IELTS Life Skills A1 Practice Test: Questions and Answers
Try IELTS Life Skills A1 practice with simple question-and-answer examples, playable listening messages, hidden answers and a partner conversation.
How to use this A1 practice test
In IELTS Life Skills A1, you answer questions, ask questions, listen and talk with another person. Practise all four on this page.
Ask a friend or spouse to help. Read the example first, then try the task with your own answers. If you are new to English, finish one part before moving to the next.
You need
- Someone to practise the conversations with
- A phone or computer to play the messages
- A timer if you want to practise the full test length
How long is each A1 test part?
The full IELTS Life Skills A1 test takes 16 to 18 minutes. The times below cover each part for both test takers together, not that many minutes for each person.
| What you do | Time |
|---|---|
| 1a. Answer the examiner's questions | 4 to 5 minutes |
| 1b. Prepare, then ask your partner questions | About 5 minutes |
| 2a. Listen to two recordings and answer | About 4 minutes |
| 2b. Talk together about a topic | 3 to 4 minutes |
| Whole test | 16 to 18 minutes |
Phase 1a: answer questions about yourself
Your helper asks one question. You answer it, then add one short detail if you can. Use your own name, home and routine.
- What is your name?
- Where do you live?
- Do you work or study?
- What do you do in your free time?
Play the questions
0:00 / 0:00
| Question | Sample answer |
|---|---|
| What is your name? | My name is Sara. |
| Where do you live? | I live in Lahore with my family. |
| Do you work or study? | I work in a shop. |
| What do you do in your free time? | I walk in the park with my sister. |
Your turn
Ask your helper to read the questions in a different order. Answer without looking at the sample answers.
Phase 1b: ask your partner questions
Take one and a half minutes to think of questions. You can make notes. Then take turns asking and answering for up to two minutes each. Listen to the answer before choosing your next question.
Ask about buying food.
- Where do you buy food?
- How do you get there?
- Who goes with you?
Then swap roles and ask about free time.
Play the questions
0:00 / 0:00
| Speaker | Sample answer |
|---|---|
| You | What do you do on a day off? |
| Partner | I go to the park with my son. |
| You | What does your son do there? |
| Partner | He plays football. |
| You | Do you play with him? |
| Partner | Yes, sometimes. |
After you hear the answer
The table is one example, about a day off. Your next question should follow what your partner just said.
Phase 2a: listen and answer aloud
You are A. Your helper is B. Play both messages before you open the scripts. If you are alone, answer every question.
After the first listen:
- A: What is message 1 about: an art class, a shopping trip, or a doctor's appointment?
- B: What is message 2 about: meeting for a trip to the park, buying bread, or a school lesson?
After the second listen, A answers:
- Where should Ben meet?
- What time should he meet?
After the second listen, B answers:
- Where is the art class?
- What should Noor bring?
Message 1
0:00 / 0:00
Show the words after listening
Hi, Noor. The art class is at the library this Friday, not at the school. It starts at ten in the morning. Please bring a pencil. See you there.
Message 2
0:00 / 0:00
Show the words after listening
Hello, Ben. We are still going to the park on Sunday. Meet me outside the bakery at nine o'clock, not at the bus stop. The bus stop is closed this week.
Check your listening answers
Say your answers before opening the key. When a message says "not at the school", listen for the place to use instead.
Show the listening answers
- A, first listen: an art class. You hear where it is, its start time, and what to bring.
- B, first listen: meeting for a trip to the park. The bakery is the meeting place, not the activity.
- A, second listen: outside the bakery (by the bakery is also clear); nine o'clock (9 a.m.). The speaker says not at the bus stop.
- B, second listen: the library; a pencil. The class is not at the school. Short spoken answers are enough if they give the right detail.
- Listen again for the changes: the class is not at the school, and the meeting is not at the bus stop.
Phase 2b: have a short conversation
Talk about what you like to do at the weekend. Both people speak, and both people ask a question.
- Where do you go?
- Who goes with you?
- What do you do there?
Play the questions
0:00 / 0:00
| Speaker | Sample answer |
|---|---|
| A | I like going to the park. What do you like doing? |
| B | I like shopping at the market. |
| A | Who do you go with? |
| B | My sister. Do you go to the park alone? |
| A | No, I go with my family. |
| B | What do you do there? |
Your turn
Keep taking turns for three minutes. You can like different places.
What should I practise again?
Choose the part that was hardest. Repeat it with different questions, not the same memorised answer.
Ask your partner
- Did I answer the question?
- Did I ask a question and listen to the answer?
- Did I find the right place or time in the messages?
- Did we both speak in the conversation?
| What felt difficult? | Try this next |
|---|---|
| I could not answer a question | Use one short answer from the examples, then change it to fit your life |
| I did not know what to ask | Start with where, who or what, then listen to the answer |
| I missed the recording | Listen again with the script, then close it and replay |
| Our conversation stopped | Ask about a detail your partner just mentioned |
Source for the test format
The test parts and timings follow IELTS's published A1 sample materials.
How Linguistic Academy helps with A1 practice
We teach A1 speaking and listening. Tell us which part was difficult, or ask on behalf of your spouse. If the examples still feel too hard, begin with our Hindi and Urdu preparation page.
For new questions, use the A1 topic examples. For the right test name and booking steps, use the A1 spouse visa guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long should this A1 practice take?
This practice follows the IELTS Life Skills A1 order, which lasts 16 to 18 minutes in the real test. Allow 16 to 18 minutes for a full rehearsal here, or repeat one part at a time if it feels hard.
Are these the official IELTS Life Skills A1 questions?
No. The messages and questions here are original practice in the official A1 style. Use the free official IELTS sample papers alongside this page to hear real recordings and see the exact task layout.
Do I speak my answers or write them?
Speak every answer aloud. The real A1 test has no written answers: you say your answers to the examiner and talk with the other test taker. Optional notes are allowed in the preparation and listening phases shown in the official sample; they are not marked writing answers.
What happens in the listening parts of A1?
You hear two recordings twice. First you answer one main-idea question about each recording, then two detail questions, such as a time or place. You answer aloud. The official A1 sample includes a task sheet with choices for the first listening question; the examiner then asks the detail questions aloud.
How do I practise A1 if I am alone?
Play each message on this page, answer aloud and check the hidden key. For the conversation parts, record yourself answering both sides, but practise the discussion with a spouse, friend or tutor before test day.
Does completing this practice mean I will pass the test?
No. This page is practice, not an official test and not a visa result. A real IELTS Life Skills A1 test is taken at an approved test centre, and results are reported as Pass or Fail.
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