Describe a time when you received incorrect information.
This test has appeared in 3 seasons · 2 reported by test takers
- Jan–Apr/2024
- Sep–Dec/2023
- May–Aug/2023
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Your home
- Do you live in a house or an apartment? (Why?)
- Which room do you spend the most time in? (Why?)
- What would you like to change about your home? (Why?)
- Do you think you will live there for a long time? (Why not?)
Gifts
- How often do you buy gifts for other people? (Tell me more about that.)
- What kind of gifts do you like to receive? (Tell me more about that.)
- What is the best gift you received when you were a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you think it is better to give money or a gift? (Why is that?)
Small businesses
- Are there many small businesses near where you live? (Why is that?)
- What kind of small shops do you often go to? (Tell me more about that.)
- Is there a small business you have been going to for a long time? (Why is that?)
- Would you like to run your own small business one day? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when you received incorrect information.
You should say:
- what the information was
- how you received it
- when you found out it was wrong
and explain how you felt about it.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you check information more carefully now? / Where did the wrong information come from?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
how information spreads
- Can you explain why false information spreads so quickly on the internet?
- How would you compare information from newspapers with information from social media?
- In general, how can ordinary people check whether a news story is true?
trust and the media
- Can you explain why people trust some sources of information far more than others?
- What could be done about people who cannot tell real news from false news?
- Can you speculate on how new technology will change the news that people read every day?
Test titles follow test-taker reports and each season's forecasts — IELTS does not publish its papers. "Reported" means someone reported meeting this topic in a dated test. The questions are written by us in the format of the real test.