IELTS 31st January 2026 Exam Cheatsheet
Level: Moderate (end-of-month paper → slightly tighter than Jan 10)
🎧 LISTENING – CHEAT SHEET
🔹 Part 1
Question type: Form / Note completion
Likely topic:
Reporting an accommodation issue
Booking a repair service
Pain points (where students lose marks):
Wrong spelling of names/streets
Writing extra words
Missing corrections (“No, actually…”)
Strategy:
Write answers in capital letters
Expect self-corrections
Numbers, dates, email IDs = easy marks
Do:
✔ Listen for confirmation
✔ Stick to word limit
Don’t:
✘ Add articles (a / the) unnecessarily
✘ Guess spelling before hearing it
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🔹 Part 2
Question type: MCQ + Map
Likely topic:
Town redevelopment
New transport route
Pain points:
Confusing left/right
Ignoring landmarks
Strategy:
Before audio: identify entrance, main road, landmarks
Follow movement step-by-step
Example language to watch:
“Opposite the station”, “next to”, “beyond”, “at the end of”
Do:
✔ Track direction logically
Don’t:
✘ Assume map layout
✘ Rush MCQs
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🔹 Part 3
Question type: Matching + MCQ
Likely topic:
Students discussing survey data or research methods
Pain points:
Matching by keywords only
Missing opinion change
Strategy:
Focus on opinions, not facts
Listen for contrast words: however, initially, later
Do:
✔ Match the final decision
Don’t:
✘ Match the first thing you hear
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🔹 Part 4
Question type: Note completion
Likely topic:
Urban sustainability
Environmental policy
Pain points:
Wrong word form
Plural/singular mistakes
Strategy:
Predict grammar before listening
Answers follow audio order
Do:
✔ Write nouns clearly
Don’t:
✘ Paraphrase — write what you hear
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📘 ACADEMIC READING – CHEAT SHEET
🔹 Passage 1 (Easiest)
Types: T/F/NG + Sentence completion
Topic: Traditional farming / ancient tools
Strategy:
Scan, don’t read fully
T = same meaning
F = opposite
NG = not mentioned
Common mistake:
❌ Assuming information
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🔹 Passage 2 (Time-consuming)
Types: Matching headings + Matching information
Topic: Transport / communication development
Strategy:
Read topic sentence only first
Match idea, not vocabulary
Common mistake:
❌ Reading whole paragraph before matching
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🔹 Passage 3 (Trickiest)
Types: Yes/No/NG + MCQ
Topic: Work culture / productivity / tech dependency
Strategy:
Yes/No = author’s opinion
Look for argues, believes, suggests
Common mistake:
❌ Treating it like T/F/NG
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🟢 GENERAL TRAINING READING – CHEAT SHEET
🔹 Section 1
Types: T/F/NG + Short answers
Topic: Council notices / housing / parking
Strategy:
Scan dates, rules, penalties
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🔹 Section 2
Types: Matching + Completion
Topic: Workplace procedures
Strategy:
Watch modal verbs: must, should, not allowed
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🔹 Section 3
Types: MCQ + Yes/No/NG
Topic: Job satisfaction / stress / work-life balance
Strategy:
Identify writer’s attitude early
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✍️ WRITING – CHEAT SHEET
🔹 Academic Task 1
Likely: Table / Line graph / Diagram
Strategy:
4 paragraphs only
Clear overview is compulsory
Do:
✔ Compare highest vs lowest
✔ Group trends
Don’t:
✘ Explain reasons
✘ Copy data blindly
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🔹 GT Task 1
Type: Formal letter – Complaint / Request
Structure:
1. Reason for writing
2. Details of issue
3. Request/action
Common mistake:
❌ Wrong tone (too casual)
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🔹 Task 2 (AC & GT)
Types:
Two-part (cause + opinion)
Discuss & opinion
Agree / Disagree
Likely topics:
Work stress & long hours
Technology & social behaviour
Environmental responsibility
Skills vs qualifications
Winning strategy:
Clear position
One idea per paragraph
Simple, real examples
Big mistake:
❌ Sitting on the fence
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🗣️ SPEAKING – CHEAT SHEET
🔹 Part 1
Topics:
Work / Study
Daily routine
Free time
Technology
Do:
✔ 3–4 lines per answer
Don’t:
✘ One-line answers
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🔹 Part 2
Likely cue cards:
A decision you made
A person who influenced you
A place that changed
Structure:
Situation → Details → Feeling/result
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🔹 Part 3
Topics:
Work culture
Technology impact
Lifestyle changes
Strategy:
General answers
Simple examples
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🎯 FINAL EXAMINER ADVICE
✔ 31 Jan is not an “easy date”, but fair
✔ Listening & Reading punish carelessness
✔ Writing & Speaking reward clarity
Last 3-day revision plan
Say the word.
