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Recent IELTS exams

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

IELTS exam in Japan – March 2009 (General Training)

This update came from Japan where Y recently took her General Training IELTS exam.

I think that Japanese students should really pay attention to it, because Y had a problem during the exam and it could happen to anybody, who uses the materials from British Council Japan to prepare for IELTS. Here it is:

I don`t remember the topics in the Listening and the Reading, but the questions were 100 times more difficult that when I was practicing. I bought a book from British Council in Japan, so I was practicing in reading and listening doing exercises from that book. It was really easy and I felt comfortable, but in the exam the questions were nothing like the book. I got so stressed on the day of exam, because suddenly questions weren’t familiar at all!

Writing test

Writing task 1 (letter)
An international company is offering a temporary job for work experience, write a letter to apply for that job. You need to explain
-where did you find this information
-why you want to apply this job
-what qualification you have
-what position you want to apply

Writing task 2 (essay)
Young people are spending too much time watching TV. What do you think of it and how do you think this problem could be solved.

Speaking test

Interview
The examiner started with ordinary questions like
– What is your full name?
– What do you do? Study or working?

I said I was working so the examiner asked
– What kind of job do you do?
– Is it an easy job or a hard job for you?
– If a visitor is visiting your house what do you prepare for them?

Then there were questions about gifts
– When do you usually give someone gifts?
– Do you like choosing gifts?

Cue card
The 2-minute topic was about weather and seasons.
What is your favorite season? Why?

I was taking well but lost the idea what to say, so examiner asked couple of questions. He probably knew I can speak well but got confused, so he asked “What do you think about a seasonable job or about weather”. I felt he gave me another chance to speak.

Thank you Y for this update and we all hope you get a good score.

IELTS exam in Mexico – March 2009 (Academic Module)

This report is from Mexico where M recently took his Academic IELTS exam. Here’s what M. remembers:

Listening test

Section 1 was a conversation about some courses that Emma, a young girl, was going to take.
Section 2 was about recycling.
Section 4 was about a library.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (report)
There was a line graph, which showed the numbers of mobile phones on market by 3 different firms, Nokia, Motorola and Sony, in a period of 10 years (from 1994 to 2004).

Writing task 2 (essay)
The topic was about reasons why people have children older, why is this happening and what are the possible consequences of that for the family and the society.

Speaking test

Interview
First I had to talk about my self, then I was asked to describe my home (the examiner asked “do you live in a flat or a home?”, after that I was told to describe it) .

Cue Card
Describe a picture that you like, you should say
– Who is on the picture?
– When was it taken?
– What was happening?

Discussion
We talked about art, whether I like art or not. I was asked about my opinion of art in my country, what was my favorite art and why.

Update: I was just notified that IELTS exam in Canada was the same.