IELTS Speaking Part 1: General Questions & Topics

In the IELTS speaking test, part 1 is the first section of your speaking exam. It includes questions related to the daily life of the candidate. The questions can be related to hobbies, mundane life, or likes and dislikes of the candidate. In this part, the IELTS examiner first introduces himself and then asks for your introduction. This part usually stretches for 4-5 minutes and is shorter than part 3 of the speaking test. The answers should not be very long in this part as you will get time to express your views in detail in part 3 of the IELTS speaking test.

IELTS Speaking General Questions Part 1 is one of the scoring modules with better planning and enough practice. Here are a few essential tips to help you improve your speaking score for IELTS Speaking Part 1.

1. Know what to expect when you enter the room: Everything about the paper will be told by the examiner, how and what to do in the paper. So, you need not worry about anything else, just concentrate on speaking.
2. Length of your answer: In part 1 your answers should not be very long or short. Answer according to the requirement of the question. Yes/no answers are not acceptable in ielts. The best way is to answer the question directly and then add a little information about your idea.
3. Do not memorize any answer: The examiner can always tell if you are repeating the answer you read in google last night or if you have memorized a paragraph from some source. Hence, it’s always better to stick to your own words, although you may take help from sources to build your ideas.
4. Take a deep breath: It is advisable to take long breaths and relax before you enter the room so that you can give answers with more confidence and calmly. Because it is seen usually when you enter the examination room you tend to be nervous. But there is nothing to worry about because as you proceed with your answers you will realize it was all just about 15-20 minutes conversation. Practicing with a friend or in front of the mirror helps you build confidence.
5. Be relevant: Do not deviate from the topic, because you might do that when you are nervous. Hence, focus on the topic and the questions being asked, and stick to them. Because speaking anything irrelevant would hinder the score.
6. Do not worry if the examiner stops you: The examiner might stop you in between the answer. Do not worry because he has to take care of the time per candidate and one examiner has a lot of candidates each day.
7. Do not be afraid to say no: Sometimes the candidates feel that giving negative answers can be risky or leads to negative marking. Well, that is not the case until and unless you have a solid reasoning to your negative answer, you are free to say so.
8. Be confident and stay present: It is absolutely crucial that you stay in the moment and do not worry about the answers you just gave a few seconds ago or about the questions which are yet to come.

Looking to prepare for the IELTS Part 1: General Questions on IELTS. Watch our IELTS trainer, Disha Wahi as she takes you through the important aspects of the section.

speaking general questions with answers: In this particular scenario, the examiner is asking questions on Desserts/ Cakes to the test taker.

Topic: Laughter

1. Do you usually make your friends laugh?
2. Are you the kind of person who makes people laugh?
3. When was the last time you laughed?
4. In what situations do people laugh?
5. Do you like to make people laugh?
6. Do you like watching funny TV shows?
7. Do you think it’s important for friends to have the same sense of humor?

Topic: Pens and Pencils

1. Do you usually use a pen or a pencil?
2. Which do you prefer, a pen or pencil?
3. When was the last time you bought a pen or pencil?
4. How would you feel if someone gave you a pen as a gift?

Topic: Beautiful Scenery

1. Does your hometown have beautiful views?
2. When you are travelling, do you like to stay in places with beautiful views?
3. How would you feel living in a house with beautiful scenery?
4. Do you like taking photos of beautiful scenery on your smartphone?

Topic: Museums and Art Galleries

1. Do you like going to museums?
2. Have you ever been to an art gallery?
3. Are there any paintings on the wall of your bedroom?

Topic: Numbers 

1. Do you often use numbers to do something?
2. Are you good at memorizing numbers?
3. What is your favorite number?
4. Are you good at numbers?
5. Would you like to have a job dealing with numbers?

Topic: History

1. When you were a child, did you enjoy learning history?
2. Have you ever been to a museum to learn about history?
3. Have you ever watched movies related to history?
4. When was the last time you read a book about history?
5. Do you think history is important?

Topic: Running

1. Do you like running?
2. Where do you usually go (for) running?
3. Have you ever done long-distance running?

Topic: Science Class 

1. Do you like science?
2. Did you enjoy learning Science in primary or high school?
3. Do you think it’s important to study Science?
4. What kind of science did you learn at school?

Topic: Spending time alone

1. Do you like to spend time by yourself?
2. Do you usually spend time alone?
3. What do you usually do when you spend time with yourself?
4. What did you do last time when you were alone?

While the IELTS Reading, Listening and Speaking sections all happen on the same day for both IELTS Computer and Paper-based tests - the IELTS Speaking test is held on a separate date for both formats of the exam. The IELTS Speaking Part 1 is an amalgamation of informal and formal conversations between the examiner and the speaker.

The IELTS Speaking Section is divided into three parts. Part 1 is general questions related to the candidate. Part 2 is a cue card in which the speaker gets the opportunity to speak for a lengthy span of time. And Part 3 is a discussion between the examiner and the candidate.