IELTS Speaking Part 1
- 4 to 5 minutes
- No preparation
- 120 questions here
Try Part 1 on the real clock.
What do you usually do in your free time?
Press record, answer out loud, then press again.
One free take on this device · no account · no card
What actually happens
- Length
- 4 to 5 minutes
- Preparation
- None — you answer immediately
- Your answer
- About 45 seconds
- Marked on
- Fluency and Coherence, Pronunciation, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range — four equal criteria
What sayit measures on this page
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.What they are listening for
- Whether you answer the actual question in the first clause, rather than circling it.
- Whether you can extend a short answer by one reason or one example without being asked.
- Whether your pace stays even when the topic is dull — this part is deliberately ordinary.
- Whether everyday words come out clearly: word endings, the weak vowel in unstressed syllables, and the sounds your first language does not separate.
Described in our own words. The official band descriptors are copyrighted and we do not reproduce them.
How to answer Part 1
- 1
Answer, then add one thing
The shape that works every time is answer + reason, or answer + example. Two or three sentences. A one-word answer leaves the examiner nothing to hear; a ninety-second speech in Part 1 gets interrupted.
- 2
Say a real detail
A concrete noun — a street, a dish, a time of day — is easier to say fluently than an abstract one, and it makes the answer sound like yours rather than a memorised line.
- 3
Do not rehearse whole answers
Memorised Part 1 answers are audible: the rhythm flattens and the pace jumps. Rehearse topics, not sentences.
- 4
Keep the ending of every word
Part 1 moves fast, and speed is where final consonants get dropped. Past tenses and plurals live on those endings.
120 Part 1 questions, with model answers
- Where is your hometown, and what is it best known for?hometown
- Do you like living in your hometown? Why, or why not?hometown
- How has your hometown changed since you were a child?hometown
- What would you tell a visitor to see in your hometown?hometown
- Do you work, or are you a student?work
- What do you like most about your job?work
- Would you like to change your job in the future? Why?work
- Is your work stressful, and how do you deal with that?work
- What subject are you studying, and why did you choose it?study
- Do you prefer studying alone or in a group?study
- What was your favourite subject at school, and why?study
- Do you plan to study anything new in the next few years?study
- What kind of home do you live in?home
- Which room in your home do you like best, and why?home
- Would you like to move to a different home in the future?home
- Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?home
- What do you usually do in your free time?hobbies
- How did you first get interested in your main hobby?hobbies
- Do you feel you have enough free time during the week?hobbies
- Is there a new hobby you would like to take up?hobbies
- What kind of food do you enjoy most?food
- Do you prefer eating at home or in restaurants?food
- Can you cook? Who taught you?food
- Has the food you eat changed much in recent years?food
- What is the weather usually like where you live?weather
- Which season do you like best, and why?weather
- Does the weather affect your mood at all?weather
- Do you check the weather forecast? How often?weather
- Do you enjoy travelling? Why, or why not?travel
- Where would you most like to travel next?travel
Common Part 1 mistakes
Answering the topic instead of the question
Asked whether you like your hometown, many candidates describe their hometown. Say yes or no first, then describe.
Stopping dead after one clause
Silence after four words forces the examiner to prompt you, and the transcript shows it. Add the reason before you stop.
Long, formal openers
Phrases such as 'that is a very interesting question' buy two seconds and cost the examiner's patience. Start with the answer.
Speeding up to sound fluent
Fast is not fluent. Rushing here collapses word endings and the weak vowel, and both are measurable.
Straight answers
How long should a Part 1 answer be?
Two or three sentences — roughly twenty to forty seconds. Long enough to give a reason or an example, short enough that the examiner can get through the whole set of questions.
Can I ask the examiner to repeat a question?
Yes, and asking once costs you nothing. Ask naturally — 'sorry, could you say that again?' — and then answer. Pretending to understand and answering a different question costs far more.
Are the Part 1 topics the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes. The Speaking test is identical for both versions of IELTS; only Reading and Writing differ.
Practise Part 1 every day until your test
A free account gives you one cue card a morning, an estimated band after each answer, and a trend line instead of a single take.