IELTS Speaking Part 1: common topics and how to answer
Part 1 lasts 4-5 minutes and asks simple questions about you and familiar topics. Answer each in two or three sentences: a direct answer, a reason, and an example or detail.
What happens
The examiner checks your identity, then asks questions on two or three everyday topics. The first is usually about your work or studies, or where you live. The questions are fixed in advance, so the examiner will move on even if you have more to say.
Common topics
- Work, studies and your daily routine
- Your home town and the place you live
- Free time, hobbies, sport and music
- Food, weather, transport and shopping
- Friends, family and celebrations
- Technology you use every day
Answer, reason, example
Question: "Do you like cooking?"
- Too short: "Yes, I do."
- Better: "Yes, quite a lot, especially at weekends when I have more time. I usually make dishes my mother taught me, and lately I've been trying recipes from online videos."
The better answer is still natural and takes about 15-20 seconds. You don't need long speeches in Part 1.
Tips
- Use the tense in the question: "Did you..." needs the past, "Will you..." needs the future.
- If you don't understand, ask: "Sorry, could you repeat the question?"
- Don't memorise answers. Examiners notice, and memorised language can lower your band.
- Small hesitations are normal. Fillers like "That's an interesting question" are fine once, not before every answer.