University of Sydney: Human Trafficking Criminal wwww.ielts.agency 50
business practices, IELTS only release a non-specified, self-selected percentage of examination
content used in prior exams. I estimate that this self-selective sample size does not exceed 5% of
all test material that IELTS use to conduct ‘behind closed doors’ examination testing.
Textual content
Figure 21 is an example of a question from IELTS’s speaking test.
Figure 21
Sample IELTS Exam Content: SpeakingSource (British Council, 2017f)
Researcher’s observation:
The IELTS exam includes a general-knowledge hidden curriculum that sets most test-takers up to
fail. To avoid earning zero credit for the second part of this speaking test sub-component,
candidates are required to have knowledge of the values that were dominant in their parents’
societies prior to their birth. Alternatively, candidates may improvise and ‘fake’ their answer.
IELTS do not provide a curriculum document or syllabus document to support each exam cycle.
Candidate’s may be verbally quizzed on any topic without notice.