IELTS Speaking Topic: Speaking Practice Questions With Answers & Sample Tasks
Updated on 22 June, 2022
Mrinal Mandal
Study Abroad Expert
Study Abroad Expert
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a widely accepted test to assess the English language skills of non-native English speakers. Individuals wishing to migrate, study, or work in foreign countries can take the test. It consists of four sections – Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. In each section, candidates are allotted a score between 0 to 9. The average of all the scores obtained in all the sections is taken.
There are two types of IELTS exams - IELTS Academic and General Training. Aspirants wishing to pursue their education abroad take the Academic test, whereas aspirants seeking job opportunities take the General Training test.
The Speaking Section of IELTS lasts for 11 to 14 minutes, where the candidates participate in a face-to-face interview with a trained IELTS examiner. It follows the same format for both Academic and General Training tests.
The examiner evaluates the candidate based on four assessment criteria
Part 1: IELTS speaking part 1 is a 4 to 5 minutes long face-to-face interaction that contains approximately 12 questions based on your introduction, your life, and your country. This section is easy as most of the questions are predictable.
IELTS Speaking Topics Part 1 | Common Topics |
Part 1 | Study Work Hometown Food Art Sports Leisure time Childhood Hobbies Family and Friends Pets Weather Music Newspapers Dictionaries Reading Books |
Part 2: The second part of the speaking test is called ‘the talk’ and it lasts for 3-4 minutes. A topic card is given to applicants, and they get one minute to prepare the topic and then start speaking. Applicants need to start preparing as soon as they get the topic. The topics can be anything of general interest or from academic modules. Some of the very common topics are given in the table below:
IELTS Speaking Section Part 2 | Common Topics |
Part 2 | Photograph Travel Internet A special gift that you have received Vacation Your favorite shop Your favorite place in your hometown Someone you admire or respect Exercise Language |
Now that you know about the common topics of IELTS Speaking Part 1 and Part 2, let’s discuss the type of questions, you can get in each category.
Part | Category | Questions | Answer format |
Part 1 | Work | What work do you do? What do you enjoy most about your work? What are your main duties? Where do you work? | Describe your designation, Some aspects of your work that interest you the most Describe the roles you fulfill daily. Name the firm you work for |
Study | Where are you studying? How was your first day? What are you pursuing? What is your favorite subject? | Name of your institution Memories of your first day The course you are currently pursuing. The subject you like the most | |
Art | What kind of art appeals to you? Do you think you are good at it? From where did you learn it? What is the most famous art in your country? | Describe the art that you find appealing. It can be anything such as painting, music, or literature. Do you consider yourself good at that art? Did someone teach you the skill, or did you know it yourself? Describe the well-known art in your country. | |
Childhood | Did you enjoy going to school as a child? What is your best childhood memory? What did you enjoy doing as a child? Did you have a lot of friends when you were a child? | Justify why/ why not, you enjoyed going to school as a child? Talk about your best childhood memories. The answer would include the things that made you happy as a child. Talk about your childhood best friends. | |
Hometown | Where is your hometown? What is the oldest place in your hometown? How often do you visit your hometown? What was it like growing up there? | Describe the place where your hometown is located. Name the oldest place in your hometown. You can mention the last time you visited. Talk about some of your best memories of your hometown | |
Part 2 | Book | Describe a book you have recently read. | You can say, What type of book is it? What is it about? Who is the author? What sort of people would enjoy it? |
Communication | Describe some advice you gave to someone. | You can say Whom you gave it to? What was the advice? What did the other person say after listening to that advice? Did that person listen to your advice? | |
Daily routine | What is your favorite part of the day? | You can say Which part of the day do you like the most? What do you do at that time? What are the aspects that make it your favorite part of the day? | |
Exercise | Describe an exercise you know. | You can say What is it? How is it performed? Where did you learn it from? What age group is it suitable for? Why do you think it is a good exercise? | |
Family | Describe a close family member. | You can say Who is it? What relationship do you have with the person? What are the qualities of that person? What do you do together? |
The questions in IELTS Speaking Part 2 are written on a cue card. Besides the questions mentioned above, some popular category-wise cue card topics are
Category | IELTS Cue Card topics |
Family | Describe a family event you are looking forward to? |
Object | Describe a photograph in your home |
Place | Describe a place you have recently visited? |
Work | Describe your dream job? |
Aspirations | Describe an ambition you wish to achieve |
Important Resources to Read About IELTS:
Get to know about the latest updates on the IELTS Exam, Eligibility, Preparation Tips, Test procedure, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Registration Process, Important Exam Dates, and much more!! This guide is a one-stop solution for every IELTS Aspirant who aims to crack the exam with an impressive band score.
In the third part of IELTS Speaking; the examiner asks cross-questions on the cue-card topic you spoke about in the second round. This is the last round of the speaking test that gives you a chance to build rapport with your examiner. It usually lasts for four to six minutes. Some of the general categories the examiner can ask questions are given below:
Family
Sports
Parenting
Shopping
Preparation is the key to success in IELTS. The IELTS examination is conducted to check the ability of non-native English speakers to integrate and communicate in an English-speaking country during their stay. Speaking is an important part of the migration process. Applicants must prepare well for the speaking test to get a good band. For more tips and tricks on the IELTS speaking topics, consult the experts at upGrad Abroad.
Read More About IELTS:
Preparation is the key to success in IELTS. The IELTS examination is conducted to check the ability of non-native English speakers to integrate and communicate in an English-speaking country during their stay. Speaking is an important part of the migration process. Applicants must prepare well for the speaking test to get a good band. For more tips and tricks on the IELTS speaking topics, consult the experts at upGrad Abroad.
Recommended Reads:
Although the examiner can ask questions on any topic from the candidate. Common speaking topics are related to work, study, hometown, childhood, art, fashion, bicycle, birthdays, etc.
In the second part of IELTS Speaking, the examiner assigns a cue card to the candidates containing a topic they have to speak about for two minutes. Once they are finished speaking, the examiner asks three to four follow-up questions.
Using words and idioms can be an effective tool to boost your IELTS score. However, candidates must ensure that they use them appropriately in the relevant context.
Yes, the examiners evaluate the candidates immediately while taking their speaking tests. However, the candidates are clueless about being assessed as they move forward with their speaking test. The result for each section is available in 5-7 days in case of online and in 14 days in case of offline tests.
IELTS Speaking test is recorded for several reasons. The primary reason is to check whether the candidate has given the correct score to the candidate. The secondary reason is to keep a reference if a candidate applies for revaluation.
Some of the popular IELTS Speaking questions are; Art, Family, Hometown, Culture, Daily routine, Communication, etc.
CHAT WITH US