A second original Lumi IELTS Academic practice test: Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 + Task 2) and Speaking, with a full answer key and Band 8–9 model answers. Listening items include audioscripts so you can practise now — read each once to simulate hearing it a single time. Scores use the 0–9 band scale.
Section 1 · Listening
~30 minutes · heard once · Read each audioscript once to simulate the real test.
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Part 1 — Form completion
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
APARTMENT ENQUIRY — Greenfield Lettings Caller's name: Maria (1) __________ Type of property wanted: (2) __________ bedroom flat Maximum monthly rent: £ (3) __________ Move-in date: (4) __________ of June Must allow: (5) __________
AUDIO (paraphrased): Agent: Can I take your surname? Caller: It's Maria Delgado — D-E-L-G-A-D-O. Agent: What kind of place are you after? Caller: A two-bedroom flat, ideally. Agent: And your budget? Caller: Up to nine hundred and fifty pounds a month. Agent: When would you need to move in? Caller: The first of June. Agent: Anything essential? Caller: Yes — it must allow pets; I have a small dog.
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Answer key / strategy: Spell names exactly. Watch the word/number limit — "two-bedroom" fills one blank as "two".
(1) Delgado (2) two / 2 (3) 950 (4) 1st / first (5) pets
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Part 3 — Multiple choice (academic discussion)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
AUDIO (paraphrased): Tutor: How's the group project going? Student: Well, we've collected the survey data, but we're behind on the analysis. Tutor: What's the hold-up? Student: Honestly, we spent too long designing the questionnaire and left ourselves little time. Next time we'd plan the schedule more carefully. Tutor: A common lesson. And the presentation? Student: That part's fine — Priya's very confident speaking, so she'll lead it.
1. What stage is the project behind on? A. collecting data B. analysing data C. the presentation 2. What does the student say they would do differently? A. plan the schedule better B. choose a new topic C. work alone 3. Why will Priya lead the presentation? A. she designed the survey B. she is confident at speaking C. she analysed the data
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Answer key / strategy: In Part 3, listen for the reason behind each choice — the answer is often signalled by "because", "honestly", or a contrast word.
1-B, 2-A, 3-B
Section 2 · Reading
~60 minutes · 0–9 band
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Passage 1 — True / False / Not Given + Multiple choice
Answer from the passage only.
PASSAGE: For centuries, honey has been valued not only as a food but as a medicine. Long before scientists understood bacteria, many cultures applied honey to wounds and burns. Modern research has begun to explain why this ancient remedy often worked. Honey is naturally low in water and high in sugar, which draws moisture out of bacterial cells and makes it hard for them to survive. In addition, an enzyme added by bees produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, a mild antiseptic. Certain honeys, such as those made from particular flowers, appear to have especially strong antibacterial effects. Today, specially prepared medical-grade honey is used in some hospitals to treat wounds that resist ordinary antibiotics. Researchers caution, however, that ordinary supermarket honey is not sterile and should not be used on serious wounds.
QUESTIONS 1–4: TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN. 1. Honey was used on wounds before people understood bacteria. 2. Honey's high water content helps it kill bacteria. 3. Some hospitals use specially prepared honey on certain wounds. 4. Medical-grade honey is cheaper than antibiotics.
QUESTION 5: Choose the correct letter. Why should ordinary supermarket honey not be used on serious wounds? A. it is too expensive B. it is not sterile C. it contains no sugar D. it dissolves too quickly
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Answer key / strategy: TFNG: choose FALSE only when the text directly contradicts (Q2), and NOT GIVEN when the text simply doesn't say (Q4 — price is never mentioned).
1-TRUE, 2-FALSE (it is LOW in water), 3-TRUE, 4-NOT GIVEN, 5-B
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Passage 2 — Matching + Summary completion
Answer the questions.
PASSAGE (three paragraphs): A. The tuatara is a reptile found only in New Zealand. Though it resembles a lizard, it belongs to an ancient order of reptiles whose other members died out around the time of the dinosaurs. B. Tuatara are remarkable for their slow pace of life. They grow slowly, may not reproduce until their thirties, and can live for over a hundred years. They are also active at surprisingly low temperatures that would leave most reptiles sluggish. C. Once widespread, tuatara vanished from the mainland and survived only on small offshore islands free of introduced predators such as rats. Conservationists are now re-establishing them in protected mainland sanctuaries.
QUESTIONS 1–3: Match each paragraph (A–C) to a heading (i–v). i. Threats from the weather ii. What the tuatara is iii. An unusually slow and long life iv. Loss and recovery v. A popular pet
1. Paragraph A 2. Paragraph B 3. Paragraph C
QUESTIONS 4–5: Complete the summary with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS. The tuatara survived only on offshore (4) __________ that had no introduced predators. Today, conservationists are returning them to protected mainland (5) __________.
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Answer key / strategy: Match on each paragraph's main idea; take summary answers as exact words from the text ("islands", "sanctuaries").
1-ii, 2-iii, 3-iv, 4-islands, 5-sanctuaries
Section 3 · Writing
~60 minutes · 2 tasks · rated by examiners
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Task 1 — Process diagram (150+ words, ~20 min)
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features. Write at least 150 words.
The diagram below shows how rainwater is collected and treated for drinking in a small town. (Stages: 1. Rain falls onto rooftops → 2. Gutters channel water into a storage tank → 3. Water passes through a sand-and-gravel filter → 4. It is disinfected with ultraviolet light → 5. Clean water is pumped to homes.)
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Answer key / strategy: For a process, use an overview (number of stages, start/end) and sequencing language: "to begin with", "following this", "finally". Use the passive voice ("the water is filtered").
Model answer: The diagram illustrates the process by which rainwater is collected, cleaned and delivered as drinking water in a small town. Overall, the process is linear and consists of five main stages, beginning with rainfall and ending with the supply of treated water to households.
To begin with, rain falls onto the rooftops of buildings, where it is caught by gutters. These gutters channel the water into a large storage tank, where it is held. From the tank, the water is directed through a filter made of sand and gravel, which removes leaves, dirt and other solid particles.
Following filtration, the water undergoes disinfection: it is exposed to ultraviolet light, which kills bacteria and other harmful organisms. Finally, once the water has been purified in this way, it is pumped through pipes to people's homes, where it is ready to drink. In this manner, natural rainfall is transformed into a safe domestic water supply.
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Task 2 — Essay (250+ words, ~40 min)
Give reasons and examples. Write at least 250 words.
Some people think that governments should spend money on public services such as health and education, rather than on the arts, like music and theatre. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
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Answer key / strategy: For "to what extent" essays, take a clear position and develop both sides. A balanced view ("I agree that… but disagree that…") can score highly if each paragraph is well developed with reasons and examples.
Model answer: Governments face constant pressure to spend limited budgets wisely, and some argue that essential public services such as health and education should always take priority over funding for the arts. While I agree that services meeting basic needs must come first, I do not believe the arts should be abandoned, as they bring important benefits of their own.
There is a strong case for prioritising health and education. These services are essential to survival and opportunity: without hospitals, citizens suffer and die from preventable illness, and without good schools, children are denied the skills they need to build a future. Because such needs are fundamental, it seems reasonable that they receive the largest share of public money, particularly in countries where resources are scarce.
Nevertheless, dismissing the arts as a luxury would be a mistake. Music, theatre and the visual arts enrich people's lives, strengthen a sense of shared identity, and support mental well-being — something closely linked to health. The arts also generate real economic value: theatres, galleries and festivals attract tourists and create employment. A city known for its cultural life, for example, often draws visitors and businesses that fund the very services people depend on.
In conclusion, while I agree that health and education should be a government's first priority, I disagree that the arts deserve no support. A wise government funds essential services generously while still investing modestly in the culture that makes life worth living.
Section 4 · Speaking
11–14 minutes · 3 parts · Speak your answers aloud. Part 2 gives 1 minute to prepare and 1–2 minutes to talk.
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Part 1 — Interview
Answer in 2–3 sentences each.
1. Do you enjoy cooking? Why or why not? 2. What kinds of food are popular in your country? 3. Have your eating habits changed since you were a child?
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Answer key / strategy: Use the answer → reason → example pattern and avoid one-word replies. Keep it natural, not memorised.
Model answer: (Q1) I do enjoy cooking, actually, though I only really have time for it at weekends. I find it quite relaxing after a busy week, and I like the fact that I can control exactly what goes into my food — it feels much healthier than eating out all the time.
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Part 2 — Cue card (long turn)
1 minute to prepare, speak 1–2 minutes.
Describe a skill you would like to learn. You should say: – what the skill is – why you want to learn it – how you would learn it – and explain how it would change your life.
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Answer key / strategy: Cover all four bullet points and keep talking until stopped. Extend each point with reasons and feelings rather than jumping ahead.
Model answer: The skill I'd most like to learn is how to play the piano. I've been drawn to it since I was a child, but I never had the chance to take lessons, so it's remained a kind of unfulfilled dream. The main reason I want to learn is that music seems like a wonderful way to relax and express emotion — I imagine sitting down at the end of a stressful day and just playing something beautiful. As for how I'd go about it, I'd probably start with online tutorials to learn the basics, and then, once I could read music a little, I'd find a proper teacher for weekly lessons, because I think feedback from an expert makes a huge difference. If I actually managed to learn it, I think it would change my life in small but meaningful ways: it would give me a creative hobby that has nothing to do with screens or work, and hopefully a lifelong source of enjoyment.
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Part 3 — Discussion
Give developed, two-sided answers.
1. Do you think it is better to learn a skill when you are young or as an adult? 2. Should schools teach more practical skills alongside academic subjects?
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Answer key / strategy: Use Part 3 phrases: "On the whole…", "On the other hand…", "The key is…". Aim for two or three sentences that consider more than one side.
Model answer: (Q1) That's an interesting question. On the whole, I'd say childhood is the easier time to pick up many skills — young minds seem to absorb things like languages and music more naturally, and children have more free time to practise. On the other hand, adults often learn more efficiently because they choose the skill themselves and are highly motivated. So while young learners may have a natural advantage, I don't think it's ever truly too late; the key is genuine interest and consistent practice.