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978-1-108-55319-3 — Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Student's Book with Answers with Audio
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Introduction
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is widely recognised asa reliable means of assessing the language ability of candidates who need to study
or work where English is the language of communication. These Practice Tests aredesigned to give future IELTS candidates an idea of whether their English is at therequired level.
IELTS is owned by three partners: Cambridge English Language Assessment, part ofthe University of Cambridge; the British Council; IDP Education Pty Limited (through its
subsidiary company, IELTS Australia Pty Limited). Further information on IELTS can befound on the IELTS website www.ielts.org.

WHAT IS THE TEST FORMAT?
IELTS consists of four components. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking
tests. There is a choice of Reading and Writing tests according to whether a candidate istaking the Academic or General Training module.
Academic
For candidates wishing to study atundergraduate or postgraduate levels,and for those seeking professional
registration.

General Training
For candidates wishing to migrate to an
English-speaking country (Australia, Canada,New Zealand, UK), and for those wishing totrain or study at below degree level.

The test components are taken in the following order:
Listening
4 parts, 40 items, approximately 30 minutes
Academic Reading
3 sections, 40 items
60 minutes

or

General Training Reading
3 sections, 40 items
60 minutes

Academic Writing
2 tasks
60 minutes

or

General Training Writing
2 tasks
60 minutes

Speaking
11 to 14 minutes
Total Test Time
2 hours 44 minutes

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978-1-108-55319-3 — Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Student's Book with Answers with Audio
Authentic Examination Papers
ExcerptMore Information

Introduction

GENERAL TRAINING TEST FORMAT
ListeningThis test consists of four parts, each with ten questions. The first two parts are concernedwith social needs. The first part is a conversation between two speakers and the second partis a monologue. The final two parts are concerned with situations related to educational ortraining contexts. The third part is a conversation between up to four people and the fourthpart is a monologue.
A variety of question types is used, including: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/
diagram labelling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion,summary completion, sentence completion and short-answer questions.
Candidates hear the recording once only and answer the questions as they listen. Ten
minutes are allowed at the end for candidates to transfer their answers to the answer sheet.

Reading
This test consists of three sections with 40 questions. The texts are taken from notices,
advertisements, leaflets, newspapers, instruction manuals, books and magazines. The
first section contains texts relevant to basic linguistic survival in English, with tasks mainly
concerned with providing factual information. The second section focuses on the work
context and involves texts of more complex language. The third section involves reading
more extended texts, with a more complex structure, but with the emphasis on descriptive
and instructive rather than argumentative texts.
A variety of question types is used, including: multiple choice, identifying information(True/False/Not Given), identifying the writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not Given), matching
information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentencecompletion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion,
diagram label completion and short-answer questions.

Writing
This test consists of two tasks. It is suggested that candidates spend about 20 minutes on
Task 1, which requires them to write at least 150 words, and 40 minutes on Task 2, which
requires them to write at least 250 words. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to theWriting score.
In Task 1, candidates are asked to respond to a given situation with a letter requesting
information or explaining the situation. They are assessed on their ability to engage inpersonal correspondence, elicit and provide general factual information, express needs,wants, likes and dislikes, express opinions, complaints, etc.
In Task 2, candidates are presented with a point of view, argument or problem. They
are assessed on their ability to provide general factual information, outline a problem andpresent a solution, present and justify an opinion, and to evaluate and challenge ideas,evidence or arguments.
Candidates are also assessed on their ability to write in an appropriate style. Moreinformation on assessing the Writing test, including Writing assessment criteria(public version), is available on the IELTS website.

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Introduction

Speaking
This test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and is conducted by a trained examiner.
There are three parts:

Part 1
The candidate and the examiner introduce themselves. Candidates then answer generalquestions about themselves, their home/family, their job/studies, their interests and a wide
range of similar familiar topic areas. This part lasts between four and five minutes.
Part 2The candidate is given a task card with prompts and is asked to talk on a particular topic.
The candidate has one minute to prepare and they can make some notes if they wish,
before speaking for between one and two minutes. The examiner then asks one or twoquestions on the same topic.
Part 3The examiner and the candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues which arethematically linked to the topic in Part 2. The discussion lasts between four and five minutes.
The Speaking test assesses whether candidates can communicate effectively in English.
The assessment takes into account Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, GrammaticalRange and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. More information on assessing the Speaking test,
including Speaking assessment criteria (public version), is available on the IELTS website.

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