This document provides tips and guidance for the IELTS exam. It includes sample questions that may be asked in different sections of the exam, including speaking questions about personal details, occasions when the test taker was late, and describing situations when something broke at home. It also provides potential discussion topics like reasons for buying second-hand goods. The document then offers advice on preparing for the exam, including treating it like a test rather than something that will improve English skills, understanding the exam structure and scoring, and developing personalized study strategies focused on individual strengths and weaknesses.

1. IELS TIPS
What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where do you live?
- Tell me about your hometown.
- Where do young people go to have fun in your hometown?
- Where young people used to go for fun in past?
- What games were you playing in the past?
- Did you always play indoor games?
- Can boys and girls play together in your hometown?
- Could they play together in old days also?
Thẻ nói
Describe an occasion on which you were late, please say
- Why were you late?
- What did you miss because of being late?
- What did you have to face after being late?
Câu hỏi khai triển
- What are the reasons people are late in your city?
- Are you punctual?
- What are the reasons you usually are late?
- What are the traffic problems in your hometown?
- Do you think sometimes time passes too slowly? When?
- Do you think this feeling of slow passage of time depends on age or situation?
- Why is it / is it not associated with age?
- Are people punctual in your hometown? If not, why?
- In what situation being late doesn’t matter?
- What are the situations when being on time is necessary?
- Do you work or study?
- What subject are you studying?
- Why do you think people choose such a subject in your country?
- Do you like reading books?
- What type of books do you read?
- Are you reading a book presently?
- Would you like to write a book in the future ?
hẻ nói

2. Describe a situation when something in your house broke or stopped working. Please say
- What was it?
- What happened when it broke/stopped working?
- How did you feel about it?
Thảo luận khai triển
- Why do you think people buy second-hand products?
- Why do people sell second-hand goods and advertise them on the internet?
- Do you think advertising fools people?
Interview
- What’s your name?
- Do you work / study?
- Do you have time to relax?
- When and how do you relax?
- How is relaxing different for men and women?
- What food did you like when you were a child?
- Do you still like it?
- What food do you recommend to your children?
- How do you feel about going with children to restaurants sometimes?
Cue Card
Describe a job that you applied for recently, please say
- What type of job was it?
- How did you find out about it?
- Would you take the job, if you were accepted?
- Explain why you were interested in that job.
Discussion
- How have work conditions changed recently and why?
- Do you think that certain jobs should be well-paid and why?
- What other things should be given to employees in addition to their salaries and why?
- What do you think about working long hours?
- What’s the difference between work and leisure activities?
interview
- Introduce yourself. What do you prefer that I call you?
- Why are you taking the IELTS test?
- Have you ever been to an IELTS exam before? What was your speaking score?
- Where are you from? What is your hometown like?
- What do you do in your leisure time?

3. - What do you want to change about your hometown?
- What natural noise do you like?
- What noises do you dislike?
- What noises take you back to your childhood?
- Do you prefer to study in a quiet place?
Cue Card
Talk about a healthy activity that you do, please say
- what it is,
- what it requires,
- what are the benefits for you,
- why you recommend it to others,
- how often you do it.
Follow up questions
- Do you recommend it to your friends?
- Do they listen to you and accept it?
Interview
- What’s your full name?
- Do you work or study?
- Did you enjoy visiting museums when you were a child?
- Do you think museums are enjoyable for children?
- Do you think it is good to sell things in museums?
- What is a good place to meet people?
- How do you think people used to meet friends in the past?
Cue Card
Talk about a friend that you’ve met a long time ago. Please say
- How did you meet?
- How do you keep in touch?
- Why is this person important to you?
Discussion
- Do you think technology has played an important role in friendships?
- What do you think are the characteristics of a good friend?
- Have you ever met someone through the Internet?
- Do you think that in the future friendships are going to be virtual and people are not
going to have the need of physical contact?

4. Chúng tôi xin trích đăng chia sẻ kinh nghiệm học và thi IELTS từ bạn Jo, đã học xong
chương trình Thạc sỹ tại Uni Tasmania. Đây là bản tiếng Anh chúng tôi sưu tập được.
Hi my name is Jo. I am from China. I just graduated in my Master degree last December
(2008) in UTas. I took IELTS test twice. In 2005, I did IELTS test in China for postgrad
study application in Utas and got score 6.5 (IELTS in Academic - listening 7, reading 7,
writing 6, speaking 6). And then in 2008, I did it again in China for my visa application
and got score 7.5 (IELTS in General - listening 8.5, reading 7, writing 6.5, speaking 8).
I’d like to share some of my experience in taking IELTS test.
1. Only treat it as an exam.
Only treat it as an exam. Do not treat it as something that can raise your English to a
higher level after getting through it. There is no magic in this IELTS thing. You won’t get
to a very high level just because you get through it. However, you have to get through it
to buy yourself a chance to improve your English to a higher level, which is studying in a
western country. Thus, bear in mind, don’t you try to actually improve your English level
to get through the test (unless you have a couple years to do this which you don’t have).
What you should do is, finding another way to get through the test first, and then
improving your actual English level when you are studying in a western country.
“Another way” I am talking about here is not cheating, but strategy. Before developing
good strategies, you need to get to know about the test and yourself first.
2. Knowing the test and yourself
First of all, you need to know how much you need to score totally and how much you

5. have to get in each section to achieve the total score. There are only four sections in the
test and you need to know what they are, how the score system is in each section, what
types of exam questions are in each section, how much time you have to finish each
section, which sections are your strengths and weaknesses, how much score you are
expecting to get in your strong sections and weak sections to achieve your expected total
score. Think about those questions and write down some notes. Now you know a little bit
about your advantages and disadvantages in the test, as well as the question types, score
system etc. But more importantly, now you have a goal - knowing how much you need to
score and how to achieve it from each section. Now you can develop some good
strategies for yourself.
3. Developing strategies fit for yourself.
Well lets say you are good at listening and reading but not doing well in writing and
speaking (most Asian cases I guess). Assuming you need a 6.5 total score, by getting 7 in
listening, 7 in reading, 6 in writing and 6 in speaking. Then you break down the strategy
into four sections aiming at four test sections. Everyone has their own study method or
pattern. There wont be an universal strategy. Therefore now I am only going to put down
a rough strategy according to my own situation. I hope it will be helpful to your own one
or you may modify mine in terms of your own situation.
First of all, check around the test schedule to see when you can do it. I would do it one
month or 3 weeks before the school final exams (like in June if the school final exams are
in July; In January if the school final exams are in February) because my “study mind” or
“exam ability” is in a very good status before the school final exams (in June or January
my whole body tells me it is time to concentrate and put time, effort into my study since
the exams are coming!!!). So, knowing your study pattern, pick a time that you are
regularly ready for exams, physically and mentally. However, make sure you book the
test in advance minimum one month to give you time to study.
Secondly, knowing your English level, estimate how much time you need to study before
the test accordingly. However, regardless of your level, DO NOT make your study plan
over 2 months. You wont be able to hold on there for so long (well….I definitely cannot).
So, let’s say you estimate you need 35 to 40 days.
Thirdly, think about your study plan in your head, and then put it down to paper.
Here is my own study plan.
a). Knowing your level and your strengths and weaknesses.
First 4 days, do 3 previous REAL IELTS test papers (From “Cambridge Ielts” series).
Treat it like a real exam. Time yourself strictly. make sure nothing could interrupt you.
Then mark yourself. Now you know where you are in this test.
b). Listening and Reading (we need 7 and 7 in these two sections)
From the 5th day on, start doing one hour listening and one hour reading excise in the
morning (there wont be any break time between these two sections in the exam so don't

6. give yourself any break time). Excise I mean “simulated exam paper” from books or
internet or whatever sources. Time yourself very strictly. Make sure no interruption.
Mark yourself. Don't worry about the score too much (unless you get less than 4. Could
be something wrong with your English foundation). Make sure you go back to each
wrong question, correct them very carefully, think about why you did it wrong (think
about it is enough I reckon. But it is not that easy as it sounds. People tend to not face
their mistakes). For listening, listen those sentences where you didn't hear clearly again.
One more thing, CIRCLE any words that you don't know when you are doing the excises
both reading and listening). Put all of them to a notebook, look then up. Create your own
vocabulary. This is very vital because I reckon IELTS Reading section is all about
vocabulary. Keep doing this for 10 days (flexible, but no less than 7 days).
c). Writing (we need 6)
Also from the 5th day on, start reading “good example articles” from books, internet or
whatever sources. Read about 5 or 6 good example articles (both big and small sections).
Copy down all the good vocabulary, good phases, good sentences, good ideas, good
expression, good formats etc. to your notebook (good here I am talking about, other than
“good” good, I also mean those you are able to use, remember. Regarding to those look
good but too complicated to use or remember, either ignore them or convert them to
something that u can remember and use). Keep doing this for about 5 days (you will get
very bored if you continue doing it for too long), then you will have quite a lot of good
writing materials. Spend some time to sort them out, categorise them, read them, think
about them, imagine how you would use those phases, sentences in specific some
scenarios. Then you can start doing the writing excised from the 6th or 7th day. Find a
bunch of topics from books, internet. Pick 2 topics (one for small one for big section)
randomly and write them up every afternoon (morning for listening and reading sections.
Don't try to do those 3 sections together in three hours. You would be very exhausted and
could not focus on correcting, finding problems, copying new vocabulary). After finish
the writing, try to ask your English teacher or classmates or friends to fix it for you and
ask for any suggestions. But if nobody can fix for you, don't worry about it. Fix it by
yourself and think about how to improve it. Keep doing this excise for about 10 days.
Writing in English doesn't come to us naturally. We need to read others’ writing first and
then simulate them. However, the most important thing is, we don't copy it, but learn it
and use it. It is easy to “know” something from a book. But it is hard to actually “learn”
that thing from a book, no mention to use it. Thus, writing is all about converting
something that not belong to you, to your own knowledge, and then use it. Oh yes, never
ever separate the small and big writing assignment when you are practising. Finish them
in one hour.
d). Vocabulary.
After finishing 10 days listening and reading excises and 5 days writing excises, now you
have quite a lot of new words in your vocabulary. Spend a couple days (3 or 4 or 5
depends how many words you got) on the new words in the morning (writing excise still
on-going in the afternoon). Actually this vocabulary section is just a little break for you.
There is no need to spend too much time on IELTS vocabulary specifically (unless your

7. vocabulary is really really poor. I mean really).
e). Speaking (we need 6).
Pretty much like writing. From the 20th days on, spend about 5 days (1 to 2 hours a day)
on finding most popular topics in the test, and then ask yourself the questions, write down
the answers to those questions that could be asked by the examiner (You could also read
about how other people answer to the questions as a reference. But do not try to copy
others’ answers because it would be like you are reading when you answer the questions.
Make the answers as easy as possible. Don’t use complicated sentences. Make the
answers as real as possible). Keep practicing it by yourself in the first 5 days. Spend at
least one hour every day. Imagine you are being asked all those kinds of questions about
all different topics. Try to talk to yourself, not limiting in the practising time but anytime
(like in the shower, toilet, whenever you are in a mood to do so). (writing practice ends in
the 20th day so there will be nothing in the afternoon while you are doing speaking in the
morning. This is flexible time you can plan whatever you feel you are still weak in into
the afternoon schedule). After 5 days practice, now you need someone to help you to
create a “conversation scenario”. It could be your friends or your family. Doesn’t really
matter who they are. All they need to do is sitting here and looking at you (pretend to be
listening if they don’t know English). You ask your friend to ask you the questions and
then you answer them. One hour a day. Keep doing it for at least 5 days. Meanwhile, you
need to go back to do 5 more days reading and listening practice in the afternoon.
Speaking is all about confidence, nature. When you are sitting in the speaking test, be
confidence, convince yourself you are a native English speaker, talk as much as you can,
doesn’t matter your answers are fake, boring, annoying, stupid, as along as you keep
talking (of course don’t talk to far away from the topic), and make sure you are not
talking too fast, make sure the examiner understands your accent. Be polite of course. Oh
yes don’t ever try to be funny if you are not.
30 days are gone. If you stick to your plan for a month, oh yeah you are good now. Spend
3 days (no more than 5 days) to do 3 whole sets (or 5 sets if you are energetic) of
previous exam papers (from Cambridge Ielts). Don’t panic if your score is still not as
good as you want (just practice, plus at this point what else you can do, you already do
your best so don’t worry about it too much). Now 2 days before the test, scan the
“previous exam questions and answers” quickly. This “previous exam questions and
answers” thing I am talking about is the Chinese ielts cadidates put the questions and
their own answers online to share with other people after the test. The point of this is,
other than sharing experience, because the test questions are rotated in some pattern in a
period, there will be some chance we will see the exact questions in our own test. So it is
still worth to have a look.
Good Luck guys!!