Skip to the topics
Slova
Start learning
Menu
IELTS guide and free tools

IELTS speaking topics and questions

Part 1 topics, Part 2 cue cards and Part 3 discussion questions in the style of the real test, with how to answer each part. Pick any set and practise it out loud with Felix.

Practise out loud

IELTS speaking Part 1 topics and questions

Part 1 lasts 4 to 5 minutes: short questions about you and familiar topics, usually three topics of three or four questions.

How to answer

  1. Answer the question directly.
  2. Add a reason.
  3. Add a small example or detail.

Two or three sentences, about 15 to 30 seconds.

  • Your neighbourhood

    • What is the area where you live like?
    • Is there a place near your home where you like to spend time?
    • Would you prefer to live somewhere quieter or busier than where you live now?
    Practise this topic

  • Mornings

    • What do you usually do in the first hour after you wake up?
    • Are you a morning person?
    • Is there anything that would make your mornings easier?
    Practise this topic

  • Sport and exercise

    • How often do you exercise or play sport?
    • Did you do more sport as a child than you do now?
    • Do you think sport lessons at school are useful?
    Practise this topic

  • Work or study

    • Do you work, or are you a student?
    • What do you enjoy most about it?
    • Is there anything you would change about it?
    Practise this topic

  • Friends

    • How do you usually keep in touch with your friends?
    • Do you prefer a few close friends or a large group of friends?
    • What makes someone a good friend?
    Practise this topic

  • Reading

    • How much time do you spend reading in a normal week?
    • Do you read more on paper or on a screen?
    • Did you read more when you were younger?
    Practise this topic

  • Your home

    • Do you live in a house or an apartment?
    • Which room do you spend the most time in?
    • What would you like to change about your home?
    Practise this topic

  • Shopping

    • Do you prefer shopping in shops or online?
    • How often do you buy things you did not plan to buy?
    • Have you ever returned something you bought? What happened?
    Practise this topic

  • Music

    • What kind of music do you listen to most?
    • When do you usually listen to music?
    • Do you think you will like the same music in ten years?
    Practise this topic

  • Food and cooking

    • Do you enjoy cooking?
    • What was the last meal you really enjoyed?
    • Has the food people eat in your country changed in recent years?
    Practise this topic

  • Being on time

    • Are you usually on time?
    • What do you do if you are going to be late?
    • Why do some people find it hard to arrive on time?
    Practise this topic

  • Photographs

    • Do you take many photos?
    • Do you prefer taking photos of people or places?
    • What do you do with the photos you take?
    Practise this topic

  • Weekends

    • How do you usually spend your weekends?
    • Do you prefer to plan your weekend or decide on the day?
    • What would be your ideal weekend?
    Practise this topic

  • Learning English

    • Why are you learning English?
    • What do you find most difficult about speaking English?
    • What is the best way to practise English outside class, in your view?
    Practise this topic

  • Plants and gardens

    • Do you have any plants at home?
    • Do many people in your country keep a garden?
    • Do you think spending time near plants and trees is good for people?
    Practise this topic

  • Clothes

    • What kind of clothes do you wear most often?
    • Do you like to follow fashion?
    • Do you wear different clothes for work and for your free time?
    Practise this topic

  • Getting around

    • How do you usually get around your city?
    • What is the biggest problem with transport where you live?
    • Would you like to change how you travel? How?
    Practise this topic

  • Seasons

    • Which season do you like best?
    • How does the weather change what you do?
    • Is there a season you do not enjoy?
    Practise this topic

IELTS speaking Part 2 cue cards

You get one card, one minute to prepare with notes, and up to two minutes to talk. Then the examiner asks one or two short questions.

How to answer

  1. Use the minute to note one or two keywords per point.
  2. Follow the points in order and add a detail or a story to each.
  3. End with the "explain" line: it is where your opinion goes.

Aim for 1:30 to 2:00. Never stop before one minute.

  • Travel and places

    Describe a place you have visited and would like to go back to.

    You should say:

    • where it is
    • when you went there
    • what you did there

    and explain why you would like to go back.

    Follow-up: Would you recommend this place to a friend?

    Practise this topic

  • Learning and teaching

    Describe a person who taught you something useful.

    You should say:

    • who the person is
    • what they taught you
    • how they taught you

    and explain why it was useful.

    Follow-up: Have you taught this skill to anyone else?

    Practise this topic

  • Technology and daily life

    Describe a piece of technology you could not live without.

    You should say:

    • what it is
    • how long you have had it
    • what you use it for

    and explain why it is so important to you.

    Follow-up: Do you think you depend on it too much?

    Practise this topic

  • Celebrations and traditions

    Describe a celebration you enjoyed with other people.

    You should say:

    • what the celebration was
    • who you celebrated with
    • what you did

    and explain why you enjoyed it.

    Follow-up: Do you celebrate it in the same way every year?

    Practise this topic

  • Skills and change

    Describe a time when you had to learn something new quickly.

    You should say:

    • what you had to learn
    • why you had to learn it quickly
    • how you went about it

    and explain how you felt about the result.

    Follow-up: Do you enjoy learning when there is pressure?

    Practise this topic

  • Media and stories

    Describe a film, show or book that stayed in your mind.

    You should say:

    • what it was
    • when you first saw or read it
    • what it was about

    and explain why it stayed in your mind.

    Follow-up: Would you watch or read it again?

    Practise this topic

IELTS speaking Part 3 questions

Part 3 lasts 4 to 5 minutes and widens the Part 2 topic: society, change, causes and your opinion.

How to answer

  1. Give your opinion.
  2. Explain why.
  3. Add an example, or a contrast: "on the other hand…"

Longer answers are normal here, often 30 to 60 seconds.

Travel and places

After the cue card: Describe a place you have visited and would like to go back to

  1. Why do some people choose the same holiday place every year?
  2. How has the internet changed the way people choose where to travel?
  3. Does tourism help or harm the places people visit?
  4. Some people say travelling teaches you more than studying. What do you think?
  5. How do you think holidays will change over the next twenty years?
Practise this topic

Learning and teaching

After the cue card: Describe a person who taught you something useful

  1. What makes a good teacher, in your opinion?
  2. Do people learn better from a teacher or by teaching themselves?
  3. How has technology changed the way people learn new skills?
  4. Should children learn practical skills, such as cooking or repairing things, at school?
  5. Why do some people find it hard to learn new things as adults?
Practise this topic

Technology and daily life

After the cue card: Describe a piece of technology you could not live without

  1. How has technology changed the way people communicate?
  2. Do older people find it harder to use new technology? Why?
  3. What are the disadvantages of spending a lot of time online?
  4. Should schools limit the use of phones in class?
  5. Which invention do you think will matter most in the next few decades?
Practise this topic

Celebrations and traditions

After the cue card: Describe a celebration you enjoyed with other people

  1. Why do people around the world celebrate special days?
  2. Are traditional celebrations becoming less important? Why?
  3. Do you think spending a lot of money on celebrations is a good idea?
  4. How do celebrations bring families or communities together?
  5. Would you like to see any new public holidays in your country?
Practise this topic

Skills and change

After the cue card: Describe a time when you had to learn something new quickly

  1. Which skills are the most important for young people today?
  2. Do people learn faster when there is a deadline?
  3. How can companies help their workers learn new skills?
  4. Is it better to know a little about many things or a lot about one thing?
  5. How will the skills people need change in the future?
Practise this topic

Media and stories

After the cue card: Describe a film, show or book that stayed in your mind

  1. Why do people enjoy stories so much?
  2. Do films and books change how people think? In what way?
  3. Is reading a book better for you than watching a film of the same story?
  4. How has the way people watch and read changed in recent years?
  5. Should governments pay to support local films and writers?
Practise this topic

Answer these out loud, every day

Reading questions is not speaking practice. In Slova, Felix is a patient speaking partner for topics like these, with a correction after every answer.

Start practising free

IELTS speaking topics FAQ

What comes up, how long to talk, and whether these are the real questions.

IELTS speaking mock testAll three parts out loud, with practice feedback IELTS reading practice testTwo passages, a band estimate by question type IELTS speaking practice: a 4-week planBand descriptors in plain words

What topics come up in IELTS speaking?

Part 1 is about you and everyday life: your home, work or studies, free time, food, transport, the weather. Part 2 asks you to describe a person, a place, an object, an event or an experience. Part 3 widens the Part 2 topic into questions about society, change and opinions. The topics on this page cover all three parts.

Are these the real IELTS speaking questions?

No. IELTS does not publish the questions it uses, and they change. Every question here was written for Slova in the style and format of the real test, so you can practise the kind of question you will meet.

How long should my answers be?

In Part 1, two or three sentences, about 15 to 30 seconds: a direct answer, a reason and a small example. In Part 2, aim for the full two minutes. In Part 3, give an opinion, explain it and add an example or a contrast, often 30 to 60 seconds.

How do I prepare a Part 2 cue card in one minute?

Write one or two keywords for each point on the card and one for the "explain" line, in the order you will talk about them. Do not write sentences. Then talk through your notes and add a detail or a story to each point.

How can I practise these questions out loud?

Press "Practise this topic" under any topic: the free IELTS speaking mock test opens on that topic’s cue card, asks its questions in a recorded examiner voice, times your answers and shows practice feedback on fluency, vocabulary and grammar at the end.

All free tools