IELTS stand for

International English Language Testing System

In this test, all they do is to check your proficiency ( how good you are in
english)
It has been created by cambridge university a long time ago, that’s why
its is 80% british and 20%us.

There are two types of IELTS, ACADEMIC and GENERAL training.

If you’ve planned to work abroad go for GENERAL training, and
For study purpose, go for ACADEMIC training.
Exam can be computer based or paper based, it’s up to candidats to
make their choice but i recommand all my students to go for paper
based.

In IELTS, there is nothing like marks, we instead have bands.

Bands is the name of a scoring system created by IELTS cambridge,
where you score from 1 to 9.
9 is the highest and 1 the lowest. There is nothing like 0( zero), 0 is when
you did not go or appeared for the exam.

LISTENING

IT’s the first module tested in the exam

Listening has 4 sections , each section has 10questions and there is a
variety of question types. For some types you need to write words or
numbers that you hear.

p. 1
 It can be
- forms/note/ flowchart/ table/ summary completion
- Short answer questions
- Sentence completion

For other task you need to choose and option from a list and write a
letter on your answersheet.
It can be
- labeling a diagram/plan/map
- Matching
- Multiple choice

The first 2 sections are the easiest part of the listening take
note of that, that’s why it’s a must for you to have all the
answer correct there.

Section1 ( social) two speakers

Section2 ( social) one speaker
Section3 ( academic) three /four speakers
Section4 (acadenic) one speaker

Listening module is 30 minutes of audio and 10 minutes to

transfer answers in to the answers sheet

TIPS TO ANSWER EACH TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Multiple Choice questions

While listening to the audio recording there will be a section for listening
multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice questions are of two types

 Multiple choice questions with one answer.

 Multiple choice question with two or more answers

p. 2
 There are questions that have one or more answers, for those type of
questions, you would have to listen keenly to identify all the answers
from the options given. There are a few things you would have to keep in
mind while you're answering multiple-choice questions :

 You will hear all the options that are given to you in the question. You
would have to listen to the audio and interpret the answer from what is
asked in the question.
 Sometimes, the answer options might be of the same kind to confuse
you. For instance, it might all be in the form of dates ( 15 November, 17
November or 18 November). You would have to read the question and
choose the correct answer.
 The words used in the question might not be the exact words that you
hear in the audio recording. So, you'd have to pay attention to synonyms
and how the words are paraphrased.
 The information provided in the audio recording might not be in the same
order as the questions asked, so in order to answer the questions
correctly, you should have read the questions beforehand to be aware of
what is being asked.
 There would be a lot of distractors in the audio recording. There would
be a lot of similar kind of information. Sometimes, the speaker might give
us any information and then change it which might be the correct
answer. So, do not rush and write down the answer as soon as you hear
it.

Map Labeling questions

For these types of questions, you would be provided with a map and you
would have to label the places on the map. There are two types of
questions:

1. A list of words might be given to you and you'd have to listen to the
recording and choose the correct word that fits the blank on the
map.
2. There won't be a list, you would just listen to the audio and identify
the place on the map.
There are a few things you would have to keep in mind while you're
answering Map Labelling questions :

p. 3
 There would be directions to a place or some kind of tour.
 Read the instructions before you begin, so that you'll know the word limit
of the blanks.
 Description of the location - listen to words that best describes the
location given. For example, below the park, next to the supermarket,
etc.
 Look at the question numbers - Look at the question numbers and
identify the flow of the map. That would help you listen to what's coming
next.
 The audio recording would provide you with an understanding of where
you are or where you have to begin. Pay attention to it at the beginning
of the recording. Also, listen to nearby places and clues to help find the
answers.

Sentence Completion/Note completion/ Table completion/Diagram

completion questions

In some of the questions, there will be a gap left in between and the
examiner asks you to fill that gap. In order to guess the word correctly,
you must have solid grammar skills. There are a few things you would
have to keep in mind while you're answering IELTS Listening sentence
completion questions:

 Read the question before you start in order to understand what you
should be listening for.
 Try to guess what would come in the blank. It could be a place, a
number, year, name or even a specific range of information (such as
seasons, climatic conditions)
 The words in the question need not necessarily be the same words you
hear in the audio recordings, learn to tune yourself to synonyms of the
words in the question.
 Though the questions might be phrased differently from the recordings,
the answers should be the exact words you hear in the audio.
 Remember to check the word count, spelling and grammar before you
transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
Match questions

p. 4
 These questions are not as common as the other question types but they
do occur in the Listening section. These questions have a list of
statements that you'd have to match with the options provided. Mostly it
would be names, places, or dates. There are a few things you would
have to keep in mind while you're answering IELTS Listening Matching
questions

 Look at the statements and listen keenly to the kind of information that
has been provided as options. (i.e.) if the options are dates, listen keenly
to all the dates in the audio.
 By the side, write down all the information linked to that particular option,
it would make it easier for you to find the answer.

PREPARATION TIPS

 The recording will be played only once during your IELTS test. You will
not hear it twice thus you must practice answering the questions by
completing a full listening test.
 You will be given a minute before each section to read your questions
before the examiner plays the recording. Make sure you read the
questions and are aware of the detail you need to listen to in order to
write the answer.
 Read the instructions carefully - Read the instructions given about the
questions, to know what to fill in the blank spaces provided. If the
instruction says 'a number', your answer would be a number.
o A date/number is considered one word.
o A hyphenated word would be one word
o A compound noun that isn't hyphenated is considered to be two words.
 SPELLINGS! - Spellings are as important as the correct answers. It
might be hard to focus on both - getting the answers right and the
spellings. So, focus on the spellings only when you transfer the answers
to the listening answer sheet.
 Be prepared for long gaps between answers or 3 to 4 answers to come
one after the other.
 Exam takers often miss out the plural words which will lead to wrong
answers. Please be attentive and recognize the plural words.
 There are high chances of twists and turns in the audio (i.e.) there might
be a change in the information you're looking for as the recording goes
on, listen keenly to spot the right answer.

p. 5
 Do not lose FOCUS! Listening to audios keenly for 30 minutes might be
tedious but do not lose focus as you might miss out on the most
important information.

DO NOT FORGET
- Make sure your answers are well spell

- Don’t let your knowledge of the real world confuse you ( if you
hear A please write A)

- Becareful *oh*, *zero*, *nought*, *null*= 0 , double1=11 ,

triple/treble4=444

- Under sentence completion task, we have to choose a word,

words or a number to make a gramatically correct sentences.

- If you miss an answer, move quickly to the next

- If you find labeling difficult take time to revise preposition like (

infront, behind, next to…….)

- Always look at the instruction to know how many words you

have to write and remember you have to write gramatically
correct sentences

- Under rows and columns please take note of the first row and
the first column, it will easily help you get the answer

- Speed reading ( 350words per minugtes) please learn how to

read fast

- Listen to the instruction given in the audio

-answer while listening the audio

- if you don’t know the answer, guess !!

p. 6
 -practice using the answer sheet
- if you decide to use capiter letter used it still the end, but if it’s
lower case letter you use don’t forget that some word start with
a capital lette eg : names, places..

NB: listening is divided into sections just to test your listening in

various contexts

p. 7
 READING
Time 1hour
The IELTS Reading test comprises of 3 paragraphs, for which you will
get a total of 60 minutes to complete. To complete the test within the
stipulated time, you're advised not to spend more than 20 minutes on
each passage. This section has 40 questions with each question carrying
1 point, and no negative marking for wrong answers. The questions fall
under different question types. Please do keep a check on your
spellings, as an incorrect spelling would be considered an incorrect
answer.
NB: this includes the time given to transfer your answer to a separate
answer sheet. There is no extra time given for this.
transfer answer after each set of questions
Timing is the key ( 20min per sections)
Read the instruction carefully ( many strong candidates lose marks in
ielts reading because they don’t read the instructions properly . Pay
attention to the instructions you’re given to avoid losing marks)

It’s organised as follow :

IELTS Academic
Section IELTS General Reading Test
Reading Test

One long academic text Two or three short factual

which ranges from the texts. Topics are relevant to
descriptive and factual to everyday life in an English-
the discursive and speaking country.
analytical. The text will be
1
taken from books, 12-14 questions
journals, magazines and
newspapers.

12-14 questions

2 One long academic text Two short factual texts

which ranges from the focusing on work-related

p. 8
 IELTS Academic
Section IELTS General Reading Test
Reading Test

descriptive and factual to issues (eg. applying for jobs,

the discursive and company policies, pay and
analytical. The text will be conditions).
taken from books,
journals, magazines and 12-14 questions
newspapers.

10-14 questions

One long academic text One longer, more complex

which ranges from the text on a topic of general
descriptive and factual to interest. Texts are authentic
the discursive and and are taken from notices,
analytical. The text will be advertisements, company
3
taken from books, handbooks, books, magazines
journals, magazines and and newspapers.
newspapers.
12-14 questions
12-14 questions

TASK TYPE AND TIPS

1- TRUE ; FALSE ; NOT GIVEN

There are factual information in the passage, it’s not about

opinions.
True= the statement agree with the information
False= the statement contredicts the information
Not given= there is no information on this

p. 9
 2- YES ; NO ; NOT GIVEN
Similar to the True/False/Not given questions, Yes/No/Not given
questions also have various statements. But here you are asked to
agree or disagree with the statement based on the opinion of the
author

There are all about the writer’s opinion, it’s not about the facts but
about what the writer thinks ( this is usually called reading betwen
the line)
Yes= the statement agree with the claims of the writer
No= the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
Not given= it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

TIPS
-spend time reading and analysing the question statement

- you are not trying to match key words, you must instead match
meaning

- paraphrases

- look, out for common traps ( eg : comparison ( all / some/

majority….)

- answers come in order

-keep your eye on the next question

- remember the meaning of false/no

p. 10
 3- MATCHING QUESTION
MATCHING HEADINGS
In this type of question, a list of headings will be given and you are asked
to match these headings with a paragraph in the passage. You should
read the headings before you begin reading the text. To get the correct
answer, you have to read the complete paragraph and not just stop with
the first few lines of the paragraph. There will also be many other
headings that are not related to any of the paragraphs given in the
passage, in such cases, try to identify those types of headings too. Here
is a sample matching headings question:

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet. List of
Headings

1. Dramatic effects can result from small changes in traffic just as in

nature
2. How a maths experiment reduced traffic congestion
3. How a concept from one field of study was applied in another
4. A lack of investment in driver training
5. Areas of doubt and disagreement between experts
6. How different countries have dealt with traffic congestion
7. The impact of driver behaviour on traffic speed
8. A proposal to take control away from the driver

1. Section A
2. Section B
3. Section C
4. Section D
5. Section E

p. 11
 TIPS

1. You are not expected to read every word of the text. This will take
too long and you don’t have time for this. In this kind of question
you are only expected to understand the main idea of each
paragraph. A good way to do this is to read the first one or two
sentences and the last sentence of the paragraphs. You can also
briefly look at the rest of the paragraph but you don’t have to read
every word.

2. If there are words you don’t understand, don’t worry about this.
Again, you should only worry about the general meaning of the
paragraph as a whole, not individual words. Even native speakers
will fail to understand every word in the IELTS reading test.

3. Be aware of synonyms. Many students look for words that match

exactly with words in the text and ignore synonyms. For example, a
keyword in the heading might be ‘Beautiful’, however the word
you’re looking for could be many different synonyms of ‘beautiful’
like ‘attractive’, ‘pretty’, ‘lovely’ or ‘stunning’.

4. If there are two or three headings that are similar, write them
beside the paragraph and try to find out the difference between the
two headings. What are the keywords? How does this change the
meaning? Which one matches the paragraph best?

5. If you still can’t decide which one suits best, move on and come
back to it later. The answer will normally be easier to find after you
have matched some more headings.

6. Ignore anything you already know about the topic. You are being
tested on the text only.

7. Don’t read too quickly. Some teachers advise that students should
just ‘skim’ the text because you don’t have much time. In my
experience, this leads to students not understanding most of the
text and making mistakes. It is better to do this a little slower and
actually understand what is in front of you.

p. 12
 8. Don’t panic if you know nothing about the general topic of the
reading text. The IELTS reading test is not a knowledge test and
you are not expected to have prior knowledge of the topic.

9. Don’t look at the headings first. This will automatically make you
look for specific words in the text rather than the main idea.
Remember it is your ability to find the main idea that is being
tested, not your ability to find specific information. Instead of
reading the headings first, ignore them and get the general
meaning of each paragraph first by reading the first and last
sentences.

Strategy

1. If this type of question is on the test, do it first.

2. Don’t look at the headings.

3. Read the first one or two sentences and the last sentence of each
paragraph to understand the general meaning of the paragraph.
Don’t worry about highlighting keywords in the test. Try to sum up
the general meaning of each paragraph in one or two words.

4. Look at the headings and identify keywords within each heading.

5. Match any headings that are very obvious and you are sure about.

6. For the others, write 2 or 3 headings beside the paragraph. Identify

the difference between each of the headings. Establish if there are
any synonyms in the paragraph to keywords in the headings.

7. If you still can’t pick one, move one. The answer will often reveal
itself later.

p. 13
 8. Repeat until finished.

Matching information:

Matching Information questions have a list which contains information

taken from the paragraphs. You are asked to find out the paragraph from
which the information is taken. Sometimes the question may be tricky
because the information given might not be in exact words as given in
the paragraph instead it will be paraphrased so you need to read the
paragraph to understand the meaning/idea behind it to answer these
questions. Here is a sample matching information question:

Answer the following questions by choosing the correct responses A–P. Write
your answers in boxes 9–13 on your answer sheet.

9. What was the children’s most frequent response when asked

where the rain forests were?
10. What was the most common response to the question about
the importance of rain forests?
11. What did most children give as the reason for the loss of the
rain forests?
12. Why did most children think it important for the rain forests to
be protected?
13. Which of the responses is cited as unexpectedly uncommon,
given the amount of time spent on the issue by the newspapers
and television?

p. 14
There is a complicated combination of reasons for the loss of the rain forests.

1. The rain forests are being destroyed by the same things that are
destroying the forests of Western Europe.
2. Rain forests are located near the Equator.
3. Brazil is home to the rain forests.
4. Without rain forests, some animals would have nowhere to live.
5. Rain forests are important habitats for a lot of plants.
6. People are responsible for the loss of the rain forests.
7. The rain forests are a source of oxygen.
8. Rain forests are of consequence for a number of different reasons.
9. As the rain forests are destroyed, the world gets warmer.
10. Without rain forests, there would not be enough oxygen in the air.
11. There are people for whom the rain forests are home.
12. Rain forests are found in Africa.
13. Rain forests are not important to human life.
14. The destruction of the rain forests is the direct result of logging
activity.
15. Humans depend on the rain forests for their continuing existence.

Matching Features:

In this type of question, there will be a list of items in the box and you
need to match these items by reading and understanding some
sentences in the passages. The list may be of the name of people or
cities. For example, If there is a name of a person in the box of items
then the question may be to match the sentence with the person who
said them. Like other types of match questions, some of the items
mentioned may not be available in the passage. So, to save time read
the passage before answering each question. Here is a sample matching
features question:

p. 15
From the information in the text, indicate who FIRST invented or used the items
in the list below. Write the appropriate letters A-E in boxes 7-10 on your answer
sheet.

7. black powder
8. rocket-propelled arrows for fighting
9. rockets as war weapons
10. the rocket launcher
FIRST invented or used by

1. the Chinese
2. the Indians
3. the British
4. the Arabs
5. the Americans

Matching sentence endings:

In this type of question, you need to connect two halves of the

sentences. The first half of the sentence will be already given you need
to find out which is the appropriate ending for the sentence from the list
given. While choosing from the list you need to keep the following things
in mind:

 There should not be any grammatical errors in the sentence.


 The ending sentence chosen by you should make sense

 The sentence should have the same meaning as the sentence in the
passage.

p. 16
Complete each of the following statements with the best ending from the box
below. Write the appropriate letters A-G in boxes 38—40 on your answer sheet.

38. It has been established that social tension increases

significantly in the United States during .......
39. Research has shown that a hamster’s body-weight increases
according to its exposure to.......
40. Animals cope with changing weather and food availability
because they are influenced by.......
1. daylight
2. hot weather
3. melatonin
4. moderate temperatures
5. poor co-ordination
6. time cues
7. impaired performance

Here, there are a number of incomplete sentences and you must

match them with the correct endings. There will always be more
options than you actually need.

In the exam, there are normally 5-6 incomplete sentences and 8-9
optional endings.

Common Problems

Lots of people think that they can answer these questions by using
logic and grammar and they don’t look at the reading text. They
think this will save them time and they can work out the answer
quickly just by looking at the answers and matching the sentences
that make the most sense. Don’t do this. It is a test of your
understanding of the reading text more than a test of how
sentences generally go together.

p. 17
 The examiner will try and trick you by connecting ideas in the
reading text to endings that are not the correct answer. Remember
that you are matching incomplete sentences to endings, not
endings to the text.

Many people look for the exact words contained in the question in
the reading text. The examiners will probably use synonyms and
paraphrasing instead of exactly the same words. Don’t waste your
time looking for words that exactly match with the text, instead look
for synonyms and paraphrases.

TIPS
1. The answers are in the same order in the text as they are in the
questions, so the answer to question 2 will be after the answer to
question 1 and so on. Locate question one first and then you know
where to begin.

2. Try to predict how each sentence will end before you look at the
endings.

3. Start with the incomplete sentences first before you look at the
endings or the text. There are more endings than required, so
looking at all of these in detail is a waste of time.

4. Think of synonyms and paraphrases that the examiners could be

using instead of exactly the same words.

5. All of the sentence endings appear in the text, but you don’t need
to read all of them, just the ones that you decide to match with the
incomplete sentences.

6. When highlighting keywords, it is often a good idea to highlight any

names, including place names, or dates. These are often easy to
find in the reading text.

7. Don’t just match words. Make sure the meaning in the reading text
matches.

p. 18
 8. Spend more time on the first question because this is the most
difficult. You have lots of different options for the first question and
it will take you more time to work out the answer. The last question
should take you much less time because you have fewer options to
choose from.

Strategy
This is my suggested strategy. There are many different strategies and
you should use the one you feel comfortable with. You can also adapt
this strategy to what suits you.

1. Read the question carefully.

2. Read the incomplete sentences first and don’t look at the endings
yet. Try to understand what they mean and highlight any keywords
especially names, places or dates.

3. Predict what the endings might be before looking at them. Think

about what word type (verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs) makes
the sentence grammatically correct.

4. Look at the endings but not in too much detail. Try to see if there
are any obvious answers.

5. Eliminate endings that definitely cannot match. Think about

grammar, collocations, and meaning.

6. Match the endings you think might be correct. Write two or

three options if necessary.

7. Find the correct part of the reading text for each incomplete
sentence. Be careful with synonyms and paraphrases.

p. 19
 8. Understand the meaning of that part of the text and choose the
correct answer.

4- Sentence completion and Short-answer Questions

IELTS Reading Sentence completion and Short answer questions are

almost similar. In sentence completion, you’ll be asked to fill in the blank
spaces using the words given in the text. Whereas, in short answers,
you’ll have to take words from the given text to write the short answers. It
is important to pay close attention to the instructions that are given in the
question because in some instructions there will be a word limit
mentioned and you may lose marks if you don’t follow it. Here is a
sample sentence completion question:

Complete the sentences below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage
for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.

1. Huxley formulated his theory while studying a dinosaur belonging to a

group called ………….
2. Heilmann rejected Huxley’s theory because of the apparent absence of
………… in dinosaurs.
3. Feduccia and Martin believe that the ancestor of today’s birds was a kind
of early ………….

In sentence completion question types, you will be given a

summary of information from the text and there will be some gaps
in that summary.

You will either be given a list of words to fill the gaps with or asked
to find the answers in the reading text.

Your job is to insert some of the words from the list into the gaps,
or if asked, to fill the gaps with words from the text.

p. 20
 There will be more words in the list than required to fill the gaps.
All of the information contained in the summary will also be
contained in the reading text, but they will use synonyms and
paraphrasing, so don’t expect to see the same words.

Sentence Completion Common Problems

This question does not expect you to have a detailed

understanding of the text. Some students lose lots of time reading
the whole text and trying to understand everything. You don’t need
to do this, focus more on the summary in the question.

Some students read the summary and then look for the exact same
words in the reading text. You are unlikely to find these because
the examiners use synonyms and paraphrasing.

A common mistake is to ignore grammar rules when completing

the summary. If the sentence does not make sense grammatically,
then you have the wrong answer.

The examiners also try to trick you by putting a word from the text
as one of the options. Some students recognise this and think this
is the correct answer. It is probably wrong because the answer will
normally be a synonym rather than a matching word.

TIPS

1. Try to predict the answers before you look at the options or the
text. This will help you spot the correct answer.

2. Should the gap be filled with a verb, noun, adjective or adverb? If

your answer makes the sentence grammatically wrong, then you
have the wrong answer.

p. 21
 3. Look for synonyms and paraphrases in the text rather than words
that directly match.

4. Don’t spend too much time looking for the answer to one question.
If you can’t find it, mark what you think it might be and move on.
Focusing on the easier answers is a better use of your time.

5. The answers normally come in the same order as the questions.

6. If you get a list of words, think about the ones that can’t be the
correct answer because of meaning or grammar. You can then
eliminate these words.

Strategy

This is my suggested strategy. There are many different strategies

and you should use the one you feel comfortable with. You can
also adapt this strategy to what suits you.

1. Read the question carefully. Note how many words you can write
(normally one, two or three) and if you should get the words from
the reading text or a list.

2. Skim the summary and try to understand the overall meaning.

3. Try to predict the answers before you look at the reading text. Also,
think about the word type (noun, verb, adjective) that should be
included.

4. If you have a list of words, try to guess which 2 or 3 the

answer might be. Pay attention to words that collocate well with the
words in the sentence.

5. Identify which part of the reading text the summary relates to.
Scanning for synonyms from the summary will help you do this.

p. 22
 6. Look at that part of the section more carefully and choose the
correct answer. Remember to be careful with synonyms.

7. Check to see if your word makes the sentence grammatically

correct.

Here is a sample short answer question:

You are advised to spend about 5 minutes on Questions 21-23. Refer to
Reading Passage 2, and look at Questions 21-23 below. Write your answers in
boxes 21 - 23 on your Answer Sheet.

21. How many medical drug discoveries does the article mention?
22. What two shortages are given as the reason for the writer's
pessimistic outlook?
23. Who will most likely benefit from the bioprospecting of developing
countries' rainforests?

5- Note, Table, Diagram and Summary Completion Questions

In Note, Table, Summary and Diagram completion questions, you will be

asked to complete a set of notes, tables, diagram or a summary based
on the information given in the text. Sometimes the question will be to
write a short answer and sometimes you’ll have to choose from the list of
answers given. Usually, these kinds of questions will only be based on
one part of the passage, so you won’t have to read the whole passage to
fill in the important information.

p. 23
 6- MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
IELTS reading multiple choice questions have about 3-4 options from
which we have to choose our answer. This might be in the form of a
question & answer type or a choose a correct ending to a sentence type.
These answers appear in chronological order according to the passage.

TIPS

1. Read the questions before you read the text.

2. You will often be able to eliminate 2 of the four answers and this
leaves you with two choices. Think about the difference in meaning
between these two choices and this will help you get the correct
answers.

3. If you are unsure of what the difference is between two or three

sentences, it can help to rephrase them in your own words.

4. If you are running out of time or you really don’t know the answer,
have a guess. You will not lose marks for wrong answers and you
have a 25% chance of getting the correct answer just by guessing.

5. Don’t be tricked by the examiner’s ‘distractors’ especially keywords

from the questions that look the same as the text.

6. If you don’t know anything about the topic, don’t panic. It is a

reading test, not a test of your knowledge.

7. Try to predict the correct answer before you read the text. This will
help you find the correct answer.
8. Before deciding on your answer, always go back and carefully read
the questions before making your final decision.

p. 24
 9. The answers will be in the same order as the text.

10. You might be asked about both facts and opinions. Facts are
things that are always true or cannot be disproved but opinions are
just what people think.

Strategy

This is my suggested strategy. There are many different strategies

and you should use the one you feel comfortable with. You can
also adapt this strategy to what suits you.

1. Read the questions carefully.

2. Skim the text to get the general meaning.

3. Underline any keywords in the question and think about any

synonyms that might appear in the text.

4. Read the choices and underline any keywords. Think about the
difference in meaning between the different choices.

5. Predict the correct answer.

6. Read the text and using keywords and synonyms locate the part
containing the answers.

7. Read that part of the text very carefully, thinking about the
difference in meanings.

p. 25
 8. Think about not only which options are correct but how the other
options are wrong.

9. Go back and read the question again and mark your final choice.

WRITING
TASK1
STEPS
1. Understand how the test is marked. Knowing the marking
criteria is the best way of giving the examiner exactly what they
need and nothing else.

2. Decide whether the letter is formal or informal. This part is

easy. If the question asks you to write to a ‘friend’, it should be
an informal letter. If the question asks you to write to anyone else,
it should be a formal letter. It is that simple!

3. Discuss each bullet point from the question. Make sure to take
a new paragraph for each bullet point. This will make your letter
easy to read and understand.

4. Sign off your letter. Don’t overcomplicate this part. Include a sign-
off suitable to your letter’s tone and write your name beneath.

5. Check your work. Make sure your letter doesn’t contain any
grammar or vocabulary mistakes.

p. 26
 In task 1 of the General Training paper, you will have 20 minutes to
write a letter. Your letter should be at least 150 words.
Below are possible situations and letters you might be asked to
write about:
 Letter of complaint
 Application or resignation letter
 Inviting a friend or colleague to join you at an event or social
occasion
 Making a request
 Making formal arrangements
 Explaining something to a friend or colleague
 Making an apology
TIPS

1. Make a Plan
All of my students who get above a band 7 in writing all have one
thing in common- they plan before they write. I know that it takes a
little extra time, but it will actually save you time because you will
know exactly what to write and you will not get lost.
Writing without a plan is like trying to drive to a strange place
without a map. You will get lost and have to stop and ask for
directions.
Remember that you will have to state why you are writing and then
cover the three bullet points. Here is a basic structure that will help
you plan your letters:

Dear X
Paragraph 1– Explain why you are writing the letter
Paragraph 2– Bullet point 1
Paragraph 3– Bullet point 2
Paragraph 4– Bullet point 3
Closing remark (e.g. I look forward to hearing from you etc.)
Ending (Yours sincerely, Kind regards, All the best etc.)
Your name

p. 27
 This structure should not change and the only thing you will have to
think about is using the correct style, fulfilling the aim of the letter
and filling in the details.

2. Use the Correct Style

One of the keys to a high band score is using the appropriate style,
formal, semi-formal or informal.
The question will tell you the situation and should indicate if you
are writing to a friend, colleague or someone you don’t know.
If you have never met the person before and you don’t know their
first or last name, then you should use a formal style. You should
definitely use a formal tone for letters of application and when
making complaints. Formal styles allow us to sound respectful and
professional; however, if we use this tone with someone we know it
can often sound cold or unfriendly.
If the person is a friend then you should use an informal style.
With people we know well, we don’t need to sound too formal and
the letter should have a relaxed tone.
Semi-formal is often the one that confuses people. Semi-formal is
used when you know the name of the person, but it is within a
professional or official context. Imagine writing a letter to a
colleague or someone from a different company you know. If you
write in a formal style it will sound unfriendly, but informal might
sound disrespectful. In this situation we should use a semi-formal
style.
We will look at the different grammar and vocabulary you should
use for each style of writing below.

3. Answer the Whole Question

The question will always have three bullet points and you are
expected to cover all three of these in your letter. A good thing to
do is to separate them into three separate paragraphs and then
you know that you have properly answered the question.
Some points may take longer to write about than other, but you
should avoid writing 5-6 sentences about one point and then only
one sentence about the other two.

4. Boost Your Grammar Score With Complex Sentences

Grammar is one of the four areas you will be assessed on and
gaining high marks in this area is not just about making sure you

p. 28
 don’t make any mistakes, but also using a range of appropriate
tenses and complex sentences.
Complex sentences are not really all that complex. A simple
sentence contains just one clause and one idea, for example. ‘I’m
sorry I couldn’t come to your party.’ and ‘I was sick on the day of
you party.’

A complex sentence has more than one clause in it and we can

make them by combining more than one clause or idea in a
sentence. If we combine the sentences in the previous paragraph
together it might look like this ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t come to your
party because I was sick that day.’ As you can see, they are not so
complex.
To help you make complex sentences, think of the ideas you need
to include in your letter at the planning stage and then think about
how you could combine some of these in complex sentences.

5. Use the Correct Tense

The questions will be designed so that you have to use a range of
tenses. In other words, the examiner will be testing your ability to
write in a variety of tenses.
If we look at the first example above, you will notice that there are
several different tenses we should use:
 Explain why you changed jobs (past )
 Describe your new job (present)
 Tell him or her your other news (could be past or present, but also
a good opportunity for you to show the examiner that you know
how to use future structures)
Try to make a plan before you write and mark which tenses you will
use in the plan.

6. Begin and End Your Letter Correctly

There are a number of different ways you can start and finish your
letter, but here are the ways I advise my students:

Formal and you don’t know the name:

Dear Sir/Madam
Yours faithfully

Formal and you do know the name:

p. 29
 Dear [Mr(s). Family Name]
Yours sincerely

Semi-Formal:
Dear [First Name]
Kind regards

Informal:
Dear [First Name]
Best wishes

7. Go Over the Word Limit

Part of answering the question correctly is writing at least 150
words. The examiner will count every word, so don’t think you can
get away with just writing around 150 words, it must be more or
you will lose marks.
You will not have time to count how many words you have, so the
best thing to do is practice with the official IELTS exam paper and
count how many words you write on that. You will then be able to
see how much of your writing 150 words looks like.
Try to write about 10% over 150 words when you are practicing
and this will help you in the exam.

8. Follow the 100% Rule

The biggest mistake students make in the IELTS writing test is
trying to show off their grammar and vocabulary. By ‘show off’ I
mean that they try to use very complex grammar and vocabulary.

This is fine if your English is at a very high level, but not so good if
it means you make lots of mistakes.
It is much better to use simple language and use it correctly, than
using complex words and phrases and making lots of mistakes.

For this reason, I suggest you follow the 100% rule. If you are not
100% sure about the grammar or vocabulary you have just written,
delete it and write it in a simpler way.

p. 30
 Also, make sure you leave yourself 2 or 3 minutes to check your
spelling and grammar at the end.

Finally, have someone check your writing and identify

your common mistakes. You can then concentrate on fixing them.

9-Don’t Be Overly Informal

You might be asked to write to a friend, but that doesn’t mean you
should stop using correct grammar and spelling.
Avoid using abbreviations like ‘cus’ instead of ‘because’ or ‘u ‘
instead of ‘you’.
You should also never use text message style acronyms like ‘LOL’
or ‘OMG’.
Emoticons are also not allowed 🙂
10-Ideas Should Be Relevant But Don’t Have To Be Not
Amazing
You will have to think of some ideas and supporting details but
don’t worry, these do not need to be interesting or amazing, they
just need to be relevant.
For example in this question you will have to explain why you need
to take time off work. Don’t try to impress the examiner a
wonderfully dramatic story, just keep it simple e.g. family or health
problems.

Strategy

For General Training Task 1 questions you always have to write a

letter and I would share with you a technique that helps you answer
the question correctly every time.

You will notice that the question below states that you should write
about why you are writing to your friend and then gives four bullet
points for you to mention. These are the five main things you must
write about and you should write about these five things and these
five things only.

Now that you have your five main points you simply split your letter
into five main paragraphs and deal with each main point in a
separate paragraph.

p. 31
 In each paragraph you should make it very clear which point you
are writing about in order to make it obvious to the examiner. You
can do this by including keywords from the question, or even
better, synonyms or paraphrases of those keywords.

If you follow this strategy you will always answer the question
correctly and the examiner will be able to see this very clearly.
Take a look at the answer below to see this strategy in action.

A friend of yours is going on holiday soon and has asked you

to recommend a destination.
Write a letter to your friend and recommend a good place for a
holiday that you have visited before.
 say where you went,
 where you stayed,
 what you can do there and
 what the food was like.

Dear Annie
I hope you’re well. I’ve got a great place for you to visit when you
get some time off work.
I went to Shanghai in China a fortnight ago and it was just perfect.
It only takes about 3 hours from where you live.
We stayed in a little boutique hotel called the Dragon Inn. It wasn’t
the biggest hotel, or the most expensive, but I really loved the
personal service and the family who run it were so hospitable.
There are loads of things to do, but my favorite has to be the Bund.
You can stroll along there in the evening and admire the view or
grab a coffee and watch the world go by.
I also have to mention the delicious cuisine. You really should try
the dim sum if you go there; it was the best I’ve ever had.
Anyway, let me know if you have any questions about your trip.
Best wishes
Chris

p. 32
 TASK 2

In IELTS Writing Task 2, students are asked to write a formal

essay of at least 250 words, in 4-5 paragraphs based on the
given writing task 2 essay topics. Students should remember that
task 2 holds about 66% of the writing task scores, so it is important
to prepare well for it. The task is similar for both Academic and
General Training with regards to the type of questions and the
scoring, but the topics given for General Training will be slightly
easier than Academic. you will get to know about the methods of
preparation for the IELTS exam and the tips to follow in order to get
a good score.

1. Understand the question.

You must understand the question before you attempt to answer it.
This way, you’ll know exactly what the examiner is looking for. One
of the biggest mistakes students make is not answering the
question fully, which stops them from getting a score higher than a
Band 5.
To analyse the question, you must first identify the question type,
then identify the keywords in the question and finally identify the
instructions words. This will help you understand exactly what the
examiner wants you to do with the question.

Task Response
This criterion checks the relevance of your answer. For example, if the
essay topic is: Question: Everyone should adopt a vegetarian diet
because eating meat can cause serious health problems. To what extent
do you agree or disagree? If the answer is about health problems caused
because of leading a sedentary lifestyle, then task response goes for a
toss.For task response, your answer should revolve around the health
problems caused because of eating meat ( if you are agreeing) .

Lexical Resource
This criterion checks your vocabulary For example, if the essay topic
is: Question: Everyone should adopt a vegetarian diet because eating

p. 33
 meat can cause serious health problems. To what extent do you agree or
disagree? For example, Your answer should use complex words in the
right context.
There are a number of reasons why we should turn
Rated as Normal
vegan and stop eating meat.

There are several reasons why we should turn vegan

Average
and stop eating meat

There are a plethora of reasons why we should turn Good in terms of

vegan and stop eating meat Lexical Resource

Coherence and Cohesion

This criterion checks how well the essay is organised using a range of
linking words. For example, Question: In some countries young people
are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school
and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages for young people who decided to do this. The advantages
must be explained in one paragraph and the disadvantages in the other.
If mixed up, there is no coherence.

For Coherence,
First para ...advantages and disadvantages Second para No
…. advantages and disadvantages coherence

Coherence
First para ...advantages Second para …. disadvantages
achieved

p. 34
 For Cohesion, The ideas must be linked logically,....
If you are elaborating on the advantages but using on the Cohesion
other hand, as in, A is an advantage. On the other hand, B is very
is also an advantage poor

Cohesion
A is an advantage. On the other hand, B is a disadvantage
is good

Grammatical range and accuracy

This criterion checks your grammar.
For example, simple subject verb agreement Education is good
- Correct Education are good - Incorrect

Simple prepositions In 10:AM - Incorrect At 10:00 AM - Correct

Simple tenses: If the government had resolved this problem, we are not in
trouble now - Incorrect If the government had resolved this problem, we would
not have been in trouble now - Correct

2. Plan your answer.

The students who get the highest marks in Writing Task 2
always plan their answers for up to 10 minutes. Planning helps you
organise your ideas and structure your essay before you write it,
saving you time and helping you produce a clear and coherent
essay.

p. 35
 How to plan your essay
1. Identify what is asked in the question.

 Do you have to write for both sides or do you have to choose a side?
 Do you have to provide answers to all the questions?
 Do you have to convey only the advantages and disadvantages or do
you have to give an opinion?

2. Brainstorm the main points. 3. Construct your paragraphs.

 Gather your supporting points for your central idea of each paragraph
with examples.

4. Check your Task Response

*Check on the number of questions asked. Did you answer it all?

*Were you told to choose a side? Did you choose a side?

*Do all your paragraphs focus on one central topic/idea?

*Do these ideas have supporting points and answers?

*Remember that you aren’t being assessed for your knowledge but your
ability to put your thoughts through in an essay using the English
Language. Although relevancy is one of the factors you’re assessed
upon, it isn’t the only factor. Do not spend too much time on making the
content perfect!

3. Write an introduction.
The introduction should answer the question directly. This tells the
examiner that you know what you are doing straight away and
helps you write your main body paragraphs.

p. 36
 4. Write the main body paragraphs.

This is where you give the examiner more detail. You do this by
stating your main points and supporting these with explanations
and relevant examples.

5. Write a conclusion.

In your conclusion, you should provide a summary of what you

already said in the rest of your essay.

TIPS

1- write task 2 before task1

Task 2 is worth two-thirds of the total marks of the IELTS writing

exam, and task 1 is worth one-third.
You should take both as seriously as each other, but because task
2 is worth more marks and takes longer, I advise my students to do
task 2 first.

Examiners comment : While marking many IELT exams, we

noticed that many students fail to finish task 2. I think many people
try to write the perfect task 1 answer or take too long trying to
understand the data in task 1, and this leaves them with very little
time to finish task 2.
Learn how to paraphrase and use synonyms

p. 37
 Paraphrasing and using synonyms are two of the key skills
required in the IELTS writing test. In fact, the examiner will be
looking for your ability to do this.
Paraphrasing is simply restating a phrase or sentence with
different words to have the same meaning.
Let’s have a look at an example:

Synonyms are different words that have the same or very

similar meanings, such as man and male.

IELTS Essay Types

The common types of essays may be based on direct questions,
discussions, advantages or disadvantages, solutions, opinions and so
on. It may vary from one teacher to another based on how comfortable
they are in transferring the knowledge that they have. Each essay type in
IELTS Writing task 2 has a dedicated structure.

Opinion Essay
An opinion essay is an essay in which you have to explain the given topic based on
the opinion that you have regarding that topic. How to plan your opinion
essay:

*Read the question properly and pick a side/opinion.

*Figure out why you have that opinion.

*Know the reasons behind your opinion and use them as main points.

*List out your supporting reasons + examples.

Example question for an opinion essay: Many people say that the only
way to guarantee a good job is to complete a course in university

p. 38
 education. Others claim that it is better to start work after school
and gain experience in the world of work. How far do you agree or
disagree with the above views? Give a reason for your answer and
include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience. Write
at least 250 words.

Discussion Essay
In the discussion essay, the topic along with two opposing statements
are given. You are asked to discuss both the opposing statements and
give supporting points for both the statements. Do not give your opinion
unless it's been asked. How to plan your discussion essay:

 Read the question properly and understand if you've got to give an

opinion.
o If you don't, think about the main ideas revolving around both the
statements.
o If you do, think about the opinion and the main ideas linking to that
opinion.
 Ponder on the supporting points and examples related to the main idea.
Example question for a discussion essay: Some people prefer to
directly help or support people who need it in the local community,
however, others prefer to give money to national or international
charities. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write at
least 250 words.

Advantage or Disadvantage Essays

In this type of essay, a topic is given and you'll be asked to write for and
against that particular topic. Discuss the positive and negative points of
the essay topic. However, sometimes you may be asked to state your
opinion too. In such cases, you should use another body paragraph to
explain your opinion. How to plan your advantages/disadvantages essay:

Read the question properly and understand if you've got to give an

opinion.

Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages that you want to write
about in your essay.

p. 39
Make a list of points supporting each advantage or disadvantage.

If you're supposed to give an opinion, make sure you have reasons to

support your opinions.
Example of an advantages/disadvantages question: Some people think
that youngsters should be required to do unpaid work helping
people in the community. Are disadvantages of this requirement
greater than the benefits for the community and individuals? Write
at least 250 words.

Solution Essays
In solution essays, the topic will be given regarding normal problems or
issues people face and you'll be asked to give the solution. Sometimes
the question may also be why this particular issue happened and you
may be asked to give your opinions based on the issues. How to plan
a problem solution essay:

*Make a list of the problems related to the topic given. 2-3 problems can
be taken up.

*The solutions to these problems should be addressed.

*Construct your paragraphs in such a way that the problems are in one
paragraph and solutions in the other (or) paragraphs consisting of a
problem and solution.
Example of a cause-solution essay: People today do not feel safe
either at home or when they are out. What are the causes? What are
the solutions? Write at least 250 words.

Direct Question Essays

These essays are slightly difficult when compared to other type of
essays, as you won't be given a direct task but some general questions
and based on these questions you'll have to answer the essay. You can
give different paragraphs for all the general questions. How to plan
a direct question essay:

*Read the questions given.

p. 40
*Focus on each question separately.

*Figure out an answer for each question separately.

*These answers should have a main point, supporting points to your

main point and examples.

*Recheck if all the questions are answered before you begin writing the
answer.
Example of a direct question essay: The world natural resources are
consumed at an ever-increased rate. What are the dangers of this
situation? What should we do? Write at least 250 words.

Now that you have got an idea of how to score well in IELTS Task 2, go
ahead and practice the following elements which help you to score the
high band in the test.

p. 41
 SPEAKING
The Greeting
When you take the IELTS speaking test and walk into the examination
room, the examiner does not start off with tough IELTS speaking
questions, instead, they start slow with greetings.
Please note, you WILL BE graded on your ability to greet, so it's
important you're prepared for it.
Having said that, let's take a quick look at a simple greeting and answer.
1. The examiner will introduce themselves and ask what your name
is. You'll reply "My name's _______".
2. Next, you'll be asked "What can I call you?", in which you can reply
"You can call me_______".
You may use your English name here, if you have one. This may
sound odd, but some people cannot pronounce their own English
name. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE. If you cannot pronounce it,
you're better off not using it.
3. Following your name, they'll ask where you're from. Just say "I'm
from_____". That's enough. You don't need to give any extra
information about your answers at this stage.
4. Finally, you'll be asked for identification. After showing it, you'll
begin the test.

PART1
IELTS Speaking part 1 lasts between 4-5 minutes, includes around 8-10
IELTS speaking questions, and about 2-3 familiar IELTS speaking
topics such as your job, your studies, your family, your hometown, your
accommodation, etc.
These topics are easier than the topics from IELTS speaking part 2.
Do you panic when you introduce yourself or when someone asks you a
question on your habits and lifestyle? We’re are here to help you with
Band 8+ sample answers on some of the basic questions asked in
Speaking part 1. Do take a look at them and boost your confidence

p. 42
Practise IELTS Speaking Part 1
There are various ways through which you can practice for the IELTS
speaking test to score a high band.

Understand the test format

You have to understand the format of the speaking test in order to
practice for the test in the same manner. If you practice the test in the
same format you will be able to manage time as well.

Know the marking criteria

You must know how different speaking tests are evaluated and on what
basis they are evaluated. The examiner would have to take up the
speaking test in a particular way.

Practice speaking daily

You must practice speaking in English daily while focusing more on
grammar. You should also focus on the fluency of English so that you’ll
be able to speak during the test without hesitation.

Be Prepared but Don’t Memorize

Make sure you prepare yourself for the topics you may find it difficult to
speak about. Remember, more than your knowledge on the topic, the
examiner will be looking for confidence when you speak. So even if
you’re asked about something you haven’t specifically prepared for, don’t
hesitate, but just speak from your heart, without worrying, and
automatically you’ll be radiating with confidence.

Record yourself while practicing

While practicing for the speaking test you can check your language
fluency by recording your own speech using a phone or any other

p. 43
recording device and listening to it. By this, you will be able to assess
how you speak.
Evaluate your Performance
Once you’ve recorded yourself, listen to it again and try to evaluate it,
and write down the areas where you can improve. It is important to focus
on your weaknesses and improve on them.

STEPS
Be Confident
The key to scoring a high band in the Speaking Test is by speaking with
confidence. As soon as you begin the test, relax, and try to not treat it as
a test but as a conversation with a good friend.

Know the questions that you can expect:

You must have an idea about what questions to expect from the
examiner. Try to practice answering these questions mentally so that
you’ll be able to speak fluently and without panicking during the test.

Show interest in the questions

Even if you’re unsure about the question posed to you by the questioner,
show interest towards it, and try to answer it by talking about your
experiences related to the subject. At any point during the test, don’t
pause for too long or hesitate in answering, that’ll only make you more
nervous and will display a lack of confidence.

Avoid giving Yes or No answers

You should definitely avoid giving one-word answers as it’ll display a lack
of confidence. Since confidence is one of the key factors considered
during the test, avoid giving one word or short answers, it is essential to
remain calm so that you’ll be able to give elaborate replies.

p. 44
 Try to answer all the questions asked by the
examiner
Since, Speaking Part 1 will contain all personal questions, and/ or
questions related to you, you should try your best to answer each and
every question with honesty and confidence. In any case, if you don’t
understand the question posed to you, you can always ask the examiner
to explain it, as they’ll only check for your language skills and not your
knowledge on the topic.

PART2
In part 2, you'll talk about a particular IELTS speaking topic. The topic is
selected for you and will be given to you on a card (Candidate Task
Card). You will then have 1 minute to prepare your answer and then a
maximum of 2 minutes to speak. A pencil and paper will be provided
for you to make notes.
Once your two minutes of speaking time is finished, it's possible the test
examiner will conclude this part of the test by asking you a couple of
simple questions related to your part 2 answer. These are sometimes
known as rounding off questions, since they help "round off," or
complete your conversation.

STEPS

 The examiner will give you a cue card in which the topic will be
mentioned along with the points that you should mainly focus on. The
topic given will be related to personal experiences.
 The examiner will then give you one minute to prepare. You’ll have to
plan and create a story/idea to speak about relating to the topic. A paper
and pencil will be provided so that you can pen down your ideas on the
paper if you wish.
 Soon after your one-minute preparation, the examiner will ask you to
speak about the given topic.

p. 45
 While speaking, you should try to speak without hesitating or pausing for
too long. While speaking the examiner will not interrupt you, he/she will
only nod to encourage you.
 Soon after the 2 minutes get over, the examiner will stop you and ask
you a few questions relating to what you spoke about, and you’ll have to
give short answers for the same.

Fluency and Coherence

While speaking the examiner will check how fluently you can speak by
using proper grammar and vocabulary. Hesitating and being in a loss of
words is acceptable if it’s once in a while but not if it happens too much.

Lexical Resource
While speaking you have to make sure to use a variety of idioms with
proper vocabulary and grammar. This will show that you have a flexible
usage of the language.

Grammar
You must use correct grammar and structured sentences. It’s very
important to avoid making grammatical mistakes while speaking.

Pronunciation
While speaking, it is important to make sure you’re pronouncing the
words in the correct manner and in a way that is clearly understandable
for the examiner. A helpful tip would be, to try to speak slowly and
calmly. Avoid speaking too fast as you could have the risk of not being
understandable, which may result in your score being reduced.

p. 46
 PART3

In the IELTS Speaking Part 3, which is also called as a counter

questions or follow up questions on part 2, the examiner will ask a
broader range of questions from the topic given in Part 2. It will be for 4 -
5 minutes. Yoy have to elaborate and go in-depth on the topic before
answering these questions. Remember to speak fluently and not
memorize the content according to the topics

STEPS
Don’t give personal answers.
For example: Look at the question above, ‘Do you think dieting is
important?’

 Incorrect answer: Yes. I am dieting to reduce weight and maintain a

healthy lifestyle. I think everybody should go on a diet.
 Correct answer: Yes, I think it is. If people are above their normal weight
and are unhealthy, they should go on a diet in order to have a healthy
lifestyle.

Give opinionated answers.

For example,
If your question is, ‘Why do you think people enjoy eating out?’

 Your correct answer would be:

‘I think people prefer a change of place sometimes. They might not be
interested in eating inside the four walls of their house like they usually
do. Another reason might be that they love to try different cuisines from
different restaurants. Maybe they reach out to the restaurants for dishes
whose preparations they are unaware. Eating outside with friends and
family has also become a major past-time.’
Give examples along with your opinion.

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 For example,
If your question is, ‘Do you think parents should help their children
with their homework or should it be done by the children on their
own?’

 Your answer should be:

‘I think it should be done by the children on their own but they can reach
out to their parents for doubts. I think this will help them understand their
homework as they will read more and research more to find out the
answers rather than it being given to them in a platter. For example, on
days that my brother did his homework on his own, he understood better
and read more about the topic than when my mom helped him with it.
Answering comparison questions
If you’re asked questions that need you to compare the present to the
past, you would have to use certain vocabulary.
For example, if you’re asked ‘Are the recreation techniques that are
popular today the same as those that were popular when your
parents were young?’

 Your answer should be: No. They aren’t like how they used to be. Years
ago, when my parents were young, recreation was based more on
outdoor activities than indoor activities. Today, it is mainly cinema,
social, media etc. but in the past, it was usually football, basketball or
even swimming.

Now that you've been introduced to how the IELTS speaking test works,
you can see there could be any number of topics asked. It's important
you familiarize yourself with some of the more frequently used IELTS
speaking topics.
PART1 TOPICS

Topics Frequency

Hometown/Accommodation/Country High

Friends/Family/Housework/Children High

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 Topics Frequency

TV/Reading/Music/Newspapers & Magazines/Films High

Technology/Computers/Internet High

Work/Jobs/Career Planning/Volunteer Work High

School majors/High School Medium

Sports/Outdoor Activities/Indoor Activities Medium

Travel/Lifestyle Medium

Season/Rain/Sunny Days/Weather Medium

Fashion/Shoes/Bags/Clothes Medium

Transportation/Boats/Buses/Taxis Medium

Celebrities/Advertisements/Media Medium

Photos/Photography/Colors/Art Low

Noise/Patience/Politeness Low

Mirrors/Gifts Low

PART2&3 TOPICS

Broad
IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3
Category

Media &
Advertisements/Art/Books/Internet/News/TV
Entertainment

Clothing/Electronic Devices/Food/Furniture/Gifts
Object Machine/Money/Musical Instruments/Traditional
Products/Vegetables

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 Broad
IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3
Category

Teacher/Family/Friends/Influential People/Good
People
Parents

City/Company/School/Museums/party/Shopping
Place
Places

A change in life/Decision/Exciting
Experiences/Holiday/Illness Experiences
Events
Helping People/Memorable Experiences/An
Experience of Being Late/Travel Experiences

Society Environment/Traffic Rule/Society/Transportation

Others Leisure Activities/Language/Sports

BEST OF LUCK

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