IELTS exam questions — January 2026

No test-taker submissions for this period yet — be the first to share yours.

• Reading📅 January 2026Academic🔥 High-frequencyReported by 4 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Section 1

  Passage on dust and the American West, with True/False/Not Given and fill-in-the-blank questions.

  Section 2

  Passage about memory, with multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions.

  Section 3

  Passage titled 'The long view', with 'Not Sure' question type.

  Seen in: 01/31 · 01/24 · 01/10

  dust in the American West · memory · long-term perspectives

• Reading📅 January 2026General TrainingReported by 2 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Section 1

  - The first passage: About a library (fill in the blanks)

  Section 2

  - The second passage: Working in the Cold (matching, multiple-choice)

  Section 3

  - The last passage: Movie Production (T/F, multiple-choice)

  Seen in: 01/14

  library · working in the cold · movie production

• Speaking📅 January 2026Reported by 2 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Part 2 cue card:

  - Describe a time when you received good news.

  - You should say what the news was,

  - who gave it to you,

  - and how you felt.

  Seen in: Australia

  good news · personal experience

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• Speaking📅 January 2026AcademicReported by 2 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Part 1

  - Money (e.g., How do you save money?)

  - Celebrity News (e.g., Who is your favourite celebrity?)

  - Feeling Bored (e.g., Do you often feel bored?)

  - Crowded Places (e.g., Is the city where you live crowded?)

  - Video Games (e.g., Do you play video games?)

  - Transport (e.g., How do you go to work/school?)

  - Films (e.g., What films do you like?)

  - Helping Others (e.g., Do you usually help people around you?)

  - Robots (e.g., Are robots important?)

  - Chatting (e.g., Do you like chatting with friends?)

  Seen in: China Mainland

  money · celebrity news · feeling bored · crowded places · video games · transport · films · helping others · robots · chatting

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• Speaking📅 January 2026Reported by 2 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Reported IELTS Speaking topics for 2026 include: Part 1 questions about pets, art, apps, books, broken promises, buildings, challenges, clothes, confidence, crime, education, friends, and family. Part 2 cue cards include describing an interesting animal, a work of art, a useful app, a childhood story, a historical building, a tough challenge, an item of clothing, a confident person, a good law, a subject enjoyed at school, and a teacher admired.

  Part 3 questions cover broader issues related to these topics, such as the role of art in society, the impact of apps, the importance of reading, conservation of old buildings, the value of challenges, fashion trends, confidence development, crime causes, and changes in education.

  animals · art · apps · books · broken promises · buildings · challenges · clothes · confidence · crime · education · friends · family

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• Reading📅 January 2026AcademicReported by 2 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Section 1

  Passage on the Tyne Bridge (T/F/NG, Fill in the blank).

  Section 2

  Passage about synaesthesia (Matching, Multiple-Choice, Matching).

  Section 3

  Passage on Pacific navigation and voyaging (Y/N/NG, Multiple-Choice).

  Seen in: 01/10

  Tyne Bridge · synaesthesia · Pacific navigation · voyaging

• Reading📅 January 2026AcademicReported by 2 test-takers· Test-taker recall

  Section 1

  - Passage on the history of London coffeehouses (T/F/NG, Fill in the blank).

  Section 2

  - Passage titled 'Are Artists Liars' (Matching, Multiple-Choice, Fill in the blank).

  Section 3

  - Passage on desertification in Africa (Not Sure).

  Seen in: 01/24

  London coffeehouses · artists · truth · desertification · Africa

• Speaking📅 January 2026· Test-taker recall

  Part 2 cue card:

  - Describe a person you know who is very creative.

  - You should say who this person is,

  - how you know them,

  - and what creative things they do.

  Seen in: UK

  people · creativity

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• Writing📅 January 2026Academic· Test-taker recall

  Task 1

  - The graph below shows the number of tourists visiting three different countries from 2010 to 2025.

  - Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

  Task 2

  - Some people think that it is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an early age.

  - Punishment is necessary to help them learn this distinction.

  - To what extent do you agree or disagree?

  Seen in: UK

  tourism · children · punishment · morality

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• Speaking📅 January 2026· Test-taker recall

  Part 1

  - Questions about your hobbies and how you spend your free time.

  Part 2

  - Describe a time when you learned something new.

  Part 3

  - Discussion about learning methods, the role of teachers, and whether self-learning is effective.

  Seen in: Australia

  hobbies · free time · learning · teachers · self-learning

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