Free IELTS speaking bank

100 IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 questions

Authentic cue cards and examiner follow-up questions across 10 real exam topics. Filter by topic, read the cue card, then practise answering the Part 3 discussion questions out loud.

50 Part 2 cue cards 250 Part 3 questions 10 topics

Browse questions Understand band scores

How to use this question bank

Pick a topic that interests you or that you find challenging.
Read the cue card and give yourself exactly 1 minute to prepare notes.
Speak for 2 minutes on the Part 2 topic, covering all the bullet points.
Answer the Part 3 questions as if speaking to a real examiner — aim for 3–5 sentences per answer.
Repeat with a new topic to build fluency across question types.

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Describe a person who has had a significant influence on your life.

You should say:

Who this person is
How you know them
What they did that influenced you
And explain why their influence has been so important to you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe an interesting person you met recently.

You should say:

Who this person is
Where and when you met them
What you talked about
And explain what made this person interesting to you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe an elderly person you admire.

You should say:

Who this person is
What this person does or has done in their life
What kind of relationship you have with them
And explain why you admire them

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a friend who is very different from you.

You should say:

Who this friend is
How you became friends
In what ways they are different from you
And explain how you feel about having such a friend

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a well-known person in your country who you find inspiring.

You should say:

Who this person is
What they are known for
What they have achieved
And explain why you find them inspiring

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a place you have visited that you particularly enjoyed.

You should say:

Where this place is
When and why you went there
What you did there
And explain why you enjoyed it so much

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a city you would like to live in.

You should say:

Which city it is and where it is located
Why you would choose this city
What aspects of life there appeal to you
And explain whether you think you will ever live there

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a place in your hometown that you find interesting.

You should say:

What this place is and where it is
What people do there
How often you go there
And explain why you find it interesting

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a foreign country you would like to visit.

You should say:

Which country it is
Why you want to visit
What you would do there
And explain how you would prepare for the trip

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a natural environment you have visited or would like to visit.

You should say:

Where this place is
What the environment is like
What activities people can do there
And explain why this type of environment appeals to you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a gift you gave to someone that they particularly liked.

You should say:

What the gift was
Who you gave it to and why
How you chose the gift
And explain how the person reacted to it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe an object that has been in your family for a long time.

You should say:

What the object is
How long it has been in your family
What you know about its history
And explain why this object is important to your family

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe something you recently bought that you are pleased with.

You should say:

What the item is
Where and when you bought it
Why you decided to buy it
And explain why you are happy with this purchase

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a piece of technology you use regularly.

You should say:

What it is
How often and how you use it
What you would do without it
And explain why it has become important in your daily life

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a book or piece of writing that has influenced you.

You should say:

What it is and who wrote it
When and why you read it
What it is about
And explain how it has influenced your thoughts or actions

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a memorable event from your childhood.

You should say:

What the event was
When and where it took place
Who was involved
And explain why it has stayed in your memory

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a celebration or festival you enjoy.

You should say:

What the celebration or festival is
When and where it takes place
What people do during this event
And explain why you enjoy it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a difficult situation you dealt with successfully.

You should say:

What the situation was
When it happened
What you did to deal with it
And explain how you felt after resolving it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you helped someone.

You should say:

Who you helped and in what situation
When and where this happened
What you did to help
And explain how helping this person made you feel

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a sporting or outdoor activity you have participated in.

You should say:

What the activity was
When and where you did it
Who you did it with
And explain how the experience affected you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a job that you think would be interesting to do.

You should say:

What the job is
What skills and qualifications it requires
What the job involves
And explain why you think it would be interesting

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a teacher who had a positive impact on your education.

You should say:

Who this teacher is
What subject they taught
What made them an effective teacher
And explain how they positively affected your education

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a skill you have learned outside of school.

You should say:

What the skill is
How and when you learned it
Who taught you or how you taught yourself
And explain why this skill has been useful to you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you worked as part of a team.

You should say:

What the task or project was
Who was in the team
What your role was
And explain what you learned from working in that team

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a course or subject you studied that you found particularly useful.

You should say:

What the course or subject was
When and where you studied it
What it involved
And explain why it has been so useful to you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a local project or initiative that has benefited your community.

You should say:

What the project or initiative is
When it was started and by whom
What it involves
And explain how it has benefited the community

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a rule or law in your country that you think is important.

You should say:

What the rule or law is
Why it was introduced
How it affects people
And explain why you think it is important

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a social problem in your country that you think needs more attention.

You should say:

What the problem is
Who is most affected by it
What is currently being done about it
And explain what you think should be done to solve it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you helped someone from a different background to your own.

You should say:

Who the person was
What kind of help you provided
Why they needed your help
And explain what you learned from the experience

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a piece of news that has recently had an impact on you.

You should say:

What the news story was about
When and where you heard or read it
What happened as a result of this event
And explain why this news had an impact on you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe an environmental problem that concerns you.

You should say:

What the problem is
What is causing it
What effect it has or may have
And explain what you think should be done about it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you did something to help the environment.

You should say:

What you did
When and why you decided to do it
How it was received by people around you
And explain whether you think individual actions can make a difference

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe an animal or plant that is important in your country's culture or history.

You should say:

What the animal or plant is
Why it is significant
How it features in your culture or history
And explain how you personally feel about it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a form of transport you use regularly.

You should say:

What it is
How often you use it
What the experience of using it is like
And explain whether you are satisfied with this form of transport

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a building or structure you find impressive.

You should say:

What it is and where it is
What it looks like
When and why it was built
And explain why you find it impressive

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a film or TV programme that made a strong impression on you.

You should say:

What it is and what it is about
When and why you watched it
What you found most memorable
And explain why it made such a strong impression on you

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a piece of music that you enjoy listening to.

You should say:

What the piece of music is
When you first heard it
What the music sounds like
And explain why you enjoy it so much

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe an exhibition, museum, or gallery you have visited.

You should say:

What it was and where it was located
When and why you visited
What you saw or experienced there
And explain what you liked or disliked about it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a traditional custom or practice from your country.

You should say:

What the custom or practice is
When and how it is observed
Who participates in it
And explain why you think this custom is worth preserving

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you created something with your hands.

You should say:

What you made
When and why you made it
How you went about making it
And explain how you felt about the result

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a healthy habit you have developed.

You should say:

What the habit is
When and why you started it
How you maintain it
And explain what effect it has had on your life

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you had to look after yourself or someone else who was ill.

You should say:

What happened
What you did to help
How the person felt
And explain what you learned from the experience

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a type of food that is popular in your country.

You should say:

What the food is
When and how it is typically eaten
How it is prepared
And explain why it is so popular

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a leisure activity you enjoy doing to relax.

You should say:

What the activity is
How often you do it
Where and when you do it
And explain why it helps you to relax

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you made an important decision about your health or lifestyle.

You should say:

What the decision was
Why you needed to make it
How you reached the decision
And explain what effect it has had on your life

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a new technology that you think will have a major impact on society.

You should say:

What the technology is
How it works in general terms
How it is already being used
And explain what impact you think it will have

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a goal you would like to achieve in the next few years.

You should say:

What the goal is
Why you have set this goal
What steps you plan to take
And explain how you will feel if you achieve it

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a change you would make to improve your neighbourhood or city.

You should say:

What the change would be
Why it is needed
How it could be implemented
And explain how it would improve life for people there

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a time when you used the internet to solve a problem or learn something new.

You should say:

What the problem or topic was
How you used the internet to help
What you found or learned
And explain how useful the experience was

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a skill or subject you think will be essential for young people in the future.

You should say:

What the skill or subject is
Why you think it will be important
How young people could develop this skill
And explain whether you think schools currently prepare students for the future

You have 1 minute to prepare. Speak for 1–2 minutes.

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