Welcome to this post on the top 5 subjects you should know about for IELTS. In this post, we look at 5 big IELTS topics that will help you for writing task 2 and speaking (especially parts 2 and 3). You are also likely to encounter them in reading and listening.
If you know just a little bit about each of these, you will find that your ideas and vocabulary will be much better for these common topics.
1. Health
The first thing you should know about and be able to discuss is health. Lots of people don’t realise it, but health is relevant to so many things that you may need to discuss in IELTS. If you have a speaking topic about sports, walking, cycling or any other physical activity, you can discuss health.
IELTS questions may also ask about food and diets, and if you can talk about the health impacts of imbalanced diets, malnutrition or bad food hygiene, you’ll be off to a great start. Sometimes, you may need to discuss health directly, for example in terms of public health, healthcare systems, smoking bans and other big health topics. Make sure you know something about health, and you’ll find a whole load of topics become a little bit easier!
2. Economics
This is a scary one for lots of people, but it shouldn’t be. You don’t need to know everything about economic analysis, the stock market or have detailed knowledge of international trade. A basic understanding of economic is enough. Why do people make the choices they make? Why do some things cost more than others? What are the impacts of global trade, causes of urbanisation, or drivers of many of the world’s problems today, such as poverty? An answer and supporting ideas can often be created with a basic understanding of economics. If you can link it to society and consumer culture, you’re sure to have plenty to say on a whole range of IELTS topics.
3. Marketing
Marketing is closely related to economics and is a big IELTS topic. You may have to discuss it directly, as is the case with advertising, but it’s also relevant to many other topics. Being able to talk about brands and brand identity can help you discuss why some products or companies are more successful than others. It also links directly with discussions about fame, and why many famous people earn so much money or can make a film or TV show successful. If you really get into marketing, you will probably start discussing some of the biggest technology companies in the world: after all, much of the value in Facebook and Google are drawn from their ability to target advertising at really specific groups of people!
4. The environment
Number 4 on our list of the top 5 subjects you should know about for IELTS is the environment. It is a huge topic, and again, is relevant for so many other topics. It links directly to economics and health, as economic activity is frequently bad for the environment, and pollution is bad for people’s health. You should be able to discuss a bit about energy and its uses, such as for electricity, transport, and even how we cook food or heat our homes. This is closely linked to climate change and the impact of human society on the environment.
Other big things that are helpful are an understanding of pollution, especially contaminated land and air and water pollution; waste disposal and recycling, especially of plastics; and a simple understanding of ecosystems. With a bit of knowledge about these topics, you will find that you can discuss things like transport, industry, food production and the role of the environment in providing a safe, pleasant place to live.
5. Education
There are lots of IELTS questions about the value of education and the way that people learn. Find out a bit about different education systems and think about the value of different subjects. One example which can be difficult would be questions about whether students should learn practical skills used in life and the workplace compared to learning about arts or theoretical knowledge. Other topics include the most effective ways for people to learn specific topics, as well as questions about school subjects like science, art and history. Finally, education is relevant to lots of other topics, as it can often be given as a solution to many problems!
So those were our top 5 subjects you should know about for IELTS. Which of these are you familiar with, and are there any which would cause you problems? Leave us a comment and let us know, and if you found this post useful, be sure to share it with other test takers!
You don’t need to be an expert – a fundamental understanding will go a long way to helping you prepare for your test. If you liked this post, be sure to check out some of our other posts as they could help you prepare, like this one on learning new vocabulary effectively.
Thanks for joining us and reading this article, and we hope to see you again soon!
