IELTS Speaking Topics 2026: Part 1, 2 & 3 Questions

• Where are you from? / Where is your hometown?
• What do you like about your hometown?
• Has your hometown changed much in recent years?
• Would you like to live there in the future?
• Do you live in a house or an apartment?
• What is your favourite room in your home?
• Is there anything you would like to change about your home?

• What do you do? / Do you work or study?
• What do you enjoy most about your work/studies?
• Would you like to change your job in the future?
• What subject are you studying? Why did you choose it?
• Do you prefer working alone or in a team?

• What do you usually do in your free time?
• Have your hobbies changed since you were a child?
• Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?
• Is there a hobby you would like to try in the future?

• What is the weather like in your country?
• Which season do you prefer? Why?
• Does the weather affect your mood?
• Do you check the weather forecast regularly?

• What kind of music do you enjoy?
• Do you play a musical instrument?
• How often do you listen to music?
• Has your taste in music changed over the years?
• Do you prefer watching films at home or in the cinema?

• What is your favourite food?
• Do you enjoy cooking? What do you usually cook?
• Is food from your country popular in other countries?
• Have your eating habits changed recently?

• How often do you use the internet?
• What do you mainly use your phone for?
• Do you think people spend too much time on their phones?
• What technology could you not live without?

• Do you enjoy travelling? Where have you been recently?
• How do you usually get to work or school?
• Do you prefer travelling by car, train, or plane?
• Is there a place you would love to visit?

• Do you exercise regularly? What kind of exercise do you do?
• Do you think people in your country are health-conscious?
• What do you do to stay healthy?
• Do you prefer exercising alone or with others?

• Do you enjoy shopping? How often do you go shopping?
• Do you prefer shopping online or in stores?
• What kind of clothes do you usually wear?
• Is fashion important to you?

You should say:

• Who this person is
• How you know them
• What they have done that influenced you
• And explain why they have had such an influence on your life

You should say:

• Where this place is
• When you visited it
• What you did there
• And explain why you liked it so much

You should say:

• Who you helped
• What the situation was
• How you helped them
• And explain how you felt about helping them

You should say:

• What the book or film was
• When you read or watched it
• What it was about
• And explain why it made such an impression on you

You should say:

• What the skill is
• Why you want to learn it
• How you plan to learn it
• And explain how learning this skill would benefit you

You should say:

• What the decision was
• When you made it
• What other options you had
• And explain why you think it was the right decision

You should say:

• What the building or landmark is
• Where it is located
• What you know about its history
• And explain what you found most interesting about it

You should say:

• When and where this happened
• What the weather was like
• What you were doing at the time
• And explain how it affected you

You should say:

• What it is
• When you started using it
• What you use it for
• And explain why it is important to you

You should say:

• What the goal is
• When you set this goal
• What steps you are taking to achieve it
• And explain why this goal is important to you

You should say:

• What the celebration or festival is
• When it takes place
• What people do during it
• And explain why you enjoy it

You should say:

• What the activity is
• Where you usually do it
• Who you do it with
• And explain why you enjoy this activity

You should say:

• Who this teacher is
• What subject they taught
• What made them a good teacher
• And explain how they influenced your learning

You should say:

• What it is
• When and where you bought it
• Why you decided to buy it
• And explain why you are happy with it

You should say:

• What you originally thought
• What caused you to change your opinion
• What your new opinion is
• And explain how this experience affected you

• Do you think famous people have a positive or negative influence on young people?
• Is it better to be influenced by people you know personally or by public figures?
• How has the role of parents in influencing children changed over time?
• Do social media influencers have too much power over young people's decisions?

• Why do people like to visit historical places?
• How has tourism changed in the last 20 years?
• Do you think international travel makes people more open-minded?
• Should governments spend money on preserving old buildings or building new ones?
• How has technology changed the way people travel?

• How has technology changed the way people communicate?
• Do you think technology makes people lazier?
• What are the risks of relying too much on technology?
• Will artificial intelligence replace many human jobs in the future?
• Should children be limited in how much technology they use?

• What makes a teacher effective in the classroom?
• Is it better to learn from books or from experience?
• How important is it to learn new skills throughout your life?
• Should education focus more on practical skills or academic knowledge?
• How has education changed since your grandparents' generation?

• Why is it important to set goals in life?
• Do you think young people today are more ambitious than previous generations?
• What factors contribute most to a person's success?
• Is luck more important than hard work in achieving success?
• How do people's goals change as they get older?

• Why is it important to preserve cultural traditions?
• How has globalisation affected local customs in your country?
• Do young people in your country still follow traditional customs?
• Is it possible to maintain traditions while embracing modernisation?
• What role do festivals play in bringing communities together?

• Why do some people find it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
• Should governments do more to encourage people to exercise?
• How has our understanding of health changed in recent years?
• Do you think mental health is taken as seriously as physical health?
• Is it the responsibility of individuals or governments to ensure people stay healthy?

• How has climate change affected weather patterns in your country?
• What can individuals do to help protect the environment?
• Do you think people are more environmentally aware now than in the past?
• Should governments penalise companies that damage the environment?

• Keep answers short but not one-word. Aim for 2–3 sentences per question. Give your answer, then add a reason or example.
• Use natural language. Part 1 is meant to be conversational. Do not use overly formal or academic vocabulary.
• Extend your answers. Instead of "Yes, I like music," say "Yes, I really enjoy listening to music, especially jazz and classical, because it helps me relax after a busy day."
• Do not memorise scripts. Examiners can detect memorised answers immediately, and it will lower your score for Fluency and Coherence.

• Use your preparation time wisely. Write key words for each bullet point on the cue card. Do not write full sentences.
• Follow the bullet points. They are there to help structure your talk. Address each one, but do not feel you must follow them in exact order.
• Aim for the full 2 minutes. If you stop before 1 minute, the examiner will ask you to continue. Practise speaking for 2 minutes at home using a timer.
• Use storytelling techniques. Set the scene ("This happened about two years ago when I was..."), describe feelings, and give specific details. This demonstrates vocabulary range naturally.
• Have adaptable stories ready. Prepare 5–6 personal stories or experiences that can be adapted to different cue card topics (a trip, a challenge, a person, an achievement).

• Give extended answers. Part 3 expects 4–6 sentences per question. Present your view, explain why, give an example, and consider the other side.
• Use hedging language. Phrases like "I tend to think that...", "It could be argued that...", and "In my view..." show sophistication and earn higher scores for Lexical Resource.
• Compare and contrast. Part 3 questions often compare (past vs present, different countries, different age groups). Use comparative structures: "While older generations tend to..., younger people are more likely to..."
• It is acceptable to ask for clarification. If you do not understand a question, ask the examiner to rephrase it. This is not penalised.
• Do not panic if you disagree with the premise. You can politely challenge the assumption in the question: "Actually, I am not sure that is entirely true because..."