SPEAKING PART ONE: EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
Part one of the speaking test contains questions about everyday topics. Test-takers can answer using personal experience.
IELTS is not an interview, so you DO NOT have to answer truthfully. The examiner is only interested in the quality of your English responses. For this reason it is a good idea to practise answering questions twice (once with a true answer and once with an invented one) in case you do not have a true answer in the real test. Remember the last thing an examiner wants to hear is “I don’t know what to say.”.
The questions below are grouped in the same way as the IELTS test. The questions are hidden so that you can listen to them first without reading. If you want to see the questions, click the + symbol.
INTRODUCTION QUESTIONS
To begin the IELTS test, the examiner will ask three questions about either work, home or study. The examiner will only ask the questions from one of these topics.
Examiner: “Now in this first part, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself.
WORK
Examiner: “So let’s talk about what you do.“
Do you work or do you study? “I work”
What type of work do you do?
What do you find most interesting about your work?
Why did you choose to do this type of job?
Is there anything you don’t like about your job?
Which is more important to you, the people you work with or the work you do?
Will you do this job for a long time?
STUDY
Do you work or do you study? “I study.”
What do you study?
Why did you choose to do that course?
What do you find most interesting about your studies?
Is there anything you don’t like about your course?
Which is more important to you, the teachers or the other students on your course?
What will you do when you finish your studies?
HOME
Examiner: “Let’s talk about where you live.”
Do you live in a house or an apartment?
Do you live in a city or a town?
What do you like most about your house/apartment?
Are there many shops in your local area?
What is the best thing about the area where you live?
Do you know many people who live near you?
How would you improve the area where you live?
FURTHER TOPICS
Next, the examiner will choose two more topics. Each topic has four questions, but if you answer one of the questions before the examiner asks it, they will skip that question, so you may be asked only two or three.
CONCENTRATION
Examiner: “Now, I’d like to talk about concentration.“
When do you need to concentrate?
What distracts you when you are trying to stay focused?
Is it difficult for you to stay focused on something?
What do you do to help you concentrate?
FURNITURE
Examiner: “Let’s talk about furniture now. “
Do you have a lot of furniture in your home?
Which furniture in your home do you like best?
When did you last buy furniture?
What kind of furniture would you like to buy in the future?
NEW YEAR
Examiner: “Let’s talk about New Year now.”
Do you usually celebrate New Year?
How did you celebrate the last New Year?
Do you have a favourite New Year celebration?
How important is celebrating New Year in your country?
NEW ACTIVITIES
Examiner: “Let’s talk about new activities now.”
Do you like to try new activities?
When did you last do a new activity?
Do you like to try new activities alone or with friends?
What activities would you like to try?
PICNICS
Examiner: “Let’s talk about picnics.”
Do you enjoy going on picnics?
Did you ever go on a picnic when you were a child?
Do most people in your country like going on picnics?
Where do you want to go on a picnic in the future?
STAGES OF LIFE
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about stages of life.”
Do you enjoy your current stage of life?
Were you happy when you were a child?
What is your plan for your next stage of life?
Which stage of your life do you think will be the most important?
TREES
Examiner: “Let’s talk about trees now.”
What kind of trees do you like most?
Have you ever planted any trees?
What kind of trees are common in your country?
Would you like to plant trees in the future?
TV PROGRAMMES
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk about TV programmes.”
What kind of TV programmes do you like?
Do you ever watch TV on your mobile phone?
Do you like watching the same kind of programme all the time?
Do you talk with your friends about TV programmes?
BEING HAPPY
Examiner: “Let’s talk about being happy.”
What kind of things makes you feel happy?
Were you happy when you were a child?
How important is it for you to be happy?
Do you think you will be happier in the future?
GETTING UP EARLY
Examiner: “Let’s talk about getting up early.”
How often do you get up early in the morning?
What do you usually do when you get up early?
Do you get up early on weekends?
Which morning of the week do you like the most?
CELEBRITIES
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about celebrities.”
What kinds of celebrities do you like?
Have you ever seen a celebrity in real life?
Would you like to be a famous celebrity?
What kind of people are celebrities in your country?
SINGING
Examiner: “Let’s talk about singing now.”
Do you like singing?
When do you usually sing?
Did you enjoy singing when you were younger?
Do people in your country like singing for entertainment?
READING
Examiner: “Let’s talk about reading.”
Do you like reading?
Do you like to read at home or in other places?
Where do you find it most difficult to read books?
Do you like to read by yourself or with other people?
FARMING
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk about farming.”
Have you ever visited a farm?
What kind of farms do you like?
Do you think farming is important?
Would you like to work on a farm?
RESTING
Examiner: “Now let’s talk about resting.”
How often do you take a rest?
What do you usually do when you are resting?
Do you take a nap in the middle of the day?
How do you feel after taking a nap?
HOME COUNTRY
Examiner: “Let’s talk about your home country now.”
Which part of your country do you live in?
What makes you feel proud of your country?
Do you know the history of your country well?
Will you choose to live in your country or abroad in the future?
WINDOW VIEW
Examiner: “Let’s talk about window views now.”
What scenery can you see from the window of your home?
Is it important for you to have a good view from your window?
Do you like to sit by the window when you take an aeroplane?
What sort of view would you like your house to have in the future?
FILMS
Examiner: “Let’s talk about films now.”
What kind of films do you prefer watching?
Do you like the same films now as when you were a child?
Where do you usually watch films?
Would you like to make a film?
MATHEMATICS 1
Examiner: “Let’s talk about learning mathematics.”
How old were you when you started to learn mathematics?
Did you enjoy learning mathematics?
Did you use an electronic calculator in the classroom?
Do you think being good at mathematics is important?
MATHEMATICS 2
Examiner: “Let’s talk about learning mathematics.”
Do you enjoy studying maths?
Do you think maths is difficult?
How important is studying maths in your country?
Will you study maths in the future?
LIVE MUSIC
Examiner: “Let’s talk about listening to live music.”
What kinds of live music can you listen to in your town/city?
What was the last concert you went to or saw on television?
Do you think listening to live music is very different to recorded music?
Would you like to take part in a concert?