All posts by bestieltsonline

Practice IELTS Writing Tests.

Power of WordsHere’s a practice Academic IELTS Writing Test I found at Oxford University Press:

IELTS Writing Tasks 1 and 2.

IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer and commentary.


IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answer and commentary.

Here is an Academic IELTS Writing sample and a General Training Writing sample from the official IELTS website.

If you have any questions about the test or would like me to mark your answers to the questions, please feel free to contact me.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

Practice IELTS Speaking Tests.

depositphotos_12630060-Two-businessmen-standing-and-talking-with-speech-bubbles-on-white-backgroundHere’s a practice IELTS Speaking Test I found at Oxford University Press:

Click here for Parts 1, 2 and 3.

You can read further sample IELTS practice Speaking Tests with answers in these posts:

part 1
,        part 2,          part 3.

If you have any questions about the test or would like to do the test as a practice interview on skype, please feel free to contact me.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

A best IELTS sample General Writing Task 1 question.

depositphotos_7932028-Quill-pen-and-ink-well-with-paper-scrollHere’s a sample General Training Writing Task 1 question.

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You recently visited a tourist attraction and you were very pleased by the help given to you by the staff.

Write a letter to the head of staff at the tourist attraction. In your letter

• give details of the circumstances of your visit
• describe the help given to you by the staff
• say what you want the head of staff to do.

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,


Question taken from Thomson exam essentials IELTS Practice Tests M. Harrison & R.Whitehead.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

What do I have to listen to in the IELTS Listening Test?

9cp9AxocEI hear the above question a lot from my students, so I’d like to address it in this post and hopefully dispel any myths you’ve heard from other people.

The IELTS Listening Test consists of 4 sections and each section has 10 questions.  You will hear the audio only once (this may be different from what you are used to in English Language classes but is more similar to real life situations).

Each question is worth1 point.

So what are the sections?

Section 1

Section 1 is usually a conversation between at least 2 speakers.  The conversation is based on social or life situations.  Some examples of these situations are:

  • Travel arrangements
  • Giving personal details required for an application form
  • Making arrangements t go out
  • Visiting a new city

Section 2

Section 2 is usually a short speech or presentation with only 1 person speaking.  As in section 1, it is based on social of life situations.  Some examples of what you might hear are:

  • A news broadcast
  • A presentation from a radio programme
  • A description of university facilities

Section 3

Section 3 is a discussion between up to 4 people It is usually concerned with education or with training situations.  Some examples are:

  • A conversation about what someone’s job entails
  • A conversation about what someone’s academic course entails
  • A group of students planning a project
  • A tutor and a student discussing career options

Section 4

Section 4 usually has one person speaking formally and is also based on education and training.  Some examples are:

  • A lecture of general academic interest
  • A talk of general academic interest.

Some points to note

1. You need to familiarise yourself with the different types of IELTS listening question tasks:

  • Matching tasks
  • True/false tasks
  • Multiple choice tasks
  • Sentence completion tasks
  • Gapfill tasks
  • Diagram labeling tasks
  • Chart/table completion tasks
  • Short answer question tasks.

The questions test your ability to understand the general topic, specific information and details, spoken opinions and arguments.

2. Be careful with your handwriting so that your answers can actually be read!

3. Spelling is not always important as long as your meaning can be understood.  For example, if you wrote ‘meening’ instead of ‘meaning’, you wouldn’t lose the point but if someone spelt out a word for you A-L-A-N-N-A  C-A-R-Y-S-F-O-R-T-H and you spelt it wrong, you’d lose the point.

4. Some questions will specify how many words you can use in the answer.

For example ‘Fill in the gaps with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS

Please follow this instruction carefully; one-word answers, two-word answers and three-word answers are okay.  Four-word answers and five-word answers are not!

Don’t be one of those candidates who throws points away over silly things.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!

 

IELTS Reading and IELTS Listening Band Scores.

reader-310398_1509cp9AxocEI always advise my students to do practice IELTS tests at home so that they have an idea of what to expect when they actually sit the IELTS test.

Every reading or listening paper has 40 questions and each question is worth one point.

The list of marks to IELTS band scores below gives you an idea of your IELTS level.

Continue reading IELTS Reading and IELTS Listening Band Scores.

A best IELTS sample General Training Writing Task 1 question.

depositphotos_7932028-Quill-pen-and-ink-well-with-paper-scrollHere’s a sample General Training Writing Task 1 question.

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have booked to do an English language course in Sydney, Australia for a month.  The language institute has an accommodation office that will organise accommodation for you if necessary.

Write a letter to the accommodation manager.  In your letter

  • give details of when your course will take place
  • find out how much the accommodation will cost
  • ask them to send you some information about the accommodation

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!