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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 6: Food

How important is food to you? Try this IELTS speaking practice test with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.


IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Is that your typical breakfast?

Do you watch your diet carefully?

How important is food to you?

Who cooks usually in your family?

Are you a good cook?


IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe a dish you like to cook.

You should say:

The name of the dish

How you make it

If you use any special ingredients

And explain if this is a popular dish in your country.


Follow-up question: How many times a year do you cook it?


IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Give your opinion on these food-related issues. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Food wastage

Do we waste too much food?

What can be done to reduce the amount of food we waste?

Would you eat food that was past its expiry date?

Obesity

Is obesity a major problem in your society?

Who is to blame for childhood obesity?

Some people say that seriously obese people should pay more to travel on planes. What’s your opinion?


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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 4: Marriage

Describe your wedding! Try these IELTS speaking sample questions with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.


IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

Why are you taking the IELTS test?

How do you feel about today’s test?

Where do you live?

How many people live in your house?

Would you like to spend your whole life with one person?

How important is marriage to you?


IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe your wedding or a wedding you would like to have.

You should say:

Where the wedding takes place

Which guests are invited

What happens during the ceremony

And say if there is anything unusual about your wedding.


Follow-up question: Who planned or would plan your wedding?


IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about weddings and marriage. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Weddings

What presents are suitable for a wedding in your country?

Do you think money spent on a wedding is wasted?

Why do non-religious people choose to get married in churches?

Marriage

How long should a couple wait before getting married?

What is the secret of a successful marriage?

Should unhappy couples get divorced?

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 3: Family

How large or small is your family? Try this IELTS Speaking practice test with a partner or practice IELTS speaking online with an instructor. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS Speaking practice test for classroom use.


IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

How large or small is your family?

What do you do together as a family?

Who are you closest to in your family?

Is yours a typical family?

Are there many different types of family in your country?


IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe a famous family in your country

You should say:

Who the family members are

How you know about them

Whether they get on well together

And say if you would like to be a member of this family


Follow-up question: Does your family resemble this one in any way?


IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Give your opinion on some family issues. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Family members

What characteristics do elder siblings often have?

Is it better to grow up in a small family or a large extended family?

What role do grandparents play in a family?

Family values

Which are more important: family or friends?

What do you think about single parent families?

Should people be more accepting of alternative family types?


Next: Practice IELTS Speaking with a Teacher

IELTS TeacherWould you like to practice IELTS Speaking online with an experienced teacher? Discover your current IELTS score based on the four criteria of fluency, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Improve your technique while building confidence before the real test! To view available times and prices, go to IELTS Speaking Practice Test with Feedback».


 

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IELTS Listening Practice Tests TED x IELTS

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 3

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 3: Why Is ‘X’ the Unknown?

Try these IELTS listening practice questions based on a TED talk about the letter X in mathematics. Take one minute first to read through the questions before you listen. You can also download these questions as a PDF.


Questions 1-5 (Summary completion) Write no more than one word for each answer. 

The Arabic language is extremely 1. _________________________. Because each part of a sentence is very precise and informative, constructing a sentence in Arabic is bit like writing an 2. _________________________. This partly explains many so-called Western sciences such as mathematics and 3. _________________________ actually have their origins in the Middle East. For example, the English word ‘algebra’ has Arabic roots. Many kinds of Middle-Eastern wisdom arrived in Europe via 4. _________________________, where they were first translated. However, certain Arabic sounds can’t be pronounced by Europeans without a great deal of practice. They also can’t easily be written using existing European 5. _________________________.


Questions 6-10 (Matching). Match the following statements with the letter or symbol they refer to.

6. It was familiar to Spanish mathematicians. _____

7. It was eventually replaced by another letter. _____

8. It was known throughout Europe. _____

9. It has been in use for nearly six centuries. _____

10. It is unpronounceable in Spanish. _____

  • A. The mathematical symbol X
  • B. The Arabic letter SHeen
  • C. The Greek letter Kai
  • D. The Latin letter X

Make sure you check spelling carefully before you check the answers.


Teacher’s Note

This is the kind of talk you might hear in Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test, a lecture on an abstract or academic topic. In this case, not only is the subject unfamiliar, but you need to do a lot of reading while you listen. This will be a real test of your multitasking skills! If you’re not good at reading and listening at the same time, you could try taking notes instead and then looking at the questions later. I wouldn’t usually recommend this strategy, but it could be effective during a summary completion task like Questions 1-5 above.


Further Practice

Want more IELTS Listening practice? Check out similar posts here.

Using this IELTS Listening practice in a real classroom? You may want to try these follow-up questions with your students.


This is an unofficial educational use of a TED talk. For official learning materials based around TED content, please visit the TED-ed website.


 

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IELTS Listening Practice Tests TED x IELTS

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 1

TED x IELTS Listening Practice 1: Why Videos Go Viral

Try these IELTS listening practice questions based on a popular TED talk about viral content on YouTube. Take one minute first to read through the questions. You can also download these questions as a PDF.


QUESTIONS 1-2 (Sentence completion) Write no more than three words for each answer.

Web video now means that anyone can become famous very quickly.

Over 48 hours of video appear on YouTube 1. ________________________.

Only a tiny percentage of videos goes viral and becomes a cultural moment.

The key factors in creating a viral are tastemakers, 2. ________________________ and unexpectedness.


QUESTIONS 3-10 (Note completion) Write no more than three words for each answer.

BEAR VASQUEZ

“Double rainbow” video viewed 3. ________________________ during 2010.

Video first became popular during the summer.

Creator didn’t intend to make a viral; he just wanted to 4. ________________________ a rainbow.

Video had actually been uploaded in 5. ________________________ but only became popular after tastemaker Jimmy Kimmel posted a link on Twitter.

REBECCA BLACK

Song “Friday” has been viewed almost 200 million times.

Viewing peaks all occurred on 6. ________________________.

Its popularity may have begun with a joke about the video on Twitter.

7. ________________________ of “Friday” have been uploaded to YouTube.

Viral videos are born when online communities spread or do something new with content.

“NYAN CAT”

Looped animation has been viewed nearly 50 million times.

YouTube users began creating different versions of the video.

Whole 8. ________________________ emerged that transformed “Nyan Cat” from a simple joke to a participatory movement.

CASEY NIESTAT

Made a unique video to protest bicycle fines in New York.

Made his point using 9. ________________________ and ________________________.

Video has now been seen 10. ________________________.


Make sure you check spelling carefully before you check the answers.


Teacher’s Note

This is the kind of lecture you might hear in Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test – though this one includes visual content that you will not find in the real exam. Notice that in this example, there are no multiple choice questions. For all ten questions, you must complete the gaps in the sentences and notes with missing words. It’s very important to check not only spelling but also that the words fit the sentence grammatically. Sometimes in IELTS Listening you may need to adjust the speaker’s words to make them fit the question, for example by changing a verb to a noun.


Further Practice

Want more IELTS Listening practice? Check out similar posts here.

Using this IELTS Listening practice in a real classroom? You may want to try these follow-up questions with your students.


This is an unofficial educational use of a TED talk. For official learning materials based around TED content, please visit the TED-ed website.


 

 

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Classroom Resources Free Downloads IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 2: Work

Do you have a job right now? Try this IELTS Speaking practice test with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.


IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

Do you have a job right now?

What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

What qualifications are required for this job?

How many hours would you like to work each week?

Do you consider it important to have a career?


IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe a job that you consider highly important

You should say:

what the job is

what the job involves

why it is important

and explain if people who do this job are appreciated enough by society


Follow-up question: Would you consider doing this job yourself?


IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Let’s talk about some issues related to work. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Jobs in your country

What jobs are most popular among young people these days?

Are there enough jobs for people who want to do this kind of work?

Is it easier to change jobs now than in the past?

Careers

Do people usually choose the right career?

Is it a good idea to leave a secure job in order to pursue a dream?

What career advice should be given to young people?


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Classroom Resources Free Downloads IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 1: Childhood

What kind of child were you? Try this IELTS speaking practice test with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.


IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

Where did you grow up?

Was that a good place to grow up?

What do you remember most about growing up?

What kind of child were you?

Did you ever get into trouble at home or school?

Do you miss anything about your childhood?


IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe your best friend during childhood.

You should say:

who the person was

why you became friends

what you used to do together

and explain if you keep in touch with your friend now.


Follow-up question: Would you like to go back to your childhood?


IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Answer these questions about childhood. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Childhood friends

Do children find it easy to make friends?

Why do some people grow apart from their childhood friends?

Is it better for children to have a few close friends, or many?

Childhood changes

Has the image of childhood changed in your country?

At what age do children become adults?

Do you think children should be treated the same as adults?