IELTS Practice Test Plus 1 General Training Speaking Test 4 (Online Test)

Part 1 · Question 2

When did you last go into one?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 1 · Question 3

What do people mostly use libraries for now?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: mostly, libraries

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …

Part 1 · Question 4

Do you prefer borrowing a book or owning it?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: borrowing, owning

• I would say so, yes, mainly because …
• …, at least that has been my experience.
• On the other hand, some people would argue …

Part 1 · Question 5

How quiet should a library be?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: quiet, library

• Not particularly, no — the thing is …
• …, which makes a real difference day to day.
• That said, I can see why others might …

Part 1 · Question 6

Should libraries offer more than books?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: libraries, offer, books

• To be honest, …
• …, which is something I have always found useful.
• The main reason for that is …

Part 1 · Question 7

Have you visited a museum recently?

Aim for 40–60 words, roughly 20–30 seconds.

Answer the question directly in the first sentence, add the reason behind it, then finish on one concrete detail from your own life. Do not stop after three words, and do not turn it into a speech.

Pick up and paraphrase: visited, museum, recently

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 2 · Question 8

Describe a person you know who always keeps their word.

Aim for 180–220 words — the full two-minute long turn.

Use the one minute of preparation to jot a word per bullet. Take the bullets in the order they are printed, spend the most time on the last one, and close by answering the final line of the card. Keep talking until the examiner stops you.

Pick up and paraphrase: keeps, promises, example

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …

Part 3 · Question 9

Why does trust take so long to build and so little time to destroy?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: trust, build, little

• I would say so, yes, mainly because …
• …, at least that has been my experience.
• On the other hand, some people would argue …

Part 3 · Question 10

What signals do we use when judging whether a new acquaintance is reliable?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: signals, judging, whether

• Not particularly, no — the thing is …
• …, which makes a real difference day to day.
• That said, I can see why others might …

Part 3 · Question 11

Has public trust in institutions fallen in your country?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: public, trust, institutions

• To be honest, …
• …, which is something I have always found useful.
• The main reason for that is …

Part 3 · Question 12

Should written contracts replace personal trust in business dealings?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: written, contracts, replace

• What springs to mind is …
• …, and that is fairly typical where I am from.
• If I had to pick one, it would be …

Part 3 · Question 13

What happens to a community once people stop trusting one another?

Aim for 80–110 words, roughly 40–60 seconds.

Give your position, justify it, illustrate it with a general example rather than a personal story, then acknowledge the other side. Part 3 rewards discussion, not autobiography.

Pick up and paraphrase: happens, community, trusting

• It depends, but generally …
• …, whereas ten years ago it was quite different.
• A good example of that would be …