Hi,I want to thank you for the good work you’re doing. I have never seen a website/blog with the kind of information for tackling IELTS like yours. I’m talking about well simulated sample questions, useful tips and very good suggested answers. Not to talk of the bonus of having other candidates around the world expose the current style of questions.
I got to know about your website through my wife who stumbled on it two days to my speaking test. I wish I had found your website months before my exam. Though, I work fulltime and hardly have time to study for the test. This is the reason I needed a companion to help optimise my study time.
I can’t remember precisely most the questions asked during my test but I will try. I will just paraphrase with what I can remember and also state how your website assisted me within few days to my test.
Test date: 3rd December 2016. (General Test) First attempt
Location: Nigeria
1. Speaking: Last part “Tell me about a leader you know and why most people see this person as a leader?” Another question was on the place of residence and amenities etc.
Your useful tips: 1. Recording of one’s answers to model questions. This made a lot of difference in my case. I was able to see my myself in the exam room. Playing back recordings showed me my weakness and strength. 2. Understanding the pattern of the speaking test; Intro, Part 1,2,3 etc. 3. Thanks for this one; ability to show good use of tenses by modelling answers to reflect a good command. It’s like taking charge of the conversation within the scope of the interviewer’s question.
2. Listening: The listening test was a bit hard than the few ones I practised before the exam but thanks for the heads-up through your tips. Some questions were of conversation type between three people with the answers to the questions not always in a sequential manner (not the question). So one really need to know the final opinion and who’s validating the opinion. An example is a conversation among course advisor and students. First, a statement will introduce the opinion and subsequently discuss in one or two statements which will validate or contradict. We had most of this similar pattern in this test and many people will easily get lost while listening to the audio. An example is where you have two or more sentences on the same opinion and you will have to listen and link them together to know the answer. Your useful tips: 1. Writing answers in the correct tense, singularity or plurality. Noting which part of speech helped. 2. Practising as many questions as possible really helped even in the face of a tough listening type.
3. Writing: Just paraphrasing. Part 1. Write a letter to your school accommodation officer stating your preferred accommodation. etc
Part 2. Write an essay. Why do more people participate in sport as youths than in adulthood? Use example in your answers. 1. Your useful tips: Knowing what to expect and pitfalls . 2. Ensure to write the required words and knowing the grading style.
4. Reading: I can’t remember most of the passages in this part. Last Passage was about mountain climbing in the UK compared to other regions. Something called the three xxx. About three medium size mountains in the UK that must be climbed within 24 hours as a single challenge to equate the stress from one big mountain in another region. Predominant questions in other passage were the type of questions with “True, False & Can’t say. Your useful tips: I couldn’t explore your tips and other resources due to limited time. I did this test with residual knowledge and time wasn’t adequate.
Test Result
Speaking- 8.5
Listening- 7.5
Writing- 7.5
Reading- 6
Overall- 7.5
I almost got my target score while I narrowly made the required score for my IELTS use due to my reading score of 6.0. I wish my reading score was better. It would have been a great result with just 0.5 increase in my reading score earning me additional valuable points. With the right strategy and adequate practise time, I should easily exceed this score in future.
Thank you for doing what you do. If I ever think of doing this test again, hopefully with more practise time on my hand. I will just glue to your website.
Did you recently take the IELTS test?
Help other students by sharing your IELTS questions and topics that you got in your test in the comments below. Make sure that when you share your questions, you mention the following:
- Type of IELTS test - Academic or General
- Date of IELTS test
- Location of IELTS test
Good luck to everyone preparing for the IELTS test.
For unlimited feedback with detailed corrections for speaking and writing tasks, sign up for IELTS Twenty20 Online Course today!
Study 20 minutes a day for 20 days and Ace the IELTS exam.
Tags: Recent IELTS questions Recent test questions