Part 1: Introduction and Interview on Familiar Topics
(4-5 minutes)Â
Start of an IELTS Speaking Test
– Good morning/afternoon. My name is _____________. Can you tell me your full name please?
– Thank you.
– Can I see your identification, please?
– Thank you, that’s fine
– Now I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself.
In the Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test, the examiner will ask questions to get information mostly on yourself.
Let’s talk about your home town or village.
- What kind of place is it?
- What’s the most interesting part of your home area?
- What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
- Would you say it is a good place to live? Why?
Please note these are possible questions. Practise these, as they may come up in the test!!
Let’s talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student?
Work
- What’s your job? Why did you choose that kind of work?
- How long have you been doing it?
- Are there things your don’t like about it? What are they?
Study
- What subjects are you studying?
- Why did you choose those subjects? How long have you been studying them?
- Do you enjoy them? Why?
The examiner will now choose two of the following boxes. These are examples:
Family
- Can we talk about your family?
- Do you have a small or large family?
- How much time do you spend with them?
- What things do you do together?
Language Learning
Let’s talk about learning English.
- How long have you been learning English?
- Where did you learn?
- What is easy/difficult?
- What opportunities do you have to speak?
- Is it important?
Accommodation
Let’s move on to talk about accommodation.
- Where do you live?
- How long have you lived there?
- What kind of accommodation would you like?
Leisure
Let’s move on to what you do in your spare time.
- Hobbies and interests?
- When/how did you become interested?
- How do you spend your holidays?
- Is there anyplace you would like to visit? Why?
Daily Routine
I’d like to talk about your daily routine.
- Are all your days the same?
- Typical day? Typical weekend?
- What would you liket to change?
- What is the balance of work/study?
Festivals
Let’s talk a little about the festivals in your country
- What are some festivals in your country?
- Any special food or activities?
- What do you enjoy most?
- Are festivals important?
Food
Moving on to talk about food…
- What kind of food do you like?
- What are typical foods in your country?
- Is cooking a man’s or woman’s job?
- How do you like foreign food?
Visitors
Now I’d like to talk about visitors to your country.
- What should visitors to your country see and do?
- What kind of tourists visit your country?
- How has tourism changed your country?
Part 2: Individual Long Turn
(3-4 minutes)
In this part of the Speaking Test, you will answer the question from the cue card. The question will focus on “Discribe a person/thing/situation…” You will have a pen and paper to make note what you want to answer. The examiner will inform you the same.
Now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one or two minutes. Before you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you will say. You can make some notes.
Here is a paper and pencil for you to make some notes if you wish, and here is your topic.
Describe a teacher who has influenced you. Say where you met them, what subjects they taught, why they were special and how they influenced you.
Please note these are examples only. The question in the exam may be different!
Sample Topics for Speaking Test Part 2
- Describe a teacher who has influenced you. Say where you met them, what subjects they taught, why they were special and how they influenced you.
- Describe a family member who has influenced you. Say how long you have known them them, why they were special, how they differ from the other family members, and how they influenced you.
- Describe a story, book, or movie that had a big impact on you. Describe what it was about, what effect it had and why it was so powerful.
- Describe a place you visited that had a big impact on you. Say when you went and how long you stayed. Describe the impact the place had on you and why.
- Describe an event in your life that had a big impact on you. Say when it happened and what the circumstances were. Describe how it affected you and why.
- Describe a friend in your life that had a big impact on you. Say how long you have known him or her and how he or she affected you.
- Describe a person you would most like to meet. Describe this person and state why you would most like to meet him or her. What effect would the meeting have on you? What would you say.
- Describe a time in your life that was difficult. What was the problem? What were some of the things that helped you to overcome this problem? What did you learn from this experience, and what advice would you give others.
- Describe a time in your life when you helped someone else with a problem. What was the problem? How did you help the other person? What did you learn from this experience, and what advice would you give others? Would you help in the same way?
Remember that you have only 1 minute to prepare your answer. You should quickly brainstorm and take note of the keywords, keep track on the keywords for your answer.
Part 3: Two-Way Discussion
The topic in Part 3 is related to the topic in Part 2. So if, for example, Part 2 was about a teacher, then Part 3 might be about Education.
We’ve been talking about a teacher who influenced you and I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this.
Development in Education
- Describe developments in education in your country
- Compare the experience of your parents
- What changes are coming?
National Education
- What are your countries aims for education
- What is the importance of extra-curricular activities
Styles of Teaching
- Describe different styles of teaching
- What is your preferred method of learning?
- Should learners be grouped by ability?
Other examples of Part 3 questions
| Part 2 | Part 3 |
| Describe a parent | What is the role of parents in today’s society |
| Describe a friend | Is friendship the same in every country? |
| Describe a place | Should we spend money on national parks? |
| Describe a book | Are writers respected in your country? |
| Describe a movie | Is censorship of movies a good idea? |
| Describe a problem | Is modern life becoming easier or more complicated |
| Describe a happy event | How can we increase the role of the family? |
There are things you should be aware of in the IELTS Speaking Test and you can practice to speak English more clearly today here.