Maths was a reported IELTS speaking topic this month (May). It is quite common to be asked about your school days and also about the subjects you studied. Below are some questions for this topic for you to prepare and also some useful vocabulary to help you talk in more detail. This topic could also be called “calculations” or “mathematics”.
IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions: Maths
- Are you good at maths?
- Did you like mathematics when you were at school?
- What was your teacher like?
- What kinds of things did you learn in maths?
- Did you use a calculator when learned maths?
- Do you find it difficult to do calculations?
- How do you calculate difficult sums?
- Do you think maths is an important subject for children to learn?
- Why do you think children should learn maths?
Useful language:
- calculate numbers / data / figures
- adding up / addition (2 + 4 = 6)
- subtraction / taking away (6 – 2 = 4)
- multiplication / multiplying numbers (multiplying = 2 x 3 = 6)
- the multiplication table
- division / dividing (dividing = 6 / 3 = 2)
- long division (12,000 / 1,500 = 8)
- estimating powers and roots for positive numbers
- learning about decimals and fractions (decimal = 0.333 & fraction = 1/3)
- algebra = learning about using letters and symbols in formulas
- geometry = calculating angles in triangles or relationships between points on graphs or maps
- proportions and rates of change
- maths teaches people how to solve problems
- maths teaches people how to interpret and understand data
- maths teaches people how to do simple and complex calculations needed for everyday life
Model Answers
- Question: Did you like maths when you were at school?
- Answer: I enjoyed maths at the beginning doing just simple sums but I didn’t like it as much once we progressed on to complex calculations and doing algebra and things like that.
- Question: Did you use a calculator at school for studying maths?
- We weren’t allowed a calculator for doing sums or long division and things like that. But we were allowed to use one for geometry and other complex calculations.
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- All IELTS Speaking Lessons and Tips
- IELTS Speaking: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (Test Information)