Predicted Topics for IELTS Speaking Part 1. These topics are compiled from recent topics, recurring topics that appear each year and new common trends. Part 1 topics are based on everyday life, such as family, happiness, mobile phones etc. Some topics below have specific questions, others have suggested content for the topic.
IELTS Speaking Predicted Part 1 Topics 2024
Tip 1: The examiner will first ask about your Work, Study, Home or Hometown. You can find questions for those topics here: Common Topics For Part 1 Speaking Page.
Tip 2: It is NOT enough to only prepare from the list given below. You MUST also prepare from the common topics which appear each year – click here:LIST OF IELTS SPEAKING PART 1 COMMON TOPICS
Tip 3: Don’t memories your answers. Just prepare ideas and vocabulary, then practice answering questions in a natural way. Be open, friendly, honest and, most of all, be chatty. Speak until the examiner interrupts you with the next question.
- Advertisement
- your favourite advert, why was it memorable, fast food adverts, an advert you dislike, an advert from your childhood, types of advertising, are adverts reliable
- Age
- your favourite age, your feelings on getting older, how you felt as a child, importance of birthdays, special birthdays, celebrating birthdays, difficult ages, happiest age
- Apps, Mobile Phones
- What apps do you mostly use? What functions do they have? Do you like using a smart phone? How often do you upgrade it? Should children have their own smart phones? Model Answers: Mobile Phones
- What do you use the internet for mostly? How often do you use the internet? Do you socialise online? What’s your favourite website? Do children use computers at school? Do you like using technology? What is your favourite gadget? Do you like learning about new technology? Should children be allowed to play video games or watching TV for many hours each day?
- Art, Museums, Galleries, Drawing, Painting, Monuments
- Do you like art? What kind of art? Did you learn art at school? Did you visit a museum when you were a child? What museums are there in your country? When did you last go to an art exhibition? Are you creative? Do you think creativity is important?
- Do you like drawing? Did you learn to draw or paint at school? Is art important for children?
- Books, E-books, Magazines, Newspapers, Reading, Stories, Libraries
- Do you like to read? What do you read? Did you read a lot as a child? What did you read? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
- Do you keep up with news? How? Do you often skim the headlines? Is online news reliable? What’s your favourite website?
- Do you ever go to libraries? What types of books do people enjoy reading in your country?
- Vocabulary: Newspapers
- Chatting
- socialising with people, things to talk about, who you like to chat to, your voice (tone, changes in your voice, public speaking), people who gossip, chatting face to face vs by text vs online
- Clothes
- What clothes have you recently bought? What is your favourite item of clothing? What casual clothes do you own? Do you prefer casual or formal clothes? How do you choose what to wear? Is there a favourite colour you like to wear? What do colours say about a person? Is there a colour you don’t like?
- What traditional clothes are there in your country?
- What was your school uniform like? Did your school have a strict dress code?
- Do you wear or use accessories, such as bags, shoes, sunglasses or jewellery? What bags do you use? What shoes do you find most comfortable? Do you ever wear sunglasses? Are sunglasses popular in your country? What jewellery do you prefer? What jewellery is most popular?
- Model Answers: Shoes
- Education
- childhood school subjects, childhood teachers, learning – your memories, your favourite subjects, your childhood teachers, schools today, learning online, learning science, learning art, learning maths, learning languages at an early age
- Fashion, Shopping
- Is it important to you? Have you ever bought anything fashionable? Do you think fashionable clothes are important?
- Do you often go shopping? Where do you go? When did you last buy? Do you like shopping malls? Do you like small shops? Are street markets popular in your country? What can you buy there? Have you ever had bad service in a shop? What did you do about it?
- Films, Movies
- popular genres, favourite genres, childhood genres, foreign films, reading subtitles, children and TV, going to the cinema, real life films, how films change culture. Vocab: Types of Films
- Food, Meals, Snacks, Desserts, Drinks
- What is your favourite (food / meal / snack / dessert / drink)? What were your favourite childhood (foods, snacks etc)? Were you a picky eater? What fruits and vegetables do you eat? Popular fruits and vegetables? Model Answers: Vegetables Model Answers: Snacks
- Sweet foods and snacks: eating chocolate, junk food such as biscuits and chocolate bars, cakes, desserts, sweet treats, healthy snacks.
- Food for visitors (linked to food and hospitality). Drinks (tea, coffee, sugary drinks, water, etc). Gifts of food or drink.
- What traditional foods are there in your country? Do you like foreign food?
- Do you cook? Do you prefer homecooked meals? Are restaurant meals popular in your country? Model Answers: Good service in Restaurant
- Friends and Family
- activities to do together, spending time with friends or with family – which is important, time spent with family or friends, the role of grandparents, who you are close to in your family, your best friend, childhood friends, family parties or gatherings
- Games
- childhood games, childhood toys, school games, family games (board games other games), traditional games, doing puzzles, learning from games, games to play on your own
- Geography
- Did you learn about other countries when you were at school? Can you draw the map of your country? Where is the capital city in your country located? Do you ever look at maps? How did you learn to read maps? Do use online maps or paper maps? Do you think it’s important to know the world map?
- Holidays
- package holidays, travelling alone or in a group, adventure holidays, learning the culture,
- TV makes holidays unnecessary,
- Housework
- Who is responsible for the household chores in your family? Did you do housework as a child? What can children learn from doing housework? Should men do housework? What gadgets are commonly used for housework in your country? Do you think doing housework is good for your mental health?
- Languages
- new languages, dictionaries, online learning, using google translate, visiting new countries and communicating, culture and languages, popular foreign languages, learning new words,
- Laughter, Smiling, Emotions
- What makes you laugh? Do you smile often? Are you a moody person? What do you think of people who smile a lot? Is humour important in your country? Are people in your country emotional? Were you a happy child? Have you ever felt bored / embarrassed / impatient / annoyed?
- Luxury Items – spending money, items you own or would like to have, jewellery,
- Do you spend money on luxury items? What luxury items are most popular in your country? Why do people spend money on luxury items? What would you buy if you could?
- Memory, Remembering
- How do you remember things? Do you have a good memory? Is memory important?
- Do you use calendars? Do you do puzzles to keep mentally active? Do you keep a diary? Do you think doing maths helps memory? Do you ever make notes or lists of things to help you remember?
- Do you often forget things? Do you ever lose things? Model Answers: Concentration
- Money
- Do you prefer using cash or cards? Do you think cash will one day disappear? How can you keep your money safe online?
- Do you think it’s better to save or spend? Do people often spend money unnecessarily in your country? How did you learn to manage money? Have you ever saved up for something special?
- Music
- Types of music, your likes/dislikes, playing an instrument, foreign music, singing, learning music in schools, music in your past, concerts, festivals, traditional music
- Names
- Does your name have a meaning?
- How do people choose names in your country?
- Would you ever change your name if you could?
- Nature
- Do you like parks? Are there parks where you live? What do people do in parks? Do you like trees? What plants or flowers do you like? Are gardens common in your country? Is it better to live in a house or a flat?
- Does your country have a lot of natural beauty? Do you like being in nature? Did you spend time in nature as a child?
- Are picnics popular in your country? Do you like to spend time outside? What outdoor activities do you enjoy?
- Animals, birds and fish
- For model answers, click below:
- Places
- quite places, noisy places, crowded places – where do you relax, types of noise in everyday life, popular crowded places, places for traditional events, places to socialise, your favourite childhood places
- Routines
- morning/ afternoon/evening routines, weekday/weekend routines, changing your routines, childhood routines, work routines, doing housework, maintaining a routine, time management, scheduling, sleep habits and sleep routines
- Rural Life
- Have you ever lived or visited the countryside? What do you like about the countryside? Why do some people prefer living there? Did you grow up in a rural or urban area? Do you think rural life is healthy? Have you ever grown your own vegetables or fruit? Do you think ever house should have a garden?
- Seasons & Weather
- your favourite season, types of seasons in your country, your likes/dislikes, unusual weather, weather disruptions in your country, activities in different seasons, the night sky, rain, sunshine. For model answers about “the sky”, click: Sky
- Security – keys, personal safety, protecting private information online, sharing information
- Do you have a lot of keys? Have you ever lost your keys? How do you keep yourself safe online? Do you share private photos or information about yourself online? Do you trust people easily? How do you know you can trust someone?
- Social Media
- Is social media a good thing? Do you use it? Would you meet strangers on social media? Do you follow celebrities on social media? Should children mimic celebrities? Vocab: Advertising
- Sport
- Do you enjoy sports? Do you enjoy swimming? Do you prefer team sports or individual sports? Do you ever watch sport on TV? Is sport popular in your country? Do you enjoy watching international sporting events?
- How do you keep fit? Do you do any exercise? What type of exercise do you enjoy? Do you think exercise is important? How can elderly people stay fit? Are there many sports facilities near where you live?
- Did you play sport at school? What kinds of games did you play at school? Do children benefit from doing sport?
- Stress
- how you relax, how you destress, the importance of mental health, outdoor activities (jogging, running, fishing, photography, bird watching, dog walking etc), indoor activities (reading, collecting things, art, yoga, meditation) work /life balance, stress for children, different types of stress between past and now, being patient
- Technology
- Robots, apps, computers at work or study or free time, social media, recent purchases, gadgets you want, likes/dislikes. Model Answers: Robots
- Transport
- How do people get around where you live? Do you often walk? Do you ride a bike? What form of transport is healthiest? Do many people in your country own cars? Do you have a driving license? How do old people get around where you live? Do you think children should walk to school? What’s the public transport like where you live? How could the public transport be improved?
Let me know how your test goes.
All the best
Liz
IELTS Speaking Model Answers & Tips
For model answers to various topics, including some of those above, and tips, click here: IELTS SPEAKING MAIN PAGE
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Hi ! Liz
I saw your videos last year, but not paid attention when you did them. Today, I remembered that i need to study for the IELTS test, and then you came in my mind.
Liz, you are a very good teacher and I am glad you are back.
Thank you so much and welcome back.
Hi Liz! Thank you so much for your kindness. Offering your knowledge especially for free is not to be commonized. You’re indeed awesome.
It’s my first time of dropping a comment and I thought that I should share my Speaking test information, too.
Questions asked include:
1. if I consider my area a busy or quiet area.
2. How friendly are my neighbours? Do I get to see them often?
How often so I use the Internet?
Part 2
What law do I want in place in my country?
how would this law be of use to my country?
would it be popular?
Would it benefit my country?
part 3
What rules should kids be taught?
why are these rules important?
Should kids be taught rules only in school?
Why does it take so long to put a new policy in place?
Should old policies be changed?
Thank you
Thanks for sharing 🙂 I hope your test went well.
thank you liz , this is really helpful ❤
You’re welcome 🙂
Can you please tell me mam that how many questions are there in part 1? my exam is no thursday and i have not started perepairing for it, is it okk if i give 2 sentence answer in part 1. I am getting very nervous about the spaking Module.
Click here for information, topics, tips and model answers for IELTS Speaking.
how can I prepare for speaking test via video call?
I don’t understand your question. The speaking test is the same whether you take it via video call or in a room. There is no difference. You just need to check your computer is working properly and that you have quiet space around you.
thank you
You’re welcome 🙂
thanks a bunch
Thank you so much. Your website was super helpful when I was still studying for my ielts academic. During my exam the questions asked were: Where I lived, What clothes do I prefer to wear, smart clothes or comfortable clothes and questions about art. At the second part was a park that I liked.
I’m glad my website was useful. I hope your test went well. Here is a link for other candidates for the topic of parks, gardens etc: https://ieltsliz.com/trees-plants-gardens-parks-topics-ielts-speaking/. It’s a challenging topic for part 2 if you haven’t prepared for it. Good luck with your results, Jam 🙂
Hey Liz,
I just got done with the speaking test. In Part 1 the examiner asked me questions about work and music (Whether I can sing or not, what kind of music, I like, and how music today is different than in the past), for Part 2 I was caught off guard by topic that I never prepared for which was ‘Describe a job you wouldn’t like to do’. I tried answering it to my best capabilities, but I think I ran out of ideas in the middle, so she kept making hand gestures for me to carry on. I don’t know whether it was because she wanted me to meet the two minute mark or one minute mark. In Part 3 she asked subsequent questions related to the task I received before, questions, like finding jobs abroad, how is it easier, why people are going abroad something along these lines, I don’t remember the exact questions.
Now I am confused about my performance. Because I ran out of ideas in part two, so I’m hoping I performed enough in parts one and three that she could give me a good score based on my overall progress. There are certain things that I noticed during the test like she kept on nodding to my answes on multiple occasions, so I don’t know whether it’s a good sign or not. In the last part, she asked me two questions after which she stopped for I think about 10 seconds and started contemplating what questions to ask so is this a good thing? She asked me the last question, and I just started responding, but she stopped me halfway and abruptly and ended the test. So I don’t know what to make of these things?
First, thank you for sharing your topics. Your part 2 topic was slightly unexpected for you. Most people can think of jobs they would like, but find it hard to think of a job they wouldn’t like. For me personally, I wouldn’t want a manual job, working in a factory on a conveyor belt – while it isn’t a difficult or dirty job, it would be so monotonous that I feel my spark of life would just fizzle out. Other possible jobs a person might not like: someone who tests drugs or cosmetics on animals – this goes against moral ethics, prison guard – some people might find this too emotional and challenging, farm labourer – someone people might find this job too manual in poor weather conditions. I’m sure there are many more jobs to put on the list. It would also be possible for you to talk about more than one job even though the card doesn’t state that.
Regarding your concerns about your test:
1. your English looks very strong to me. There is a difference between people who run out of ideas and people who run out of English. The former doesn’t impact your band score in IELTS, the latter would impact your score for fluency. The examiner can tell the difference between the two. If your fluency was high in part 1 and part 3, then your overall score for fluency will still be high regardless of your lack of ideas in part 2.
2. The examiner will always prompt you using body language to continue speaking until 2 mins is up. This is the only way you know that you have more time to speak if you want. It is not a good thing or a bad thing, it is part of the test because the examiner is restricted in using words in part 2.
3. It is polite and encouraging for the examiner to nod while the candidate answers questions. It helps the candidate feel more relaxed to speak. Unfortunately, some examiners don’t do it and have a face without any encouragement, which isn’t pleasant for the candidate. Whether your examiner nods or not is about the examiner, not about your performance.
4. If the examiner pauses slightly to contemplate the next question that is also fine and part of the test. The examiner is remembering all the English you’ve shown so far and choosing a question that might give you a chance to show a different range of English which would help your score. This shows the examiner is good at their job.
5. Sometimes the examiner tries to squeeze in a final question before the time is finished for the test, but there isn’t enough time for the candidate to give a complete answer. This doesn’t impact your score (there is no scoring for task completion in the speaking test). And when the 14 mins is finished for the test, the examiner must stop you precisely on time within 1 second. No candidate can have more time than another.
So, basically, you had a very normal test with a pretty good examiner. I recommend you relax and wait for your results because I see no particular problems and if you spoke naturally, in a chatty manner, with well expanded answers, showcased your English etc, you will hopefully do well because your level of English seems strong. Good luck!
Hi Liz, hope you are in good health.
I took my IELTS and scored an 8 🙂 Thank you so much for the guidance.
Topics asked.
What do you do?
What kind of work is it?
Do you like it? Is it challenging?
Do you ever get bored? Why do you think people get bored?
2min topic – Describe a time when you were really busy.
Follow up questions were on what i said on the topic.
Thanks for sharing 🙂 The topic of Work is very common in part 1. The topic of being Bored, I’ve listed under “Laughter, Smiling and Emotions”. Emotions can cover a range of feelings. You got a good topic for part 2 because I think we can all remember a time we were really busy. Getting band 8 is excellent! Well done to you 🙂
is it possible to pass the speaking section by memorising answers in ielts exam
No. IELTS examiners are trained to spot memorised answers. Also there is such a huge range of topics and questions within those topics that it would be a waste of time to try. A high band score is about being natural, flexible, fluent and showing a general level of English throughout the entire test.
The topics and questions I provide are for you to prepare ideas and vocabulary so that you can answer naturally in the test.
Hi Liz,
I recently took my IELTS exam last Saturday. I was asked the following questions:
-Do you like robots? Would you like to have a robot in your house/apartment?
-Have you ever been to a place with a lot of fish?
-Is fishing a common activity in your country?
Additionally, I was asked to describe a place in my country that I found most interesting.
Furthermore, I was questioned about urban planning:
-Is urban planning useful?
-Do you think living in a crowded place is better than living in a rural area?
-Does urban planning make a city boring?
Answering the questions about urban planning was a bit challenging for me, as I wouldn’t even know how to respond to them in German 😉
However, I’m hopeful that I’ll achieve a Band Score of 7 on the exam. I wanted to express my gratitude for all your help. Your website has been incredibly beneficial, and I’ve learned a lot from it.
Kind regards,
Laura
Thanks for sharing. Good luck with your results 🙂
Hello, While reading comments on your blog, I read that you were sick for some years and that’s why you couldn’t upload videos on youtube.
I just need to check that how are you doing now?
Are you ok?
I pray to god that you will stay healthy for rest of your life.
Big Big Big Thank you for your noble work.
Thanks for your message and concern. I’m still sick. It’s a long slow battle. But I hope this year to make one or two new videos. Fingers crossed my health stabilises enough 🙂
I will take IELTS test on April, could I practice these topics?
You should definitely use these topics to prepare and I will be updating them as the year goes on.
Thank you so much Liz. This is really helpful.
You’re welcome 🙂
Thank you very much for your sharing.
Thanks Liz, this is very helpful
I’m glad it’s useful 🙂
Thank you so much for giving this. It will be very easy to me to practice more.
Quite useful.
Hello I’m interested in learning English and I’m enjoying from your recommendations thank you so much to help me get ready for IELIS test 🥰
Thanks for help and support . I am preparing my students for test and I need your help
Thank you so much for giving this.
Hello Liz I am your fan student. I really admire you how sincerely you help us. I wish you good health and blessings.
I have a question that I have not watched any video on YouTube about the solutions of IELTS Cambridge books writing tasks. Is it some kind of YouTube policy or just a coincidence that there is no video on regarding IELTS Cambridge volumes???
The IELTS Cambridge books are copyrighted. They are sold by IELTS and cannot be distributed in public. For this reason, teachers tend to use other sources of materials for teaching purposes and that is also why I created my own materials and resources. But those test books are important for you to use for your practice and preparation because they are real past papers.
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