IELTS Life Skills A2 practice test 2

Answer questions about yourself, talk about a friend, listen to two conversations in a clothes shop and a hotel, and talk about clothes.

How to use this test. The real test is taken with an examiner and one other candidate, and it lasts up to 20 minutes. Practise with a friend if you can. If you are alone, speak your answers out loud and use the buttons to hear the examiner and your partner. The listening task is marked for you. The speaking tasks are not marked, so compare yourself with the example answers.

Phase 1a

The examiner asks you questions

4 to 5 minutes

The examiner asks you and your partner some questions in turn. Press a button to hear a question, then answer it out loud.

What's your name?
Where do you come from?
How long have you lived here?
What do you do?
What did you do yesterday evening?
What are you going to do next weekend?

See example answers

What's your name?: I'm Andrei Popescu.
Where do you come from?: I'm from Romania. I come from a village in the north.
How long have you lived here?: I have lived here for three years. I came here in the summer.
What do you do?: I'm a driver. I deliver food to shops and restaurants.
What did you do yesterday evening?: I cooked dinner, and then I phoned my mother.
What are you going to do next weekend?: I'm going to visit my brother, because it is his birthday.

Phase 1b

Talk for one minute

6 minutes

You get a topic and one minute to prepare. You then talk for about one minute while your partner listens, and your partner asks you two questions. After that you swap: you listen to your partner and ask two questions.

Your topic

Tell your partner about a friend and the things you do together.

You could talk about: who your friend is, where you met, what you do together, why you like your friend.

1:001 minute to prepare. Make notes if you want to

1:00About 1 minute to talk about your topic

Then your partner asks you two questions

A real partner asks about what you said. These are the kind of questions to expect. Answer each one out loud.

How long have you known Daniel?
Which team did you watch in London?

See an example answer for your topic

I want to tell you about my friend Daniel. We met at work four years ago, because we started on the same day. He is tall, and he is always laughing. We play football together every Wednesday evening, and afterwards we sometimes go for a pizza. Last month we went to London by train to watch a match, and it was a great day. I like Daniel because he is kind and he always helps me. When I moved to my new flat, he carried all my boxes.

Now you listen and ask two questions

Your partner tells you about their favourite day of the week. Listen without reading, then ask two questions about what you heard.

See what your partner said and two example questions

My favourite day of the week is Friday. I finish work at one o'clock on Fridays, so I have a free afternoon. First I go to the swimming pool, and then I collect my daughter from school. In the evening we make pizza at home, and we choose a film to watch. I like Friday because I am not tired yet, and I know the weekend is coming. Last Friday my parents came for dinner too.

What film did you watch last Friday?
Why do you finish work early on Fridays?

Phase 2a

Listen to two conversations

4 minutes

You hear two short recordings. First you answer one question about each, choosing from three options. Then you hear both again and answer two questions about one of them. Here you answer the questions on both.

You hear two conversations in different places.

Listen to both recordings. Where are the people? In a restaurant, in a clothes shop or in a hotel?

Phase 2b

Talk with your partner

4 to 5 minutes

You and your partner talk together. Ask your partner questions and answer theirs. The examiner only helps if the conversation stops.

The examiner says

Talk to each other about the clothes you like to wear and where you buy them.

4:00About 4 minutes to talk together

If you stop talking, the examiner may ask

What do you wear at work or at school?
Do you like buying new clothes? Why? Why not?
What did you wear at the last party you went to?
Do people wear different clothes in your country?

See an example conversation

YouWhat clothes do you like to wear?
PartnerI like comfortable clothes, like jeans and a T-shirt. At work I have to wear a uniform. And you?
YouI like wearing bright colours. Yesterday I bought a red scarf.
PartnerWhere did you buy it?
YouAt the market. It was cheaper than in the shops.

Check yourself

You get a pass or a fail, not a band. Ask yourself whether you did these things:

I answered every question in a full sentence.
I asked my partner questions, and did not only answer.
I talked for about one minute on my topic, and gave a reason.
I understood what each recording was about, and the details.
I asked for the question again when I did not understand.

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