Practise out loud10 questions with Band 8-style sample answers. Record yourself, listen back, then compare.
IELTS Speaking Part 1 is the shortest and easiest part of the test, and that is exactly why many candidates lose marks there. The questions are simple (“Do you like cooking?”), so people give simple answers (“Yes, I do.”). The examiner can’t give a high band to an answer that short, however good your English is.
This guide shows you what happens in Part 1, which questions come up most, a 3-step formula that turns every short answer into a Band 7+ one, and sample answers you can record yourself against.
How Part 1 works#
| Length | 4–5 minutes |
| Questions | About 10–12, on 2–3 familiar topics |
| Topics | You and your everyday life: home, work or studies, hobbies, routine, food, weather |
| Answer length | 2–4 sentences (about 15–30 seconds) |
| Scored on | Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation (equal weight) |
The test starts with an ID check: the examiner asks your name and checks your passport. This part is not scored, so relax and just answer naturally.
Then the examiner reads questions from a script. They can’t rephrase a Part 1 question or tell you whether your answer was good, and they will interrupt you when it’s time to move on. That’s normal: being interrupted doesn’t lose you marks.
The first question is (almost) always the same#
Every Part 1 begins with one of three “opening” topics:
- Work or studies: “Do you work or are you a student?” → work topic questions and answers, education
- Hometown: “Where are you from?” → hometown questions and answers
- Home or accommodation: “Do you live in a house or a flat?” → home and accommodation
Prepare all three. You’ll definitely meet one of them, and a confident start calms your nerves for the rest of the test.
After that come two everyday topics, for example daily routine, food, weather, music, shopping, sport, reading, social media, transport or friends. There’s a full list with practice questions on our IELTS Speaking topics page.
The 3-step answer formula#
A strong Part 1 answer has three parts:
- Answer the question directly.
- Reason: say why.
- Detail: add an example, a contrast (now vs. in the past) or a small personal fact.
Example: Do you like cooking?
Band 5: “Yes, I like cooking. I cook every day.”
Band 7–8: “Yes, I really enjoy it, mainly because it helps me switch off after work. I’m not an adventurous cook, but I’ve got a few dishes I can make without a recipe. Last weekend, for instance, I made a vegetable curry for my flatmates and it went down really well.”
The second answer isn’t longer for the sake of it. It shows the examiner linking words (mainly because, but, for instance), natural vocabulary (switch off, went down well) and a range of tenses, which are exactly the things the band descriptors reward.
Tip: Don’t go over four sentences. Part 1 answers that turn into speeches sound memorised, and the examiner will cut you off anyway.
The 6 question types and how to start each one#
Part 1 questions fall into a handful of patterns. Learn a natural opening for each and you’ll never freeze.
| Question type | Example | Natural way to start |
|---|---|---|
| Like / dislike | Do you like rainy days? | Not really, to be honest… / I’m a big fan of… |
| Frequency | How often do you go to the cinema? | Not as often as I’d like, maybe once a month… |
| Preference | Do you prefer reading books or e-books? | It depends. For…, I’d go for…, but… |
| Past vs. present | Did you enjoy sport as a child? | I used to…, but these days… |
| Description | What’s your hometown like? | It’s a fairly…, and what stands out is… |
| Future / hypothetical | Would you like to learn a new language? | I’d love to. If I had more time, I’d… |
The past vs. present and future questions are your chance to show grammar range: used to, present perfect (I’ve been…), conditionals (If I had… I’d…). Use them on purpose.
Sample questions and Band 8 answers#
Read each answer, then press record and answer the same question in your own words. Compare: did you give a reason and a detail?
IELTS Speaking Part 1 sample questions
Record your own answer first, listen back, then compare. Don’t memorise these: examiners spot memorised answers. Borrow the structure and the highlighted vocabulary instead.
Part 1 sample answers
Do you work or are you a student?
Sample answerShowHide
I work. I'm a junior accountant at a logistics company, and I've been there for about two years now. It's quite a demanding job at the end of each month, but I like the fact that I'm always learning something new.
Useful language:junior accountantdemandingI've been there for
Where are you from?
Sample answerShowHide
I'm from Izmir, a port city on the west coast of Turkey. It's the third-biggest city in the country, but it feels more relaxed than Istanbul, mainly because life there revolves around the sea.
Useful language:port cityrevolves around
Do you live in a house or a flat?
Sample answerShowHide
A flat. I share a two-bedroom place with a friend from university, not far from the city centre. It's a bit cramped, to be honest, but the location makes up for it because I can walk to work.
Useful language:crampedmakes up for it
Do you like cooking?
Sample answerShowHide
Yes, I really enjoy it, mainly because it helps me switch off after work. I'm not an adventurous cook, but I've got a few dishes I can make without a recipe. Last weekend, for instance, I made a vegetable curry for my flatmates and it went down really well.
Useful language:switch offadventurouswent down well
How often do you use social media?
Sample answerShowHide
Probably more than I should! I check it several times a day, mostly to keep up with friends who live abroad. I've started turning off notifications in the evening, though, because I noticed it was affecting my sleep.
Useful language:keep up withturning off notifications
Do you prefer reading books or watching films?
Sample answerShowHide
It depends on my mood. During the week I'd go for a film, because I'm usually too tired to concentrate on a book. On holiday, though, I love getting lost in a long novel.
Useful language:it depends on my moodgetting lost in
Did you enjoy sport when you were a child?
Sample answerShowHide
I used to love football. I played every day after school with the kids from my street. These days I don't play much, but I've taken up running, which is easier to fit around work.
Useful language:used totaken upfit around
What kind of weather do you like?
Sample answerShowHide
I'm a big fan of crisp, sunny autumn days, when it's cool enough for a jacket but still bright. I can't stand humid summers. They make me feel sluggish and I can't sleep properly.
Useful language:crisphumidsluggish
Would you like to learn a new language?
Sample answerShowHide
Definitely. I'd love to learn Spanish, partly because I want to travel around South America one day, and partly because I've heard it's fairly easy for English speakers. If I had more free time, I'd sign up for evening classes.
Useful language:partly because…, and partly becausesign up for
Is there anything you'd like to change about your daily routine?
Sample answerShowHide
I'd like to get up a bit earlier. At the moment I rush out of the house without breakfast, which isn't great. If I set my alarm half an hour earlier, I could start the day more calmly.
Useful language:rush out of the housestart the day more calmly
Want your own answer scored? With Worddemy Pro, the AI examiner asks you real Part 1–3 questions and gives a band score for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
7 mistakes that cost marks in Part 1#
Common mistakes: these are the habits examiners see most often.
- One-word or one-sentence answers. “Yes.” / “No, I don’t.” The examiner has nothing to assess.
- Memorised answers. Examiners are trained to spot them, and a memorised answer that doesn’t quite fit the question hurts your Fluency and Coherence score.
- Repeating the question. “Do I like cooking? Yes, I like cooking.” Paraphrase instead: “I really enjoy it…”
- Overusing “very” and “good”. Swap them for really, quite, fairly, pretty and more precise adjectives (see our list of adjectives to describe people).
- Forcing idioms. One natural idiom is great; three in a 20-second answer sounds strange. Our idioms guide shows which ones sound natural.
- Asking the examiner to explain a word. In Part 1 you can ask them to repeat a question, but they can’t explain it. If you don’t know a word, say so and give your best guess: “I’m not sure I know that word, but if it means…”
- Worrying about telling the truth. Part 1 tests your English, not your life story. If you don’t have a pet, you can say “I don’t have one, but I’d love a dog because…”
Useful phrases for Part 1#
Buying a second to think (more in our buying time guide): That’s a good question… / I haven’t really thought about that before, but… / Let me think…
Giving reasons: mainly because… / the main reason is… / partly because…, and partly because…
Contrasting: although… / that said,… / on the other hand,…
Adding detail: for example… / just last week… / the thing I like most is…
Talking about change: I used to…, but nowadays… / since I moved here, I’ve…
How to practise Part 1#
- Record yourself. Use the recorder in the sample answers above, or practise any topic from the IELTS Speaking topics list. Listen back for one thing at a time: length, linking words or pronunciation.
- Practise the opening topics until they feel easy, but don’t learn whole answers by heart. Learn ideas and vocabulary, then say them differently each time.
- Move on to Part 2 once your Part 1 answers have a reason and a detail every time. See our IELTS Speaking Part 2 guide and Part 3 guide.
Frequently asked questions#
How long should my answers be in IELTS Speaking Part 1?#
Two to four sentences, roughly 15–30 seconds. Give a direct answer, a reason and a detail or example. Longer answers risk sounding memorised, and the examiner will interrupt you to keep to time.
Can I ask the examiner to repeat the question in Part 1?#
Yes. You can say “Sorry, could you repeat the question, please?” and it won’t affect your score. The examiner can repeat the question once, but in Part 1 they cannot explain or rephrase it.
What are the most common IELTS Speaking Part 1 topics?#
The test almost always starts with work or studies, your hometown, or your home. After that, common topics include daily routine, food, hobbies, weather, music, reading, shopping, sport, transport, friends and technology.
Does it matter if my answer is not true?#
No. The examiner is assessing your English, not checking facts. Answering naturally and fluently matters more than accuracy about your life, but true answers are usually easier to speak about fluently.
Is the ID check at the start scored?#
No. The introduction where the examiner checks your name and ID is not assessed. Scoring starts with the first Part 1 question.