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Recent IELTS exams

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

Update from an Academic IELTS exam, Vietnam

This is what our friend P from Vietnam had to say about a recent Academic IELTS exam.
IELTS test in Vietnam
“Oh my God, it was terrible!

Listening test

The listening test was quite easy, but I didn’t do well because I couldn’t concentrate.
Section 1. Don’t remember.
Section 2. About diving.
Section 3. About a man asking about a course in zoology.
Section 4. About a particular perfume.

Most of the questions were filling in the blanks except in part 4 where all the questions were multiple choice. However, part 4 was not easy. I lost concentrate from the very beginning, and it was a disaster (maybe because I have been sick).

Reading test

Reading test was even more difficult (in my opinion). The articles were simple, but the questions were not so simple. I could only do well in Passage 1.

Passage 2 I couldn’t understand. It pointed out some views of scientists. I was very keen on reading the whole passage, but I still didn’t understand. I wasted a lot of time on this.

Passage 3 was about English as an international language. I could understand this article, so I think I did the matching of the headings well. But in the matching task and summary completion I couldn’t do well (maybe because of lack of time).

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (a report)

We were given 2 bar charts, both had the same subject (the number of students studying each subject in a specific school), just different years (1990 and 2005). So I had no difficulty to combine, compare and contrast the information from the two charts.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Some poor students and students from rural areas find it difficult to get access to the university education. For that reason universities should make it especially easy for people from these backgrounds. In what extent do you agree or disagree?

Speaking test

Well, I hope I will be fine in speaking test. The examiner was very kind, she asked all the easy questions since I told her that I didn’t do well in the test.

However, I spoke pretty fast. If I’d slowed down, I would have paid attention to pronunciation. That is my weakness, I think. I made a lot of mistakes in grammar, but it seems the examiner understood what I said.

I am afraid that there is no certain topic for each test. There were 4 examiners in the speaking rooms, so obviously, each person would have a different topic. My topic was about education (pretty easy). My friends had topics about fashion and remarkable memories.”

Update from a General IELTS exam, Malaysia

Thanks to Sharon from Malaysia for telling us about her General Training IELTS exam.

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (a letter)

Write a letter to apply for a part time job in a new international company. You have heard about the position from someone in your neighborhood.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

The topic was about the zoos in the 21st century – do we agree or disagree that animals should be kept in the men-made cells.

Speaking test

I think I didn’t do very well. The questions were not what I expected.

Interview

Questions about shopping and names in my culture.

Cue Card

Describe a place that you have visited, where there was plenty of water.

Discussion

The rest of the questions were all about water. I didn’t do well at talking about names and water.