IELTS students often worry after an exam and say: “the examiner asked me about something I didn’t know anything about.” If you have similar worries, don’t! The IELTS exam is not topic based, and as such you are not marked on your knowledge of a particular issue, subject or topic.

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There is an important point to remember though; if you do know about the topic, it is easier to talk about it confidently. Next week we will be looking at common topics which do feature in the IELTS test and test in general, but today we will eliminate subjects you will not be asked about. These conversion subjects tend to be ones which people hold strong opinion on, and as such they are avoided in the exam.

Four topics not in the IELTS exam

1. Religion

You won’t find any questions about religion in the IELTS test. Some people have very strong religious beliefs, and some people aren’t religious at all.

  • Example: “Are you religious?”

2. Politics

Although many IELTS topics are also political issues, it is unlikely that you will hear any questions about international politics.

  • Example: “Do you think Donald Trump is a good president?”

3. Race

Racism is a hot topic around the world and a lot of people have strong opinions surrounding this issue.

  • Example: “Do you think the police ever target ethnic minorities unfairly?”

4. Popular culture

Popular culture is shifting all the time, so although you might see questions about music or movies, they won’t be too specific.

  • Example of what might be in the test: “What kind of music do you like?”
  • Example of what will not be in the test: “Do you like Justin Bieber?”

So, overall we can see what sort of questions we are unlikely to see on the IELTS exam. These kinds of conversation starters do remain common in informal conversation though, so its always good to know something!

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