IELTS Sample Practice Topics
IELTS Sample Practice Topics
IELTS Sample Practice Topics
1. Some people think that a person improves intellectual skills better when doing group activities.
To what extent do you agree? Use specific details and examples to explain your view.
2. Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can develop better skills and imagination than reading.
To what extent do you agree? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer.
3. Students perform better in school when they are rewarded rather than punished. To what
extent do you agree or disagree? Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Find the
sample answer to this question here.
5. University students nowadays have too much freedom and do not study enough. To what extent
do you agree and disagree? Explain your opinion, using specific reasons and examples.
6. Things like puzzles, board games and pictures can contribute to a child’s development. What
would you give a child to help him/her develop and why? Give details and examples in your
explanation.
7. Do you think it is better for students to work before their university studies? Why? Use reasons
and specific examples to support your choice. Find the sample answer to this question here.
8. Some people think that schools have to be more entertaining, while others think that their sole
purpose is to educate. Which do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your opinion.
9. Nowadays computer education is compulsory for your learners in most schools. Do you think
this is necessary or will children acquire these skills naturally from their daily interaction with
technology everywhere? Provide your opinion and use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
10. Some people believe that children should do organised activities in their free time while others
believe that children should be free to do what they want to do in their free time. Which
viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Find
the sample answer to this question here.
11. Compared to the past, more people are now studying abroad because it is more convenient and
cheaper than before. Do you think this is beneficial to the foreign student’s home country? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
12. Some people think that children should be homeschooled when they are very young while
others think it is better for them to attend a kindergarten. Which do you think is better? Use
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
13. Tuition for healthy children usually has top priority in most countries. However, teaching
students with disabilities or mental issues is more difficult and even more important to support
and develop. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
14. Computers have become so advanced and interactive that students in the future will have no
need for a human educator in the classroom. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and
specific examples to explain your answer.
15. In some countries, health care and education are only partially funded by the government. Some
people argue that the government should be responsible for covering the full cost of these
services. Do you support or oppose the opinion? Explain your position.
16. Some students do very well at school and never have problems while others fall behind. Are
they capable of handling this challenge themselves or should teachers and parents help
them? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
17. The internet has become so efficient and popular that many people rely on it for learning. Some
suggest that it could replace the use of books as the main source of knowledge for
education. Do you support or oppose the opinion? Explain your position.
18. What do you think is the best way to find a job: by gaining more knowledge and education or
through more practical skills? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.
19. Do you think that education and training should be completely free or it is better to require fully
paid tuition? Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
20. Students should be completely free to choose whether to study or play games. They should be
allowed to manage their own time. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.
21. Some people think that real-life skills like cooking, housekeeping and gardening should be
included in the curriculum as compulsory subjects. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your
opinion, using specific reasons and details.
22. Childcare has always been of primary concern and importance. Do you think that courses
designed to help mothers are necessary or can they acquire the essential knowledge through
personal experience? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
23. Gaming is argued to have a bad influence on young children but some people think that it could
have a positive effect on them as well. Which view do you agree with? Use reasons and specific
examples to explain your answer.
24. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If students were given the choice
between ‘not to study’ and ‘study most of the time’, they would choose ‘not to study’. Use
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
25. School curriculum is selected by the central education authority rather than by the teachers,
parents and students. Some believe that the latter should take part in the choice. Which
viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
26. In some countries, physical education is a compulsory subject for the leaving certificate. Some
people suggest that this practice be abolished. Which view do you agree with? Explain your
choice, using specific reasons and details.
27. Many universities have introduced tests for evaluation rather than the old written exams based
on lessons from books. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support
your answer.
28. Some people say that school education is not useful and the essence of study can be acquired at
home. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your
answer.
29. Modern trends in early education focus on an array of practical school projects rather than
developing traditional skills through maths, science and similar subjects. Which do you consider
the better approach and why? Explain your choice, using specific reasons and details.
30. In recent years, online education is becoming more and more popular. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of this phenomenon? Use specific details and examples to explain your
opinion.
TECHNOLOGY
1. Do you think that technological advancement has brought more harm than good? Use specific
reasons and details to support your answer.
2. What technologies did you use to help you in your studies? Describe how it has helped you. Use
specific reasons and details to support your answer.
3. With the latest technological advancements, dating is now possible online. Would you
recommend online dating for your single friends? What are the advantages and disadvantages
of online dating? Site some examples to support your answer.
4. All inventions and discoveries like the discovery of fire and electricity have impacts on our lives
so much so that people can no longer live without them. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?
5. The internet has a bigger impact on people’s lives because it is more popular than television.
Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support you position.
6. Is it good for children to start using computers from an early age and spend long hours on it?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Explain your choice by using specific reasons and
details.
7. The internet and technology, like mobile phones and laptops, are connecting us to each other
every hour of the day via networking sites and applications. Do you think it’s an advantage or
disadvantage?
Explain your answer. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
8. Some companies spend a lot of money on scientific research and use animals for testing. Many
argue that this is for a just cause while others say otherwise. Do the advantages of using animals
in research outweigh its disadvantages?
9. Technology – Communication
10. E-mail is now the easiest way to communicate with families and friends all over the world. Some
people say that it does not have the sincerity of handwritten letters. Do you agree or disagree?
Give specific details and examples to support your opinion.
11. With the speed and ease of viral communication do you think it will totally replace papers and
letters in their old form? If that happens, will it be for the better?
Explain and provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
13. There are opinions that technology and science are beneficial but also destructive. Due to
technological advancement, mankind has irrevocably ruined nature and environment and
affected the climate. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
15. In the future people will not need to have schools, galleries, museums or libraries because
everything from education to culture and entertainment will be available online. Do you agree
or disagree?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
16. Being literate in technology or the internet is so popular that many believe that it will no longer
be necessary to read conventional books as the main source of material for education. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
18. Advancement in technology helps to improve the standard of life. Meanwhile, according to data,
while the average change in society in developing countries is positive, in richer countries this
can be exactly the opposite. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?
HEALTH
1. In your own opinion, what do you think are the factors that contribute to longevity (living a long
time)? List some examples and reasons to support your answer.
2. Some people think that keeping pets is good for children while others think it is dangerous and
unhealthy. Which opinion do you agree with? Discuss both options and give examples.
3. Even when poor countries get help from rich countries, hunger is still an issue. Discuss probable
causes and solutions. Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
4. Compared to the past, more younger adults take medications for degenerative diseases. Provide
specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
5. Today more countries import food from different parts of the world. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of this trend. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
6. In some countries the population is ageing and the birth rate is declining. How will this affect
society and how can it be prevented? Give specific reasons and examples to support your
answer.
7. Some people say that it is better to promote healthy lifestyles and a healthy diet than spend so
much money to treat obese people. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Use specific
reasons and examples to support your position.
8. More people now have children later in life. Some think it is not a good development for the
family and for the country. Compare these two views. Use specific reasons and examples to
support your position.
9. Obesity is a serious problem in many countries, especially in rich countries. Discuss ways to solve
the problem. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
10. More people are now trying out different varieties of food which results in the consumption of
ingredients from different parts of the world. Do you think this is a positive or negative
development? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
11. In some countries, health care and health education are only partially funded by the
government. Which do you think is better in terms of quality: free public healthcare and
education or privately paid healthcare and education? Provide specific reasons and examples to
support your position.
12. Do you think that an ageing society will disappear? What are the advantages and disadvantages
of having more old people in society?
13. Which is better: to have children earlier or later in a woman’s life? What are the possible
reasons and effects of these two tendencies on a personal scale and for society in general?
Support your answer with specific reasons and examples.
14. Some people, including medical workers, argue against using animals and humans for clinical
tests while others think it is necessary. Which are you in favour of? Provide specific reasons and
examples to support your opinion.
15. Many people think that home-cooked food is healthy, but many people still prefer eating out.
Why is this so? How much does unhealthy food affectthe public health of a country? Provide
specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.