IELTS Speaking Sample Questions and Answers

IELTS Speaking part 1, part 2 and part 3 questions answered

Here is a Full IELTS Speaking Exam, part 1, part 2, and part 3, with all the questions answered. Bear in mind that these questions were taken from previous exams and that the answers are sample responses, so do not memorize them, use them as guides to study for your speaking exam.

IELTS Speaking part 1 questions: COOKING

Did you learn to cook when you were a child?

Yes, I did. I used to go to my grandma’s every Saturday and we would prepare our meal together. She taught me how to make homemade spaghetti and gnocchi from scratch and I’ve been cooking those dishes for my family ever since.

Do you often bake?

I never bake, actually. I am not the most dedicated baker and I’ve faced a few cake disasters, so I prefer buying cakes or pastries to baking them myself. In this way, everybody is happy.

What type of things are baked in your country?

Pastries mainly. People in my country tend to eat pastries and croissants for breakfast, so I’d say that those are the most popular foods baked in my country.  Besides, there are tons of bakeries everywhere, working 24/7, to satisfy our cravings for carbs.   

Is baking popular in your country?

Definitely. There is always a member of the family that is a baker or knows their way around the kitchen. Argentines have a sweet tooth so every time we pay a visit to a friend or a family member, we take some homemade pies or cookies to eat together. We never arrive empty-handed.

Do you think baking is a healthy method of cooking?

This is a tricky question. I believe that baking is beneficial for our mental health, but what we bake might not be healthy at all. So, if we just focus on the actual process of baking, we can find it relaxing and rewarding in the end, and, in that sense, I’d say it is healthy. However, it also depends on what we bake and the ingredients we use.

Do you prefer eating home-cooked meals to eating out?

I’d rather eat home-cooked meals, especially if my mum makes them. Homemade food tastes better than restaurant food because the ingredients used are carefully chosen and we definitely know what we put on our dishes. We can also personalize them depending on our likes and dislikes.

IELTS Speaking part 2 question: A GIFT

I remember that when my mum turned 60, 2 years ago, my brother and I decided to get her a present together, in that way, we would have more money and we would be able to afford something more expensive and memorable. But everything turned out to be a nightmare since we weren’t able to agree on any gift or like each other’s ideas.

A couple of weeks before her actual birthday, we contacted an artist from our hometown and asked her to paint a portrait of our dog, Pirate. However, when my brother first came up with this idea, I didn’t like it because I thought a painting of our dog was a petty present for our mother’s 60^th birthday.

We started arguing nonstop about it and I wasn’t able to come up with a better gift idea. I had spent many hours doing research online, trying to find the perfect present for my mother, but nothing seemed to be good enough or appropriate for her. So, I decided to go over her stuff, but, unfortunately, she caught me sniffing around and got furious. She actually thought I was trying to steal from her, which is hilarious now.

While I was indecisive and pointlessly looking for a thoughtful gift, weeks went by and we still had no present for my mum. So, my brother decided to introduce me to the artist so that I could become familiar with her work and change my mind for good.  Surprisingly, that worked since I fell in love with her artwork and dug every piece she had ever painted.

It was at that moment that we decided to go with the painting, but we were running out of time since my mum’s birthday was approaching, so she had to step up to the game and get the portrait done faster than she had thought. Fortunately, she pulled it off and it came out beautifully. My mother was thrilled and excited, she loved the painting so much that she hung it right away.

Personally, I loved the portrait of Pirate because he has been in our family for many years now and he is actually my mother’s favorite. My brother’s gift idea was right from the beginning because it was thoughtful, original, and unique, and my mother can’t get enough of it. Nowadays, I’d say that the painting was the perfect gift, and I think it was the best present she has ever received.

IELTS Speaking part 3 questions: GIFTS

Why is it difficult to give people gifts?

There are many things that we need to have in mind when we are buying a gift for someone. In fact, we need to be familiar with their personality and their taste in order to come up with an appropriate gift. That is why it is really difficult to give people gifts, mainly if we want to give them something thoughtful and daring. Otherwise, we fall into the category of pointless presents, which are gifts we actually wouldn’t like to receive and we can tell by the person’s look that they didn’t like it either.

Are women better at giving gifts than men?

Definitely. Women tend to get more involved in the gift selection process, they think about the receiver’s taste, needs, and style. That is probably what makes them better at choosing the right present for any person, regardless of their gender. They are also more sensitive to the other’s needs and wishes and are able to get into the receiver’s mindset. They try to express their love and care through the present. On the other hand, men are much simpler, they just pick random things they think are appropriate and many times they end up showing up empty-handed.

What kind of gifts do people like to give in your country?

I’d say it depends on the age of the person receiving the gift. In my country, people tend to give toys or clothes to little children and money to teenagers and young adults. Money is actually a very popular gift in my country since people tend to receive large sums for their birthdays, weddings, or their first communion or bar mitzvah, but also as a housewarming gift. It is an easy way out that leaves everybody happy because the giver can avoid the ordeal of finding the perfect gift, and the receiver can do as they please with that money.

Is it important to give gifts to someone that’s important to them?

Of course, it is. People in my country believe that presents are a way of showing love and appreciation. The closer they are, the better the gifts. Some people tend to spend more money on gifts for others than things for themselves. Plane tickets, romantic getaways and, even cars are very popular ways of demonstrating love in my culture so people might receive these types of presents from their loved ones. For instance, my father bought me my first plane ticket to Thailand as a birthday gift and I felt over the moon. This was his way of showing that he loved me and supported me no matter what I wanted to do.

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