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?
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
Examiner: “Let’s talk about fruit and vegetables.”
Do you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables every day?
How difficult is it to get fresh fruit and vegetables where you live?
Did you like fruit and vegetables when you were a child?
How important do you think it is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables?
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about children’s books.”
Did you often read books when you were a child?
What types of book did you usually read?
Have you still got any books you read when you were a child?
Would you give books to children as a present?
WATCHING SPORT
Examiner: “Let’s talk about watching sport.”
Which sports attracts the largest number of people in your country?
When was the last time you watched sport?
Do you prefer going to sports events or watching them on TV?
Is there a sport that you would like to watch in the future?
LEAVING AND SENDING MESSAGES
Examiner: “Let’s talk about leaving and sending messages.”
Do you often leave messages when people don’t answer the phone?
Have you ever had problems understanding a phone call or text message?
Are there times when it is better to send a text message than to call?
Would you prefer to get important news by text or by phone call?
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Examiner: “Let’s go on to talk about public holidays now.”
Which public holiday do you like best?
What did you do on the last public holiday?
How important is it for you to have public holidays?
Would you like to have more public holidays?
REMEMBERING TO DO THINGS
Examiner: “Let’s talk about remembering to do things.”
What do you need to remember to do every day?
Is it easy for you to remember to do things?
What do you do to help you remember to do things?
Have you ever forgotten to do something important?
NEWSPAPERS
Examiner: “Let’s talk about newspapers now.”
When did you first start reading newspapers?
What types of newspaper are there in your country?
Do you prefer reading about local or international news?
How important is it for people to read the news?
TRANSPORT
Examiner: “Let’s talk about transport.”
Do you prefer to travel by public or private transport?
When did you last travel by public transport?
How often do you walk instead of using any kind of transport?
What transport would you recommend to a visitor to your city?
SPENDING TIME BY YOURSELF
Examiner: “Let’s talk about spending time by yourself. “
Do you often spend time by yourself?
What kinds of thing do you like doing when you are by yourself?
When was the last time you spent a lot of time by yourself?
Would you like to spend more time by yourself?
HELPING PEOPLE
Examiner: “Now let’s talk about helping people.”
What kind of help do you give to other people?
Did your family encourage you to be helpful when you were younger?
Do you enjoy helping people?
When was the last time someone helped you?
RELATIVES
Examiner: “Now let’s talk about your relatives.”
Do you often visit your relatives?
When was the last time you visited your relatives?
What do you usually do when you visit your relatives?
Would you prefer to spend time with friends or relatives?
MOVIE STARS
Examiner: “Now let’s talk about movie stars.”
Who is your favourite movie star?
Have you ever met a movie star in real life?
Are international movie stars popular in your country?
Would you like to be a movie star?
PETS
Examiner: “Let’s talk about pets now.”
Do many people in your country keep pets?
What animal do you think makes the best pet?
Did people in your country keep pets in the past?
What pet would you like to have in the future?
CROWDS
Examiner: Now let’s talk about crowds.”
What places in your city often have crowds?
How do you feel when you are in a crowd?
When was the last time you went to a crowded place?
Would you prefer to live in a place with many or few people?
COLOUR
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about colour.”
What is your favourite colour?
Are there any colours you dislike?
Do you usually wear clothes in your favourite colour?
What colour would you choose for your car?
SHOES
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about shoes.”
Do you own a lot of shoes?
How often do you buy shoes?
Have you ever bought shoes online?
Which do you prefer, comfortable shoes or fashionable shoes?
THE WEATHER
Examiner: “Let’s talk about the weather.”
What kind of weather do you like the most?
Is there any type of weather you particularly dislike?
Do you often change your plans because of the weather?
Would you like to live in a place where the weather is different?
DECORATIONS IN YOUR HOME
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about decorations in your home.”
Tell me about the decorations in your home?
What’s your favourite colour when decorating your home?
Do people in your country like redecorating their homes?
Will you redecorate your house in the future?
MORNING ROUTINE
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about your morning routine.”
When do you usually wake up in the morning?
Do you usually do the same things every morning?
How important is it for you to eat a full breakfast?
Would you like to change anything about your morning routine?
MOBILE PHONES
Examiner: “Let’s talk about your mobile phone.”
When did you buy your first mobile phone?
How often do you use your mobile phone?
Are there any times when you cannot use your mobile phone?
Is there anything you don’t like about mobile phones?
WRITING AND RECEIVING LETTERS
Examiner: “Let’s talk about writing and receiving letters.”
Do you often write letters?
When was the last time you wrote or received a letter?
Do you think people will still write letters in the future?
Would you prefer to receive a letter or an email on your birthday?
HANDWRITING
Examiner: “Let’s talk about handwriting.”
Do you often write with a pen?
Is your handwriting easy to read?
Do you prefer to write by hand or type on a computer?
Do you think people will still need to write by hand in the future?
SLEEP
Examiner: “Now let’s talk about sleep.”
How long do you sleep each day?
Do you sleep more now than when you were a child?
Do you sometimes take a nap around noon?
Would you like to sleep more in the future?
THROWING AND COLLECTING GARBAGE
Examiner: “Let’s talk about the throwing and collecting garbage.”
Is there a lot of garbage on the streets where you live?
How do you feel when you see someone drop garbage?
How easy is it to find a place to throw garbage where you live?
Do people in your country often recycle?
BEING ON TIME
Examiner: “Let’s talk about being on time.”
Do you usually wear a watch?
Is it important to be on time in your country?
Are you often late to meet you friends?
How do you feel when other people keep you waiting?
PATIENCE
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about patience.”
Are you a patient person?
Is it important to be patient in your culture?
When do you need to be most patient?
Do you think most adults have more patience than children?
SHARING
Examiner: “Now I’d like to talk to you about sharing.”
Do you enjoy sharing?
What kinds of thing do you often share with people?
Is there anything you won’t share with others?
Would you like to share more things?
THE AREA YOU LIVE IN
Examiner: “Now let’s talk about the area you live in.”
Do you like the area you live in?
What has changed in your area recently?
Where do you like to go in your area?
Are there any famous people from your area?
