Ten IELTS practice questions, and why the second-best answer loses

Many IELTS candidates lose Reading marks they had already earned. They find the right words, then write three where the limit was two, or choose False when the text said nothing.

How are these question types marked?

Reading has 40 questions worth one mark each, and your raw mark converts to a band. Two rules decide many marks:

• Every completion task sets a word limit, and an answer over the limit is marked wrong.
• Not Given is a real answer. Choose it when the text says nothing either way, not when you cannot find the information.

Examiners mark Writing and Speaking against four equally weighted criteria. Writing includes task achievement (Task 1) or task response (Task 2); Speaking includes fluency and coherence. In both, the best answer addresses the actual question, with detail.

Marking facts were checked against the official IELTS website in October 2026.

Reading: four questions

Read the passage, then answer Questions 1 to 4.

A. Libraries without books. Since 2015, several towns in the north of England have opened tool libraries, where members borrow drills, ladders and garden equipment instead of buying them. Members pay one small fee a year, and each loan is then free. Supporters note that most households use a drill for only a few minutes a year, so sharing one makes sense.

B. Who borrows. A survey by one tool library found that two-thirds of its members lived in rented flats. Many said they had no space to store large tools, and some expected to move home within two years. The survey was carried out online over one month.

C. Keeping the doors open. Running costs are the main problem. Every tool must be checked for safety after each loan, which takes volunteer time, and worn equipment must be repaired or replaced. Some libraries now rent out space to cover the gap. In the writer's view, a library funded only by membership fees is unlikely to last.

Question 1 · Reading

True, False or Not Given? Members pay a charge each time they borrow a tool.

A. True
B. False
C. Not Given

Question 2 · Reading

True, False or Not Given? More than half of the members of the tool library that ran the survey lived in rented flats.

A. True
B. False
C. Not Given

Question 3 · Reading

True, False or Not Given? Tool libraries are more popular in the north of England than in the south.

A. True
B. False
C. Not Given

Question 4 · Reading

Complete the sentence with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage. The main problem for tool libraries is ________.

A. running costs
B. the running costs
C. volunteer time
D. membership fees

Writing: three questions

Question 5 · Writing

A Task 2 prompt reads: "Some people believe cars should be banned from city centres. Others think this would harm local businesses. Discuss both views and give your own opinion." What must your essay do?

A. Argue for one view only
B. Discuss both views, then state and support your own opinion
C. Discuss both views fairly, without taking a side
D. Explain how a city could ban cars

Question 6 · Writing

A Task 2 prompt asks: "More employers now let staff work from home. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" Which thesis statement is strongest?

A. Working from home has both advantages and disadvantages.
B. This essay will examine both sides before reaching a conclusion.
C. In my view, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, because staff save commuting time, although new employees learn less from colleagues.
D. Working from home has become common in many countries.

Question 7 · Writing

A Task 1 chart shows household ownership of cars, bicycles and electric scooters in one country in 2010 and 2025. A candidate writes:

In 2010, 72 per cent of households owned a car, falling to 68 per cent in 2025. Bicycle ownership rose from 41 to 49 per cent. Scooter ownership grew from 2 to 15 per cent.

What does this answer most need?

A. A sentence stating the main trends overall
B. More exact figures
C. A conclusion giving the writer's opinion
D. Reasons why scooter ownership grew

Speaking: three questions

Question 8 · Speaking

In Part 1, the examiner asks, "Do you prefer mornings or evenings?" Which answer extends best?

A. Mornings.
B. That is an interesting question, and people have many different opinions about it.
C. Mornings, definitely. My head is clearest before nine, so I do my hardest work then.
D. Evenings, because evenings are better for me.

Question 9 · Speaking

Your Part 2 card asks you to describe a skill you learned as an adult: what, how, how long and why. You could choose driving, learned last year after a failed first test, or a few Japanese phrases from an app. How should you use your minute?

A. Japanese, because it sounds unusual, with your first sentence scripted
B. Driving, with four or five key words covering the points on the card
C. Driving, with the whole talk written out
D. Either, thinking without notes

Question 10 · Speaking

In Part 3, the examiner asks, "Why do some adults stop learning new skills?" Which response is strongest?

A. I don't really know. I've never thought about it.
B. I learned to drive last year, and I passed on my second attempt.
C. I'd say time is the main reason. Once people have jobs and children, their evenings disappear.
D. Adults stop learning skills because they stop learning.

What your answers tell you

These ten questions test rules, not your band. Only a full official practice test shows your band. The IELTS test format lists every type, and how long to prepare turns weak types into hours.

Appendix G of the book adds 15 more questions, including Listening and a band calculation, and Chapter 7 turns your misses into a dated plan.