​​What does ‘two words and/or a number’ mean? As with every p | Cambridge IELTS practice |Official™

​​What does ‘two words and/or a number’ mean?

As with every part of the test, you must always follow the instructions for each task carefully. In particular, notice whether you must choose one letter, or several letters from a list, like these examples (picture below) from The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS:

Notice that bold type is used to draw your attention to how many answers you must write, and when you need to write more than 2 answers, you are reminded to write your answers next to the correct question number on your answer sheet. This is a key point and a reminder not to rush. If you do, you run the risk of making mistakes when you transfer your answers and losing marks as a result.

Also notice whether you must write one word only, or one, two or three words and / or a number. If you write too many words, then your answer will be marked wrong. In both reading and listening, if the instructions say ‘write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER’, this means that your answer may consist of:

a number
one word
one word and a number
two words
two words and a number

Pauline Cullen
@cambridgematerials