International English Language Testing System/IELTS Speaking Topics

IELTS Speaking Topics

To prevent memorized responses and to make the IELTS speaking component a good test of an IELTS candidate's English level, the makers of this exam have a variety of IELTS questions that they can use for all three parts of the speaking component. In addition, these topics are normally changed a few times per year with new questions added.

Part 1 IELTS Speaking Topics

Part 1 IELTS speaking topics are very general questions which normally ask about your personal experiences.

The first group of questions always ask about either your work/school experience or your home. Examples of a IELTS speaking questions in part 1 about your home could be: Tell me about your home? What is the favorite room in your home?

While still in this part, the examiner will ask you additional questions related to one or two more general topics, including television, hobbies, and birthdays. On any given day, an IELTS examiner has a choice of around 15 different part 1 topics to choose to ask from. They will never ask an individual candidate more than three of them. Here is list of common part 1 IELTS speaking topics and questions.

Part 2 IELTS Speaking Topics 

Part 2 IELTS speaking topics involve candidates to present an answer for one to two minutes. The examiner will allow one minute for the candidate to prepare the answer with a pencil and a piece of paper. The examiner normally expects the IELTS candidate to spend the full two minutes to present a response to this task.

A typical Part 2 IELTS speaking topic may look like this:

Describe a book that you enjoyed reading: - What kind of book was it? - What was the book about? - Why did you enjoy it? Would you recommend this book to anyone else?

Just like Part 1, the examiner has a choice of a wide variety of Part 2 IELTS speaking topics to choose from. These topics are changed a few times each year. This link provides a list of common practice [|IELTS speaking topics for Part 2.

Part 3 IELTS Speaking Questions

Part 3 of the IELTS speaking exam involves discussion related questions that related to the same topic used in Part 2. These questions are much more challenging than Part 1 of the exam as they demand candidates to speak more specifically about more complex ideas outside of their own personal world.

If a candidate was asked the 'book' topic in Part 2, they may asked IELTS Part 3 questions, such as: - What is better to use an ebook or a paperback book? - What will libraries be like in the future? - Why is reading such an important skill

IELTS Part 3 questions normally ask candidates to predict about the future, make comparisons and evaluations, explain reasons, and talk about the past.