IELTS Speaking Practice
The list of questions below are intended to be representative of speaking part 1. However, these are questions that you can generally practice for any part of the speaking exam, as there are a mixture of easier and more difficult questions. When practising, try to extend your responses so you get into the habit of speaking with fluency. It is better to have more to say than less to say. First, are some tips for each part of the speaking exam.
How long should my answer be?
Speaking part 1 advice
- You don’t need to limit your answers to two sentences
- Try speaking with fluency
- If you have more information to give, then give it
- Try to avoid hesitation as this will obstruct the time in which you can answer and therefore gain scores
- If you go over and the examiner stops you, this isn’t a problem- it's just part of the test!
Speaking part 2 advice
- The prompts on the cards are just prompts, not questions
- To meet the criteria for part 2, you need to go beyond the prompts and extend your response
- Give lots of description and information to showcase your fluency
Speaking part 3 advice
- Try to give examples in part 3
- You need to be detailed in your response
- This is an opportunity to show your range of English
- Speak more than you need to give
Talking Cards Topics
Social media
- Who is your favourite person you follow on social media?
- What sort of content do they post?
- Why do you follow them?
- Do you think you benefit from following this person?
Family
- Do you spend much time with your family?
- What do you like to do together as a family?
- Who are you closest to in your family?
- Are people in your country generally close to your family?
Internet
- How often do you go online?
- What’s the main reason you use the internet?
- What’s your favourite website?
- Education around the internet has increased in schools, what’s your opinion of this?
- Do you think children should have unsupervised access to the internet?
Daily routine
- What is your daily routine?
- Do you ever change your routine?
- How has your routine changed over the years?
- Do you think it’s important to have a routine?
Food
- What’s your favourite food?
- Has your taste in food changed over the years?
- Is there a food you dislike?
- Do you consider yourself to have a healthy diet?
Hobbies
- Do you have a particular hobby?
- Do you think hobbies are best enjoyed alone or shared with someone?
- Did you have a hobby as a child?
- Why do you think people have hobbies?
Music
- Do you like music?
- What is your favourite genre of music?
- If you could learn a musical instrument, what would it be and why?
- Do you think music is important?
Reading
- Do you read often?
- What has been one of your favourite books to read?
- Do you read newspapers?
- What books did you read as a child?
- Do you think it’s important to encourage children to read?
Shopping
- Do you like shopping?
- What kinds of shops do you have where you live?
- Do you prefer to buy items online?
- Do you think men and women have different views about shopping?
Transport
- What is your mode of transport?
- Do you use public transport?
- Do you like the transport system in your country?
- Have you visited somewhere where you thought their transport was better?
Weather
- What is your favourite type of weather?
- How would you describe the weather in your country?
- Is the weather the same in all parts of your country?
- Does the weather affect the way you feel?
TV
- Do you regularly watch TV?
- What sorts of TV do you watch?
- What is your favourite TV program?
- Did you watch much TV when you were a child?
- Do you think children should watch TV?
Sport
- Do you like sports?
- What is your favourite sport?
- Do you play any sports?
- Do you watch sports on TV?
- Is there a popular sport in your country?