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)
Carla: Good afternoon, St Aidan Training Centre, Carla speaking.
Henry: Hi, I'd like to book a place on the first-aid course you're running next month, please.
Carla: Sure — do you mean the one-day certificate course, or the two-day workplace course?
Henry: The one-day one, I think. I just need something basic for my job.
Carla: That's on Saturday the 14th of March, nine till five, at our Richmond centre.
Henry: Richmond, ok. And how much is it?
Carla: 95 dollars, or 80 if you're a student — do you have a student card?
Henry: I do, actually.
Carla: Great, that brings it down to 80. Can I take your name?
Henry: Henry Baptiste. That's B-A-P-T-I-S-T-E.
Carla: Thanks, Henry. And a mobile number in case the course is rescheduled?
Henry: 0 4 2 9 8 8 1 1 4 4.
Carla: Perfect. Now, you'll need to bring your own lunch, or there's a café next door. Morning tea's provided.
Henry: Good to know. What will the course actually cover?
Carla: CPR, choking, bleeding and burns in the morning, then in the afternoon we cover fractures and how to use a defibrillator.
Henry: Sounds thorough. Do I get a certificate at the end?
Carla: Yes, valid for three years, and it's recognised by most employers.
Henry: Perfect, that's what I need. Is there anything I should read beforehand?
Carla: Not really, but wear comfortable clothes — there's a fair bit of kneeling and practising on the mats.
Henry: Noted. Where exactly is the Richmond centre?
Carla: 18 Bridge Road, just past the train station — there's free parking around the back.
Henry: Great, thank you.
Carla: One more thing — please arrive by 8:45, because we lock the doors once the session starts at nine, for insurance reasons.
Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
1. Course chosen: ______ course
2. Date: Saturday the ______ of March
3. Fee with student card: ______ dollars
4. Surname: ______
5. Address of centre: ______ Bridge Road
6. Arrival time: by ______
7. Certificate valid for: ______ years
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
8. What is covered in the afternoon session?
9. Lunch arrangements are
10. What does Henry need to bring, apart from comfortable clothes?
Part 2
Listen and answer questions 11–20.
Transcript (available after checking)
Good afternoon and welcome to Dunmore Castle, I'm Emma, and I'll be your guide for the next fifty minutes. The castle's open daily from ten until five, March through October, and weekends only over the winter. Tickets are 12 dollars for adults, 7 for children under sixteen, and under-fives get in free. We'll begin in the Great Hall, where the family held banquets right up until the 1920s — notice the long table, which seats thirty-two and is original to the house. From there we climb the Spiral Staircase, ninety-seven steps in total, up to the Battlements, where on a clear day you can see right out to the bay. Coming back down, we pass the Library, home to over four thousand books, including a first edition kept behind glass that visitors aren't permitted to handle. Next is the Kitchen, in the basement, which still has its original open fire and a huge collection of copper pots hanging from the ceiling. Toward the end of the tour, we reach the Rose Garden, planted in the 1930s and still tended by the same family who look after the grounds today. There's a Tea Room just off the courtyard, open until four thirty, serving scones and a rather famous apple cake. Photography's allowed everywhere except the Library, to protect the older books from light damage. If you'd like a private tour for a group, that can be arranged for 150 dollars, and should be booked at least two weeks ahead. Right, shall we make our way to the Great Hall?
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
11. Adult ticket price: ______ dollars
12. Number of steps in the Spiral Staircase: ______
13. Number of books in the Library: about ______
What does the guide say about each of the following areas? Choose the correct letter, A-F, for questions 4 to 7.
14. The Great Hall
15. The Battlements
16. The Kitchen
17. The Library
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
18. The Rose Garden was planted in
19. The Tea Room is open until
20. A private group tour costs
Part 3
Listen and answer questions 21–30.
Transcript (available after checking)
Dr. Lee: So the observatory night is next Thursday. Grace, Henry, what will you observe?
Grace: I'd like to photograph Jupiter. It's bright and the moons are visible.
Henry: But Jupiter will be low in the sky, and it'll be hidden behind the trees at that time. I suggest Saturn.
Dr. Lee: Saturn will be higher, yes. And its rings are wonderful.
Grace: Okay, Saturn then. It's a shame, though.
Dr. Lee: You can do Jupiter next month. What equipment will you use?
Henry: The eight-inch telescope, with the camera attached.
Dr. Lee: That's the one the department uses for planets. Make sure you have a red torch.
Grace: Why red?
Dr. Lee: White light ruins your night vision, and it takes twenty minutes to recover.
Henry: I didn't know that. How dark does it need to be?
Dr. Lee: Very. The car park lights will be switched off from nine o'clock.
Grace: And what about the weather? If it's cloudy, we can't see anything.
Dr. Lee: If it's cloudy, we'll postpone to Friday. I'll send a message by three o'clock on Thursday.
Henry: What do we need to record?
Dr. Lee: The time, the exposure settings and the weather. Write them in a log, because you'll need them to process the images.
Grace: And the processing software?
Dr. Lee: It's free, and I'll show you in the lab on Tuesday. It combines dozens of photographs into one.
Henry: Is it dangerous to be outside at night?
Dr. Lee: Not at all, but wear warm clothes. It gets very cold on the hill, even in spring.
Grace: Can we bring hot drinks?
Dr. Lee: Yes, in flasks. No coffee near the telescope, though.
Henry: Understood.
Dr. Lee: Finally, the report is due two weeks after the observation, with your best image as the front page.
21. Why do the students give up on observing Jupiter?
22. Which planet will they observe?
23. Why must they use a red torch?
24. When will the car park lights be turned off?
25. What will happen if the weather is cloudy?
26. What will Dr. Lee show them on Tuesday?
27. What should be on the front page of the report?
What does Dr. Lee say about each of these? Choose your answers from the list, A-E: A Two weeks after the observation; B By three o'clock on Thursday; C Not near the telescope; D On Tuesday in the lab; E Twenty minutes.
28. Report deadline
29. Weather message
30. Coffee
Part 4
Listen and answer questions 31–40.
Transcript (available after checking)
Today's lecture considers dreaming, one of the most personally familiar yet scientifically puzzling aspects of everyday human experience. Dreams can occur during any stage of sleep, but they're generally most vivid, detailed, and narratively complex during REM sleep, the stage marked by rapid eye movements and notably heightened brain activity closely resembling that of active wakefulness. Sigmund Freud famously argued in the early twentieth century that dreams represented disguised expressions of repressed unconscious desires, a highly influential theory in its own cultural era that has since largely fallen out of favour among mainstream sleep scientists, who generally find it genuinely difficult to test or rigorously verify using standard modern scientific methods. A more contemporary and widely cited theory, the threat simulation theory, suggests instead that dreaming evolved specifically as a way for the brain to safely rehearse responses to potential dangers in a low-risk, entirely imagined environment, which might help explain why anxiety-related and mildly threatening dream content appears to be genuinely common across a very wide range of different individuals and cultures. Another prominent and well-supported theory connects dreaming directly to memory consolidation, proposing that the brain actively uses dream content to process, sort through, and meaningfully integrate memories and emotional experiences gathered during the preceding waking day. Neuroimaging studies consistently show that the brain's emotional centres remain notably active during dreaming sleep, while the prefrontal cortex, the specific brain region primarily responsible for logical reasoning and rational judgement, becomes comparatively less active, a documented pattern that may help explain why dreams so often feel emotionally intense yet simultaneously fairly illogical or strange in their actual narrative content. Lucid dreaming, a distinct and genuinely fascinating state in which the dreamer becomes consciously aware they are dreaming while the dream is still actively happening, and in some cases can even deliberately influence the unfolding dream's content, has attracted growing dedicated scientific research interest in recent years. Researchers studying lucid dreamers have found measurable increased activity in the prefrontal cortex during these specific lucid episodes, distinguishing them clearly and measurably from ordinary, non-lucid dreaming.
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
31. Dreams are generally most vivid during ______ sleep.
33. A more contemporary theory is called threat ______ theory.
34. This theory suggests dreaming lets the brain rehearse responses to potential ______.
35. Another theory connects dreaming to memory ______.
36. The brain's emotional centres remain notably active during ______ sleep.
37. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for logical reasoning and rational ______.
38. This brain region becomes comparatively less active during ______.
39. A dreamer who is aware they are dreaming is having a ______ dream.
40. Lucid dreamers show measurable increased activity in the ______ cortex.
Reading
Section 1: Notices
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 1.
NOTICE A — Riverside Sports Club: Membership Options
We now offer three membership tiers: Basic (£25/month, gym access only), Standard (£40/month, gym and all group fitness classes), and Premium (£60/month, gym, classes, and unlimited swimming pool access). All new members receive a free fitness assessment with a qualified instructor within their first two weeks of joining. Membership can be paused for up to three months per year, for example due to travel or injury, by giving at least seven days' written notice to reception. Cancellation requires one full calendar month's notice; membership fees are not refundable for any unused portion of a cancelled month. Family membership discounts of 10% per additional member are available for households joining together.
NOTICE B — Secondhand Bicycle for Sale
Selling a hybrid bicycle, suitable for both road and light off-road use, in excellent condition with recent servicing including new brake pads and a new chain. The bike is a medium frame size, suitable for riders roughly 165–180cm tall. Price is £180, or nearest reasonable offer. Comes with a bell, lights, and a pump, though the helmet shown in photos is not included in the sale. Available to view and test ride by appointment only, please message rather than calling, as I am often unable to answer the phone during working hours. Collection only from the Greenfield area; I am unable to deliver or meet elsewhere.
Questions 1–4. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1. How much does Standard membership cost per month?
2. What is the asking price for the bicycle?
3. What recent servicing has the bicycle had?
4. What does Premium membership include that Basic does not?
Questions 5–6. 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.
5. Basic membership includes unlimited swimming pool access.
6. New members receive a free fitness assessment.
Questions 7–8. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A for each answer.
7. Membership can be paused for up to three months per year with at least __________ written notice.
8. Family membership offers a discount of __________ per additional member.
Question 9. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice A.
9. How much notice is required to cancel membership?
Questions 10–12. 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.
10. The helmet shown in the photos is included in the sale.
11. The seller can deliver the bicycle.
12. The bicycle comes with a bell, lights, and a pump.
Question 13. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B for each answer.
13. The bike is suitable for riders roughly __________ tall.
Question 14. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Notice B.
14. How should buyers contact the seller?
Section 2: Workplace
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 2.
TEXT A — New IT Security Policy
Following a recent review, all staff are now required to change their network password every 90 days, rather than the previous 180-day requirement, and passwords must include at least one number, one symbol, and both upper and lower case letters. Two-factor authentication, using a code sent to your registered mobile phone, is now mandatory for accessing company email and the HR system from any device outside the office network. Staff should never share passwords with colleagues, even temporarily, and any suspected security breach must be reported to IT immediately, not at the end of the working day. USB drives from outside the company are no longer permitted to be connected to any company computer, following several incidents at other organisations linked to infected external devices.
TEXT B — Team Meeting Schedule Change
Starting next week, the weekly team meeting will move from Monday mornings at 9am to Wednesday afternoons at 2pm, to better accommodate colleagues who work compressed hours and are not typically in the office on Monday mornings. The meeting will remain 45 minutes long, held in the second-floor conference room as usual. Anyone unable to attend in person can join remotely via the video link, which will now be included in every calendar invitation by default. Meeting notes will continue to be circulated within 24 hours by the meeting chair, who will rotate monthly among team members rather than always being the team leader.
Questions 15–18. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
15. How often must passwords now be changed?
16. What day and time will the team meeting move to?
17. Why is the meeting time changing?
18. What must new passwords include, besides numbers and symbols?
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. Two-factor authentication is optional for accessing email outside the office.
20. Staff may share passwords temporarily with trusted colleagues.
Question 21. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A for each answer.
21. Suspected security breaches must be reported to IT __________.
Question 22. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text A.
22. What is no longer permitted to be connected to company computers?
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. The meeting length will change from 45 minutes.
24. The meeting chair will rotate monthly among team members.
Questions 25–26. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B for each answer.
25. Meeting notes will continue to be circulated within __________ by the chair.
26. The team meeting is held in the __________ as usual.
Question 27. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Text B.
27. How can someone unable to attend in person join the meeting?
Section 3: The Growing Movement to Repair Rather Than Replace
You should spend about 20 minutes on Section 3.
As concerns about environmental sustainability and excessive consumer waste have grown considerably in recent years, a modest but increasingly visible movement promoting repair over replacement for broken household items has gained traction across numerous countries, challenging deeply established consumer habits favouring convenient, inexpensive replacement over the comparatively greater effort required for repair.
This shift towards replacement rather than repair, particularly pronounced across the past several decades, reflects several converging factors beyond simple consumer preference. Manufacturing costs for many everyday items have fallen substantially due to globalised, automated production, often making new replacement items genuinely cheaper than professional repair labour costs, particularly for lower-value items where repair technician time alone might exceed the item's original purchase price. Additionally, some manufacturers have faced sustained criticism for deliberately designing products with limited repairability, including sealed components, proprietary fastening systems, and software restrictions that complicate independent repair even when technically straightforward.
Repair advocacy organisations have responded to these challenges through several coordinated strategies. Legislative campaigns promoting so-called 'right to repair' laws, requiring manufacturers to provide repair manuals, spare parts, and diagnostic tools to independent repair shops and consumers rather than restricting repair exclusively to manufacturer-authorised services, have achieved meaningful legislative success in several jurisdictions, though implementation and enforcement details continue generating ongoing debate between manufacturer and consumer advocacy interests.
Community-level repair initiatives have simultaneously flourished, particularly volunteer-run repair events where skilled volunteers help community members diagnose and fix broken household items free of charge, simultaneously teaching basic repair skills to participants who might otherwise lack confidence attempting repairs independently. These events serve dual purposes beyond simply fixing individual broken items: extending item lifespans reduces environmental waste directly, while the shared, educational atmosphere helps rebuild practical repair knowledge and confidence that previous generations, accustomed to more repairable products and stronger cultural expectations around repair, generally possessed more readily than many contemporary consumers.
Despite this encouraging momentum, repair advocates acknowledge that reversing deeply established replacement-oriented consumer habits, reinforced by decades of manufacturing and marketing practices favouring frequent replacement, will likely require sustained effort across multiple fronts simultaneously: continued legislative pressure, manufacturer design changes, and gradual cultural shifts in consumer expectations regarding product longevity and repairability, none of which can realistically be achieved quickly through any single intervention alone, however well-intentioned or well-designed that individual intervention might be.
Questions 28–30. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
28. What movement has gained traction in recent years, according to the passage?
29. What do repair advocates acknowledge is needed to reverse consumer habits?
30. What design features have some manufacturers been criticised for?
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. Manufacturing costs for many everyday items have fallen substantially.
32. All manufacturers deliberately design products with limited repairability.
33. Right to repair laws have achieved meaningful legislative success in several jurisdictions.
34. Replacement is always more expensive than professional repair for every item.
Question 35. Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
35. 'Right to repair' laws require manufacturers to provide repair manuals, spare parts, and __________.
Questions 36–38. Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
36. What kind of events help community members fix broken items free of charge?
37. What did previous generations generally possess more readily, according to the passage?
38. What extends item lifespans and reduces environmental waste, 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. Repair events help teach basic repair skills to participants.
40. Implementation of right to repair laws is free of ongoing debate.
Speaking
Part 1: Introduction and interview
The examiner asks you questions about yourself and familiar topics (4–5 minutes).
Part 1 (Festivals / Gifts) — the examiner asks about two familiar topics.
Topic 1: Festivals
Q1. What is the most important festival in your country?
Q2. How do you usually celebrate it?
Topic 2: Gifts
Q3. Do you enjoy giving presents?
Q4. What was the best present you have ever received?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer:
1. I think it's the spring festival in April. It marks the end of winter, and people traditionally clean their homes, cook special dishes and visit relatives.
2. My whole family gathers at my grandparents' house. We prepare a big meal together, exchange small gifts and stay up talking until late, often playing cards.
3. Yes, I do. I like choosing something I know the person will like, and seeing their face when they open it is one of my favourite moments.
4. A second-hand camera from my father when I was fifteen. It wasn't expensive, but he knew I'd been interested in photography, and I used it for years.
Part 2: Individual long turn
You have one minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe an advertisement that you remember well.
You should say:
- what the advertisement was for
- where you saw or heard it
- what it showed or said
and explain why you remember it.
You will be given one 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: An advertisement that has stayed in my mind is a television commercial for a brand of orange juice that I saw many times when I was about ten. It lasted only thirty seconds, but it was extremely well made. It began with a little boy waking up in a grey, rainy town, looking miserable and sleepy. His mother pours him a glass of juice, and as soon as he takes a sip, the screen fills with colour, the sun comes out, and all the people in the street start dancing to a cheerful tune. The last shot was of the boy smiling at the camera and saying, in a very serious voice, that mornings were now his favourite time of day. I saw it mostly during children's programmes, so I suppose that it was aimed at families like mine. The reason I remember it so vividly is the music, which was catchy, and I sang it constantly to the annoyance of my brother. The message was simple and cheerful, and it made the product look like something that could improve your mood. Even now, whenever I see that particular shade of orange, I find myself humming the tune.
Part 3: Two-way discussion
The examiner asks more abstract questions linked to the Part 2 topic.
Part 3 (friendship) — the examiner asks four related questions.
Q1. How has technology changed the way people make and keep friendships?
Q2. Do you think it's harder to form close friendships as an adult?
Q3. Is it possible to have a genuine friendship with someone you've only met online?
Q4. How might friendship patterns change in the future?
Recorded on your device only — play it back and compare with the model answer.
Show sample answer
Model answer:
1. It's made staying in touch across distances much easier, but it's also created more shallow, low-effort connections, since liking a post feels different from genuinely spending time with someone.
2. Yes, generally, since adults have less free time and fewer natural opportunities like school to meet new people, so maintaining friendships requires much more deliberate effort than it did earlier in life.
3. I think it's possible, especially if the connection eventually moves beyond just messaging, though it usually takes longer to build the same depth of trust as an in-person friendship does.
4. I expect online communities built around shared interests will keep growing, blurring the line between online and offline friendships, especially for people whose interests are less common locally.
Writing Task 1
A colleague recently helped you complete an important task at work. Write a letter to thank them. In your letter: explain what they helped you with, describe how their help made a difference, and suggest a way you could thank them in person. 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 schools should teach students practical skills such as managing money, while others believe schools should focus only on traditional academic subjects. 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.