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)
Isla: Good morning, Studio Nine Hair and Beauty. Isla speaking.
Frank: Hi. I'd like to book a haircut, please, and a beard trim.
Isla: Of course. Do you have a stylist you usually see?
Frank: I don't. I'm new to the area. A friend recommended you.
Isla: That's lovely. I'd suggest Marco. He's brilliant with beards.
Frank: Marco sounds good. What's the price?
Isla: A cut is 24 pounds and the beard trim is 12, so 36 in total. It's 10 percent off for students, if that applies.
Frank: Sadly not. I'm well past my student days.
Isla: Ha! When would you like to come in?
Frank: Saturday morning, if possible. Around ten.
Isla: Marco's fully booked on Saturday, I'm afraid, but he's free at 11:30, or on Friday at 6:15.
Frank: Friday evening would suit me. I'll take 6:15.
Isla: Lovely. Name, please?
Frank: Frank Obradovic. O-B-R-A-D-O-V-I-C.
Isla: Thank you. And a number so we can send a reminder?
Frank: 0 7 7 3 5 5 0 8 4 6 2.
Isla: Great. We'll text you the day before. Is there anything else? We do a colour service and scalp massages too.
Frank: I'll skip those. Do you take cards?
Isla: Yes, cards and cash. We don't take cheques.
Frank: That's fine. Where are you exactly?
Isla: We're at 5 Dockside Arcade. It's up an alleyway between the pharmacy and the bakery, so it's easy to miss.
Frank: The bakery. I'll look out for that. Is there anywhere to park?
Isla: There's a car park under the library. Take the lift up to the ground floor and turn left, and you'll see the arcade.
Complete the appointment card below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
1. Stylist: ______
2. Services: haircut and ______ trim
3. Total price: ______ pounds
4. Day and time: Friday at ______
5. Surname: ______
6. Phone number: ______
7. Address: 5 Dockside ______
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
8. The customer does not qualify for a discount because he is
9. The salon is located
10. The car park is
Part 2
Listen and answer questions 11–20.
Transcript (available after checking)
G'day everyone, and welcome to Southbank Night Market — I'm Isla from the market office, and I'll run through a few things before you explore. We're open every Friday and Saturday evening, from five until eleven, right through summer, from November to March. There's no entry fee, though we do ask for a gold-coin donation at the gate, which goes to a different local charity each month. Let's start with the Food Court, right by the river, which has about thirty stalls serving everything from dumplings to wood-fired pizza — that's the busiest area, especially around seven. Further along is the Craft Row, where local makers sell jewellery, pottery, and artwork, and most stalls there accept card as well as cash. Past that is the Kids' Zone, with face painting and a small carousel, running until nine, a bit earlier than the rest of the market, since it's mainly for families with younger children. At the far end is the Live Stage, with local bands and performers playing from six until ten, and there's plenty of seating on the grass nearby. If you need to charge your phone, there's a Charging Station near the main entrance, free to use, though you'll need to bring your own cable. Bikes can be parked for free at the racks near the Craft Row, though we do recommend a lock as the market gets busy. Lost property is held at the market office near the main gate, and anything unclaimed after a week is donated to charity. Enjoy your evening, and thanks for supporting local makers and food stalls.
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
11. Market runs from: ______ until eleven
12. Market season runs from November to: ______
13. Entry donation is a: ______
What does the guide say about each of the following areas? Choose the correct letter, A-F, for questions 4 to 7.
14. The Food Court
15. The Craft Row
16. The Kids' Zone
17. The Live Stage
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
18. The Kids' Zone closes at
19. Lost property is held at
20. Where can bikes be parked for free?
Part 3
Listen and answer questions 21–30.
Transcript (available after checking)
Emma: Have you decided on your dissertation topic yet, Frank? The form has to be in by Friday.
Frank: I'm torn between two. One is the effect of background music on studying, and the other is how people remember childhood events.
Emma: Memory sounds more serious. Music and studying has been done a hundred times.
Frank: That's exactly what my supervisor said. But childhood memory means interviewing adults about private things, and the ethics form for that is enormous.
Emma: What about the third idea you mentioned last week, sleep and exam results?
Frank: I dropped it. I'd need students to wear sleep-tracking watches, and the department only has four of them.
Emma: Fair. What about a survey, then? You could ask students to keep a diary of how they slept and compare it with their grades.
Frank: That's not as reliable. People forget, or they exaggerate. Anyway, I'd rather do an experiment.
Emma: Then what if you kept the music idea but gave it a twist? Compare music with lyrics and music without lyrics.
Frank: Hmm. That is different. And I could run it in the library with volunteers, which needs almost no paperwork.
Emma: You'd need about forty participants for the results to mean anything.
Frank: Forty is realistic. My flatmates will take part if I bribe them with pizza.
Emma: Volunteers who are friends might not behave naturally, though. Ask students you don't know.
Frank: Good point. I'll put up posters in the student union. Now, what about the tests themselves? I was thinking of a reading comprehension task.
Emma: A memory task would be quicker to mark. Give people a list of twenty words to learn.
Frank: True, and it's easier to count the score. Let's say a word list, then. Then I need to choose between a simple design where everyone does everything, or two separate groups.
Emma: Everyone doing everything, definitely. You'll get more data from fewer people, and you can compare each person with themselves.
Frank: Brilliant. That settles it. I'll email my supervisor tonight and book a meeting for Monday.
21. Why does Frank reject the childhood memory topic?
22. Why did Frank give up the idea about sleep?
23. What does Frank think is the problem with a diary survey?
24. What twist does Emma suggest for the music topic?
25. Where does Frank plan to find his volunteers?
26. What kind of task will the participants do?
27. Why does Emma prefer the design where everyone does everything?
What has Frank decided about each of the following? Choose your answers from the list, A-E: A Use posters; B Use forty participants; C Email his supervisor; D Use pizza as a reward; E Use a survey.
28. Recruiting strangers
29. Number of volunteers
30. Tonight
Part 4
Listen and answer questions 31–40.
Transcript (available after checking)
This lecture is about the thermos flask, a deceptively simple device that keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for surprisingly long periods, and the physics that quietly makes it genuinely work. The core underlying technology, the vacuum flask, was actually invented not for household or everyday practical use at all, but for serious scientific laboratory purposes, by the Scottish physicist James Dewar in 1892, who specifically needed a genuinely effective way to store extremely cold liquefied gases at very low temperatures for his ongoing physics research without them warming up and evaporating away too rapidly. Dewar's core design consisted of two connected glass containers, one carefully nested closely inside the other, with the narrow space between them pumped out to create a near-total vacuum, since a genuine vacuum contains essentially no matter capable of efficiently conducting heat energy across the gap, meaning heat transfer between the container's inner and outer surfaces was dramatically, measurably reduced. The inner surface was also typically coated with a thin reflective silver layer, specifically to reduce heat loss occurring through radiation, meaning the finished vacuum flask worked to block essentially all three primary methods of heat transfer simultaneously: conduction, convection, and radiation, at least to a very significant practical degree. Dewar, notably, never personally patented his own scientific laboratory design, apparently viewing it primarily as a straightforward scientific tool intended for research rather than as any kind of commercially valuable everyday product with genuine market potential. German glassblowers subsequently recognised its broader everyday commercial potential and began manufacturing a genuinely practical domestic version specifically intended for keeping ordinary household drinks hot or cold, branding it Thermos, a Greek-derived word simply meaning heat, and the brand name itself later became so widely, commonly used in everyday speech that it eventually passed into general, informal language as a generic term for any vacuum flask, regardless of who actually manufactured that particular specific product. Modern versions today typically use double-walled stainless steel construction rather than fragile glass, considerably more durable for genuine everyday practical use, though they still generally rely on that same core vacuum-insulation principle Dewar first worked out for laboratory purposes back in 1892.
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
31. The vacuum flask was invented by the Scottish physicist ______.
32. Dewar invented it in ______.
33. Dewar needed to store extremely cold liquefied ______ for his research.
34. The design used two glass containers with a near-total ______ between them.
35. The inner surface was coated with a thin reflective ______ layer.
36. This coating reduces heat loss through ______.
37. Dewar never personally ______ his design.
38. German glassblowers began manufacturing a domestic version branded ______.
39. The brand name comes from a Greek-derived word meaning ______.
40. Modern versions typically use double-walled stainless ______.
Reading
Section 1: Notices
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 1.
NOTICE A — City History Museum: Visitor Information
The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4:15pm to allow visitors sufficient time to explore before closing. Entry is free for all visitors, though we gratefully accept donations at the entrance to help fund our education programmes. Large bags and backpacks must be left in the free lockers provided near the entrance; only small handbags are permitted inside the galleries. Photography without flash is permitted throughout the permanent collection, but is not allowed in the temporary exhibition gallery on the second floor due to loan agreements with other institutions. Guided tours run at 11am and 2pm daily and do not require advance booking; simply meet at the information desk five minutes beforehand.
NOTICE B — Lost Cat
Missing since Sunday evening: a small grey and white cat named Pepper, last seen near Oak Avenue and the park entrance. She is very friendly and will likely approach if called by name, though she may be nervous of strangers after several days outside. She has a blue collar with a small bell but no visible identification tag. If you have seen her or have any information, please call the number on this poster, day or night. A reward is offered for her safe return. Please check garages, sheds, and any enclosed outdoor spaces, as she may have become trapped somewhere.
Questions 1–4. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1. What time is last entry to the museum?
2. What colour is Pepper's collar?
3. Since when has Pepper been missing?
4. What must visitors do with large bags and backpacks?
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. Entry to the museum requires payment.
6. Photography with flash is permitted in the permanent collection.
7. Visitors must book guided tours in advance.
Question 8. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A for each answer.
8. Photography is not allowed in the __________ due to loan agreements.
Question 9. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A.
9. What time do guided tours run?
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 collar has an identification tag.
11. A reward is offered for Pepper's safe return.
Question 12. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B for each answer.
12. Pepper was last seen near Oak Avenue and the __________.
Questions 13–14. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B.
13. What should people check in case the cat is trapped?
14. What does Pepper's collar have attached to it?
Section 2: Workplace
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 2.
TEXT A — Health and Safety Training Memo
All staff, including part-time and temporary employees, are required to complete the updated online health and safety training module by the end of this month. The module takes approximately 45 minutes and can be completed in multiple sessions if needed, as progress is saved automatically. Staff who do not complete the training by the deadline will be unable to access certain areas of the building, including the warehouse and workshop, until the training is finished. Line managers will receive a weekly report showing which team members still need to complete the module, and are asked to remind staff accordingly. Paper certificates are no longer issued; completion is recorded automatically in the staff training system.
TEXT B — Office Move Announcement
Our head office will relocate to the new building on Riverside Road from the 15th of next month. The move will take place over a weekend, with staff able to access the new office from the following Monday morning. Desk allocations for the new open-plan layout will be circulated by email two weeks before the move; please do not begin packing personal items before receiving this information. IT equipment, including desktop computers and monitors, will be moved by the relocation company; staff should only pack personal belongings and any items not connected to company IT systems. A welcome pack with details about the new building, including parking arrangements and nearby amenities, will be provided on the first day.
Questions 15–18. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
15. How long does the health and safety training module take?
16. When can staff access the new office?
17. What street is the new office located on?
18. What do line managers receive each week?
Questions 19–20. 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.
19. Part-time employees are exempt from the training requirement.
20. Progress on the training module is saved automatically.
Question 21. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A for each answer.
21. Staff who miss the deadline cannot access the warehouse and __________.
Question 22. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A.
22. How is training completion now recorded?
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. Staff should begin packing personal items immediately after this announcement.
24. IT equipment will be moved by the relocation company.
Questions 25–26. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B for each answer.
25. Desk allocations will be circulated by email __________ before the move.
26. Staff should only pack personal belongings and items not connected to __________.
Question 27. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B.
27. What will be provided to staff on the first day at the new building?
Section 3: The Quiet Revival of the Allotment Garden
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 3.
Allotments, small plots of public land rented cheaply to individuals for growing vegetables, fruit, and flowers, have existed in various forms across Britain for well over a century, originally established during periods of food scarcity to help working-class families supplement their household food supply. For several decades in the mid-to-late twentieth century, demand for allotments declined substantially as supermarket convenience made home food growing feel increasingly unnecessary to many families.
In recent years, however, allotment waiting lists in many towns and cities have grown dramatically, with some popular sites now reporting waits extending to a decade or longer for a single available plot. This resurgence appears driven by several converging factors rather than any single cause. Rising food prices have renewed practical interest in growing at least some household food domestically, while growing environmental awareness has drawn attention to the reduced carbon footprint of home-grown produce compared with supermarket vegetables often transported considerable distances.
Beyond these practical motivations, researchers studying allotment holders consistently report significant mental health and social benefits associated with regular gardening activity. Time spent outdoors engaged in physical, purposeful activity has been associated with reduced stress and improved mood in numerous studies, while the shared communal space of allotment sites naturally facilitates social interaction between plot holders who might otherwise have limited opportunities to meet neighbours, particularly valuable for older or isolated individuals living alone.
Local councils, responsible for managing most allotment sites, face genuine challenges balancing this renewed demand against limited available land, particularly in densely populated urban areas where alternative development pressures compete directly for the same valuable land. Some councils have responded by subdividing larger traditional plots into smaller sections, allowing more individual holders to access growing space, though this approach inevitably limits how much food any single plot can realistically produce compared with traditional full-sized allotments.
Despite these genuine access challenges, allotment advocates argue their social and environmental value extends considerably beyond simple food production, functioning as valuable green space within otherwise heavily developed urban environments while fostering community connections increasingly rare in modern city living. Whether local authorities will meaningfully expand allotment provision to address genuinely growing demand, or whether persistent land pressures will continue constraining supply regardless of demonstrated public interest, remains an open question facing many local planning departments across the country.
Questions 28–30. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
28. Why were allotments originally established?
29. How have some councils responded to increased demand?
30. What do allotment advocates argue their value extends beyond?
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. Demand for allotments declined in the mid-to-late twentieth century.
32. Some allotment waiting lists now extend to a decade or longer.
33. Subdividing plots allows each plot to produce as much food as a full-sized allotment.
34. Rising food prices have renewed interest in growing food at home.
Question 35. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
35. Growing environmental awareness has drawn attention to the reduced __________ of home-grown produce.
Questions 36–38. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
36. What kind of benefits do researchers associate with regular gardening activity?
37. What competes with allotments for land in densely populated urban areas?
38. Who is responsible for managing most allotment sites?
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. Allotment sites can help reduce isolation for older individuals.
40. It is certain that local authorities will expand allotment provision significantly.
Speaking
Part 1: Introduction and interview
The examiner asks you questions about yourself and familiar topics (4–5 minutes).
Part 1 (Mornings / Sleep) — the examiner asks about two familiar topics.
Topic 1: Mornings
Q1. What is your morning routine like on a working day?
Q2. Are you a morning person?
Topic 2: Sleep
Q3. How many hours of sleep do you usually get?
Q4. What do you do when you can't fall asleep?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer:
1. I get up at half past six, have a quick shower and make a strong coffee. Then I check my messages, eat some toast and leave the house at about ten to eight.
2. Not at all, to be honest. It takes me a good hour to feel properly awake, and I'm not very talkative until I've had my coffee.
3. Around six or seven hours during the week, which is less than I should have. At weekends I try to catch up and sleep until nine.
4. I usually put my phone away and read a few pages of a boring book. If that doesn't work, I get up, drink a glass of warm milk and try again, and that normally does the trick.
Part 2: Individual long turn
You have one minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when you were late for something important.
You should say:
- what you were going to
- why you were late
- what happened when you arrived
and explain how you felt about it.
You'll have a minute to prepare, then present 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 still get a knot in my stomach when I remember the morning that I was late for a job interview two years ago. It was for a position at a large logistics company, and I'd prepared for a week. On that day I'd left home early, but halfway there my bus broke down on a bridge, and all of the passengers were asked to get off. It was raining, there were no taxis to be found, and my phone battery was nearly flat. Eventually I walked for a kilometre and a half to the nearest metro station, and I took a train, but I still arrived twenty-five minutes after the agreed time. I was soaked, out of breath and thoroughly embarrassed. However, when I explained what had happened, the manager smiled and said that the same bus had made two other candidates late that morning. She even offered me a cup of tea and told me to take a few minutes to compose myself before we started. Although I was very nervous at first, the interview went better than I'd expected, and I actually got the job. Since then, I always leave home at least half an hour earlier than necessary.
Part 3: Two-way discussion
The examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.
Part 3 (volunteering) — the examiner asks four related questions.
Q1. Why do you think some people choose to volunteer their time?
Q2. Do you think volunteering benefits the volunteer as much as the people they help?
Q3. Should schools require students to complete a certain amount of volunteer work?
Q4. How might volunteering change in the future as more services move online?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer:
1. Many people volunteer out of genuine compassion, though others are motivated by wanting to gain experience, meet people, or build skills that might help their career prospects later on.
2. Very often, yes; volunteers frequently report gaining confidence, new friendships, and a stronger sense of purpose, alongside whatever practical benefit their effort provides to the community they're helping.
3. I think it can be positive if done thoughtfully, since it exposes students to causes they might not otherwise consider, though forcing it could also make some students resentful rather than genuinely engaged.
4. I expect more remote volunteering opportunities, such as online tutoring or digital fundraising, making it possible for people to contribute meaningfully even without travelling anywhere in person.
Writing Task 1
You recently travelled on a flight that was delayed for several hours, causing you inconvenience. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter: describe what happened, explain how the delay affected you, and say what you would like the airline to do about it. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter 'Dear ...,'
Writing Task 2
Nowadays, many people prefer to do their shopping online rather than visiting physical shops. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.