arab states, Central Asia, etc.), average percentage of the world.

Writing task 2 (essay)
There are many products, but only some of them meet the people’s need. Even without advertising, they will sell well. What is your opinion?

Speaking test

Interview
– Please tell me your Chinese full name.
– What’s your occupation?

Cue card
– What’s your favorite part of your town?
– Where is it located?
– What do you do there?

Follow up questions
– Would you describe your home town?
– Which part do you think is most important?