Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 66
March 6, 2023
IELTS test in Taiwan – February 2023 (Academic Module)
Thanks to our wonderful friend L. we are sharing the recent writing questions from the IELTS exam in Taiwan, below:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
The charts below show the amount of rainfall and the average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures for two Australian cities in the year 2018.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
* Note: these aren’t the actual graphs given in the test, they were recreated for the purpose of demonstration.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Nowadays, many people have cosmetic surgery to enhance their appearance.
Why are they doing this? Is this a positive or a negative development?
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March 5, 2023
IELTS One Skill Retake: why you should consider it
For some test takers this is a very familiar situation: you’ve taken the IELTS exam, the results are out, everything is what you hoped for… except for that one pesky little score, that’s just half a band lower than you need. Argh… now what?!
If that’s your experience and you’re in Australia, IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR for short) has just become a solution to that problem.
All you need to do is log into your IELTS profile, view your results, choose the skill you wish to retake and book your new test date.
If you’re not in Australia and IELTS One Skill Retake isn’t yet available in your country, this information is still useful, so read on. IELTS has just started the roll-out of this new option, using Australia as their testing ground. When IELTS One Skill Retake comes to your country, it will likely work the same as in Australia, so it’s worth knowing how it can help you and what it can do for you, for when you get access to it.
Where is IELTS One Skill Retake available now?IELTS One Skill Retake is now available at IDP Melbourne, IDP Sydney, IDP Brisbane, IDP Adelaide, IDP Perth and IDP Cairns. The roll-out is in full swing and soon the option will be offered in many other test centres across Australia.
What will my IELTS One Skill Retake result look like?After completing the IELTS One Skill Retake you will receive an IELTS certificate that will include the 3 unchanged scores from your previous full test and your new score from the One Skill Retake test. The date on the Test Report Form (TRF for short) will be the original date of your full test.
Important! Your previous TRF remains valid, and in case your score in the One Skill Retake is lower than the original one in your full test, you can still use the original TRF if it helps.
Is IELTS One Skill Retake acceptable for immigration and further study?For immigration purposes some visa subclasses accept the IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) and some don’t, so make sure to check the list of visa subclasses where OSR is allowed here.
For further study there are no known issues, because you will receive a new IELTS certificate including the unchanged scores from your previous test and your new score from the skill you took again.
What are the limitations of IELTS One Skill Retake?1. You must take the IELTS test on computer, at a test centre that offers One Skill Retake.
At present IELTS One Skill Retake is only available to people who took their full IELTS test on computer and it’s not available to people who took the paper-based test. So if you are planning to go for IELTS One Skill Retake in case your score is lower than you need, book your full test on computer AND make sure your test centre offers IELTS One Skill Retake, to be eligible to retake just one skill later.
2. You need to apply for IELTS One Skill Retake within 60 days of your original, full test.
This shouldn’t generally be a problem, because for computer-delivered tests the results are available 3-5 days after your test, which leaves plenty of time for you to book your IELTS One Skill Retake.
3. You can only retake one skill for each full IELTS test that you’ve sat.
So, for example, if you took the IELTS test and you’re unhappy with your scores in Writing and Speaking, you can retake either the Writing or the Speaking as a single skill, but not both. If you need to change scores in 2 skills, the only way is to take the test again.
What if I have 2 skills where I need to raise my score?Theoretically, you could apply for EOR (Enquiry On Result, also known as remarking) first, for both of the problematic skills, and see if one of your scores goes up as a result of that, then apply for IELTS One Skill Retake for the other score. According to IELTS.org, EOR takes anywhere between 2 and 21 days, and if you do receive the result of your EOR application within that time frame, that gives you up to 5 weeks to book your One Skill Retake. While in theory this might work, in reality, if there are delays with your EOR, you may run out of time to apply for your One Skill Retake.
Do you have questions about IELTS One Skill Retake? You can ask them in comments.
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IELTS Speaking test in Azerbaijan – February 2023
Our kind friend V.T. recently took IELTS in Azerbaijan and shared the Speaking questions that she remembered from her exam:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Do you study or work?
– What is your major?
– What are you planning to do after your studies?
– Is swimming popular in your country?
– Do you prefer to swim in the pool or the sea?
– Do many people in your country know how to swim?
– Do you think swimming is a useful skill? Why?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about something special that you would like to buy in the future. You should say
– what it is
– what it looks like
– when you intend to buy it
– and explain why you would like to buy it.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Who do you think spends more time shopping, younger or older people? Why?
– Do advertisements have advantages for consumers? What are they?
– Do advertisements have advantages for the companies? What are they?
– What makes an advertisement effective?
– How much do you think advertisements can be trusted?
– Do you think advertisements should be regulated more strictly?
March 1, 2023
IELTS essay, topic: There is a moral necessity for the richer countries to help the poorer countries (agree/disagree)
This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.
Set 2 Academic book, Practice Test 9
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
There is a moral necessity today for the richer countries of the world to help the poorer countries develop in terms of feeding the population, education and health care. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Band 9 Essay
The world today is often divided into two categories, more developed and less developed countries. This division is significant in terms of health, wealth and education. To minimise this gap, it is argued that richer countries are morally responsible to support the less wealthy. I, personally, feel that the prosperous countries are obligated and expected to to contribute to the development of countries with weaker economies.
To address this argument, the history of the wealthy countries is relevant. Many less developed countries are former colonies, therefore the wealthy countries had a historical impact on the less wealthy. Thus, richer countries’ economies were dependent on the currently less developed countries for their rich status. Furthermore, even today the wealthy countries contribute to the wealth inequality by exploiting the inhabitants of less developed countries, giving workers lower wages than people within their own countries. Due to this dependence on poorer countries and the influence that the richer countries have had on the imbalance, it can be concluded that richer countries are indeed morally obliged to help the less wealthy countries.
Opposing this is the view that each country is in charge of their own inhabitants and that therefore they need to provide health, education and basic necessities for themselves. In addition, simply providing these three services would not lead to closing the wealth gap. It would rather be helpful to invest sustainably in poorer countries and help them create their own systems, allowing these countries to be self-sufficient.
In conclusion, while there is a moral necessity for wealthy countries to aid the poorer ones, simply providing basic necessities is not sufficient. A more sustainable idea would be to teach countries to plan and provide for themselves by giving economic incentives.
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays
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IELTS test in India – February 2023 (General Training)
Our friend A.J. took his IELTS exam in India and remembered the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a letter)
You accidentally left an important item while checking out of a hotel. Write a letter to the hotel manager and ask to send the item back to you. In your letter,
– Provide the details of your stay
– Describe the item you left behind
– Tell the hotel manager how to return it to you.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
People are not exercising regularly, even though they know it is beneficial for their health. Why is this a problem? What can be done to tackle it?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– Do you live in a house or an apartment?
– Do you like the people in your area? Why/why not?
– Did you play sports when you were young?
– What was your favourite sport?
– Did you know someone who was good at sports?
– Do you have small businesses in your area?
– Do you prefer buying from a small business?
– Why do you support small businesses?
– How can people support small businesses?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe an area in your home where you feel relaxed. You should say:
– what area or room it is
– when you spend time in it
– why you feel relaxed there
– and explain what you do to relax.
Follow up question: Do you have much time to relax?
Part 3 (Discussion)
– How do people relax?
– Can people relax in their homes?
– Should the government encourage relaxation activities?
– Do you think there should be classes for teaching young people and children how to relax?
– How can schools include these activities in their schedule?
– Are school trips a good way to relax?
February 27, 2023
IELTS Speaking test in Canada – February 2023
Thanks to the wonderful V.B. today we are sharing the Speaking questions that she remembered from her recent exam in Canada:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Do you live in a house or an apartment?
– Do you work or study?
– What kind of job do you have?
– Do you like your job?
– Does your work require a lot of effort or activity?
– What do you do after work?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a situation where you had to wait. You should say
– what you waited for
– why you had to wait
– what you did while waiting
– and explain how you felt after waiting for that particular thing.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– You said that waiting takes a lot of patience. Do you believe that patience is a virtue? Why?
– Do you think being patient is a skill we are born with, or is it developed as we experience certain situations?
– Do you think the older generation is more patient compared to the younger generation?
– You talked about technology. Do you think things are more convenient because of technology?
– Are you a fan of using social media?
– Do you use social media often?
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of social media?
February 26, 2023
IELTS test in Sri Lanka – February 2023 (Academic Module)
Thanks to our kind friend D.J. we are sharing the recent writing questions from an IELTS exam in Sri Lanka, below:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
The table below describes water usage for 3 different purposes in 6 countries in 2003.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
* Note: this isn’t the actual table given in the test, it was recreated for the purpose of demonstration.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some believe that success in life comes from hard work and determination. Others think that it depends on factors such as money or personal appearance.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
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IELTS Speaking test in India – February 2023
Thanks to our kind friend S.P. we are sharing the Speaking questions that he remembered from his recent exam in India:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your name?
– Do you live in a city or in the countryside?
– Are you a student or do you work?
– Do you like to stay up late?
– When you were a child and you stayed up late, what did you do?
– How do you feel the next day after having a late night?
– How do you spend your weekends?
– Do you have plans for the next weekend?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a leisure activity that you did when you were young. You should say
– what it was
– where you did it
– who you did it with
– and explain how you felt about this activity.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Is it important to spend time doing leisure activities?
– Are there leisure activities that are popular in your country? What are they?
– Do men and women enjoy the same leisure activities?
– What types of activities do young people do for pleasure? How about older people?
– Are the activities that are popular now the same as ones that were popular in the past?
– What leisure activities do you think will be popular in the future?
February 23, 2023
IELTS Speaking Test, Part 3 questions with model answers (Losing things + Archaeological finds)
Here are some high-scoring Part 3 model answers for the Speaking Test that was shared by a student from Nigeria. The answers show a good way to respond to these questions.
Speaking test
Part 3 (Discussion)
1. Why do people lose their things?
People often lose their things for many reasons, including forgetfulness, carelessness, and distraction. Sometimes people are so absorbed in what they are doing that they unintentionally overlook details and end up misplacing their items. It’s easy for someone to become so enthralled in an activity or task that they simply forget about their belongings and leave them behind somewhere. In some instances, people’s items get stolen or misplaced by other people as well.
2. How can people prevent losing their property?
I think there are several things that people can do to protect their property and possessions from being lost or stolen, like keeping track of their belongings while out and about, by ensuring they have secure pockets or bags which aren’t easily accessible and can be kept firmly shut with zippers or buckles whenever possible. Additionally, people can use tracking services for valuable items such as phones, watches or tablets that allow users to track them down with a help of GPS. It is a great way to ensure that these valuables don’t get lost forever when misplaced.
3. How can losing property be prevented in public places?
When visiting public places like shopping centres and parks, it’s important to be vigilant at all times since thieves often steal wallets or other valuables in these busy places. One way this can be done is by making sure not to leave any valuable items unattended. I also think that public places should have CCTV cameras installed so that it’s easier to identify criminals and the cameras themselves serve as a deterrent to thieves.
4. Why do archaeologists search for buried items?
I believe that archaeologists search for buried items as a way to gain a better understanding of past societies and cultures. They are interested in uncovering objects that people used to perform their daily activities and rituals, which can provide valuable insight into the lifestyles, beliefs, and knowledge of various ancient civilizations. They can piece together a more complete picture of how people lived during different periods in history by examining these artefacts.
5. What do they do with the artefacts they find?
I am not really sure since I don’t have a lot of knowledge about this field, but I think that once archaeologists have unearthed a valuable artefact, they will usually take it back to a laboratory to study it in a safe environment and determine its age, and function.
6. Should those artefacts be kept in their country of origin or allowed to be taken out of the country?
There isn’t one correct answer to this question, because of the moral implications associated with removing artefacts from their country of origin without considering local customs, and laws concerning cultural heritage protection. Personally, I think that these historical items form part of a nation’s identity and offer invaluable insights into its history, and for that reason they should not be taken away without proper authorization from local authorities.
Read more model answers on the VIP Club website
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IELTS Speaking test in Ghana – February 2023
Our kind friend E.A. took his IELTS Speaking test a few days ago and remembered the following questions:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your name?
– Where do you live?
– Do you like social media?
– How often do you use social media?
– What is the effect of social media on your society?
– What is the importance of friends?
– Are friends important to children?
– What are some of the negative and positive impacts of friends on children?
– Do you feel children nowadays are happier than older people when they are giving gifts?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a friend of yours. You should say:
– who he/she is
– where you met him/her for the first time
– what you do together
– and explain what you like about your friend.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– How does your society see friendship?
– Are friends important to people your age?
– Do you think friends are more important to the older or younger generation?
– Do you agree with the saying that childhood friends are the best?
– Do you think childhood friendship can last forever?
– What is your opinion about making friends online?
– What is the effect of social media on friendship?
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