Recent IELTS Questions

IELTS Speaking test in Iran – January 2011

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 02:55 AM PST

IELTS Speaking questions below were shared by our kind friend N from Iran. Here is what she was asked:

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?- Can I see your ID?- Where are you from?- Tell me about your hometown.- What is it famous for?- Have you studied the history of your hometown at school?- Do like watching news on TV or reading it in newspapers?- Have you ever used Internet to read news?- Do you watch dancing programs? What kind of dancing do you like to watch and why?- Do you like to go to dancing classes?- Is it good for children to learn how to dance? Why?

Cue Card

Describe a gift you bought for someone. Please say:- What was it?- Who did you buy it for?- Why did you choose this gift?- And please say whether the person liked it or not, and why.

Discussion

- Was your gift expensive?- Is it important to you that your gifts are expensive?- Do you think the person you bought the gift for cares about its price?- Are gifts important?- In your country, when do you usually give gifts?- Is it hard for you to choose gifts for others?- What is easier for you: giving or receiving a gift? Why?- What do you think of shopping on the internet?

IELTS test in Vietnam – January 2011 (Academic Module)


The IELTS exam below was shared by our Vietnamese friend T, and here are the parts he remembered:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

Compare figures in two pie charts that described what students in Britain have been doing after graduation in 2008. The first one was about the decisions of students with B.A degree, the second was on the students with M.A degree.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that robots are getting increasingly important in our lives. However, others think robots are extremely dangerous. What is your opinion? Why?

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your name?- Where are you from?- Tell me about your hometown.- What is your hometown famous for?- What do you do for a living?- Tell me about your typical day.- Would you like to change it? Why?- What do you do in your free time?

Cue Card

Tell me something about a foreigner that you like the most. Please say:- Where did you meet that person?- Why did you like him/her?- What do you learn from him/ her?

Discussion

- Do you like making friends with foreigners? Why?- Is it easy to spot foreigners?- What do you think about immigration?- Why do you think people immigrate to other countries?- What are the advantages and disadvantages of immigration?

IELTS test in Qatar – January 2011 (General Training)


IELTS exam in Qatar was shared by V (thank you!) and here is what he remembered:

Listening test

Section 1. Phone conversation about fruit picking.Section 2. Two students and a lecturer were discussing an essay.Section 3. A play about murder and mystery.Section 4. Don’t remember.

Reading test

Passage 1. An article about turtles laying eggs.Passage 2-4. Don’t remember.

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (a letter)

Write a letter to a friend saying that you are moving to an English speaking country. Ask if he/she is interested in furniture that you want to give away and explain how to pick it up.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

When families have a meal together it is considered social activity. Do you think eating together is important to people in your country?

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your name?- Do you work or study?- Why do you like your job?- Is it easy to get a similar job in your country?- When did you visit a museum last time?- What books do children enjoy reading in your country?

Cue card

Describe a person that you admire the most in your family, please say- Who is he/she?- Why have you chosen this person as a role model?

IELTS Speaking test in Saudi Arabia – January 2011


IELTS speaking questions below were shared by J who recently had an exam in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking test

- What’s your full name?- How can I call you?- Are you studying or working?- Why did you choose your major?- What do you do in your free time?- Where did you spend the last holiday? Did you travel?- How do you usually spend your holidays?- Do you like spending holidays alone or with others? Why?- Did you recently visit a dancing concert?- Do you dance? What kind of dance you do? Why?- Do you watch dancing programs? What kind of dancing do you like to watch and why?

Cue Card

Describe a gift you bought for someone. Please say- What was it?- Who did you buy it for?- Why did you choose this gift?- And please say whether the person liked it or not, and why.

Discussion

- Are gifts important?- In your country, when do you usually give gifts?- What is easier for you: giving or reeving a gift? Why?

IELTS test in Canada – January 2011 (General Training)


Our friends from Canada shared the recent IELTS exam, and below is what we know. Unfortunately, no Listening or Reading topics were shared, only Writing and Speaking – but something is better than nothing, isn’t it :) ?

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (a letter)

You were invited to a British friends’ marriage, but you are unable to attend the wedding. Write a letter explaining- why you couldn’t attend it,- what is your plan to make it up to them- when you will meet instead.


Technological improvements reduce the role of Olympic Games in this 21st century. Do you agree or disagree, and why?

Speaking test

Interview- Please introduce yourself.- What do you do for a living?- Is this job important in your country?- Have you traveled on airplanes?- When was your last trip?- What are the benefits of air travel?- Do you think you are going to fly less or more in the next few years?

Cue CardDescribe a person you admire in your family. Please say- Who is this person?- Why do you admire him/her?- When did you last meet this person?

Discussion- Who makes decisions in your family?- Is it necessary to consider everybody’s opinion in you family?- Who makes decisions mostly in families in your country in general?- What is the importance of joined and nuclear family?- What will be the future family structure?- Why do people prefer nuclear families?

IELTS test in Caracas, Venezuela – January 2011 (Academic Module)


Our kind friend R (IELTS tutor from Venezuela), has sent us an update from a recent exam, as remembered by 2 of his students.

Listening test

Section 1. A man was calling a newspaper to to publish an advertisement.

Section 2. Two teachers were discussing with their supervisor the activities they had planned for students.

Section 3. A lecture about plants.

Section 4. Don’t remember.

Reading test

Passage 1. An article about child labor.

Passage 2. About the impact of climate on the wealth of countries.

Passage 3. About grammar and words.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We had a chart describing the evolution of the level of qualifications among UK workers from 1990 to 2010 (one line chart was showing 4 trends).


Some people think they should keep all the money they earn without paying taxes, others disagree. Discuss, what is your opinion?

Speaking test 1

Interview

- What is your full name?- Where do you live?- Is it a big city or a small town?- How long have you been living there?- What would you prefer: to attend a concert or to buy a CD of your favorite artist?

Cue card

Talk about the car you would choose if you could buy any car. Please say:- What car would you buy?- Why would you buy this particular car?

Discussion

Questions about public transport.

Speaking test 2

Interview

- What is your full name?- Where are you from?- May I see your Identification Card?- Where do you live?- What can you tell me about your hometown?- Tell me a little bit about the history of your hometown.

Cue Card

Tell me about a specific skill that you have learned. Please say- Why did you learn it?- How did you learn it?- Why do you find it useful?

Discussion

- Do you think children are better than adults at learning new skills?- Do you think we have to keep up with new skills?

IELTS Speaking test in Dublin, Ireland – January 2011

Posted: 31 Jan 2011 02:51 AM PST

The speaking questions below were shared by S and her friend (thank you!), who took the test in Dublin, Ireland.

Speaking Test 1

Interview

- What is your full name?- Can I see your ID?- What do you want me to call you?- Where are you from?- Tell me about your hometown.- What is it famous for?- Have you studied about the history of your hometown at school?- Do you like to meet people?- What are the common places where people prefer to meet?- What were the places where people liked to meet in the past?- Do you like to go to museums?- Did you like to visit museums when you were a child?- When did you visit a museum recently?- What kind of museums are there in your country?

Cue Card

Talk about a person who is very successful in his/her life. Please say- Who is that person?- How do you know him/her?- Why do you like that person?

Discussion

- What does success mean to you?- Why do people like to follow a successful person?- Why do parents pressure their children to gain success?- Does success means richness?- What is the difference between success, work load and leisure?

Speaking Test 2

Interview

- General introductory questions.- Do you like reading books?- What type of books do you read?

- Are you reading a book presently?- Would you like to write a book in the future?

Cue Card

Describe a situation when something in your house broke or stopped working. Please say- What was it?- What happened when it broke/stopped working?- How did you feel about it?

Discussion

- Why do you think people buy second-hand products?- Why do people sell second-hand goods and advertise them on the internet?- Do you think advertising fools people?

IELTS test in the UK – January 2011 (Academic Module)


Our kind friend M from the UK remembered some parts of her IELTS exam and shared the following:

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (a report)

We were given a table showing the percentage of sales and waste of food on every day of the week in a large supermarket. The task was to summarize the information provided and where possible compare and contrast data. The table had days of the week in the rows (Monday – Sunday) and the following in 3 columns: average sales of food (£), average waste (£), waste as percentage of sales (%).


Some people say that parents have the most important role in a child’s development. However, others argue that other things like television or friends have the most significant influence. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Speaking Test

Interview

- Where do you live?- Is it a nice place to visit?- Let’s talk about numbers: do any numbers hold particular meaning in your culture?- Do you think people should attach particular meaning to numbers?- Do you have any numbers that are special to you?- Between numbers and words, which do you remember easily?- What do you do to remember them easily?

Cue Card

Describe your ideal house. Please say- Where do you want the house to be?- What should it look like?- How many people should it accommodate?

Discussion

- Do you think people in cities are better off than those in rural areas, and why?- Do you think cities will grow bigger and bigger in coming years?- What problems are involved when cities grow bigger?- Is there something that can be done to restrict the growth of cities?

IELTS Speaking test in Karachi, Pakistan – January 2011


IELTS Speaking questions below were remembered and shared by our kind friend H. Enjoy!

Speaking test

Interview

- May I know your name, please?- Do you work or study?- Tell me about your job.- Do you like to give books as a present?- Do you think your selection of books has changed since you grown up?- What kind of books do you prefer to give as presents to different age groups?- Do you want to write your own book in the future?- Why do you want to write a book?

Cue Card

Talk about your family, please include in your speech the following points

- Name a family member whom you admire.- When did you meet him/her last time?- How often do you meet him / her?- Why do you admire him/her?

Discussion

- Are you familiar with problems of large or small families?- Do you like a large or a small family?- Will it be necessary for women of the family to work in the future?- What are the benefits of living in large families?

IELTS test in Australia – January 2011 (General Training)


IELTS exam in Australia was shared by P (thank you!) who recalls the following:

Listening test

Section 1. A description of different types of accommodation and the cost for 4 nights.Section 2. About sports.Section 3. Study about the effect of music in restaurants, such as playing jazz, classic, pop or no music.Section 4. About salt and its usage in Swedish dishes.

Reading test

Passage 1. Bike riding: how long will most cyclists ride the bike? Who will support the cyclists on the way? What will be the prize for wearing the craziest costume?Passage 2. About job vacancies.Passage 3. About nursing jobs.Passage 4. Different types of calculators, such as clock calculator, Abacus calculator and modern calculator. History of calculators’ development.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

Your English speaking friend is moving to your neighborhood with his/her children and wants some information about the local school.Write a letter to him/her, in your letter- Explain about the school and its facilities.- Give your opinion about the school.- Explain why his/her children will enjoy this school.


Many people complain about stress at work. How can employers reduce the stress and what can do employees themselves to solve this problem?

Speaking test

Interview

- Please tell me your full name.- Where is your hometown?- What types of accommodation are there for tourists?- What changes can be made to improve the accommodation?- Do you prefer to read news in newspapers or to watch them on TV?- Do you read news on the internet?

- Do you think about writing a book one day?

Cue card

Describe a hotel you stayed in or know about. Please say:

- What is it’s name?- Where is it?- What does it look like?- Explain why people like to stay there.

Discussion

- Have you ever stayed in hotels?- Do you think hotels attract tourists in your country?- What is the impact of tourism on economic condition of your country?

Ielts test in Islamabad, Pakistan – January 2011(Academic Module)


IELTS exam in Pakistan was shared by A who remembered this much:

Listening test

Section 1. A conversation between a company representative and a customer about fridge repairs.

Section 2. Tracing a location on a diagram.

Section 3. A group of college students and a teacher were talking about starting a project. They were interviewing, preparing a questionnaire and selecting a project topic.

Section 4. A lecture on extreme sports in the 21st century.

Reading test

Passage 1. An article about different stages of origination of plants, their medicinal use and herbal benefits, and different botanical discoveries in the field of pharmacology.

Passage 2. About various studies conducted to compare and contrast the presence of intensity and taste in music between animals and human beings, and the relationship of music and language.

Passage 3. New ways of bringing ice water from Antarctica to Australia at minimum fuel and transportation costs.

Writing test


We were given a table showing the percentage of PhD lecturers / inspectors after course completion and students getting employment within six months after graduation from three colleges. The task was to summarize the information provided and where possible to compare and contrast the data.


Overcrowding has been increasing in cities and states. What are the reasons and remedies needed to avoid it?

IELTS test in Israel – January 2011(Academic Module)


IELTS exam was shared by S from Israel, who remembered the following details:

Writing test


We were given a pie chart which shows the employment percentages of business school graduates in the year 2004 (retail 3%, marketing 4%, other 14%, etc). In addition there was a table that showed how much money each sector’s employees earned in 2004 and next to it data of what percentage had their salaries increased / decreased since 2003 (0.2+, 5+, 8+, 0, -5, -2, -1).


Natural resources such as fresh water, oil and forests are disappearing from Earth. Why is this happening? Is that dangerous? Suggest a solution for this problem. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Speaking test

- Can I see your ID or passport?- Can you tell me your full name?- Do you live in a small town or a city?- Where do you live, in a house or an apartment?- What can a visitor do in your city?

Cue card

Talk about a person you would choose to travel with. Please say:- Where would you travel?- Why did you choose this person?- Tell me about the person’s character and qualities.

Discussion

- What qualities does a person need to be a good traveling companion?- Would you prefer traveling alone or with someone? Why?

and then we ran out of time.

Documents

Recent IELTS Questions