As I have discussed in my report ‘IELTS Speaking Test Tips ‘ and in my post The IELTS Speaking Test, the speaking test interview consists of three parts; Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

One of the most common requests I receive from students is for sample IELTS Speaking Test questions and answers so I’m dedicating the next 3 posts to that topic.  In this post, I’ll deal with IELTS part 1 Speaking.

First of all, I’d like to point out a few things you need to bear in mind.  You should be very careful if anyone offers you IELTS Speaking sample questions and answers for various reasons:

• The bank of IELTS questions is huge so you can’t predict what you’re going to be asked.
• If the examiner suspects you are just delivering a memorised speech, he/she will change the topic.
• Someone else’s sample answers are exactly that; their answers, not yours.

IELTS is a very security-conscious exam and this is really what makes it such a fair and accurate test for everyone.  It really is ‘the test that sets the standard’ as the slogan goes.

OK, after all that I’d like to look at some questions similar to the ones you could be asked in part 1 of the test and think about how to answer them.

In the IELTS Speaking Test part 1, you are asked questions about your home life, family life, work, study, your interests and other familiar topics.

Remember to give full and quite detailed answers in this part of the test as the examiner can only ask the questions on his/her list.  He/She cannot assist you to speak by asking further questions.  This is probably quite different to what you’re used to with your English teacher at school but this IS an exam after all!

1.  Where do you come from?

I’m from Liverpool in the UK.  Liverpool is a city on the north-west coast of England.

Notice how my answer is short (I haven’t given a history of Liverpool since the beginning of time!) but not too short; I didn’t just answer ‘Liverpool’.

Also notice how the tense of the verbs in my answer is the same as the tense of the verb in the question.  It’s a good idea to listen to the tense of the verb in the question so that your answer is on the right track.

2.  What is your hometown well-known for?

Liverpool is famous for a few reasons.  It was an important port in the 1800s and of course, ‘The Beatles’ came from Liverpool.

3. Do you have a full-time job at the moment or are you studying?

I work full-time as an IELTS Tutor.  I really love my job!

4. Did you have to study to do this job?

Yes, I did. I did a course called DTEFLA which gave me a diploma to teach English to overseas students.

5.  What do you enjoy doing at the weekend?

I really enjoy relaxing at the weekend with my family.  In summer I like going swimming at the beach and in winter, I love going to the cinema to see a film.

6.  What is your favourite food?

I enjoy eating fruit and vegetables because they’re good for you and you can get such a variety here in Australia compared to the UK.  I have to admit, though, that I am also very partial to chocolate!

OK, so now I’m going to give you some homework.  I’d like you to think about the following subject areas; your hometown and where you live now, your family, your job/your studies and your interests.  Think of 5 questions that someone might ask you about each of these areas (think what you’d ask me about each of these areas) and prepare some short answers to each of the questions.
Remember the purpose of the exercise is not to memorise fixed answers; it’s to get your head working in English.

Here’s to the best IELTS score possible!