Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Student’s Book with Answers

Book Preface

Listening

This test consists of four sections, each with ten questions. The first two sections are  concerned with social needs. The first section is a conversation between two speakers and  the second section is a monologue. The final two sections are concerned with situations  related to educational or training contexts. The third section is a conversation between up to
four people and the fourth section 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, sentence  completion, 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 the Writing 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 in  personal 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 and  present 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. More  information on assessing the Writing test, including Writing assessment criteria  (public version), is available on the IELTS website.

Listening
This test consists of four sections, each with ten questions. The first two sections are  concerned with social needs. The first section is a conversation between two speakers and  the second section is a monologue. The final two sections are concerned with situations  related to educational or training contexts. The third section is a conversation between up to  four people and the fourth section 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, sentence  completion, 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 the  Writing 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 in  personal 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 and  present 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. More  information on assessing the Writing test, including Writing assessment criteria (public version), is available on the IELTS website.