Preparing for IELTS Speaking Part 1 can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, you can excel in this part of the examination. This section tests your ability to speak about familiar topics related to yourself and your life. Let’s dive into what it entails and explore the types of questions you may encounter, along with some helpful preparation tips.
What Is IELTS Speaking Part 1?
IELTS Speaking Part 1 is a brief face-to-face interview with an examiner that lasts for 4 to 5 minutes. It is designed to assess your ability to answer questions naturally and confidently. During this time, you will be asked 12 questions based on 3 different topics, which are all closely related to your life, experiences, and views.
Key Features:
- Duration: 4-5 minutes
- Number of Questions: 12 questions
- Topics: Personal life, daily routines, preferences, and your country
The focus here is on fluency and coherence, so having ideas prepared for potential topics can make you more comfortable during the test.
Common Topics for IELTS Speaking Part 1
The range of topics in part 1 is vast, but all relate to familiar aspects of life. Below is a list of common questions and topics you can expect. Use this list to practice formulating natural and spontaneous answers. Preparing shouldn’t involve memorization—it should focus on expressing genuine thoughts comfortably.
Frequently Asked Topics:
Some of the most common topics include:
- Work
- Study
- Hometown
- Home
- Art
- Bicycles
- Birthdays
- Childhood
- Clothes
- Computers
- Daily routine
- Dictionaries
- Evenings
- Family & Friends
- Flowers
- Food
- Going Out
- Happiness
- Hobbies
- Internet
- Leisure time
- Music
- Neighbours & Neighbourhood
- Newspapers
- Pets
- Reading
- Shopping
- Sports
- TV
- Transport
- Weather
Most Likely First Topics:
The following four topics are extremely prevalent as the opening topic of Part 1:
Work
- What is your job?
- Where do you work?
- Why did you choose that job?
- Is it a popular job in your country?
- Do you like your job?
- Do you get on well with your colleagues?
- What was your first day like?
- What responsibilities do you have at work?
- If you had the chance, would you change your job?
- Do you plan to continue with your job in the future?
Study
- What do you study?
- Where do you study that?
- Why did you choose that subject?
- Is it a popular subject in your country?
- Do you like that subject?
- Do you get on with your colleagues?
- What was your first day like?
- What are the main aspects of your subject?
- If you had the chance, would you change the subject?
- Do you plan to get a job in the same field as your subject?
- Note: if you don’t work or study, please say so. When the examiner asks Do you work or do you study? this isn’t a trick question. Just be open and honest. For example, I don’t work or study at the moment. or I’m a housemaker. If you don’t work or study, the examiner will ask about your home or hometown instead.
- Note: Your hometown refers to the village, town, or city where you spent most of your childhood. It might not be the same place you were born. If you grew up in many different places, choose the place you are most connected to.
Hometown
- Where is your hometown?
- Do you like your hometown?
- Do you often visit your hometown?
- What is your hometown like?
- What is the oldest place in your hometown?
- What is there for a foreigner to do or see in your hometown?
- How could your hometown be improved?
- Has your hometown changed much since you were a child?
- Is there good public transportation in your hometown?
- Do you think your hometown is a good place to bring up children?
Home
- Where is your home?
- Do you live in a house or a flat?
- Who do you live with?
- Are there many rooms in your home?
- What is your favorite room?
- How are the walls decorated?
- What would you change about your home?
- Do you plan to live there in the future?
- What facilities are there near your home?
- What is your neighborhood like?
- Do most people live in houses in your country?
Common Questions in Speaking Part 1
Art
- Are you good at art?
- Did you learn art at school when you were a child?
- What kind of art do you like?
- Is art popular in your country?
- Have you ever been to an art gallery?
- Do you think children can benefit from going to art galleries?
Bicycles
- Do you have a bike?
- How often do you use it?
- How old were you when you learned to ride a bike?
- Do many people in your country use bicycles?
- Do you think using bicycles should be encouraged?
Birthdays
- Do you usually celebrate your birthdays?
- How did you celebrate your last birthday?
- Which birthdays are the most important ones in your country?
- Do you think children should celebrate their birthdays with a party?
Childhood
- Did you enjoy your childhood?
- What is your first memory of your childhood?
- Did you have a lot of friends when you were a child?
- What did you enjoy doing as a child?
- Do you think children should grow up in the city or the countryside?
Clothes
- Are clothes important to you?
- What kind of clothes do you usually wear?
- Do you ever wear the traditional clothes of your country?
- Where do you usually buy your clothes?
- Have you ever worn a uniform?
- Do most people in your country follow fashion?
Computers
- Do you often use a computer?
- How do you usually get online?
- Do you prefer desktops or laptops?
- What do you use your computer for?
- Do you think it is important to learn how to use a computer?
Daily Routine
- When do you usually get up in the morning?
- Do you usually have the same routine every day?
- What is your daily routine?
- Do you ever change your routine?
- Is your routine the same today as it was when you were a child?
- Do you think it is important to have a daily routine?
Dictionaries
- Do you often use a dictionary?
- What do you use dictionaries for?
- What kinds of dictionaries do you think are most useful?
- Do you think dictionaries are useful for learning a language?
- What kind of information do you find in a dictionary?
- What kind of information did you find in a dictionary?
Dreams
- Do you often have dreams when you sleep?
- Do you usually remember your dreams?
- Do you think dreams are important to remember?
- Do you ever have a daydream?
- What kind of daydreams do you usually have?
Drinks
- What is your favorite drink?
- Is it common for people to drink tea and coffee in your country?
- Did you prefer different drinks as a child?
- Do you think it is important to drink lots of water?
- What is a traditional drink in your country for celebrating?
Evenings
- What do you often do in the evenings?
- Do you do the same thing every evening?
- Do you prefer to spend your evenings with family or friends?
- Do you ever work or study in the evenings?
- What is a popular activity for young people in your country in the evenings?
- Do you do the same thing in the evenings as you did when you were a child?
Family & Friends
- Do you spend much time with your family?
- Who are you closest to in your family?
- Do you prefer spending time with your family or friends?
- Who is your best friend?
- Are you still friends with people from your childhood?
- Is family important in your country?
Flowers
- Do you like flowers?
- What’s your favorite flower?
- When was the last time you gave someone flowers?
- Do any flowers have a special meaning in your country?
- Why do you think women like flowers more than men?
Food
- What’s your favorite food?
- Have you always liked the same food?
- Is there any food you dislike?
- What is a common meal in your country?
- Do you have a healthy diet?
- What do you think of fast food?
Going Out
Do you often go out in the evenings?
What do you like to do when you go out?
Do you prefer going out on your own or with friends?
How often do you go out in a week?
Where do most young people like to go out in your country?
Happiness
- Are you a happy person?
- What usually makes you happy or unhappy?
- Does the weather ever affect how you feel?
- What makes you smile?
- Do you think people in your country are generally happy people?
Hobbies
- Do you have a hobby?
- What equipment do you need for it?
- Do you think hobbies should be shared with other people?
- Did you have a hobby as a child?
- What hobbies are popular in your country?
- Why do you think people have hobbies?
Internet
- How often do you go online?
- What do you use the internet for?
- How do you get online?
- Do you have your own computer?
- What’s your favorite website?
- Do you think children should be allowed unsupervised access to the internet?
Languages
- How many foreign languages do you speak?
- When did you start learning your first foreign language?
- How many foreign languages do children in your country learn at school?
- Do you think it is important to learn a foreign language?
Leisure Time
- What is your favorite leisure activity?
- What did you enjoy doing in your free time as a child?
- Do you prefer to spend your free time with other people or alone?
- What is a common leisure activity in your country?
- Do most people in your country get two days off a week?
- Do you think leisure time is important?
Music
- Do you like music?
- What’s your favorite type of music?
- Can you sing?
- Did you learn music at school?
- If you could learn a musical instrument, what would it be?
- Do you think music is important?
Neighbours & Neighbourhood
- Do you like your neighbors?
- Are neighbors usually close to each other in your country?
- What is your neighborhood like?
- Do you think your neighborhood is a good place for children?
- How could your neighborhood be improved?
- Do you think it is important to have a good relationship with your neighbors?
Newspapers
- How do you usually get your news?
- Do you often read the newspapers?
- What kind of news do you usually follow?
- How do most people get the news in your country?
- Do you think international news is important?
Noise
- Do you live in a noisy area?
- What kinds of sounds you you hear daily?
- Where do you go to spend time in peace?
- Are there any sounds that you think are pleasant?
- Do you have any noisy friends?
Patience
- Are you a patient person?
- Do you ever get impatient?
- When was the last time you lost your patience?
- Which person in your family is the most patient?
Pets
- Do you have a pet?
- Do you like animals?
- What’s your favorite animal?
- What is a popular pet to have in your country?
- Did you have a pet as a child?
- Why do people have pets?
Reading
- Do you often read?
- What is your favorite kind of book to read?
- Do you often read newspapers?
- Do you have any e-books?
- What books did you read as a child?
- Do you think it is important to encourage children to read?
Shopping
- Do you like shopping?
- What’s your favorite shop?
- Do you prefer shopping alone or with others?
- What kinds of shops are there where you live?
- Have you ever bought anything online?
- Do you think men and women have different opinions about shopping?
Sport
- Do you like sport?
- What’s your favorite sport?
- Do you often watch sports on TV?
- Did you play sports as a child?
- What is the most popular sport in your country?
- How do most people in your country keep fit?
TV
- Do you often watch TV?
- What sorts of things do you watch on TV?
- What is your favorite TV program?
- Do you ever watch foreign programs or films?
- What did you watch on TV when you were a child?
- Do you think children should watch TV?
Transport
- How did you get here today?
- What is your favorite mode of transport?
- Do you ever use public transport?
- Do you like the transport system in your country?
- What is the difference between taking a bus and taking a train?
Weather
- What’s the weather like today?
- What’s your favorite weather?
- Do you like the weather in your country?
- Is the weather the same in all parts of your country?
- Does the weather ever affect the way you feel?
- Does the weather in your country ever affect transportation?
