Sample IELTS Speaking questions for Part 1

Sample IELTS Speaking 1 Questions and Topics

In this post is a helpful list of sample IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions and topics for the IELTS Interview. These questions and IELTS Speaking topics are the most common you will be asked in the IELTS Practice test. If you can’t join our English conversation practice groups in Portland, you can still prepare for the IELTS Speaking questions by practicing answering these questions before your IELTS test day.

Format of Part 1 of IELTS Speaking Test

In Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test, you will be asked 10-12 Questions about 2-3 Topics. This part of the test will last for about 5 minutes.

These questions will ask about yourself, your life, or your home country. They are the kind of questions someone might ask to get to know you better.

To learn about what kind of attitude you should have when answering these questions, see our blog post about how your attitude can improve your IELTS Speaking score!

How to use this list of IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions

  1. For IELTS Speaking preparation, think about how you would answer the questions for each IELTS Speaking topic below.
  2. Write down words or phrases you could use when answering the questions for each IELTS Speaking topic.
  3. Record yourself answering each of these questions, then review your recording and see if you can notice any mistakes in your vocabulary or grammar. Notice which words you have difficulty pronouncing.
  4. Then, re-record your answer and see if you can improve your response!

IELTS Part 1 Tip: Think of stories you might be able to tell for each of your answers. Stories help increase the range of vocabulary you use and make you sound more natural. Just keep the stories short–each of your answers in Part 1 should be around 30 seconds long.

How to prepare for IELTS Speaking Questions-Topics
How to prepare for IELTS Speaking Questions-Topics NEW

Below is a list of common topics and questions that the IELTS examiner will ask you in Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test.

Main Topics for Part 1 of IELTS Speaking Test

These are the four most common topics you will be asked about in Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test: home, hometown, study, work.

IELTS Examiners usually only ask about one of these four topics before switching to one of the Common Topics (see list below).


Home

  • Describe your home.
  • Describe your favorite part of your home.
  • Describe the people you live with.
  • Describe how long you have lived there and whether that will continue.
  • Describe what is near your home.
  • What would you like to change about your home?
  • What is your neighborhood like?
  • Do most people live in houses in your country?

Hometown

  • Describe your hometown.
  • Describe what is special about it.
  • Describe some problems faced by your hometown.
  • Describe how your hometown has changed in your lifetime.
  • Explain whether your hometown is good for raising children.
  • Do you often visit your hometown?
  • How good is the public transportation in your hometown?
  • What is the oldest place in your hometown?

Study

  • Describe what subject you are mainly studying now.
  • Explain why you chose to study that subject.
  • Explain whether this is a popular subject to study in your country.
  • Explain whether there is another subject you are interested in.
  • Describe what is most difficult about studying this subject.
  • Do you want to get a job related to that subject?
  • What is your typical day at school like?
  • Where do you study?

Work

  • Describe the job you have or are planning to have.
  • What do you like about this job?
  • Describe what is most difficult about this job.
  • Explain whether this is a popular job in your country.
  • Explain whether there is another job you are interested in.
  • Do you get along with your coworkers?
  • Do you plan on continuing at that job in the future?
  • What was your job like when you first started it?

Common Topics and Questions in Part 1 of IELTS Speaking Test 


Art

  • Describe the kind of art you like the most.
  • Describe what kind of popular art in your country.
  • Describe a time when you visited an art gallery.
  • Describe an art class you have taken.
  • Explain whether or not you like doing art.
  • Do you think you are good at art?
  • Were you taught art in school as a child?
  • What kind of art do you wish you were good at?

Birthdays

  • Describe how you normally celebrate your birthday nowadays.
  • Describe how you normally celebrated your birthday when you were a child.
  • Describe a memorable birthday you have had.
  • Describe how people normally celebrate birthdays in your country.
  • Describe whether there are important birthdays in your home culture.
  • Do you enjoy birthday parties?
  • What did you do for you last birthday?
  • What kind presents do you usually get for your birthday?

observe (an event) = celebrate or acknowledge (an event)


Clothing

  • Describe the kind of clothes you enjoy wearing the most.
  • Describe the kind of clothes most people wear in your country.
  • Describe whether different age groups in your country wear different styles of clothing.
  • Explain how important fashion is in your life.
  • Describe a type of traditional clothing from your country.
  • Do you ever wear the traditional clothing of your country?
  • Have you ever had to wear a uniform?
  • Where do you usually buy your clothes?

Computers

  • Describe the ways you use computers in your daily life.
  • Describe what you most enjoy using computers for.
  • Describe what you find most frustrating about computers.
  • Describe how your computer use has changed in your lifetime.
  • Explain whether or not how you use computers is different from how they used in your country.
  • Do you often use a computer?
  • Do you prefer desktops or laptops?
  • How do you usually access the internet?

Daily Routine

  • Describe what you usually do on the weekend.
  • Describe your normal weekday routine.
  • Explain how your daily routine has changed in the last few years.
  • Describe something that you normally do which is unusual for someone from your country.
  • Describe a change you have had to make in your daily routine.
  • When do you usually get up in the morning?
  • How often do you change your routine?
  • What was your daily routine as a child?

Education

  • Describe what your school was like when you were younger.
  • Describe a school subject you enjoyed as a kid.
  • Describe a favorite teacher you had as a kid.
  • What kind of school did you go to as a child?
  • What did you enjoy the least about school when you were young?
  • How did you get to school when you were young?

Evenings

  • Describe what you usually do in the evening on weekdays.
  • Describe what you usually do in the evening on weekends.
  • Describe what people usually do in the evening in your country.
  • Describe how your evening routine has changed in your lifetime.
  • Do you prefer to spend your evenings with friends, family, or alone?
  • Do you ever work or study in the evening?
  • Do you prefer to stay in or go out in the evening?

Family

  • Describe your family.
  • Describe a typical family from your country.
  • Describe the family member which you are closest to.
  • Explain how important family relations typically are in your country.
  • Describe an activity you enjoy doing with your family.
  • Do you prefer to spend time with friends or family?
  • Are you still friends with people from your childhood?
  • Do you have strong, close relationships with relations like aunts and uncles?

Festival

  • Describe an important festival in your country.
  • Describe a special food associated with a festival from your country.
  • Describe an unusual festival from your country.
  • Describe a memorable festival you have participated in.
  • Explain how important festivals are for people in your country.
  • How often do you attend festivals?
  • Do you like to attend festivals?
  • Does your home culture have most religious or non-religious festivals?

Films

  • Describe the kind of movie you enjoy the most.
  • Describe one of most favorite movies and why you like it.
  • Describe the kind of movie you enjoy the least.
  • Describe an actor or director you like.
  • Do you enjoy watching movies?
  • Do you prefer watching movies at home or in a theater?
  • Has your taste in movies changed over time?

taste (in music) = the kind of (music) you prefer


Flowers & Plants

  • Explain whether or not you like flowers.
  • Describe a type of flower you think is pretty.
  • Describe what kind of special meaning flowers have in your home culture.
  • Describe a type of plant you like more than others.
  • Do you keep plants in or around your home?
  • Do people give plants as gifts in your home culture?
  • What is your favorite kind of flower?

Food

  • Describe one of your favorite foods.
  • Explain how your food preferences have changed over your lifetime.
  • Describe what you normally eat each day.
  • Describe a type of food you enjoy but is not healthy.
  • Describe a traditional dish from your country.
  • Is there any kinds of food you dislike?
  • Do you think you have a healthy diet?
  • What do you think of fast food?

Friends

  • Describe how you met your best friend.
  • Describe what you usually do with your closest friends.
  • Explain whether or not you are still friends with people from you childhood.
  • Describe a time when you helped a friend or they helped you.
  • What do you like most about your best friend?
  • How often do you and your best friend get together?
  • How long have you known your best friend?

Games

  • Describe a game you enjoy playing.
  • Explain whether or not the types of games you enjoy have changed in your lifetime.
  • Describe a game popular in your country.
  • Describe a game you don’t enjoy playing.
  • Are you good at playing certain games?
  • How often do you play games?
  • What kind of games did you play when you were young?

Hobbies & Pastimes

  • Describe a hobby or pastime you enjoy.
  • Describe a hobby or pastime you used to have as a child.
  • Describe hobbies or pastimes that are typical for people from your country.
  • Explain how important hobbies or pastimes are for you.
  • Explain whether you like doing activities with people or alone.
  • What is your favorite hobby or pastime?
  • Does your hobby or pastime require any special equipment?
  • Why do you enjoy that hobby or pastime?

Home Country

  • Describe the part of your country where most people live.
  • Describe the main industries in your country.
  • Describe an interesting or unusual area of your country.
  • Describe how your country has changed in your lifetime.
  • Describe a social problem that you home country faces.
  • Do most people in your country live in large cities or small towns?
  • What kinds of nature does your country have?
  • Who is a famous person from your country?

Interesting Places

  • Describe a place in your country you like to go to.
  • Describe a place you would like to visit and explain why.
  • Describe an unusual or interesting place in your country.
  • Describe an interesting place you have been to that you would like to return to.
  • Describe the kinds of places you find interesting to go to when traveling.
  • Is there a place in your country many people go to for vacation?
  • Is there a place where many people from your country like to go to for vacation?
  • Where would you like to travel to next?

Marriage

  • Describe a typical wedding ceremony from your country.
  • Describe the types of gifts people from your culture receive when getting married.
  • Explain the importance of getting married for people from your home culture.
  • Explain whether or not your home culture’s view on getting married has changed in your time.
  • Have you ever been to a wedding?
  • Has one of your close friends or family gotten married?
  • Do newlyweds in your country go on honeymoons?

Music

  • Describe what kind of music you like.
  • Explain whether your taste in music has changed in your lifetime.
  • Describe a musical instrument you like to play or would like to play.
  • Explain the importance of music in your life.
  • Explain the importance of music in your home culture.
  • Can you sing?
  • Did you have to learn music while in school?
  • Do you enjoy attending musical performances?

taste (in music) = the kind of (music) you prefer


Pets & Animals

  • Describe an animal that you like.
  • Describe a popular pet in your country.
  • Describe a pet you would like to have.
  • Describe the most unusual pet you have seen or heard about.
  • Describe an unusual animal you seen in real life.
  • Do you like animals?
  • Did you have a pet as a child?
  • Have you ever been to a zoo?

in real life = in person, face-to-face


Shopping

  • Explain whether or not you enjoy shopping.
  • Describe what you normally shop for in stores instead of online.
  • Describe a popular place to shop in your hometown.
  • Explain whether you like shopping online or in stores.
  • Where is your favorite place to shop?
  • Do you prefer shopping alone or with others?
  • How often do you end up returning items you have purchased?

Socializing

  • Describe what you like to do when you go out.
  • Describe how people in your country usually socialize.
  • Explain how important socializing is for you.
  • Describe what kind of entertainment is popular in your country.
  • Describe what kinds of activities children in your country do when socializing.
  • What is a popular place for people to socialize at in your hometown?
  • How often do you go out with friends or family?
  • Do you like to socialize with large or small groups of people?

Sports

  • Describe a sport you enjoy watching or playing.
  • Describe a popular sport that children play in your country.
  • Describe a common way people exercise in your country.
  • Describe a popular sporting event in your country.
  • Do you like to play sports?
  • How often do you watch sporting events?
  • Have you ever competed in a sporting event?

Transportation

  • Describe the public transportation system in your hometown.
  • Describe how public transportation in your hometown has changed in your lifetime.
  • Describe a memorable trip you took using public transportation.
  • Explain how popular public transportation is in your country.
  • How often do you use public transportation?
  • What kind of improvements do you think could be made to the public transportation system in your hometown?
  • Do people generally obey traffic laws in your country?

memorable = easy to remember (because it was special or unusual)


Travel

  • Describe a place in your country you would recommend to a visitor.
  • Describe a place you have never been to and would like to visit.
  • Describe a memorable trip you have taken.
  • Describe what you enjoy doing when you are on vacation.
  • Do you like to travel?
  • Do you like to travel alone, with a few people, or in a larger group?
  • What kind of souvenirs do you buy while on vacation?

memorable = easy to remember (because it was special or unusual)

souvenirs = items that remind you of a place


Weather

  • Describe the weather in your hometown.
  • Describe a time you experienced unusual weather.
  • Describe your favorite season.
  • Describe what you do during the part of the year with the worst weather.
  • Do you prefer warm or cold weather?
  • Have you ever lived somewhere where the weather was often bad?
  • Have you ever had to cancel a planned activity due to bad weather?

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics

Summary

So, study the above topics and questions for Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test, and think about how you would answer each of the questions. Create words lists for each of the topics and record yourself answering the questions. It takes time to think about how you would respond to each of these questions, so begin to practice answering these questions before IELTS test day! The more you practice your answers to these questions, the more you will see your IELTS Speaking score improve!

More IELTS exam tips!

Want to know how to prepare for the IELTS exam at home? Learn the best way to prepare IELTS Speaking questions with the Portland English Language Academy. You can learn many IELTS preparation tips for how to improve your IELTS score, including how to improve your IELTS Speaking, with PELA Online’s Academic IELTS Preparation course, with Modules to help you with listening, reading, writing, and speaking test questions.

Watch Lesson 1, Module 1 for IELTS Speaking for FREE!

Want to learn more IELTS Speaking tips? Learn what words you should use in the IELTS Speaking test!

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