IELTS Speaking Topics May–August 2026 — Current Question Bank

How to use this bank

The official IELTS band descriptors — published by both IDP and the British Council — state that rehearsed-sounding answers directly affect your Fluency and Coherence score. Examiners are specifically trained to recognise prepared language. When they hear it, your score reflects it. Use this bank to build familiarity, not to prepare answers. Go through each topic. Make sure you have one or two genuine thoughts ready. That is all you need.

Always Asked Current Reserved

Part 1 lasts 4–5 minutes. The examiner asks short questions on familiar, everyday topics. You should aim for 2–4 sentences per answer — enough to show range without turning it into a speech. The topics below cover the full pool for the current season.

Always Asked — every exam, every season

These five topic areas appear in every single IELTS Speaking test, regardless of season. Prepare them first — they are guaranteed. The examiner opens every test by confirming your name, then moves into at least one of these areas before the season-specific topics begin.

Your Name

The examiner confirms your full name and checks your ID at the start of every test.

Study & Work

Are you studying or working? Why did you choose it? Is it interesting? What do you use technology for?

Hometown

Where are you from? How long have you lived there? Do you like it? Would you stay there in the future?

Accommodation

Do you live in a house or a flat? Which room do you like best? Who do you live with?

The Area You Live In

Do you like your area? What has changed recently? What do you find interesting about where you live?

Current — active this season (May–August 2026)

Current Food

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1.What is your favourite food?
2.What kind of food did you like when you were young?
3.Do you eat different foods at different times of the year?
4.Has your favourite food changed since you were a child?

Current Pets and Animals

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1.What is your favourite animal? Why?
2.Where do you prefer to keep your pet — indoors or outdoors?
3.Have you ever had a pet before?
4.What is the most popular animal in your country?

Current Sports Team

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1.Have you ever been part of a sports team?
2.Is team sport popular in your country?
3.Do you like watching team games? Why?
4.What are the differences between team sports and individual sports?

Current Walking

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1.Do you walk a lot?
2.Did you often go outside for a walk when you were a child?
3.Why do people like to walk in parks?
4.Where would you like to take a long walk if you had the chance?
5.Where did you go for a walk recently?

Current Reading

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1.Do you like reading?
2.Do you prefer to read on paper or on a screen?
3.When do you need to read carefully, and when not?
4.Do you prefer scanning or detailed reading?

Current Morning Time & Daily Routine

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1.Do you like getting up early in the morning?
2.What do you usually do in the morning?
3.What is your daily study or work routine?
4.Have you ever changed your routine?
5.Do you spend your mornings differently on weekdays and weekends?
6.What part of your day do you like best?

Current Gifts

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1.Have you ever sent handmade gifts to others?
2.Have you ever received a gift that meant a lot to you?
3.What do you think about when choosing a gift for someone?
4.Do you think you are good at choosing gifts?
5.What gift have you received recently?

Current Hobbies

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1.Do you have any hobbies?
2.Did you have any hobbies when you were a child?
3.Do you have a hobby that you have had since childhood?
4.Do you share any hobbies with your family members?

Current Typing

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1.Do you prefer typing or handwriting?
2.Do you type on a keyboard every day?
3.When did you learn how to type?
4.How do you improve your typing speed?

Current Childhood Activities

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1.What are your favourite activities now?
2.What were your favourite activities when you were a child?
3.Did you prefer to do activities alone or with a group when you were young?

Current Buildings

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1.Are there tall buildings near your home?
2.Do you take photos of buildings?
3.Is there a building you would like to visit?
4.Do you want to live in a tall building?

Current Scenery & Views

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1.Do you look out the window at the scenery when travelling?
2.Do you prefer mountains or the sea?
3.Do you like taking photos of scenery?
4.What are the most beautiful sights you have seen while travelling?
5.Do you prefer views in cities or in the countryside?

Current Life Stages

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1.What did you often do with your friends in your childhood?
2.What do you think is most important to you at the moment?
3.Do you have any plans for the next five years?
4.Do you enjoy being the age you are now?
5.At what age do you think people are the happiest?

Current Day Off

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1.When was the last time you had a few days off?
2.What do you usually do when you have days off?
3.Do you usually spend your days off with family or friends?
4.What would you like to do if you had a day off tomorrow?

Current Arts

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1.Do you like art?
2.Do you like visiting art galleries?
3.Do you like drawing?
4.Do you prefer modern art or traditional art?
5.What are the differences between old and modern art?

Current Carrying Things

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1.When you go out, what do you usually carry with you?
2.What do you do if something you need to carry is very heavy?
3.Do you carry different things depending on where you are going?
4.Is there a difference between what you carry in the morning and in the evening?

Current Dreams & Ambitions

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1.Can you remember the dreams you had while sleeping?
2.Do you share your dreams with others?
3.What was your dream job when you were young?
4.Do you think you are an ambitious person?
5.Have you changed your mind about your dream job?

Current Noisy and Quiet Places

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1.Do you like quiet or noisy places?
2.What are some sounds you enjoy?
3.What kinds of noise do you hear in your daily life?
4.Is noise louder in cities or in the countryside?
5.Would you choose a quiet or noisy place to spend your free time?

Current Keys

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1.Do you always carry a lot of keys with you?
2.Have you ever lost your keys?
3.Do you often forget your keys and lock yourself out?
4.Do you think it is a good idea to leave a spare key with a neighbour?

Reserved — carried over from the previous season

These topics were active last season and have been retained. They still appear in the current pool — estimated at around 10–20% probability per topic. Worth reviewing, but prioritise the Current topics above.

ReservedPlants

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1.Do you keep plants at home?
2.What plant did you grow when you were young?
3.Do you know anything about growing plants?
4.Do people in your country send plants as gifts?

ReservedShoes

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1.Do you like buying shoes? How often?
2.Have you ever bought shoes online?
3.How much do you usually spend on shoes?
4.Do you prefer fashionable shoes or comfortable shoes?
5.What is your favourite type of shoes?

ReservedRules

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1.Are there rules for students at your school?
2.Do you think students benefit from having more rules?
3.What rules did your teachers set when you were a child?
4.Do you prefer to have more or fewer rules in your daily life?

ReservedPublic Places

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1.Have you ever talked with a stranger in a public place?
2.Do you wear headphones in public places?
3.Would you like to see more public places near where you live?
4.Do you often go to public places with your friends?

ReservedCrowded Places

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1.Is the city where you live crowded?
2.Is there a crowded place near where you live?
3.Do you like crowded places?
4.When was the last time you were in a crowded place?
5.Do most people like crowded places?

ReservedGoing Out & Cash

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1.Do you bring food or snacks when you go out?
2.Do you always take your phone when you go out?
3.Do you often carry cash with you?
4.How often do you use cash?

ReservedSpending Time with Older People

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1.Have you ever worked with older people?
2.Are you happy to work with people older than you?
3.What are the benefits of spending time with older people?
4.Do you enjoy spending time with older people?

ReservedDoing Something Well

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1.Can you think of a time when you did something really well?
2.Has a teacher or colleague ever told you that you did a good job?
3.Do you tell your friends when they do something well?

ReservedGrowing Vegetables & Fruits

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1.Are you interested in growing vegetables and fruits?
2.Is growing vegetables popular in your country?
3.Do you think it is easy to grow vegetables?
4.Should schools teach students how to grow vegetables?

ReservedChatting

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1.Do you like chatting with friends?
2.What do you usually chat about?
3.Do you prefer chatting in a group or one-to-one?
4.Do you prefer face-to-face conversation or messaging?
5.When was the last time you had a long conversation with someone?

ReservedBorrowing & Lending

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1.Have you ever borrowed money from others?
2.Have you borrowed books from others?
3.Do you like lending things to others?
4.How do you feel when people do not return things they borrowed?

ReservedAdvertisements

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1.Is there an advertisement that made a strong impression on you as a child?
2.Do you see a lot of advertising on public transport?
3.Do you like advertisements?
4.What kind of advertising do you find most effective?
5.What do you do when an advertisement appears while you are online?

ReservedMuseums

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1.Do you think museums are important?
2.Are there many museums in your hometown?
3.Do you often visit museums?
4.When was the last time you visited a museum?

ReservedHappy Things

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1.Is there anything that has made you feel happy recently?
2.What made you happy when you were a child?
3.Do you feel happy when you buy new things?
4.Do you prefer to watch happy or sad films?

ReservedTaking a Break

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1.How often do you take a break during the day?
2.What do you usually do when you rest?
3.Do you take naps?
4.How do you feel after taking a nap?

ReservedFriends

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1.Do you have a friend you have known for a long time?
2.What do you usually do with your friends?
3.Do you prefer to spend time with one friend or a group?
4.How important are friends to you?
5.Would you invite friends to your home?

ReservedWeekends

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1.Do you like weekends?
2.What do you usually do at the weekend?
3.What did you do last weekend?
4.Do you plan your weekends in advance?

ReservedMemory

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1.Are you good at remembering things?
2.Have you ever forgotten something important?
3.What do you need to remember in your daily life?
4.How do you remember important things?

ReservedText Messages

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1.How often do you send text messages?
2.Is messaging popular in your country?
3.Did you send more messages when you were younger?
4.Do you reply to messages as soon as you receive them?

Part 2 and Part 3 are directly connected — the discussion in Part 3 always grows out of your Part 2 cue card topic. That is why they are listed together below, exactly as they appear in the real exam. Each card shows the full Part 2 prompt plus the Part 3 follow-up questions the examiner may ask.

For Part 2: write one keyword per bullet point during your preparation minute. For Part 3: you are expected to analyse and give opinions — not just personal answers.

Current — active this season (May–August 2026)

Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member

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