IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions and answers
168 questions across 24 everyday topics, each with a model answer written to be spoken and the vocabulary it uses.
Part 1 is the warm-up interview: four to five minutes of short questions about you and your everyday life. It is the easiest part to prepare for, because the topics repeat — and the easiest place to lose marks by answering in a single sentence. Pick a topic, read the questions aloud, answer them yourself, then compare with the model.
The opening questions
Every test starts here: the examiner asks about your work or studies, your hometown or your home.
Daily life
Routines, food, weather and the place you live — topics that reward concrete detail.
- NeighbourhoodWhat's your neighbourhood like?7 questions with answers
- Daily routineWhat does a typical weekday look like for you?7 questions with answers
- Food and cookingWhat kind of food do you like?7 questions with answers
- Weather and seasonsWhat's the weather usually like where you live?7 questions with answers
- ShoppingDo you enjoy shopping?7 questions with answers
- TransportHow do you usually get around?7 questions with answers
- Clothes and fashionWhat kind of clothes do you usually wear?7 questions with answers
- SleepHow many hours do you usually sleep?7 questions with answers
Free time
Hobbies, music, reading, films and travel: easy to talk about, easy to answer too briefly.
- Hobbies and free timeWhat do you usually do in your free time?7 questions with answers
- MusicDo you like listening to music?7 questions with answers
- ReadingDo you enjoy reading?7 questions with answers
- Films and TVDo you watch a lot of films?7 questions with answers
- Sport and exerciseDo you do any sport or exercise?7 questions with answers
- Travel and holidaysDo you like travelling?7 questions with answers
- PhotographyDo you like taking photos?7 questions with answers
- Parks and natureIs there a park near where you live?7 questions with answers
People and technology
Friends, family, phones and social media — where a short opinion with a reason scores best.
Reading answers is not the same as giving them.
Practise Part 1 out loud with timed prompts and get a band for each criterion.
Common questions
What happens in IELTS Speaking Part 1?
Part 1 is a four-to-five-minute interview. The examiner checks your identity, then asks about your work or studies, your hometown or your home, and then two or three other everyday topics, with about four questions on each. The questions are short and personal, and Part 1 works the same way for computer-delivered (CD IELTS) and paper candidates, because Speaking is always with a live examiner.
How long should my Part 1 answers be?
Two to four sentences — roughly 10 to 20 seconds. Answer directly, then add one reason or example. A one-word answer gives the examiner nothing to score; a long speech eats into the time for other questions and can sound rehearsed.
Should I memorise these model answers?
No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers and mark them down. Use the models to see how a strong answer is built — answer first, then one reason or example — and borrow the phrases, but always answer with your own details.
Which Part 1 topics come up most often?
Work or studies, hometown and home come up in almost every test because they open the interview. After that the most frequent frames are everyday ones: hobbies, food, weather, music, reading, transport, friends, phones and the internet. The topics on this page cover those.