IELTS Speaking Tasks

The IELTS Speaking test is one of the four modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. It assesses a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in English through a face-to-face interview with an examiner.

The IELTS Speaking test is divided into three parts:

  1. Part 1: Introduction and Interview (4-5 minutes)

    • The examiner introduces himself and checks the candidate’s identity.
    • The candidate is then asked to introduce himself and answer questions about familiar topics like home, family, work, studies, and interests.

  2. Part 2: Long Turn (2 minutes)

    • The candidate receives a task card with a topic and prompts.
    • They have one minute to prepare and make notes.
    • They then speak for 2 minutes on the given topic.
    • Afterward, the examiner may ask one or two follow-up questions.

  3. Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

    • This section involves a more in-depth discussion with the examiner on abstract ideas and issues related to the topic in Part 2.
    • The questions are designed to evaluate the candidate’s ability to express opinions, discuss abstract ideas, and engage in a more complex conversation.

Time Allocation:

  • Part 1: 4-5 minutes
  • Part 2: 3-4 minutes (1 minute preparation + 2 minutes speaking)
  • Part 3: 4-5 minutes

Scoring:

The IELTS Speaking test is scored based on four criteria:

  1. Fluency and Coherence (25%)

This assesses how smoothly and coherently the candidate can speak without hesitation or repetition.

2. Lexical Resource (25%) 

 This evaluates the range and accuracy of the candidate’s vocabulary.

3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy(25%)

This looks at the candidate’s ability to use a variety of sentence structures correctly.

4. Pronunciation (25%)

This assesses the clarity and intelligibility of the candidate’s pronunciation.

Each criterion is marked on a band scale from 0 to 9, and the average of these four scores is calculated to determine the overall speaking band score. The band scores range from 1 (non-user) to 9 (expert user). The Speaking test is conducted by a certified IELTS examiner, and the assessment is based on the candidate’s performance during the interview.

 

Recent IELTS Speaking Topics and Questions 2023

Speaking 1

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Are you a happy person?
– What usually makes you happy?
– What makes you feel unhappy?
– Does the weather ever affect your well-being?
– Do you consider people in your country to be truly happy people?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a time when you saw children misbehave in public. Please tell me

– What was it?
– What were the children doing?
– How did the others react to it?
– Explain how you felt about it?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What bad behavior do children usually have?
– How should parents stop their children from misbehaving in public?
– Are parents stricter these days than they were in the past?
– Whose influence on children is more? Parents or friends?

Speaking 2

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like to visit cinema?
– How often did you go to the theater as a child?
– Do you prefer to go to the cinema with your family or friends?
– Do you still like same kind of movies you loved when you were a child?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a contest you would like to participate in. Please tell me

– What the contest is about?
– Where the contest will take place?
– When it will be held?
– Explain why you would like to participate?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– Which kind of contest people like to participate in?
– What are the contest commonly seen on Television?
– Why are competition shows popular?
– Do you think it’s important to encourage people to compete with others in companies?

Speaking 3

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Did you enjoy your childhood?
– What is your first childhood memory?
– Did you have many friends when you were a child?
– What activities would you like to do as a child?
– Do you think it is better for teenagers to grow up in the city or in the countryside?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a tradition in your country. Please tell me

– What is it?
– Who takes part in it?
– What activities are there?
– Explain how you feel about it?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What is the importance of traditional festivals?
– What is the difference between current festivals and past ones?
– Do you think that Western festivals such as Christmas are replacing traditional festivals?
– Do you think is wrong for children not to celebrate traditional festivals?
– Do you think children should learn about traditions?

Speaking 4

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Are clothes important to you?
– What clothes do you usually wear?
– Have you ever worn the traditional dress of your country?
– Where do you usually buy your clothes?
– Have you ever worn uniform?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about the time when you made a promise to someone. Please tell me

– Whom did you make the promise to?
– Why did you make the promise?
– What was the promise?
– Was the promise easy to achieve?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– How many promises do parents make to children in your country?
– Do children also promise their parents a lot?
– Are most people able to keep their promises?
– How do you feel when others break your promise?

Speaking 5

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Who helps you the most at work?
– Do you remember dreams when you were awake?
– Are you interested in other people’s dreams?
– Do you think dreams have meaning?
– Would you like to study dreams?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about an apartment or a house you would like to live in, in the future. Please tell me

– Where it would be?
– What it would look like?
– Why you would like to live there?
– Explain how you would feel living there?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– Do most people in your country live in a house or apartment?
– Do the youngsters of your country live with their parents or by themselves?
– Would you prefer to live in a foreign country in the future?
– How does modern house design in your country differ from the past?
– What type of house do most people live in your country?


Speaking 6

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like talking with people?
– How do you like spending time with friends?
– Would you prefer to study alone or with others?
– Do you remember the time when you had to help others?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a volunteering experience you have had. Please tell me

– What was it?
– Where was it?
– Why did you volunteer?
– How did you feel about it?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What qualities do you need to be a volunteer?
– What kind of personality does a volunteer have?
– How can volunteering companies help our society?
– Do you think that today people should be more involved in volunteering?
– How do modern techniques help in the experience of volunteers and volunteers?

Speaking 7

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like art?
– Did you learn to draw as a child?
– Have you ever visited an art gallery?
– Do you have an artwork on the wall of your room?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a skill that you learned from senior citizens. Please tell me

– What the skill is?
– Who you learned it from?
– How you learned it?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What can children learn from their parents?
– What moral values ​​can children learn from senior citizens?
– What kind of assistance do you think older people need?
– What skills can youngsters learn from older people?

Speaking 8

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you see a lot of advertising?
– What types of advertising do you like?
– Have you ever bought something through advertisement?
– Do you watch ads from the beginning to the end?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a foreign person who you think is interesting. Please tell me

– Who the person is
– How you know him/her
– What kinds of person he/she is
– Explain why you think he/she is interesting

Part 3 # Discussion #

– Is having foreign friends a good way to learn about other countries?
– Is it necessary to know the culture and language of a country before going there?
– What are the benefits of working in international companies?
– What skills should people have when working in an international company?

Speaking 9

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What ambitions do people have?
– Why should parents encourage their children to have a desire?
– Should parents interfere in children’s ambitions?
– Is there a difference between the ambitions of children and adults?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a time when you gave advice to another person. Please tell me

– When it was
– Who you gave the advice
– What the advice was
– Explain why you gave the advice

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What kinds of advice do youngsters often need?
– Is it a good idea to get advice from strangers online?
– What activities often involve giving advice to others?
– What problems can arise if you ask too many people for advice?

Speaking 10

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Are you doing anything to protect the environment?
– Will you do anything to protect the environment in the future?
– Do you learn about environmental protection at school?
– Would you like to work for an environmental protection company?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a habit your friend has that you’d like to develop. Please tell me

– Who your friend is
– What habit he/she has
– When you noticed this habit

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What habits should children have?
– What can parents do to teach good manners to their children?
– What impact do children with bad habits have on other children?
– Do you think that some habits change as people get older?

Speaking 11

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like to watch the sky?
– Do you see the moon and stars at night where you live?
– Do you prefer the sky at night or the sky in the morning?
– Are there any good places where you can look at the sky where you live?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a time you received good service. Please tell me

– What the service was
– When you received it
– Who you were with
– How you felt about it

Part 3 # Discussion #

– How important is good customer service in your country?
– What kind of people provides good customer service?
– What types of jobs involve providing service to others?
– Should companies respond quickly when customers experience difficulties?

Speaking 12

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like to go to public gardens or parks?
– What do you like to do when you visit the national park?
– How are today’s parks different from the park you visited as a child?
– Are there enough parks where you live?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

describe a difficult decision you had to make. Please tell me

– What the decision was
– When you made your decision
– Why it was difficult to make

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What are the major decisions young people have to make?
– Is it easier to make a decision on your own or after a group discussion?
– Why are many youngsters unwilling to follow the advice of their parents?
– What professions involve giving advice to others?

Speaking 13

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do people communicate more when they interact face-to-face?
– What do young people have conversation about?
– Do people have talk more or less than they did in the past ?
– Is it necessary to have good communication skills at work?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a time when you waited for something special. Please tell me

– What you waited for
– Where you waited
– Why it was special

Part 3 # Discussion #

– On what occasions do people usually have to wait?
– Who behaves better while waiting, child or adult?
– Are people less patient now than they were before?
– What can people do to avoid getting bored while waiting?


Speaking 14

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you do to relax?
– Do you think exercise is a good way to relax?
– Do you think that the holidays are a good way for you to relax?
– Do you think that you need more time to relax?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about an activity you did that wasted a lot of time. Please tell me

– What you did
– When you did it
– Why you did it

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What activities that people do in your country take a lot of time?
– What are the ways to reduce the time spent on doing something?
– What things make people feel pressured?
– Why do some people refuse to follow the rules?

Speaking 15

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you like most about the environment where you live?
– How is the neighborhood where you live?
– What can be improved in the area you live in?
– Do you know any famous personality in the area where you live?
– Do you intend to live in this area in the future?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about an apartment or a house you’d like to live in. Please tell me

– Where it is?
– What it is like?
– Why you would like to live in it?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– Which buildings are more popular in your country?
– Which cities in your country have the most modern buildings?
– What kinds of cities modern buildings?
– Which do you think is more important for a building, the exterior or the interior facilities?

Speaking 16

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What kinds of flowers do you like?
– Have you planted any flowers?
– Have you ever sent flowers to anyone?
– Are there any flowers that have special meanings in your country?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about a creative person whose work you admire the most. Please tell me

– Who he/she is
– How you knew him/her
– What creative things he/she has done
– Explain why you think he/she is creative

Part 3 # Discussion #

– Do you think you’re a creative person?
– Is it good for kids to learn art?
– What types of jobs require people to be creative?
– Do you think leaders need creativity?

Speaking 17

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like watching shows about wild animals?
– Did you learn anything about wild animals in school?
– Do you have a favorite wild animal?
– Which wild animals are most common in your country?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about something that was broken in your house and then fixed. Please tell me

– What it is
– How it was broken
– How you got it repaired
– How you felt about it

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What household items often stop working?
– Has the quality of the product become worse than before?
– What kind of things do people like to repair on their own?
– Why do people prefer to repair their mobile phones in specialized stores?

Speaking 18

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What’s the decoration like in your home?
– What’s your favorite color when decorating your home?
– Will you be redecorating your home in the future?
– Do people in your country like to redecorate their homes?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Describe an energetic person that you know. Please tell me

– Who this person is
– How you know this person
– Why you think this person is energetic

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What types of work require a lot of physical labor?
– Should jobs requiring physical labor be paid higher?
– Will physical workers receive higher wages in the future?
– Do you think machines will be able to replace all human workers in the future?

Speaking 19

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Is there a lot of furniture in your home?
– What furniture do you like the most in your house?
– When did you last buy furniture?
– What type of furniture would you like to buy in the future?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about the country where you would like to work for a while. Please tell me

– Where you would like to work?
– What kind of job would it be?
– When would you like to go?
– Why you want to work there?

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What kind of work can youngsters do in foreign countries?
– Is it good for youngsters to have experience of living in other countries?
– Why are some people unwilling to work in another nation?
– What is the difference between working in an international company and working in a domestic company?

Speaking 20

Part 1 # Interview #

– What is your full name?
– May I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– When do you need to be focused?
– What may distract you when you’re trying to stay focused?
– What do you do to gain concentration?
– Do you find it difficult to stay focused on something?

Part 2 # Cue Card #

Talk about an event you attended where you didn’t like the music being played. Please tell me

– What the event was
– Where you were
– What the music was like

Part 3 # Discussion #

– What type of music do people of different age groups like?
– What kind of music is popular in your nation now and what kind will be in the future?
– Do Indian parents want their children to learn to play a musical instrument?
– Why do some people prefer to listen to live music, while others prefer online music?