AI-generated practice paper in the style of IELTS General Training — original material, not a reproduction of any real exam paper, following the official four-module structure (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking). Listening audio is read aloud by your browser's voice, Writing tasks can be scored by AI, and for Speaking you can record yourself and compare with a model answer.
Listening
Part 1
Listen and answer questions 1–10.
Transcript (available after checking)
Anna: Westbrook Adult Education Centre. Anna speaking.
David: Hi. I'm interested in your evening Spanish classes.
Anna: Yes. Which level are you hoping for? We've got beginners, improvers and intermediate.
David: I did a bit at school and then some evening classes a couple of years ago. I think improvers.
Anna: That's the one that meets on Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:45. It starts on the 8th of October.
David: What's the fee?
Anna: 95 pounds for ten weeks. If you're over sixty or receiving benefits, it's half price.
David: I'm neither, unfortunately. Can I pay in two instalments?
Anna: You can. We take half now and half at the fifth session. Can I have your name?
David: David Kellerman. K-E-L-L-E-R-M-A-N.
Anna: Thanks. And your email, so the tutor can send you the reading list?
David: It's d kellerman at postbox dot org.
Anna: Great. Now the class is held in room 3B on the first floor. There's a lift by the main entrance.
David: Good. I have a bad knee. Do I need to buy a textbook?
Anna: Yes, the tutor uses Nuevo Rumbo, which is available at the reception for 28 pounds. You could also buy it second-hand online, but be careful to get the correct edition. It should be the red one, not the blue.
David: The red one. Understood. What's the tutor like?
Anna: Señora Delgado. She's from Seville and she's very popular. She keeps the classes lively with games and songs.
David: That sounds fun. Is there a café where I can eat before class?
Anna: The canteen serves hot meals until 6, then it's just sandwiches and drinks. There's also a good tapas bar across the road, if you like.
David: I might try that. And parking?
Anna: The car park behind the building is free after six. Just remember to enter your registration at the machine.
Complete the enrolment form below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
1. Surname: ______
2. Level: ______
3. Class day and time: Wednesday at ______
4. Start date: ______ October
5. Course fee: ______ pounds
6. Room number: ______
7. Textbook price: ______ pounds
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
8. Which edition of the textbook should David buy?
9. The tutor keeps classes lively by using
10. The car park is free
Part 2
Listen and answer questions 11–20.
Transcript (available after checking)
Kia ora everyone, welcome to the Tawa Ridge Heritage Trail, I'm David, one of the park rangers, and I'll give you an overview before you set off. The full loop is 7 kilometres and takes most walkers about two and a half hours, though there's a shorter 3-kilometre option if you'd rather turn back early. We'll start at the Trailhead, where there's a noticeboard with a map and current track conditions, worth checking especially after heavy rain. About a kilometre in is the Kauri Grove, home to several trees over 500 years old, and there's a boardwalk there to protect the roots, so please stay on it. Further along is the Lookout Point, with views right across the valley on a clear day, and it's the best spot on the whole trail for a photo. Past that is the Old Mill Site, the ruins of a sawmill that operated here until the 1930s, with a few information panels explaining what the site once looked like. Near the end of the loop is the Swing Bridge, a narrow footbridge over the stream, which can be a bit wobbly, so we ask no more than four people to cross at once. There's no water available on the trail, so please bring at least a litre per person, and mobile coverage is patchy in places, so let someone know your plans before setting off. Dogs are welcome on a lead, and there are rubbish bins only at the trailhead, so please carry out anything you bring in.
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
11. Full loop distance: ______ kilometres
12. Time for the full loop: about ______ hours
13. Age of the oldest trees in the Kauri Grove: over ______ years
What does the speaker say about each of the following areas? Choose the correct letter, A-F, for questions 4 to 7.
14. The Trailhead
15. The Kauri Grove
16. The Lookout Point
17. The Old Mill Site
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
18. The Swing Bridge allows
19. Walkers are advised to bring
20. Rubbish bins are available
Part 3
Listen and answer questions 21–30.
Transcript (available after checking)
Dr. Adams: So the end-of-year exhibition is in six weeks. Ben, Carla, have you agreed on a theme?
Ben: I wanted "Night in the City", because I have lots of long-exposure shots.
Carla: But my pictures are mostly taken in daylight, in the market. We'd end up with two different sets.
Ben: True. Then how about a combined theme, like "Work", showing people at their jobs? I have night-shift workers, and you have stallholders.
Carla: I like that. It's simple and it links the pictures without forcing them to look the same.
Dr. Adams: Excellent. Work is a strong subject. How many pictures each?
Carla: The brief says ten in total for a pair.
Dr. Adams: Yes, five each, but choose them together so they work as a story. What size will you print?
Ben: I thought A2, so they look impressive.
Dr. Adams: That's expensive. The photography budget is thirty pounds per student. A3 is more realistic.
Carla: A3 it is, then. And should we frame them?
Dr. Adams: No frames, please. They're heavy and the gallery doesn't allow nails. Mount the prints on card, and we'll fix them with small clips.
Ben: What about captions?
Dr. Adams: Short ones, at the bottom. Who, where and a single line about what's happening. Please don't write a paragraph.
Carla: We're planning to record two of the workers as well, so people can listen to them talk.
Dr. Adams: That's a lovely idea, but the gallery has no sound system. You could put a QR code beside each picture so visitors can listen on their phones.
Ben: That works, and it's free. We'll do that.
Dr. Adams: Now, timing. Prints must reach me by the fourteenth. The set-up day is on the twentieth, and the exhibition opens the following Monday.
Carla: We'd better start printing next week.
Dr. Adams: And remember, get written permission from everyone who appears in a photograph, especially in the workplace.
21. Why does Carla object to the theme "Night in the City"?
22. What theme do they finally choose?
23. How many photographs must each student include?
24. Why does Dr. Adams advise against A2 prints?
25. Why must the prints have no frames?
26. How will visitors hear the workers speaking?
27. What must students obtain from people in the photographs?
What is the deadline for each stage? Choose your answers from the list, A-E: A The fourteenth; B The twentieth; C Next Monday; D Next week; E In six weeks.
28. Prints handed in
29. Set-up day
30. Exhibition opens
Part 4
Listen and answer questions 31–40.
Transcript (available after checking)
This lecture looks at the rise of the coffee house, an institution that changed how people in cities socialised, argued, and exchanged ideas. Coffee itself is believed to have originated in Ethiopia, where local legend credits a goatherd named Kaldi with noticing his goats became unusually energetic after eating berries from a certain bush, though this story is almost certainly a later invention rather than verified history. The drink spread to the Arabian Peninsula by the fifteenth century, and the first true coffee houses, called qahveh khaneh, opened in cities such as Mecca and Cairo, quickly becoming popular venues for conversation, music, chess, and passing along news and gossip. Coffee and coffee houses reached Europe in the seventeenth century, with Venice generally credited as hosting one of the earliest European examples around 1645, followed rapidly by similar establishments opening across major cities including London, Paris, and Vienna within just a few decades. London's coffee houses became especially significant, sometimes nicknamed penny universities because for the modest price of a single cup of coffee, a customer could sit for hours, read newspapers, and join lively discussions covering politics, business, and science with strangers from many different walks of life. Specific coffee houses became strongly associated with particular professions and interests; Lloyd's Coffee House, for instance, became the regular meeting place for maritime insurance brokers, and that informal gathering eventually evolved directly into Lloyd's of London, still one of the most important insurance markets in the world today. Coffee houses also played a genuinely significant role in the scientific revolution, functioning as informal meeting places where thinkers debated new ideas well outside the more formal, restrictive setting of a university lecture hall. Some governments, made distinctly nervous by all this free-flowing political discussion happening beyond their direct control, attempted to ban coffee houses outright at various points, though these bans rarely succeeded for long, largely because coffee itself, and the lively conversation it seemed reliably to encourage, had already become far too popular to suppress.
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
31. Coffee is believed to have originated in ______.
32. Local legend credits a goatherd named ______ with the discovery.
33. Coffee houses were called qahveh khaneh, opening first in cities like Mecca and ______.
34. One of the earliest European coffee houses opened in ______ around 1645.
35. London coffee houses were nicknamed penny ______.
36. For the price of one cup, customers could read ______ and join discussions.
37. Lloyd's Coffee House became the meeting place for maritime ______ brokers.
38. That gathering evolved into ______, still an important insurance market today.
39. Coffee houses played a role in the scientific ______.
40. Some governments attempted to ______ coffee houses outright.
Reading
Section 1: Notices
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 1.
NOTICE A — Riverbank Council: Street Tree Planting Scheme
Residents can now apply to have a new tree planted on the pavement outside their property as part of the council's expanded street tree planting scheme, which aims to plant 2,000 additional trees across the borough over the next three years. Applications are free and can be submitted online, though the council cannot guarantee a specific tree species, as suitability depends on factors including pavement width, nearby underground pipes, and overhead cables. Trees will typically be planted during the dormant season between November and March, when young trees are best able to establish healthy root systems. Residents are asked to water newly planted trees during their first two summers if there is no significant rainfall for more than a week, as the council's own watering capacity is limited to the driest periods only. Anyone wishing to object to a tree being planted near their property, for example due to concerns about light blockage, may do so in writing within 21 days of being notified.
NOTICE B — Meadowview Apartments: CCTV Installation Notice
New CCTV cameras will be installed at the main entrance, car park, and bicycle storage area of Meadowview Apartments next month, following several reports of attempted break-ins in the surrounding neighbourhood. Footage will be retained for 30 days before being automatically deleted, unless required for a specific investigation, and will only be accessed by the building manager or, where relevant, the police. The cameras will not cover any private balconies or windows, in line with residents' reasonable expectation of privacy in their own homes. A sign will be displayed at each camera location, as required by data protection regulations, informing visitors that the area is under surveillance. Residents with questions about the new system, including how to request footage relevant to an incident involving their own property, should contact the building manager directly.
Questions 1–4. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1. How many additional trees does the council aim to plant over the next three years?
2. Why are new CCTV cameras being installed at Meadowview Apartments?
3. Where will the new cameras be installed?
4. Who can access the CCTV footage, besides the building manager?
Questions 5–7. Do the following statements agree with the information in Notice A? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
5. The council can guarantee a specific tree species for every application.
6. Trees are typically planted between November and March.
7. Applications for a new street tree are free to submit.
Questions 8–9. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A for each answer.
8. Residents are asked to water newly planted trees during their first __________.
9. Residents should water new trees if there is no significant rainfall for more than __________.
Question 10. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A.
10. Within how many days can a resident object to a tree being planted near their property?
Questions 11–12. Do the following statements agree with the information in Notice B? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
11. Footage will be retained for 30 days before automatic deletion, unless needed for an investigation.
12. Cameras will cover residents' private balconies.
Question 13. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B for each answer.
13. A sign will be displayed at each camera location, as required by __________.
Question 14. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B.
14. Who should residents contact with questions about the new CCTV system?
Section 2: Workplace
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 2.
TEXT A — Learning and Development: Workplace Mentoring Programme Launch
A new voluntary mentoring programme will launch next month, pairing junior staff with more experienced colleagues from a different department to broaden perspectives and support career development outside their immediate team. Mentoring pairs are expected to meet for approximately one hour every month over a six-month period, with meeting format and specific topics left flexible and largely determined by the mentee's own goals. Staff interested in becoming a mentor should have at least three years of service with the company and receive a short briefing session on effective mentoring techniques before being matched. Mentees can apply through a simple online form indicating areas of interest, such as leadership skills or a specific career path, which will be used to inform suitable pairing. The programme will be evaluated after its first cohort completes the six-month cycle, with adjustments made based on participant feedback before a second cohort begins.
TEXT B — IT Department: New Time-Tracking Software Rollout
A new time-tracking software system, TimeFrame, will be introduced for all client-billable staff from the start of next month, replacing the current paper timesheet system. Staff will log time spent on each project directly through a simple mobile app or desktop browser interface, with entries submitted daily rather than weekly to improve accuracy and reduce end-of-week guesswork. Line managers will approve submitted timesheets weekly, and any discrepancies should be resolved directly with the relevant manager rather than IT support, since IT cannot amend timesheet content. A brief fifteen-minute training video explaining the new system must be watched by all affected staff before their first login. Historical timesheet data from the paper system will not be migrated, so any outstanding paper timesheets for the current month should be submitted as usual before the changeover date.
Questions 15–17. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
15. How often are mentoring pairs expected to meet?
16. What is the name of the new time-tracking software?
17. How often will line managers approve submitted timesheets?
Questions 18–20. Do the following statements agree with the information in Text A? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
18. Mentors must have at least three years of service with the company.
19. Mentoring pairs are always matched with someone from their own department.
20. The programme will be adjusted based on participant feedback before a second cohort begins.
Question 21. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A for each answer.
21. The programme will be evaluated after its first cohort completes the __________.
Question 22. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A.
22. How can mentees apply to the programme?
Questions 23–24. Do the following statements agree with the information in Text B? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
23. Entries will now be submitted daily rather than weekly.
24. IT support can amend timesheet content on request.
Questions 25–26. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B for each answer.
25. A brief __________ explaining the new system must be watched before first login.
26. Outstanding paper timesheets for the current month should be submitted as usual before the __________.
Question 27. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B.
27. What will not be migrated from the old paper system?
Section 3: The Rise of the Four-Day Work Week
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 3.
The standard five-day working week, so deeply embedded in modern life that it rarely invites questioning, is a relatively recent historical arrangement, having become widespread across much of the industrialised world only in the mid-twentieth century following decades of labour movement campaigning for reduced working hours. Over the past several years, a growing number of companies and even entire countries have begun experimenting with a further reduction, to a four-day working week, typically with no corresponding reduction in pay, prompted by a combination of employee wellbeing concerns and emerging evidence about the relationship between working hours and actual productivity.
The most extensively documented trial took place in the United Kingdom, involving over 60 companies and nearly 3,000 employees across a six-month pilot, during which participating companies reduced standard working hours by 20% while maintaining full salaries, on the condition that output and productivity levels were maintained. Results published following the trial showed that the substantial majority of participating companies chose to continue the four-day arrangement after the pilot concluded, with self-reported employee stress and burnout measures showing significant improvement, alongside modest but measurable gains in several companies' self-reported productivity and revenue figures during the trial period.
Proponents of the four-day week argue that the underlying logic reflects a broader reality about modern knowledge work: that a full eight-hour day rarely translates into eight hours of genuinely focused, productive output, with substantial time typically lost to lengthy meetings, email management, and general workplace distraction, meaning that a compressed schedule can plausibly maintain equivalent output by forcing more disciplined time management and reducing time available for low-value activity. Sceptics, however, caution that results from voluntary pilot programmes, in which participating companies self-selected into the trial and were highly motivated to demonstrate success, may not generalise reliably to less enthusiastic organisations mandated to adopt the same policy, and that certain sectors, particularly those involving continuous shift-based operations such as healthcare, manufacturing, and hospitality, face far greater practical implementation challenges than the office-based professional services companies that dominated most published trials.
Several national governments have shown policy interest in the concept, with Iceland's large-scale, government-led trials between 2015 and 2019 frequently cited as providing some of the strongest and most methodologically rigorous evidence supporting the model, ultimately leading a substantial proportion of Iceland's working population to either move to shorter hours or gain the right to do so through subsequent collective bargaining agreements. Whether the four-day week represents a durable, generalisable shift in how developed economies structure work, however, or a niche arrangement suited mainly to certain white-collar sectors, remains an open and actively contested question among labour economists.
Questions 28–30. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
28. When did the standard five-day working week become widespread across much of the industrialised world?
29. What sectors does the passage say face greater implementation challenges for a four-day week?
30. What do proponents argue about a full eight-hour day in modern knowledge work?
Questions 31–34. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
31. The UK four-day week trial involved over 60 companies and nearly 3,000 employees.
32. Employee pay was reduced in proportion to reduced working hours in the UK trial.
33. Iceland's trials took place between 2015 and 2019.
34. The substantial majority of companies in the UK pilot chose to continue the four-day arrangement afterward.
Question 35. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
35. Companies in the trial reduced standard working hours by __________ while maintaining full salaries.
Questions 36–38. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
36. What measures showed significant improvement among employees after the trial, according to the passage?
37. What, besides moving to shorter hours outright, could a substantial proportion of Iceland's working population gain through subsequent collective bargaining agreements?
38. What campaigning historically drove the reduction to a five-day working week?
Questions 39–40. Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.
39. Sceptics believe voluntary pilot results may not generalise to less enthusiastic organisations.
40. The writer states with certainty that the four-day week will become the global standard.
Speaking
Part 1: Introduction and interview
The examiner asks you questions about yourself and familiar topics (4–5 minutes).
Part 1 (Your hometown / Weekends) — the examiner asks about two familiar topics.
Topic 1: Your hometown
Q1. Where is your hometown, and what is it like?
Q2. What do you like most about living there?
Topic 2: Weekends
Q3. How do you usually spend your weekends?
Q4. Do you prefer to relax or to be busy at the weekend? Why?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer:
1. I come from a medium-sized town on the coast, about two hours from the capital. It's quite peaceful most of the year, but it gets very lively in summer when tourists arrive.
2. I love the fact that everything is close together. I can walk to the harbour in ten minutes, and everybody seems to know each other, which makes it feel friendly.
3. Usually I do the shopping on Saturday morning and then meet a few friends for lunch. On Sundays I tend to stay at home, call my parents and get ready for the week.
4. I'd say I prefer to be busy, but not rushed. If I do nothing all weekend I feel a bit restless, so I like to plan one or two small activities and leave the rest free.
Part 2: Individual long turn
You have one minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a place that is always busy and noisy.
You should say:
- where this place is
- what it is like
- why it is so busy
and explain how you feel when you are there.
You'll have a minute to prepare and then speak on the topic for one to two minutes.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The place that comes to mind is the central bus station in my city, which is one of the busiest spots I know. It's a huge concrete building near the river, with about thirty platforms, a food court and dozens of little kiosks selling newspapers, phone cards and snacks. At any time of day, the hall is packed with commuters, tourists dragging suitcases and students heading home for the weekend, and there are constant announcements over the loudspeakers, together with the sound of engines and people shouting the names of destinations. The reason it's so crowded is simple: nearly every long-distance route in the region passes through it, and it's connected directly to the metro. I have to go there about once a month, to visit my parents, and to be honest, I find it quite stressful. I'm always afraid of losing my luggage or missing my bus in all the confusion. On the other hand, I do find it fascinating to watch so many different people, each with their own story, and the smell of fresh simit from the bakery is a small pleasure that almost makes the noise bearable.
Part 3: Two-way discussion
The examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.
Part 3 (public transport) — the examiner asks four related questions.
Q1. What are the main advantages of using public transport over private cars?
Q2. Why do some people still prefer driving even when public transport is available?
Q3. Should governments invest more money in improving public transport systems?
Q4. How do you think public transport will develop in the future?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer:
1. It reduces traffic congestion and pollution overall, and it's usually cheaper than owning and maintaining a car, especially in cities where parking is limited and expensive.
2. Comfort and convenience are big factors; a car offers privacy and flexibility over timing, especially for people carrying heavy items or travelling with young children, that buses or trains often can't match.
3. Definitely, since reliable, affordable public transport encourages people to leave their cars at home, which benefits the whole city through less congestion and cleaner air, not just individual passengers.
4. I expect more electric buses and trains, along with smarter scheduling using real-time data, making services more predictable and hopefully persuading more people to switch from private cars.
Writing Task 1
You would like to hold a small community fundraising event in a local park and need permission from the local authority. Write a letter to the local authority. In your letter: describe the event you are planning, explain why you need permission, and ask what steps you need to take. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter 'Dear Sir or Madam,'
Writing Task 2
Some companies are now allowing employees to work a four-day week instead of the traditional five-day week. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this trend. Write at least 250 words.