Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 91
February 15, 2022
IELTS Results competition winners in January 2022
Can you imagine a better start to the New Year than getting Band 8.5 in IELTS? How about Band 8, would that still make you happy? Today we are celebrating 8 test takers who worked really hard and were rewarded with scores ranging from IELTS Band 8.5 to Band 7.
Forming this diverse group are people from Taiwan, Philippines, Italy, Nigeria, Iran, Sri Lanka and India, so it looks like happiness will be spreading across the entire globe today! Put your hands together and give them a round of applause.
IELTS results competition winners of January 2022Academic Module
1st place – Angelica Carballo from the Philipines, Band 82nd place – Samuel Diduyemi from Nigeria, Band 7.52nd place – Bridget Adejayan from Nigeria, Band 7.52nd place – Leonardo Giontella from Italy, Band 7.53rd place – Sogol Zahedi from Iran, Band 7General Training Module
1st place – Hui An Huang from Taiwan, Band 8.52nd place – Ahamed Imthikab from Sri Lanka, Band 82nd place – Sakshi Jain from India, Band 8Congratulations, everyone! To mark this happy occasion we are sending certificates of achievement to the winners’ email addresses. Winning IELTS results will also be displayed in the IELTS-Blog hall of fame – so if you won, please feel free to show them off to your friends!
How did they score so well?We’re always trying to find out from the winners how they did it. So far we have discovered that Hui An Huang (Band 8.5) used our writing correction and speaking assessment services. Angelica Carballo (Band 8) and Leonardo Giontella used our recommended book ‘Target Band 7’ and did lots of practice tests from the “High Scorer’s Choice” series. Being able to contribute to their success feels amazing!
As for the other winners – we would love to hear from you! Please be kind to the test takers who are still preparing for their IELTS exams. Do share your stories and tell us how you studied, and what helped you do so well in IELTS. Any useful tips will be shared on IELTS-Blog.com, so everyone can use the same technique and get a better score in their own exam this month.
Did you know? IELTS results competition runs every month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn how to enroll here.
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February 14, 2022
IELTS test in India – February 2022 (Academic Module)
P.S. contacted us after her recent IELTS test in India and shared the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a bar graph that illustrated the sales of one store in the UK. Each bar described the sales of a different type of goods during 2015.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some parents think that children should be the best at everything they do, while others disagree. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where is your hometown?
– Is there anything special about your hometown?
– Let’s talk about mirrors.
– How often do you look in the mirror?
– Do you like to check yourself out in the mirror while trying on new clothes?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a person you follow daily on social media. Please say
– who the person is
– how you know this person
– what content he/she posts on social media
– and explain why you follow this person on social media.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Do other people also follow this person on social media?
– Do younger and older people use the same social media platforms?
– Who spends more time on social media, older or younger people?
– There were some more questions that P.S. didn’t remember.
February 13, 2022
IELTS test in Sri Lanka – February 2022 (Academic Module)
Our kind friend M.H. recently took the IELTS test in Sri Lanka and remembered the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a diagram describing the manufacturing process of carbonated soft drinks. The process had 5 stages.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Scientists recommend making it mandatory for children to learn how to play a musical instrument. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you work or study?
– What kind of job do you have?
– How do you feel about your job?
– What is your favourite colour?
– What is the colour that you don’t like?
– What colour would you not choose for your room?
– Did colours matter to you when you were younger?
– What colours do people in your country like?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about an exciting book that you read. Please say
– what book it is
– when you read it
– what it is about
– and explain why you consider it exciting.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– I was asked about fiction and history books (don’t remember the exact questions).
– Why is reading important to children?
– What are the benefits of reading history books?
– What are some types of books that people read in your country?
February 10, 2022
Computer-delivered or paper-based IELTS: which is better?
This is a question that everyone is asking themselves when it is time to book their test:
“Which should book, IELTS on paper or on a computer?”
But ideally you should be thinking about this much, much earlier – before you start preparing for your test, and here is why. In terms of interface IELTS on a computer is very different from the paper-based test and it requires some different skills which you may need a bit of time to develop.
The question types and the way your answers are marked doesn’t change, but the presentation of some questions does, so they will look differently and the way you need to answer them is also different on a computer. For example, when you match headings to paragraphs, in the paper-based test you write the letter corresponding to the right heading in the answer gap. In the computer-delivered IELTS you need to drag the actual heading into the answer gap.
Here is a quick comparison of the two ways to take IELTS, with their pros and cons, to help you choose the right type for you.
General considerations for and against the computer-delivered IELTSPros
The results are out faster when you take the computer-delivered test – they are ready in just 3-5 days. In the paper-based test it takes 13 days to get the results.If you have a problem with bad handwriting, on a computer it’s gone.Cons
If you are slow at typing it will create a problem in a computer-delivered test. You may miss answers just because you couldn’t type them in time.If you have a problem looking at the computer screen for 3 hours, the computer-based test is not for you.Listening in IELTS on a computerPros
You get headphones for the Listening test and can hear the audio more clearly.The volume can be adjusted.Cons
Your attention is split between typing answers on the screen and making notes on a draft paper. Making notes is optional, but people do it when they hear something that seems important, yet they don’t know which question this may be the answer for.You get less time to check your answers after the Listening test ends. In a computer-delivered test you have 2 minutes instead of 10 in the paper-based test. Students use that time to check the notes they wrote on a draft paper during the test and possibly find and add some answers they missed earlier. They also check the spelling of their answers during that time, which is important to avoid losing marks for misspelled answers.People who aren’t used to typing while listening may find it tricky.Reading in IELTS on a computerPros
You can see the text and the questions at the same time, as the screen is split into two parts. The text is on the left side and the questions are on the right. Each side can be scrolled independently, which lets you see any part of the passage and any group of questions, side by side. There is no need to flip pages back and forth, so that saves you time.Cons
Reading on screen is harder compared to reading on paper, and it can lead to some problems. People tend to understand and remember the information better when they read on paper. Reading on screen is more suited for skimming and scanning, however, many IELTS question types require reading for detail, which is harder to do well on a screen.Highlighting text and making notes is different on screen and on paper, it involves a few clicks and may feel not as instantaneous as highlighting / underlining and writing notes on paper.Your notes are less visible – you need to click on the highlighted portion of text for your notes to show up on the screen. When you write something on your test paper, it’s right there, you can’t miss it.Writing in IELTS on a computerPros
Editing your writing task 1 or task 2 is easier on a computer because you can copy and paste content, rearrange sentences or paragraphs and delete without crossing off or rubbing out.There is no need to count words in your writing task 1 or 2, they are shown on the screen and that saves you time.Bad handwriting stops being a problem in the computer-delivered test.Cons
Some test takers find the noise from other people typing during the writing test very distracting. Headphones can help block out the noise to some extent.Speaking is the same in both exam types, there is no difference – you either do it in person at the test centre or via a video call with the examiner.
Whether you choose IELTS on paper or on a computer, make sure you prepare for the type that you have chosen. If paper-based IELTS is your choice, you need to practice on paper. That would involve downloading and printing the practice tests, answering your Listening and Reading questions on paper and writing your Writing Task 1 and 2 on the answer sheets. You can use the practice tests here to prepare for your exam.
If you have chosen to take IELTS on a computer, this website is perfect for your practice sessions. Its interface is very similar to the one you will see at the test centre, and the level of difficulty of the tests is also very close to the “real thing”. You will get to see all the possible question types before the test, and you’ll know how to answer them – plus there are explanations for the answers, telling you why the correct answers are correct. Sign up for the generous free trial and practice, practice, practice!
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February 9, 2022
IELTS test in Iraq – February 2022 (Academic Module)
R.S. recently took the IELTS test in Iraq and remembered the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a table showing the percentages of people who were interested in different sports in 1999, 2004 and 2009.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
When people grow older and cannot look after themselves anymore, is should be a legal requirement for a younger family member to support them. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where is your hometown?
– What is your hometown like?
– Do you prefer to live in a small town or a big city? Why?
– What app have you installed on your phone recently?
– Have you benefited from using this app? How?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about something your family member has done that made you proud. You should say
– who it was
– what he/she did
– when it happened
– and explain why it made you proud.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What can a child do to make their parents proud?
– What makes adults feel proud of themselves?
– Is it a good thing to reward children?
– Is it good to be rewarded all the time?
– Can one feel proud because of their job?
– Is it different now compared to the past?
– Can a cleaner take pride in their job?
February 8, 2022
IELTS essay, topic: Having a salaried job is better than being self-employed (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 5 General Training book, Practice Test 25
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Having a salaried job is better than being self-employed. 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
If one wants to work for money, there are really only two options, working for someone else for a salary and being self-employed. Most people are involved with these two options and they both have advantages and disadvantages.
Being self-employed means that the worker owns the business that is being done. This might be a small one-person business or a large company with hundreds of employees. The first advantage of this is the capacity to earn more money. If the business does very well, the income can be considerable and the owner of the company will receive the benefits. On the other hand, if business is not good, the owner’s income will be low. Self-employed people also have the benefit to some extent of choosing their working hours and holidays and they have the right to change anything within their business. With this autonomy, however, comes the pressure to succeed and the reliance on one’s employees, if there are any, to do their best to make the business thrive.
Salaried workers do not experience the same stress as the self-employed owners of companies. They might have stress in their duties, but the pressure that comes with keeping one’s own business operating successfully in order to support oneself and one’s family is just not felt by an employee. The employee also has a certain knowledge of his or her income, as the salary is usually fixed every month. The self-employed owner’s income often depends on how successful the business is. The employee’s fixed income, however, does not give much scope for earning large amounts more. In addition, an employee does not have the freedoms of the owner or the autonomy, and for many people, having control over their lives is a significant factor to their well-being.
It is certain that there are advantages and disadvantages for both being self-employed and salaried. I personally disagree that being salaried is better than being self-employed. I prefer the autonomy that being self-employed brings and, although there is more risk and pressure, this can lead to greater and more fulfilling rewards.
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays
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February 7, 2022
IELTS Speaking test in India – February 2022
Thanks to our kind friend B.K. from India we are able to share the Speaking questions from his recent IELTS exam:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Do you work or study?
– How do you manage your time at work?
– It is easy to manage your time?
– How do you behave towards your colleagues?
– It is easy to get along with colleagues?
– What are the advantages of being friendly to colleagues?
– How well can you remember your dreams when you wake up?
– Do you like hearing about others’ dreams?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a person you met only once and want to know more about. You should say:
– who he/she is
– when you met him/her
– why you want to know more about him/her
– and explain how you feel about him/her.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What are the different ways to meet people?
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of meeting people on social media?
– It is better to meet people in person or on social media?
– How can people be polite to others?
– Can you give me some examples of how people can behave politely?
– What are the other ways people can be polite?
February 6, 2022
IELTS test in Australia – February 2022 (Academic Module)
T.K. took the IELTS test in Australia and remembered the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given 4 bar graphs describing the percentages of industrial workers in different age groups in 4 countries. We were asked to describe and compare the data.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
In developed countries, many people are living alone or as a small family unit. Why do you think this is happening? How does it affect the society?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where is your hometown?
– Is your hometown a good place to live?
– Let’s talk about mobile apps.
– What app have you recently downloaded?
– What does this app do?
– How is it useful to you?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a company or a business that provided you a good service. Please say
– what the service was
– where the service was provided to you
– who at the company helped you
– and explain why you think this was a good service.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Is it common for companies to provide good customer service in your country?
– How can a company address a problem with its product or service?
– When a customer receives a faulty product, what should the company do?
– When customers complain about products or services, does it help companies improve?
– There were some more questions that T.K. didn’t remember.
February 3, 2022
IELTS test in Myanmar – January 2022 (Academic Module)
S.L. took IELTS in Myanmar very recently and shared the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given two maps of a school, in 2002 and today, and asked to compare them.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Family members and friends caring for elderly people find it hard to spend enough time looking after them. What are the causes of this problem? What solutions can you suggest?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where is your hometown?
– Is your hometown a good place to live for young people?
– In your country, at what age do children start learning science subjects?
– Do you like science subjects?
– How are they useful to you in your daily life?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a skill that was difficult for you to learn. You should say
– what skill it was
– why you learnt it
– why it was difficult to learn
and explain how you felt about this.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– People can learn something without teachers these days. How do they do that?
– What are the differences between human teachers and other ways to teach yourself something?
– What are the essential skills that children should learn?
– Why can children learn faster than adults?
February 2, 2022
IELTS test in Japan – January 2022 (Academic Module)
One of our friends recently took the IELTS test in Japan and shared the questions she remembered:
Writing test
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Nowadays many people prefer to use private cars. What problems has this trend created? What solutions can you suggest?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you work or study?
– Why did you choose this job?
– Would you like to continue in this job in the future?
– What is the best thing about your work?
– What colour do you like?
– What kind of TV programs do you watch?
– What kind of TV programs would you like to watch?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about something you learnt. You should say
– when it was
– what you learnt
– whether it was easy or difficult to learn
and explain how you felt about learning this.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Who should be teaching children, parents or teachers?
– Should parents teach their kids more than teachers? Why?
– What skills should children learn?
– Should adults also learn new skills?
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