The Cambridge IELTS speaking test is a very important part of your IELTS test. It's also one of the most challenging parts, which makes it difficult for many students to pass at their first try.
Most students struggle with the speaking for IELTS, and that's why this IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers PDF will help you get better grades on your next IELTS exam.
Many IELTS candidates underperform in this part of the International English Language Testing System exam because they don't have enough practice questions and sample answers or IELTS speaking templates. They're under a lot of stress and pressure, so they can't give their best performance in the actual test.
But this IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers PDF breaks down each topic into manageable chunks so you can learn how to answer these questions quickly and easily!
You'll find full sample answers with detailed explanations for every question so you don't have to worry about making mistakes when it comes time for your speaking exam!
This helps you to learn how to speak about:
- yourself
- your family and friends
- work and education history
- hobbies and interests
- ...and much more!
Speaking for IELTS is challenging! No matter which type of IELTS exam you're preparing for (General Training or Academic), this IELTS Speaking PDF will be extremely helpful in improving your IELTS Speaking score.
This Speaking IELTS PDF gives you everything you need to prepare for this challenging exam! It has hundreds of pages full of sample IELTS speaking questions and IELTS speaking templates that are designed to simulate what you'll see on your real exam day.
Make the most of these realistic practice tests as much as possible before your big IELTS test date!
Here's a full sample test:
IELTS speaking test with sample answers: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
IELTS Examiner: Good morning, my name is... can you tell me your full name please?
My name is...
IELTS Examiner: Thank you, can you tell me where you're from?
I'm from...
IELTS Examiner: Can I see your identification?
IELTS Examiner: Thank you, that's fine, now in this first part I'd like to ask you some questions about yourself.
Let's talk about what you do, do you work or are you a student?
I'm a student.
IELTS Examiner: And what subject are you studying?
Business Administration.
IELTS Examiner: Why did you choose this subject?
One of the main reasons was because I like business very much and it’s an international career so I decided to choose it. It’s one of the best majors I’ve ever studied so I like it very much.
IELTS Examiner: What do you hope to do when you finish your studies?
I'm planning to complete my higher studies here in May and eventually I’ll be doing a PhD to become a professor in the field of business.
IELTS Examiner: Now let's talk about weekends, what do you usually do at the weekend?
Usually I go to visit my relatives or friends but sometimes I stay at home, if I have exams or something to study. But most of my time I actually spend with my friends going out for a drink or having fun and enjoying ourselves.
IELTS Examiner: What do you think you'll do next weekend?
Next weekend, I’m going on a trip to London and I'm so excited about it, because I've heard that's it's a very interesting city and I like historical buildings and museums and things like that.
IELTS Examiner: Do you enjoy your weekends now more than you did when you were a child?
Not really, when I was a child I just spent all my weekends playing but now I have lots of other things I need to worry about, sometimes I have to stay at home to study, so you know when I was a child I enjoyed weekends a lot more than now.
IELTS Examiner: How important is it for you to relax at the end of the week?
It’s very important because normally during the week I’m very busy, always studying or working so I need some time for myself just to be calm and chill out. Sometimes I sleep late, or more than normal, to help prepare for the coming week.
IELTS Examiner: Let's talk about music, what sort of music do you usually enjoy listening to?
I like music very much. I like classical music more than any other kind, I listen to music all day so it’s very important for me - it’s something I really enjoy.
IELTS Examiner: Has the kind of music you like changed over the years?
Yes, it’s changed because… you know… I used to listen to a lot of pop music but not anymore, sometimes I do, if I’m at a party or something like that, but I don't really like that kind of music much. I still listen to more classical music than anything else, I’ve always liked it and have a big collection of CDs and classical tracks on my computer.
IELTS Examiner: Do you prefer listening to live music or recorded music?
I probably like recorded music best, because I can listen to it anywhere I go. Sometimes I go to live concerts but not very often…so I like recorded music better.
IELTS Examiner: Do you think listening to music helps you study?
Yes, I always listen to music when I'm studying, sometimes my friends make fun of me because they think I'm not concentrating, but actually listening to some nice music makes me more concentrate better.
Part 2 IELTS speaking test
IELTS Examiner: Thank you, now I'm going to give you a topic I'd like you to talk about it for 1 to 2 minutes. Before you talk you'll have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make notes if you wish. Do you understand?IELTS Examiner: Here’s some paper and a pencil for making notes… and here's your topic... and I'd like you to describe a special gift or present you gave to someone.
Describe a special gift you gave to someone.
You should say:
and say how the person who received the gift reacted.
- what it was
- who you gave it to
- what the reason for the gift was
Examiner: Alright remember you have one to two minutes for this so don't worry if I stop you I'll tell you when the time is up, can you start speaking now please.
The special gift is something I gave to my mother, it was a necklace, on Mother’s day, and actually I’d been to different shops to search for what I was going to give my mother because, you know, giving her anything is really special.
I visited many different shops before I decided to buy a beautiful necklace. I paid for it and asked the salesman if he could wrap it for me in nice colored gift paper and put a nice red ribbon on it. Then I took it home and I hid it from my mother until the party.
We always organize a party for our mother on Mother’s Day, so I didn't tell her about it until the party and when I gave it to her she was really happy, she was almost in tears because she really liked it and she told me she thought it was very beautiful, she was simply happy that I’d thought about giving her a gift.
Now, she wears it all the time when she goes out or with her friends, she always tells them about it, explaining that her daughter bought it for her. She was really proud and happy about it.
IELTS Examiner: Do you enjoy giving gifts?
Yes, I really enjoy it and I like receiving gifts too. Yeah I enjoy giving gifts to my friends or for members of my family. It shows that you're thinking about them and that you really care for them.
IELTS Examiner: Thank you, can I have the booklet and the paper and pencil, please?
Part 3 IELTS speaking test
IELTS Examiner: We've been talking about a special gift you gave to someone and I'd like to discuss with you some more general questions related to this, let's consider first giving gifts in families. On what occasions do family members give gifts to each other?Well, we usually give gift on birthdays or special occasions especially when there are feasts, which are local holidays, in my country. Special times like Christmas and also when someone graduates from university, these types of occasions are all very popular for giving gifts.
Depending on the event, the gifts can sometimes be large and expensive or sometimes just small and personal. A lot of the time it depends on the person you are giving the gift to and the reason for the gift, it also depends on how much money you have, either as a family or an individual.
IELTS Examiner: Let's talk about the type of gifts that children give to adults and their families.
That can be really interesting because children always tend to have a lot of imagination but usually look at gift giving from their own point of view.
For example, a child might like a certain toy or gadget and think that because he or she likes it then his/her mother or father will like it too.
They don’t really consider if their gift will be useful, practical or anything like that. But it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?
IELTS Examiner: At what age do children start to choose their own gifts to give?
As children grow up and learn more about their own characters and those of their parents – they can choose better or more suitable gifts, or sometimes even create their own special gift to give to their parents.
I think it typically happens when a child is around 6 or 7 years old, they become more aware of gifts and when and why they are given.
IELTS Examiner: How important do you think giving gifts is within families?
Yeah, I think it’s important because it gives them the feeling that you care about them and they care about you.
It makes people happy to receive gifts and people like giving gifts also, it’s all about caring and sharing those special moments with your family … that’s what make it so special.
IELTS Examiner: Let's move on from personal gifts to international gifts…and talk about international aid, what type of aid do countries give to other countries?
I suppose there are many different kinds of aid which a country could offer to another country but the most common aid, or at least the aid we usually see on news reports on TV, for example, is when there’s an emergency…flooding or famine or some other type of natural disaster.
Other countries send people to help, they send food, machinery, medical supplies or equipment and any other special help that is urgently needed.
Then there is the aid that countries provide on a more permanent basis; social programs, education schemes and financial aid which is provided as part of political agreements and is continuous, not just during emergencies.
IELTS Examiner: What do think motivates governments to give aid to other countries?
I think that would depend on the type of aid and the circumstances. In the case of natural disasters or even man-made disasters, it’s basically a time when we all help each other in whichever way we can.
I think governments help another country in difficulty because they think that maybe one day they might need help in a similar situation.
It’s all about being human and living and sharing life on the same planet. Those who can help should help those who need help, whether it’s at government level or on a personal level. It’s one of the foundations we build our societies on.
IELTS Examiner: Do you think the aid is always helpful?
I don’t know, I’m not an expert in international aid, but I suppose that it must help at the time. Whether or not it’s the best aid, or enough, or sustainable or even advisable is another question. So much depends on the circumstances.
If it’s an emergency then just having more people helping out can be a big positive. I think in most cases emergency aid is welcomed and a good thing.
Longer term aid, and especially long term financial aid … well, maybe there is more room for discussion as to if it’s the right type of help or the best help that a country can offer to another one.
In the end though, most help offered is welcome at the time it is offered, so I guess it’s helpful.
IELTS Examiner: Thank you very much. That is the end of the speaking test.