IELTS Speaking Part 1 is the first section of the IELTS speaking test, which includes Part 2 and Part 3. In Part 1, the examiner asks 4–6 general questions on familiar topics. This section lasts 4–5 minutes and aims to evaluate your ability to communicate clearly and naturally in English.
The IELTS Speaking Part 1 is a crucial component of the IELTS exam. The IELTS 2025 speaking part 1 is designed to assess your ability to communicate effectively in English about familiar topics. Candidates can expect a variety of introduction questions that allow them to showcase their language skills during the IELTS speaking part 1 introduction questions. The common Introduction Questions for IELTS Speaking Part 1 include questions from Personal Information, Work and Study, Hobbies and Interests, and more.
The examiner will introduce themselves, ask for your name, and request to see your identification. Then, they will ask questions about familiar topics related to your personal life, hobbies, and interests. Expect around 12–13 questions from three different topics.
In addition to practicing IELTS Speaking Part 1 with answers, understanding the scoring criteria is essential. The IELTS Speaking Part 1 introduction questions band focuses on fluency, coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and pronunciation. Candidates should aim to provide clear and detailed responses while maintaining a natural conversational style.
- IELTS Speaking Common Question Types
- What Happens in IELTS Speaking Part 1?
- IELTS Speaking Introduction
- IELTS Speaking Part 1
- IELTS Speaking Part 1 Tips
- IELTS Paper Format
IELTS Speaking Common Question Types
Expect different types of questions, including:
- Yes/No Questions: Give a short answer and add some details.
- Preference-Based Questions: Share your opinions or preferences.
- Habitual Question: Discuss your daily routines or habits.
What Happens in IELTS Speaking Part 1?
- The examiner greets you and checks your ID
- Then they ask 8 to 10 simple questions
- Topics include:
- Your name
- Where are you from
- Study or work
- Your hobbies or daily life
IELTS Speaking Introduction
Intro Questions IELTS: Let us understand the IELTS speaking format. The IELTS speaking section is divided into three parts. It takes around 11-14 minutes for the entire IELTS section to be completed. The table given below will help you understand the breakdown of the IELTS speaking section:
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| IELTS Speaking Part | Details | Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Speaking Part 1 |
|
4-5 minutes |
| IELTS Speaking Part 2 |
|
3-4 minutes |
| IELTS Speaking Part 3 |
|
4-5 minutes |
IELTS Speaking Part 1
Intro Question IELTS: Now that we have covered the IELTS test format and IELTS speaking format in brief, we can delve a little deeper into IELTS Speaking Part 1 or IELTS introduction. IELTS Speaking Part 1 begins with a formal interaction between the examiner and the candidate. IELTS introduction questions and answers begin something like this:
- Examiner: Hello, please take a seat.
- Examiner: This is the speaking test for the International English Language Testing System, held on the 1st of January. The candidate is Angela Jones, candidate number 123456, and the examiner is Jason Smith, number 545454.
- Examiner: Good afternoon, my name is Jason Smith.
- Candidate: Good afternoon.
- Examiner: Can you tell me your full name, please?
- Candidate: Yes, it is Angela Jones.
- Examiner: Thank you. And what should I call you?
- Candidate: Please call me Angela.
- Examiner: Where are you from Angela?
- Candidate: I am from Italy.
- Examiner: Can I see your identification please, Angela?
- Candidate: Sure, here is my passport.
- Examiner: Thank you. In this first part of the test, I am going to ask you some questions about yourself. Now Angela, do you work or are you a student?
- Candidate: I am a student.
- Examiner: What are you studying?
- Candidate: Currently, I am pursuing my bachelor’s in economics.
The conversation then carries on between the examiner and the candidate. Candidates need to note that there are certain IELTS Speaking Part Topics and Questions that are often repeated. IELTS introduction questions tend to revolve around some common topics or themes. A candidate need not memorize all of them, however, getting a broad idea about these common topics will help you coherently arrange your thoughts and ideas.
Check: IELTS Exam Registration: Step to Register for IELTS Exam, Slot Booking & Test Centres
IELTS Speaking Part 1 Common Topics
As mentioned earlier, IELTS introduction questions revolve around certain common topics or themes. The table given below provides certain IELTS Speaking Part 1 topics:
| IELTS Speaking Part 1 Common Topics |
||
|---|---|---|
| Study |
Work/ Profession |
Hometown/ Birthplace |
| Home |
Family |
Friends |
| Computer/ Technology |
Weather |
Birthday |
| Childhood |
Gifts |
Daily Routine |
| Leisure Time |
Food |
Hobbies |
| Pets |
Music |
Sports |
| Reading |
Travelling |
Culture |
IELTS Introduction Questions
Intro Questions IELTS: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions are based on certain themes and topics that we have mentioned above. Candidates need to understand that there can various types of questions that can be asked on a particular topic. In the table given below, we have covered some common IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions based on the most common themes:
| IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics |
Introduction Questions for IELTS |
|---|---|
| Study |
|
| Work |
|
| Home |
|
| Birthday |
|
| Food |
|
Check: Books for IELTS Preparation: Check Study Material For IELTS Exams
IELTS Speaking Part 1 Tips
Here are a few tips for the candidates that will help them prepare and score well on the IELTS Speaking Part 1 test:
- Practice: Make sure to go through the IELTS introduction questions and answers. However, you should avoid memorizing them. In addition, you can listen to good podcasts and English news channels. Do not forget to practice and record yourself. It will help you understand where you lack in your approach and will help you organize your thoughts and ideas.
- Be Original: Candidates must realize that they cannot memorize certain words and phrases and expect to score above 7.0 on the IELTS. Developing your speaking skills will take time. You must practice continuously. Moreover, the examiner should not feel as if you are regurgitating memorized answers. Your answers should be organic and must have coherence.
- Vocabulary: Make sure to improve your vocabulary. When it comes to vocabulary, you should not bank upon a “top 5 words” or “top 10 words”; rather, you must understand the usage of those words. Your conversation should not seem memorized and unnatural.
- Pronunciation and Accent: You must focus on clarity and context, rather than a made-up accent. The examiner should be able to understand what you are trying to convey without putting in an effort.
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IELTS Paper Format
Before starting our main discussion about IELTS introduction questions and answers, or IELTS Speaking Part 1, candidates should understand the IELTS pattern first. A brief overview of the IELTS pattern/IELTS Paper Format is given below:
- IELTS Listening: It consists of 40 Questions spread over 4 Sections. One mark will be awarded for each question.
- IELTS Reading: Academic and General Reading: Both of these consist of 40 Questions spread over 3 Sections. One mark will be awarded for each question.
- IELTS Writing: Academic and General Writing: Both of these include 2 tasks. IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same for both the Academic and General Training modules. However, IELTS Writing Task 1 differs for both. On the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, students are presented with a graph, table, chart, diagram, or process, whereas on the IELTS General Writing Task 1 module, a candidate is supposed to write an informal/semi-formal/formal letter. Score evaluation of each task will be carried out individually.
- IELTS Speaking: It consists of 3 sections that include an introduction, a Cue Card, and finally a discussion.
The above IELTS paper format can be summarized in the form of a table given below:
| Task |
Questions |
Time |
|---|---|---|
| Listening |
40 Questions (4 Sections) |
30 Minutes + 10 Minutes to transfer answers to sheets |
| Reading Academic |
40 Questions (3 Sections) |
60 Minutes |
| Reading General |
40 Questions (3 Sections) |
60 Minutes |
| Writing Academic |
2 Tasks (Graphs + Essay) |
60 Minutes |
| Writing General |
2 Tasks (Letter + Essay) |
60 Minutes |
| Speaking |
3 Sections (Introduction + Cue Card + Discussion) |
11-14 Minutes |
IELTS Speaking section consists of three parts. Part 1 includes an introduction and interview, part 2 includes individual long turns (also called Cue Card), and part 3 is a two-way discussion between the candidate and the examiner. Overall length of the IELTS speaking section is 11-14 minutes.
There is no most repeated question in IELTS. But some common topics come again and again. In IELTS Speaking, you may talk about family, hobbies, future plans. In IELTS Writing, you may see topics like environment problems or technology.
The question types are also same style:
- Listening: multiple-choice, matching, sentence fill
- Reading: True/False/Not Given, match headings, summary complete
- Writing: essay on simple topics
- Speaking: self-introduction, daily life talks
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IELTS Speaking is one the most scoring modules of the IELTS exam. It is not so difficult to perform well in the IELTS Speaking questions if you follow certain rules and do's and don’ts. For more information, click here.