IELTS exam questions — January 2026

What appeared in January 2026

• ReadingAcademic🔥 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

• SpeakingReported 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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• SpeakingAcademic· Test-taker recall

  IELTS Speaking Part 1 topics reported for January-April 2026 in China Mainland include: 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?), and 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· 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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• ReadingAcademic· 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

• ReadingAcademic· 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