IELTS Speaking · Topics & cue cards

IELTS speaking topics and cue cards for 2026.

Eight topic areas that come round constantly, each with Part 1 questions, a Part 2 cue card and the Part 3 discussion questions that follow from it. Read them, then say them out loud — a topic you have only read is a topic you have not practised.

Practise any of these with a live examiner and get a band estimate on the four public criteria.

Why topic lists help less than people expect

IELTS Speaking does not test what you know about food or technology. It tests whether you can keep going, structure a point, reach for the right word and be understood — on any topic at all. A list is useful for two things: making sure no topic area is completely unfamiliar, and giving you concrete examples to reach for under pressure. It is not useful as a set of answers to learn. The candidates who improve fastest from a list like this are the ones who use each entry as a prompt to talk for two minutes, not as something to read.

Work and study

Part 1 questions

  • Do you work or are you a student?
  • Why did you choose that job or subject?
  • What do you enjoy least about it?
  • Would you like to change what you do in the future?

Part 3 discussion

  • Are people in your country changing jobs more often than they used to?
  • Should schools do more to prepare students for work?
  • Will artificial intelligence remove more jobs than it creates?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a job you would like to do in the future.

You should say:

  • what the job is
  • what skills it needs
  • how you would prepare for it
  • and explain why it appeals to you

Hometown and accommodation

Part 1 questions

  • Where is your hometown?
  • What do you like about living there?
  • Do you live in a house or a flat?
  • What would you change about your home?

Part 3 discussion

  • How have cities in your country changed in the last twenty years?
  • Is it better to live in a city or in the countryside?
  • Who should pay for housing for people who cannot afford it?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a place in your hometown that you often visit.

You should say:

  • where it is
  • how often you go there
  • what you do there
  • and explain why you like it

Technology and the internet

Part 1 questions

  • How often do you use your phone?
  • What app do you use most?
  • Did you use the internet much as a child?
  • Do you think you spend too much time online?

Part 3 discussion

  • Has technology made people more or less connected?
  • Should children's screen time be limited by law?
  • What are the risks of relying on technology for everyday tasks?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a piece of technology you find useful.

You should say:

  • what it is
  • how long you have used it
  • how you use it
  • and explain why it is useful to you

Travel and holidays

Part 1 questions

  • Do you like travelling?
  • What kind of places do you prefer to visit?
  • Do you prefer travelling alone or with others?
  • How do you usually plan a trip?

Part 3 discussion

  • Why do people travel abroad when their own country has plenty to see?
  • Does tourism benefit or harm local communities?
  • Will people travel less in the future?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a journey that did not go as planned.

You should say:

  • where you were going
  • what went wrong
  • how you dealt with it
  • and explain how you felt about it afterwards

Food and cooking

Part 1 questions

  • What kind of food do you like?
  • Do you cook at home?
  • Has your diet changed in the last few years?
  • Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?

Part 3 discussion

  • Why is traditional cooking becoming less common?
  • Should governments tax unhealthy food?
  • How has food delivery changed the way people eat?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a meal you remember well.

You should say:

  • what the meal was
  • who you ate it with
  • where you ate it
  • and explain why you remember it

People you admire

Part 1 questions

  • Who do you spend most of your free time with?
  • Do you have a large family?
  • Is it easy for you to make friends?
  • What makes someone a good friend?

Part 3 discussion

  • Do young people today have good role models?
  • Should famous people be expected to behave well in private?
  • Is influence from family stronger than influence from friends?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a person who has influenced you.

You should say:

  • who the person is
  • how you know them
  • what they have done
  • and explain how they influenced you

Education and learning

Part 1 questions

  • What subject did you enjoy most at school?
  • Are you learning anything new at the moment?
  • Do you prefer learning alone or in a group?
  • What is the best way to learn a language?

Part 3 discussion

  • Should university education be free?
  • Is exam performance a good measure of ability?
  • Will online learning replace classrooms?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a skill you learned that was difficult at first.

You should say:

  • what the skill is
  • when you learned it
  • why it was difficult
  • and explain how you eventually managed it

Environment and change

Part 1 questions

  • Do you recycle at home?
  • Is there much green space where you live?
  • Has the weather changed where you live?
  • Do you prefer to walk or take transport?

Part 3 discussion

  • Whose responsibility is it to tackle pollution — individuals or governments?
  • Are people willing to change their habits for environmental reasons?
  • Is economic growth compatible with protecting the environment?

Part 2 cue card

Describe a change you would like to see in your city.

You should say:

  • what the change is
  • who it would affect
  • how difficult it would be
  • and explain why it matters to you

Say one of these out loud

Pick any cue card above, take your minute, and talk for two. The examiner asks the Part 3 follow-ups afterwards and you get a band estimate on each criterion.

Start a speaking mock

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IELTS speaking topics — FAQ

Are these the exact IELTS speaking questions for this month?
No, and treat any site that says it has them with suspicion. IELTS speaking questions are not published, and topic lists circulate from candidate recall, which is partial and often wrong. What is stable is the topic areas — work, hometown, technology, travel, food, people, education, environment come round constantly — so preparing across those is the real preparation. Memorising a specific question list is not.
Should I memorise answers to these topics?
No. Memorised answers are explicitly penalised, and examiners are trained to spot them — the giveaway is a shift in fluency and register when you reach the rehearsed section. What is worth preparing is vocabulary and one or two concrete examples per topic area, so you have something specific to reach for rather than a script to recite.
How long should a Part 2 answer be?
One to two minutes, and you should be aiming to still be talking when you are stopped. Finishing at forty seconds is one of the most common ways to cap the fluency and coherence score, because a short answer gives the examiner nothing to assess. Use the preparation minute to plan an ending you can stretch, not a list of points to get through.
What should I do in the one-minute preparation time?
Write four or five words, not sentences — one per bullet on the cue card, plus a specific detail for each. The bullets are prompts, not requirements, and you will not be marked down for skipping one. A concrete example that lets you keep talking is worth more than covering all four points briefly.
How are Part 1 and Part 3 different?
Part 1 asks about you and wants short, personal answers with a reason attached. Part 3 asks about society and wants developed arguments with concessions and examples. Answering Part 3 questions in Part 1 style — two sentences and stop — is what keeps competent speakers at band 6.

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