IELTS | Test Takers - Speaking sample - part 1

In the Speaking test, you have a discussion with a certified Examiner. It is interactive and as close to a real-life situation as a test can get.

The test is 11 to 14 minutes long with three parts. In Part 1, you answer questions about yourself and your family. In Part 2, you speak about a topic. In Part 3, you have a longer discussion on the topic.

There are three parts to the test and each part fulfils a specific function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and candidate output.

The Speaking test is the same for both Academic and General Training tests.

Speaking sample task – Part 1
Part 1 Introduction and interview
[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and
checking the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview.]
Let’s talk about your home town or village.
• What kind of place is it?
• What’s the most interesting part of your town/village?
• What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
• Would you say it’s a good place to live? (Why?)
Let’s move on to talk about accommodation.
• Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?
• How long have you lived there?
• What do you like about living there?
• What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

Speaking sample task – Part 1 transcript
Part 1 Introduction and interview
[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and
checking the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview.]
Transcript
Examiner: Now, in this first part, I’d like to ask you some more questions about yourself, OK?
Let’s talk about your home town or village. What kind of place is it?
Candidate: It’s quite a small village, about 20km from Zurich. And it’s very quiet. And we have only little ... two little shops because most of the people work in Zurich or are orientated to the city.
Examiner: What’s the most interesting part of this place ... village?
Candidate: On the top of a hill we have a little castle which is very old and quite well known in Switzerland.
Examiner: What kind of jobs do people in the village do?
Candidate: We have some farmers in the village as well as people who work in Zurich as bankers or journalists or there are also teachers and some doctors, some medicines.
Examiner: Would you say it’s a good place to live?
Candidate: Yes. Although it is very quiet, it is … people are friendly and I would say it is a good place to live there, yes.
Examiner: Let’s move on to talk about accommodation. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in ...