complete-ielts-guide Sample Questions & Answers

To achieve a high score for Task Achievement, the candidate must address all parts of the prompt. This option correctly identifies the key functions required: describing the item and the problem, explaining the previous attempt at resolution (the phone call), and clearly stating the desired outcome (e.g., a refund, replacement). This structure ensures the purpose of the letter is clear and all requirements are met.

While there are issues with fluency (hesitation, simple connectives) and lexical resource (simple vocabulary), the most glaring weakness is Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The student uses very simple sentence structures ('It's everywhere.' 'People see it.') and makes noticeable errors ('He buy it' instead of 'He bought it'). This limited range and lack of accuracy in basic structures are characteristic of performance at Band 5 or below in this specific criterion, significantly impacting the overall score.

The instruction 'NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER' means the answer can be one word, two words, a number, one word and a number, or two words and a number. The phrase 'exactly 5,400' contains one word and a number, but 'exactly' is a distractor. The essential information is the number of participants. '5,400' is a number and fits the instructions perfectly. 'five thousand four hundred' would be incorrect as it exceeds the two-word limit.

This sentence displays a high level of grammatical range. It begins with a complex subordinate clause ('Despite the undeniable benefits...'), uses a relative clause ('that technology has brought...'), and employs a passive modal structure ('should not be overlooked'). This variety of structures, combined with its accuracy, is characteristic of a high band score (7+). The other options use simple or compound sentences with basic structures.

This is the core distinction. For an answer to be 'No', there must be direct evidence in the text that contradicts the writer's view presented in the question. For 'Not Given', the information is simply absent; it's impossible to know the writer's view on that specific point based on the text provided.

Organizing ideas into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic, is a fundamental aspect of coherence.

Cohesive devices (e.g., 'however', 'in addition', 'as a result') are essential for creating clear relationships between ideas, sentences, and paragraphs.

Coherence refers to the overall clarity and logical flow of the argument from beginning to end. A response with clear progression is easy for the reader to follow.

Speaking Part 3 moves beyond personal topics to test a candidate's ability to handle more complex and abstract discussions. The focus is on demonstrating a wider range of language functions, such as evaluating, speculating, comparing, and contrasting ideas, which are essential for academic or professional environments.

For an opinion essay, clarity is crucial. The diagram shows the best practice: state your opinion clearly in the introduction (A3: Thesis/Opinion Statement) to guide the reader, and then reaffirm it in the conclusion (D1: Restate Opinion) after presenting your arguments. This creates a logical and coherent structure.

The overall band score is the average of the four components. Calculation: (7.5 + 8.0 + 6.5 + 7.0) / 4 = 29.0 / 4 = 7.25. According to IELTS rounding rules, an average ending in .25 is rounded up to the next half band, which is 7.5.

While IELTS examiners are sometimes lenient with capitalisation, the official rule is that proper nouns should be capitalised correctly. To be safe and ensure the answer is marked correct, candidates should always use correct capitalisation. Writing 'smith' instead of 'Smith' could result in the answer being marked wrong.