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B1–C2 · IELTS General Training

IELTS General Training Practice Test 34

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.

Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

1. Surname: ______

2. Course length: ______ weeks

3. Course start date: Wednesday the ______ of August

4. Course fee: ______ dollars

5. Extra firing cost: ______ dollars

6. Car park entrance from: ______ Street

7. Pieces ready for collection about ______ days after the final class

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

8. What will students do in week one?

9. What footwear is required?

10. What should Frank bring if he has one?

Part 2

Listen and answer questions 11–20.

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

11. Number of students living here: ______

12. Number of rooms sharing a kitchen: ______

13. Cost of a wash in the Laundry Room: ______ dollars

What does the speaker say about each of the following areas? Choose the correct letter, A-F, for questions 4 to 7.

14. Reception

15. The Laundry Room

16. The Common Room

17. The Study Room

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

18. The warden runs a drop-in session every

19. If the wifi stops working, students should

20. Bikes can be stored

Part 3

Listen and answer questions 21–30.

21. Why is Carla unwilling to use a film clip?

22. What does Dr. Lee say about the question "Who is the real monster?"

23. What does Dr. Lee suggest as an alternative starting question?

24. Why does Ben prefer pairs to groups?

25. How many pairs will there be?

26. What must the students send Dr. Lee by Wednesday?

27. How will the seminar end?

Which part of the seminar will each person handle? Choose your answers from the list, A-E: A Keeping to the schedule; B Handling the equipment; C Explaining the historical background; D Printing the handout; E Collecting the sticky notes.

28. Ben

29. Carla

30. Dr. Lee

Part 4

Listen and answer questions 31–40.

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

31. Seeds are stored at extremely low temperatures, often around minus ______ degrees Celsius.

32. Genetic diversity gives breeders more raw material to develop varieties resistant to ______.

33. Older, traditional crop varieties are sometimes called heirloom or ______ varieties.

34. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is built into a mountainside in ______.

35. Svalbard was chosen for its naturally cold ______ location.

36. Svalbard functions as a secure ______ facility.

37. It stores duplicate seed samples sent from other ______ around the world.

38. In 2015, researchers retrieved samples after a civil conflict damaged a seed bank in ______.

39. Community seed-saving networks include local heritage seed ______.

40. These networks keep locally adapted varieties in continuous ______.

Reading

Section 1: Notices

You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 1.

NOTICE A — Millbrook Pharmacy: Prescription Collection Changes From next month, repeat prescriptions will be ready for collection within two working days of the request being submitted, an improvement on the previous three-to-five-day waiting period, thanks to a new automated dispensing system recently installed at the pharmacy. Customers will receive a text message notification once their prescription is ready, rather than needing to call and check as before. A new home delivery service will also be available for a small weekly fee, particularly useful for customers with mobility difficulties or those living some distance from the pharmacy. Prescriptions not collected within 14 days of being ready will be returned to stock, and customers will need to contact their GP surgery to have the prescription reissued. Customers wishing to switch to the new home delivery service should register their interest at the counter or by calling the pharmacy directly. NOTICE B — Elmgrove Apartments: Communal Garden Redesign The communal garden between Blocks A and B will undergo a redesign over the coming two months, replacing the current lawn area with a mix of low-maintenance planting, a small seating area, and a children's sandpit, based on suggestions gathered from a residents' consultation earlier this year. Access to the garden will be restricted during the redesign works for safety reasons, with a temporary fence erected around the perimeter. Residents with balconies overlooking the garden should expect some noise from landscaping machinery during working hours, generally between 8am and 5pm on weekdays only. The redesign cost has been approved as part of this year's communal improvement budget and will not result in any increase to service charges. A photograph of the finished design has been placed on the noticeboard in each block's entrance for residents to preview.

Questions 1–3. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

1. Within how many working days will repeat prescriptions now be ready?

2. What will replace the current lawn area in the communal garden?

3. What informed the plans for the garden redesign?

Questions 4–6. 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.

4. Customers will receive a text message once their prescription is ready.

5. The new home delivery service is completely free of charge.

6. The new home delivery service is aimed partly at customers with mobility difficulties.

Questions 7–8. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A for each answer.

7. Prescriptions not collected within __________ of being ready will be returned to stock.

8. Customers wishing to switch to home delivery should register their interest at the counter or by __________.

Question 9. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A.

9. What made the faster prescription collection time possible?

Questions 10–11. 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.

10. The redesign will result in an increase to service charges.

11. A temporary fence will be erected around the garden's perimeter.

Question 12. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B for each answer.

12. Landscaping machinery noise is generally expected between 8am and 5pm on __________.

Questions 13–14. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B.

13. Where can residents see a preview of the finished garden design?

14. What budget covers the cost of the garden redesign?

Section 2: Workplace

You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 2.

TEXT A — Human Resources: New Starter Buddy Scheme Every new starter will now be paired with a 'buddy' from within their own team for their first month, someone other than their direct manager who can answer day-to-day questions and help them settle into team culture and informal working norms. Buddies are expected to check in with their new starter at least once a day during the first week, tapering to a couple of times a week for the remainder of the month. Volunteering as a buddy is entirely optional and unpaid, though it is recognised as a valuable contribution during annual performance discussions. A short guidance document outlining suggested topics to cover, such as introducing key contacts and explaining unwritten office norms, will be provided to all buddies before a new starter's first day. Feedback from both buddies and new starters will be gathered after the first month to help refine the scheme over time. TEXT B — IT Department: Company Phone Policy Update Staff issued with a company mobile phone will now be permitted limited personal use, including personal calls, texts, and app use, provided this does not interfere with work responsibilities or incur significant additional cost to the company, such as international roaming charges without prior approval. Previously, company phones were restricted to work use only, a policy staff had frequently found impractical to follow consistently in practice. Staff remain responsible for keeping company phones secure and must report a lost or stolen device to IT immediately so that it can be remotely locked and, if necessary, wiped of company data. Personal photos and data added to a company phone will not be backed up by the company and will be lost if the device needs to be wiped for security reasons. Staff leaving the company must return their company phone, having removed only clearly personal content beforehand if possible.

Questions 15–17. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

15. Who is a new starter's 'buddy' meant to be, according to Text A?

16. What does the updated phone policy now permit?

17. What requires prior approval under the phone policy?

Questions 18–19. 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. Volunteering as a buddy is paid additional to normal salary.

19. Buddies are expected to check in daily during the first week.

Questions 20–21. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A for each answer.

20. Buddy contributions are recognised during annual __________.

21. A short guidance document will be provided to all buddies before a new starter's __________.

Question 22. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A.

22. What will be gathered after the first month to help refine the scheme?

Questions 23–25. 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. Company phones were previously restricted to work use only.

24. Personal photos added to a company phone are automatically backed up by the company.

25. Staff leaving the company should remove personal content from their phone beforehand if possible.

Question 26. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B for each answer.

26. A lost or stolen device must be reported to IT immediately so it can be remotely locked and, if necessary, __________.

Question 27. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B.

27. What must staff leaving the company return?

Section 3: The Neuroscience of Habit Formation

You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 3.

Habits, broadly defined as behaviours performed automatically in response to a specific contextual cue with minimal conscious deliberation, account for a considerable proportion of daily human behaviour, with some researchers estimating that a substantial share of everyday actions, from the specific route taken to work to the exact sequence of a morning routine, are governed largely by habitual rather than consciously deliberated processes. Neuroscientific research has identified the basal ganglia, a cluster of interconnected structures located deep within the brain, as playing a central role in habit formation, gradually taking over control of a behaviour from the prefrontal cortex, the brain region primarily associated with conscious, deliberate decision-making, as a behaviour is repeated consistently over time in a stable context. This neurological transfer explains a commonly observed practical pattern: a newly learned behaviour initially requires considerable conscious effort and attention, but with sufficient consistent repetition in the same context, gradually becomes automatic, requiring progressively less conscious mental engagement until it can eventually be performed with minimal deliberate attention at all. The widely cited psychological framework known as the 'habit loop,' popularised by science journalist Charles Duhigg though grounded in earlier academic research, describes this automatic process as consisting of three interconnected components: a cue that triggers the behaviour, the routine behaviour itself, and a reward that reinforces the neural association between the specific cue and the resulting behaviour, gradually strengthening the automatic pathway with each successful repetition of the full cycle. Critically, research indicates that the cue and reward, rather than the specific routine behaviour itself, are what fundamentally drive habit strength, a finding with significant practical implications for anyone attempting to change an established, unwanted habit. This cue-and-reward-centred understanding has directly informed practical, evidence-based approaches to habit change: rather than attempting to eliminate an unwanted routine behaviour through willpower alone, which research finds notoriously difficult to sustain over any extended period, more effective evidence-based strategies typically involve either eliminating or substantially modifying the triggering cue itself, or deliberately substituting a different, more desirable routine behaviour that still satisfies the same underlying reward the original habit provided, while carefully leaving the triggering cue and reinforcing reward largely intact. A frequently underappreciated finding from habit research concerns durability under stress and disruption: contrary to popular intuition, well-established habits often persist robustly, or in some cases return quickly, even after significant disruption to daily routine, such as extended travel, illness, or major life changes, precisely because the underlying neural pathway remains largely intact and unaffected in the basal ganglia even when the specific behavioural routine itself has been temporarily interrupted for a considerable period, a persistence that helps explain why relapse into old, well-established habits after a period of successful change remains so stubbornly, frustratingly common.

Questions 28–30. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

28. Which brain structure does the passage identify as playing a central role in habit formation?

29. What do effective evidence-based strategies for habit change typically involve?

30. Why does relapse into old habits after successful change remain common, according to the passage?

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. A newly learned behaviour initially requires considerable conscious effort and attention.

32. The prefrontal cortex gradually takes over control of a behaviour from the basal ganglia as it becomes habitual.

33. The specific routine behaviour itself is what most fundamentally drives habit strength, rather than the cue and reward.

34. Habits account for a considerable proportion of daily human behaviour.

Question 35. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

35. The 'habit loop' consists of a cue, the routine behaviour, and a __________.

Questions 36–38. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

36. Who popularised the 'habit loop' framework, according to the passage?

37. What can cause significant disruption to daily routine, according to the passage?

38. What is the prefrontal cortex primarily associated with, according to the passage?

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. Research finds that eliminating an unwanted habit through willpower alone is notoriously difficult to sustain.

40. Well-established habits are generally fragile and disappear permanently after any disruption.

Speaking

Part 1: Introduction and interview

The examiner asks you questions about yourself and familiar topics (4–5 minutes).

Part 1 (Hobbies / Photography) — the examiner asks about two familiar topics. Topic 1: Hobbies Q1. What do you like to do in your free time? Q2. Did you have different hobbies when you were a child? Topic 2: Photography Q3. Do you enjoy taking photographs? Q4. What kind of photographs do you like to take?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: 1. I'm quite keen on gardening. I have a small balcony and I grow tomatoes and herbs, and I also enjoy watching films with my flatmates. 2. Yes, very different. As a kid I collected stamps and played football almost every day. I gave up both when I started university, which is a shame, really. 3. I do, although I'm not very skilled. I mostly use my phone, and I take pictures whenever something catches my eye. 4. Mainly street scenes and food. I like capturing ordinary moments, like an old man reading in the market, or a really colourful plate of vegetables. I rarely photograph myself.

Part 2: Individual long turn

You have one minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

Describe a machine or gadget that your family owns and uses often. You should say: - what it is - how long your family has had it - how it is used and explain why it is useful to your family. Take one minute to prepare, then speak about it for one to two minutes.
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I'd like to talk about our family's pressure cooker, which my mother bought at least fifteen years ago and still uses almost every single day. It's a fairly large metal pot with a locking lid and a valve on top that releases steam once the pressure builds up inside, and it cooks food much faster than a normal saucepan by trapping heat and steam together. My mother mainly uses it for beans, rice, and tougher cuts of meat that would otherwise take hours to become tender on a regular stove. She's replaced the rubber seal a couple of times over the years, but otherwise it's exactly the same pot we've had since I was a child, which says a lot about how well it was made. It's incredibly useful to our family because it cuts cooking time dramatically; something that would normally take two hours can be ready in about thirty minutes, which matters a lot on busy weekday evenings when everyone gets home late and hungry. I actually bought a smaller version for my own flat a couple of years ago, partly out of nostalgia and partly because I'd genuinely seen how practical it was growing up. Whenever I use mine, it reminds me a bit of home.

Part 3: Two-way discussion

The examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.

Part 3 (consumerism and waste) — the examiner asks four related questions. Q1. Why do you think people buy things they don't really need? Q2. Is planned obsolescence, where products are designed to wear out quickly, a serious problem? Q3. What can be done to encourage people to buy fewer, longer-lasting products? Q4. How might consumer habits change in the future as environmental awareness grows?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer: 1. Advertising and social pressure play a big role, along with the simple satisfaction of buying something new, even when the existing item still works perfectly well. 2. I think it is, since it directly increases waste and forces consumers to spend repeatedly on replacements, purely to benefit manufacturers' ongoing sales rather than genuine customer need. 3. Longer warranties and repair-friendly designs would help a lot, alongside clearer information at the point of sale about a product's expected lifespan and durability. 4. I expect more interest in secondhand goods and repair services, as younger generations in particular seem increasingly conscious of the environmental cost behind constant new purchases.

Writing Task 1

You are managing a project for a client but have realised it will be delivered later than originally agreed. Write a letter to the client. In your letter: explain the reason for the delay, apologise for any inconvenience, and provide a new expected delivery date. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter 'Dear ...,'

Writing Task 2

Some people believe that companies should allow employees to work from anywhere in the world, while others think employees should be based in a specific location. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
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