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Recent IELTS exams

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

IELTS exam in Nigeria – January 2009 (Academic Module)

This update came from Y, a Nigerian student who recently had an Academic IELTS exam. Thanks, Y!

Listening test

The listening test was not what I had prepared for, I was expecting a one on one with head phones and a system, but it was a general sound system for everyone. It went well, because I had really practiced the listening. The only bad thing happened towards the end, when I lost track of the recording and after the exams I realized that other people were affected by this too. I was wondering if it was a tactic used in the test. I still got Band 7.

Reading test

Reading was good, we had 3 reading exercises. The 3rd was more difficult as usual, so I started with the 3rd. The passage was about the English language evolution. For Reading I got band 6.5.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (report)
The 1st part was about numbers of students enrolled in a school within a specific time; male ,female, day and evening students.

I did the 2nd part which carries more mark first, so I had enough time. In the first part I made a mistake which I was quick to correct, but it meant that I had to rewrite my report on this section. By so doing I lost some time and had to finish in a rush. I think student should be very careful when they are given figures in thousands with the zeros only written in ( ). Imagine where you were suppose to write 243,000 and it was formally written as 243. This was where I made a mistake and had to cancel and rewrite my report. My score was Band 6.

Speaking test

Thanks for the info about the dress code, I was semi-formally dressed. I had a nice time, being very prepared thanks to your site. My interviewer was just nodding and kept saying: “Go on”. I got band 7.5 and my total score is Band 7 as you would have guessed by now, though I was expecting Band 8 or 8.5. Thanks for all your help!

The questions were about

– Advertisement,
– To describe something I would love to have
– My job
– My opinion about shopping
– Whether the youth shop more than the older generation
– Cycling and whether I ride a bicycle
– What things I use for my job

IELTS exam in Egypt – January 2009 (Academic Module)

Tara is sharing her IELTS experience of the Academic module in Egypt. Amazingly, she even managed to remember the table in Writing task 1! Many thanks to Tara, and here is the update:

Reading test
The reading test was very hard, not only for me but also for the other candidates.

Writing test

Writing task 1(report)
The table below shows the amount of waste produced in the period between 1980 and 2000 in six different countries.
IELTS Academic writing task 1 table
Table indicates the amounts of waste per year (in millions of tonnes)

Write a report in which you describe this table.

Notice:
1) * means unavailable data ( this note has been written in the test paper )
2) Names of countries are correct, but the numbers are not exact, yet very close to the exam and show the same trends.

Writing task 2 (essay)
Some people argue that hard work and determination are the most important factors in success, others see that there are other factors that are more significant. discuss both views and give your opinion.

Speaking test

Interview
– Where are you from?
– How so you enjoy your life in your home town?
– What about the tourists who come to your country?
– What preparations do you go through when visitors come to your home?
– Are sports popular in your country?
– Where can people swim in your home town?

Cue card
Describe a sports event that you watched or took part in.

Discussion
– What are the advantages of sports in schools?
– What are the pros and cons of giving rewards for students in class?
– What are your suggestions for countries to cooperate?