IELTS Speaking Part 1: Common Questions

What Happens in Part 1?

Part 1 lasts 4-5 minutes. The examiner asks you 3-4 topics with 4-5 questions each. The goal is to check if you can answer simple questions about familiar topics.

Common topics:

How to Answer: The STRONG Method

S — Short answer (direct response)
T — Tell more (add a detail or reason)
R — Real example (give a specific example)

Example:
Question: "Do you like cooking?"

Bad answer: "Yes."
(Band 4-5 — too short)

Good answer: "Yes, I enjoy cooking, especially on weekends. I like trying new recipes — last week I made pasta from scratch for the first time, and it turned out really well."
(Band 7+ — short answer + detail + example)

Most Common Part 1 Topics and Questions

Home/Accommodation

• "Do you live in a house or an apartment?"
• "What is your favourite room?"
• "Is there anything you would like to change about your home?"

Work/Study

• "What do you do?"
• "Do you enjoy your work/studies?"
• "What is the most interesting part of your job?"

Hometown

• "Where is your hometown?"
• "What do you like about your hometown?"
• "Has your hometown changed much recently?"

Hobbies

• "What do you do in your free time?"
• "How often do you do this?"
• "Did you have any hobbies as a child?"

Answer Templates

For "Do you like...?" questions:
"Yes, I really enjoy... The reason is... For instance, ..."

For "What is your favourite...?" questions:
"My favourite... is... I particularly like it because... For example, ..."

For "How often...?" questions:
"I usually... about... times a week. For example, last week I..."

Common Mistakes

• One-word answers — Always give at least 2-3 sentences
• Memorized answers — Speak naturally, not robotically
• Too long answers — 2-3 sentences is perfect
• Wrong tense — Match the tense of the question

Practice

Record yourself answering 10 Part 1 questions. Listen back and check:

Practice daily for 2 weeks and Part 1 will feel effortless.

Practice with Our Trainer

Speaking improves fastest with personal feedback. Visit Step Ahead Institute at 519B, Darshan Lane, Model Town, opp. Guru Nanak Girls College for personalized speaking practice with our 8.0 Band certified trainer.

🎯 Practice What You Learned

Put these tips into action with our student practice portals:

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📍 Visit Step Ahead Institute

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