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Recent IELTS Speaking questions from Oman – March 2025

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A very kind IELTS trainer from Oman (thank you, YT!) shared the Speaking questions his student recently had in his IELTS exam, below:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Do you work or study?
– What kind of work do you do?
– Do you enjoy your job or field of study? Why or why not?
– Do you often feel stressed?
– What usually causes you stress?
– How do you deal with stress?
– Do you take part in any physical activity or exercise?
– What kind of exercise do you do and how often?
– What is your favourite physical activity?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a time when you made a promise that you were unable to keep. You should say:

– what the promise was
– who you made the promise to
– why you couldn’t keep it

and explain how you felt about it.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Do you think it is important to keep promises? Why?
– What do you think of people who often break their promises?
– Why do some people fail to keep their word?
– Are there situations where it’s acceptable to break a promise?
– How do broken promises affect personal and professional relationships?
– How can making a promise influence a person’s behaviour or motivation?

The post Recent IELTS Speaking questions from Oman – March 2025 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Latest IELTS questions from Canada – March 2025 (General Training)

Our generous subscriber PK shared the writing questions from her recent IELTS exam in Canada. Here is what she remembered:

IELTS Writing Test – General Training

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You recently went on a sightseeing tour which you did not enjoy. Write a letter to the manager of the tour company. In your letter:

– Explain why you chose that particular tour
– Describe what you did not like about the tour
– Suggest two ways the tour could be improved.

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some parents believe that reading books for entertainment is a waste of time for children, and that they should only read educational books.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

The post Latest IELTS questions from Canada – March 2025 (General Training) first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Latest IELTS Speaking questions from Canada – March 2025

Our generous student PK took IELTS in Canada just a few days ago and shared the questions she remembered:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Do you like stories?
– Do you prefer reading stories or listening to someone tell them? Why?
– Did you like stories when you were a child?
– What kind of stories do you like?
– Have you ever tried writing your own story?
– What makes a story interesting to you?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a performance you enjoyed watching. You should say:

– what the performance was
– when and where you saw it
– who performed

and explain why you enjoyed the performance.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Apart from music, what kinds of live performances do people in your country enjoy?
– Why do you think live performances are popular?
– Do you think singers enjoy performing live on stage? Why or why not?
– Is it worth spending money on tickets for live shows? Why or why not?
– How are live performances different from recorded ones?
– Do you think technology will change how we watch live performances in the future?

The post Latest IELTS Speaking questions from Canada – March 2025 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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IELTS essay, topic: The cost of public transport has been rapidly rising over the past decade (reasons and solutions)

Essay Question

The cost of public transport has been rapidly rising over the past decade. What are the reasons for this? What are some possible solutions?

Band 8 Answer

In recent years, public transportation has become significantly more expensive. This surge in cost has placed a considerable strain on urban residents, with commuting expenses taking up a substantial part of their monthly earnings. I believe that both inflation and less-than-ideal government policies are key contributors to this problem.

One major factor behind the increase is inflation, which affects nearly all goods and services, including public transit. This may be partly due to the growing costs of fuel and the overall expense of operating transportation systems. Additionally, government policies often lead to rising fares. Public transport pricing is typically regulated to recover the expenses of maintaining and overseeing the network, but inefficiencies in government spending often drive these fares up. For example, when public transport infrastructure is outsourced to private firms for upkeep or repairs, these contractors may inflate their prices, knowing the government is likely to pay without strict budget constraints.

There are, however, several ways to ease this financial pressure. One approach is to offer discounted or subsidized tickets to vulnerable groups such as students, the elderly, and people from low-income backgrounds. Another solution would be for governments to explore more cost-effective and environmentally friendly transport alternatives, such as electric or solar-powered vehicles. These sustainable options not only reduce emissions but also tend to be cheaper to operate and maintain in the long run.

To sum up, while the rising cost of public transportation may be unavoidable due to economic trends and policy shortcomings, steps can still be taken to lessen its impact. Targeted subsidies and the adoption of greener technologies could significantly reduce the financial burden on the population.

Teacher’s feedback:

Your essay is a solid example of Band 8 writing.

Task Response: Band 8
You address both parts of the question effectively, providing clear reasons for the rising cost of public transport and offering feasible solutions. Your explanation of inflation and government inefficiencies shows good insight, and your solutions are practical and relevant. To strengthen your response further, you could briefly acknowledge other potential causes, such as urban expansion or increased demand, to show a more nuanced understanding.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8
Your essay is well-structured, with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a clear focus and is linked smoothly to the next. You use cohesive devices such as “additionally,” “for example,” and “to sum up” effectively. A slightly smoother transition between the problem and solution sections could enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 8
Your vocabulary is appropriate and varied. Expressions like “placed a considerable strain,” “less-than-ideal government policies,” and “cost-effective and environmentally friendly transport alternatives” demonstrate strong lexical control. To push toward a higher score, consider incorporating more idiomatic or advanced collocations (e.g., “fiscal mismanagement” or “long-term cost-saving measures”).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8
You show a good command of grammatical structures, with a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences. For instance, “Public transport pricing is typically regulated to recover the expenses of maintaining and overseeing the network, but inefficiencies in government spending often drive these fares up,” is well-constructed. Your sentence structures support clarity and precision throughout.

Submit your essay for correction and find out how to improve your Writing score.

Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8

The post IELTS essay, topic: The cost of public transport has been rapidly rising over the past decade (reasons and solutions) first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Recent IELTS Speaking questions from Oman – March 2025

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Our kind subscriber HM recently took IELTS in Oman and remembered these Speaking questions:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Do you work or study?
– Do you enjoy your work? Why or why not?
– Can you describe a typical day at your job?
– What kind of tasks do you usually do at work?
– How do you stay organized at work?
– What do you find most rewarding about your job?
– Is your current job related to what you studied?
– Would you like to continue doing this job in the future? Why or why not?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a recent lesson you remember well. You should say:

– what the lesson was about
– when and where you had the lesson
– what you learned from it

and explain what impact this lesson had on you.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Do you think people learn from history? Why or why not?
– Is it more important to study ancient history or recent history?
– Can history repeat itself? In what ways?
– How should people respond history repeats itself?
– What role does history play in shaping national identity?
– Do you think history should be taught differently in schools? Why or why not?

The post Recent IELTS Speaking questions from Oman – March 2025 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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New IELTS questions from India – March 2025 (General Training)

Our subscriber LS kindly shared the writing questions from his recent IELTS exam in India, below:

IELTS Writing Test – General Training

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You recently bought a new piece of technology for your home. Your friend is interested in buying the same item. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

– Explain what the technology is
– Describe how it is useful to you
– Give your advice on whether your friend should buy it or not.

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that public transportation should be free and available around the clock in order to reduce traffic congestion in cities.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

The post New IELTS questions from India – March 2025 (General Training) first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Recent IELTS Speaking questions from India – March 2025

Our lovely student JK has shared her questions from a very recent IELTS exam in India, below:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Where are you from?
– Can you describe your hometown?
– What do you like most about your hometown?
– Did you learn about the history of your hometown at school?
– Do you think it’s important to know about your hometown’s history?
– Would you recommend your hometown to tourists? Why or why not?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe an ambition you have that you have not yet achieved. You should say:

– what the ambition is
– how long you have had it
– why you want to achieve it

and explain why you haven’t achieved it yet.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Do you think children’s ambitions are usually achievable? Why or why not?
– Is it good for children to be very ambitious?
– How does ambition affect a person’s success?
– Can being too ambitious cause problems?
– How can ambition be helpful in a team setting?
– Do you think ambition is more important in individual work or teamwork? Why?

The post Recent IELTS Speaking questions from India – March 2025 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Latest IELTS questions from Oman and Uzbekistan – March 2025 (Academic Module)

Thanks to the generous contribution of IELTS_PAPERS and our student from Oman, today we are sharing the writing tasks from a recent IELTS exam. It appears that Uzbekistan and Oman had the same writing tasks.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

The chart below shows the percentage of migrants to Australia from six different regions in 1987 and 1997.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

* Note: this is not the original chart given in the test, it was recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

It is important to give children the chance to act independently and make their own decisions from early age. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

The post Latest IELTS questions from Oman and Uzbekistan – March 2025 (Academic Module) first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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Recent IELTS Speaking questions from Canada – March 2025

Thanks to our very thoughtful student, here are the Speaking questions from his recent :

Our wonderfully kind student PI has shared the questions from his very recent IELTS exam in Canada, below:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Can you tell me a little about yourself?
– What do you do for work or study?
– What is your hometown famous for?
– Did you take history classes in school?
– Do you think learning history is important? Why or why not?
– Can history be helpful in day-to-day life? Why or why not?
– What period of history interests you the most?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a free thing you received. You should say:

– what it was
– how you got it
– how you felt about receiving it

and explain what you did with it.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– How often do people receive free things?
– Do people appreciate free things as much as those they pay for? Why or why not?
– What are some common free things that people receive?
– Do you think companies should give out free products? Why or why not?
– How do giveaways and free offers influence consumer behaviour?
– Are there any disadvantages to receiving free things?

The post Recent IELTS Speaking questions from Canada – March 2025 first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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New IELTS questions from Canada – March 2025 (General Training)

Our subscriber PI kindly shared the writing questions from his recent IELTS exam in Canada, below:

IELTS Writing Test – General Training

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You are facing some difficulties with your fitness routine and would like advice from your friend, who is a fitness instructor. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter:

– Explain the challenges you are experiencing with your fitness routine.
– Ask for advice on how to overcome these difficulties.
– Say what specific concerns or goals you have.

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that spending a lot of time on social media is a waste of time, while others think it can be useful if used properly.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

The post New IELTS questions from Canada – March 2025 (General Training) first appeared on IELTS-Blog.

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