How long should Part 1 answers be?

Usually two to four sentences, around 10 to 20 seconds. The examiner will move on when needed.

Does Part 1 affect my band score?

Yes. Your speaking band is based on the whole test, including Part 1.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Common Topics and How to Answer Naturally

Common IELTS Speaking Part 1 topics like work, study, hometown and hobbies, with an easy way to extend answers and mistakes that keep scores low.

By IELTSora teaching team · Updated 5 November 2026 · 2 min read

What happens in Part 1

Part 1 lasts about four to five minutes. After checking your identity, the examiner asks questions about familiar topics: your work or studies, your home, and two or three everyday topics. It is a warm-up, but it is still scored on all four criteria.

Topics that come up often

You cannot predict exact questions, but these everyday areas appear regularly, so it helps to have vocabulary ready:

Work or studies, and why you chose them.
Your hometown or the area where you live.
Free time, hobbies, music, films and reading.
Food, weather, transport, shopping and technology in daily life.
Friends, family celebrations and festivals.

The answer, reason, detail method

Answer directly, give a reason, then add one detail or example. Two to four sentences is usually right for Part 1. One-word answers limit your score, but very long speeches are unnecessary here.

Example

Q: Do you like cooking?

A: Yes, quite a lot, although I only cook at weekends. It relaxes me after a busy week, and I've recently started trying recipes from YouTube, mostly simple curries.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not answer with memorised paragraphs, do not change the topic to something you prepared, and do not use very formal written words in casual answers. Natural, accurate everyday language scores better than rare words used wrongly.

Frequently asked questions

How long should Part 1 answers be?: Usually two to four sentences, around 10 to 20 seconds. The examiner will move on when needed.
Does Part 1 affect my band score?: Yes. Your speaking band is based on the whole test, including Part 1.

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