The ID CHECK (Not really part of Part 1)

Note that EVERY candidate is asked these questions, exactly (or almost
exactly) as they are written here.

The Standard Introduction Questions

1. Good morning (good afternoon). My names X. Can you tell me your

full name, please? (= Please tell me your name.)

2. What can I call you? (= What shall I call you? = What should I call you? =
What would you like me to call you?)

3. Can you tell me where youre from? (= Where are you from?)

4. Can I see your identification, please? (= Could I see your identification,

please? = May I see your identification, please?)

This is not really part of the test or, it can be considered to be only
"indirectly" part of the test.

You should not give long, detailed answers because:

a) Long, detailed answers are not appropriate for these questions and, b) The
examiner wants to do the ID check quite quickly, in 20-30 seconds. Since this
is the very beginning of the test and since the examiner wants to do this
part quickly, try to avoid causing the examiner to ask you to repeat what you
just said. When the examiner first turns on the tape recorder, he makes a
short statement into the tape recorder, stating such information as the date,
location and the candidates name.

1. Then the examiner says something like: Good morning. My names

John. Could you tell me your full name, please?

Many examiners say these three sentences together, without pausing after
saying, Good morning. My name's X. Because the examiner does not
pause to wait for the candidate to return the greeting, most candidates
just answer the question without returning the greeting. However, its
both good manners and more friendly to return a greeting. In other
words, you should include Good morning. or Good afternoon in
your answer. If you can catch the examiners name (without asking him
to repeat it because he wants to do this section quite fast) then you
should also include his or her name in your answer.

Don't say, Good morning, Mr. John. The words Mr., Miss, Mrs. and Ms. are only
used before a person's surname and John is not (usually) a surname. The examiner
usually just says his or her given name (first name), not their full name.
1
 A suitable reply is: Good morning, John. My name is XXX If you do not include his
name, it doesnt matter too much but remember that the examiner is a human being and
hearing you say his name would be a pleasant surprise for him! He will think of you,
What a nice person!

Work or Studies or Home or Hometown

Work
* means frequently asked questions
1. General Description of Your Job
1. What job (or, what work) do you do? *
2. Why did you choose that job (or, that kind of work)? *
3. (Similar to above) Why did you choose to do that kind of work?
4. What do you do (in a typical day) at work? *
5. (Similar to above) What are the main tasks that you do at work?
6. (Similar to above) What are your (main) responsibilities at work? *
7. Is your job related to what you studied in university?
8. What have you been doing at work in the past year? *
2. Feelings about the Job
1. Do you like (or, enjoy) your job (or, your work)? *
2. (Similar to above) How do you like your current job?
3. (Similar to above) Is your job (or, your work) very important to you?
4. Would you say it's a good job? *
5. What's the best thing about your job?
6. What would you say is the most important part of your job

2
7. Would you like to change your job?
8. What other job do you think you would enjoy, apart from your present job? *
9. What jobs are most popular (among young people) in your country?
3. Difficulties at Work
1. What's the greatest difficulty you've had at work (or, in your job)?*
2. How did you solve this problem? *
3. Do many people in your country choose to do that type of work?
4. Working with Others
1. Do you have to talk to a lot of people at work? *
2. Do you prefer working alone or with others (or, in a group)? (Why?)
3. (Different to above )which do you enjoy more, the work you are doing or the people you work
with ?*
5. Training at Work
1. Did you have to do any kind of training in order to perform your current work? *
2. (Similar to above) Have you received any training at work? *
3. Do you think training at work is important? *
4. Would you like to receive more training in the future? (This question possibly asked if you say
"Yes" to the first question.)
5. Would you like to receive some training (in the future)? (This question possibly asked if you
say "No" to the first question.)
6. Do you think you will (need to) receive any training in the future? *
7. What kinds of future training do you think you will need in the future?

6. Future
1. Do you think your job will be more important in the future?*
2. Do you think there will be future changes in your field of work ?
3. What are your plans for the future? *
4. (Similar to above) What are your work plans for the future?
5. What job (or, work) would you like to do (in the future)?*
6. (Similar to above) What would be the ideal job for you? *
7. (Similar to above) What possible changes in the future might affect your job (or, your work)?
8. Why are you taking the IELTS test? *

7. Your First Day at Work

1. Do you like your life at work? *
2. Do you remember your first day at work? *
3. What did you do on your first day at work? *
4. Did you like your first day at work? *
5. (Similar to above) How did you feel on your first day at work? *
6. Do you think the first day at work is important? *
7. (Similar to above) Do you think orientation is important on the first day at work? *

Studies
8. General Description of Your Studies
1. What subject(s) are you studying? *

3
2. Why did you choose that subject? *
3. (For high school) Why did you choose those subjects?
4. What are the most popular subjects (= university degree courses) in China?
5. What have you been studying in the past year? *
6. Did your family help you choose that course / major? *
9. School/University
1. What school (or university) do you go to? *
2. Why did you choose that university (or, school)? *
3. How is your school (or university)?
4. Which is the best university in your country (or, city)?
10. Liking/Disliking Your Studies
1. How do you like your subject? *
2. (Similar to above) Do you like your subject? (= your major = your subjects if a high school
student) *
3. (For university students) What are your favorite classes/courses/subjects at university?
(Unclear which word is used) *
4. (For high school students) What's your favorite subject at school? (Don't say P.E. that's not
really a subject that people study.) *
11. Easy and Difficult
1. Do you think that's a difficult subject to study?
2. What's the most difficult part of your course?
3. (Possible question for high school students or graduates) Are (or, were) your subjects at school
very difficult?
4. (Possible question for high school students or graduates) Which subjects at school do you (or,
did you) find difficult and which do you (or, did you) find easy?
12. Interesting
1. What's the most interesting part of your course (your subject)? C
2. For you, what's the most interesting part (or subject or class) of your course? *
3. (For high school) What's the most interesting of your subjects at school? C
13. Specific Course Content
1. What (specific things) do you learn in your course (in your studies)?
2. (For high school students) What do you learn in _________ (the examiner chooses one of your
classes)?
3. How do students in your course learn this subject?
4. (Similar to above) How do you learn this subject?
14. Studying with Others
1. Do you prefer studying independently ( = studying alone) or with others (or, in a group)?
(Why?)
15. Future
1. Do you think the things you are studying now in school/university will prepare you well for your
future work?
2. (Similar to above) Do you think your current studies are relevant to what you want to do after
your graduate?
3. What are your future work plans? (after you graduate) *
4. (Similar to above) What do you plan (or, do you want) to do after you finish your course? *

4
5. (Similar to above) What work would you like to do after you finish your studies?
6. How difficult do you think it will be to achieve your career goal?
7. (Similar to above) Do you think it will be easy to achieve your goal?
8. (Similar to above) Do you think it will be easy to find that kind of work? *
9. Why do you want to do that kind of work?
10. (If finished studies) Have you applied for a job yet?
11. Do you think what you are studying now is very useful (or, relevant or, important) for this type
of work?
12. Do you think it will be easy to find that kind of work? *
13. What jobs are most popular (among young people) in your country?
14. Why are you taking the IELTS test? *
15. What are your future study plans?
16. Is there much competition to get that kind of work?
16. Your First Day at University
17. Do you like your life at university? (Past tense if you have graduated) *
18. Did you like your first day at university? *
19. (Similar to above) Did you have a good first day at university? *
20. Do you think the first day at university is important? *

Home
17. General Information
1. Do you live in a house or a flat? *
2. How long have you lived there? *
3. (Similar to above) How long have you been living there? *
4. (If you answer you haven't lived there long) What's the difference between where you are
living now and where you have lived in the past?
5. Please describe your home a little. *
6. How do you like your flat/house? ( = How do you feel about your house/flat?)
7. Who do you live with?*

18. Preference: Flat or House

1. Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?
2. What are the benefits of living in a flat/house? [Whichever one you said you live in.]
19. Favourite Part / Decorations
1. How are the rooms in your house decorated? (Or, How is your house decorated? Or, What
decorations do you have in your house?)
5
2. Would you like to make any changes to your house/flat ?*
3. What's your favourite room in your home? (Why?) *
4. (Similar to above) What part of your home do you like best?) (Why?) *
5. (Similar to above) What's the best part of your home?
6. How have you decorated this room?
7. How do you think this room could be improved?
8. How do you think your home (your house or your flat) could be improved? *
9. If you could change one thing in your apartment, what would it be? *
20. Surroundings / Neighbourhood / The Location of your Home
1. What is the environment like around your flat/house? *
2. Are there many shops near your home?*
3. What facilities does that location offer?
4. Do you get along with your neighbours?
5. Is the public transportation good in the area where you live? *
6. Would you say it's a good place to live? *
7. (Similar to above) Would you recommend that as a good place (a good location) to live?
8. Do you plan to live there in the future?

Hometown
21. The Place
1. Where do you come from?
2. Where do you live at the moment?
22. General Information about the Place
1. What's that place like?
2. What kind of place is your hometown (or, the place your are living in now)?
3. (Similar to above) Tell me something about your hometown.
23. Size / Countryside or City
1. Is that a big city or a small town (or, a village in the countryside)? *
2. Do you prefer to live in a big city or in the countryside? *
3. (Similar to above) Would you prefer to live in a big city or in the countryside?
4. (For you,) what benefits are there from living in a big city?
24. Your Feelings about the Place
1. Why did you choose to live here/there? (If not living in your hometown)
2. Do you like _____? (The place you are living in now / your hometown) (Why?/Why not?) *
3. Is there anything you don't like about your hometown?*
4. Can you suggest how it can be improved ?
5. What would you say is the best thing about the place where you're living?
6. (Similar to above) What's the most satisfying thing about this place?

6
7. What's the most interesting thing about your hometown/where you're living now?
8. (Similar to above) What would you recommend (or, suggest) visitors to your city see and do? *
9. Do you like living here/there?
10. (Similar to above) Would you say it's a good place to grow up? *
11. (Similar to above) Would you say that's a good place to live?
12. (Similar to above) Would you recommend that place to others (as a good place to live)?
25. Past Tense or Present Perfect Tense
1. How long have you been living there/here?
2. Did your family ever move away from the place you were born? (Why?/Why not?) N
3. (Similar to above) Has your family always lived in that city/town?
4. Has your hometown changed much in the past few years? (e.g. the past 10 to 50 years)
5. Compared to the past, would you say your hometown today is more suitable for living in, or
less suitable?
26. Future Plans
1. Do you plan to live there/here for a long time? *
2. Have you ever thought about moving to live somewhere else? (Why?/Why not?)
3. (Similar to above) Do you think you'll always live there?
4. (Similar to above) Do you plan to continue living there (or, here) in the future?
5. (Similar to above) Do you think you will change the place where you are living?
6. What (other) city would you like to live in (in the future)? *
27. Transportation in Your Hometown
1. What's the traffic situation like in your hometown (or, where you are living now)? *
2. (Similar to above) Is transportation very convenient in your hometown?
3. (Similar to above) Is transportation very convenient around where you live?