ABOUT THE IELTS SPEAKING TEST
The IELTS speaking test is an informal, face to face conversation with an examiner that lasts between 11 and 14 minutes.
The IELTS speaking test has 3 parts.
Part 1: Questions about you (3-5 mins)
Part 2: 2 minute speech on a given topic with 1 minute to prepare and examiner questions at the end.
Part 3: Discussion with a partner (4-5 mins)
At the end of the test the examiner will decide your result based on:
1. Fluency & Cohesion (25%)
2. Grammar (25%)
3. Vocabulary (25%)
4. Pronunciation (25%)
This page includes common speaking topics, practice questions and tips to improve your confidence and fluency for the IELTS speaking test.
IELTS SPEAKING PART 1
Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test lasts for 3 or 4 minutes and the examiner will ask you 2 or 3 questions on 3 topics about your personal life from a list of 25 possible topics.
These are the most common speaking topics for part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. They are topics which appear frequently in part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. You should prepare ideas and practise answering these questions using advanced vocabulary and a range of grammatical structures to maximise your results.
Home
1. Where is your home?
2. Do you plan to live there in the future?
3. Do you live in a house or a flat?
4. Who do you live with?
5. What is your neighbourhood like?
6. What is your favourite room and how is it decorated?
7. Do most people live in houses or flats in your country?
8. What facilities are there near your home?
9. Are there many rooms in your home?
10. What would you change about your home?
Hometown
1. Where is your hometown?
2. Do you like your hometown?
3. What is your hometown like?
4. Do you often visit your hometown?
5. What is the oldest place in your hometown?
6. What is there for a tourist to do in your hometown?
7.Has your hometown changed much since your were a child?
8. Is there good transportation in your hometown?
9. Is your hometown a good place to bring up children?
10. How could your hometown be improved?
Work
1. What is your job?
2. Where do your work?
3. Why did you choose that job?
4. Do you get on well with your colleagues?
5. Is it a popular job in your country?
6. What responsibilites do you have at work?
7. Do you like your job?
8. Do you plan to continue this job in the future?
9. If you had the chance, would you change your job?
10. What was your first day like?
Study
1. What do you study?
2. Where do your study?
3. Is that a populary subject in your country?
4. What are the main aspects of your subject?
5. Do you like this subject?
6. Do you plan to get a job in the same field as your subject?
7. If you had the chance, would you change your subject?
You can download a FREE PDF with possible questions for all 25 of the IELTS Speaking Test Part 1 topics here.
IELTS SPEAKING PART 2
In part 2 you will be given a topic card to speak about for 2 minutes, with 1 minute to prepare. You should start preparing as soon as you are given the topic card, some paper and a pen. The examiner will tell you when it is time to start speaking. You should keep speaking for as long as you can. Most topics ask you to talk about your personal experiences.
IELTS SPEAKING PART 3
In part 3 of the IELTS speaking test the examiner will ask some general questions about the topic that you spoke about in part 2. These questions will require you to give further explanation and relate your answers to the world and society more generally.