Tricky or strange IELTS part 1 speaking topics.

Updated: September 2023

Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test is actually the easiest. The topics are always about you and your experiences. Usually, the topics are pretty easy everyday topics such as job, studies, hobbies, accommodation, travel, hometown, music, daily routine, pets and so on. The examiner asks between 9 to 12 questions based around 3 topics and this part of the test lasts around 5 minutes.

However, the examiner will often ask you questions around an unusual topic. This is quite normal as the examiner wants to check whether you have memorised answers to the most common topics and needs to evaluate your true ability. Do not memorise stock answers as the examiner is trained to spot these and you could lose marks.

18 commonly asked questions about the IELTS speaking test.

Updated: September 2023.

There is a lot of misinformation, wrong advice, and myths out there surrounding IELTS writing and speaking, so hopefully, this blog post should help clear up any confusion before you go into the IELTS exam. This post goes over common misconceptions and common questions about the speaking part of IELTS. Click on the blue buttons to see the answers to the questions.

If there are any questions not listed or if you have any suggestions, leave a comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I will try to answer them for you.

Unusual IELTS speaking part 1 topics

Tricky or strange IELTS part 1 speaking topics.

Common questions about IELTS speaking

18 commonly asked questions about the IELTS speaking test.