The first part of the speaking test involves introductions and talking about something familiar in life.

Note: before the test begins the examiner will ask to see your ID.

Possible topics

You

What do you enjoy doing?
How would you describe yourself?
What do you think are your strong and weak points?

Current Studies

Are you a student?
What is your major?
What do you most like about your school/university?
What kind of job would you like to do after you graduate?

Job

What do you do for a living?
How did you get your job?
Are you satisfied with your job?
What do you like most about your job?
Describe a typical day.
How long have you worked in this job?
What are the benefits and disadvantages of your job?
If you didn’t do this job, what would you like to do?

Family

How many people are in your family?
How often do you see your relatives?
What do your parents do?
Do you have any children?
Is there anything special your family does together?

Friends

Tell me about your best friend.
What sort of things do you and your friends do together?
Who is your oldest friend?
How do you usually meet new people?
What would you do if a friend disappointed you?

Dating

What is a good age to start dating?
What do people usually do on dates in your country?
What would be your ideal date?
Can you remember your first date?

Marriage & weddings

Describe a wedding in your country.
Do parents put pressure on their children to marry in your country?
Do you think it is important to get married?

Holiday

Tell me about your last holiday.
What type of holidays do you enjoy?
What is your favourite holiday?
Where would you like to visit?
Do you prefer to travel individually or with a tour group?

Festivals

Tell me about an important festival celebrated in your country.
What special activities do people do during festivals in your country?
What is the next festival you will celebrate?
Do you prefer to celebrate festivals with a lot of people, or with your family?

Food

Can you cook?
Who does the cooking in your household?
How often do you eat out?
What’s your favourite cuisine?
Can you tell me about your favourite restaurant?

Weather

What is the weather usually like in your country?
What is your favourite type of weather?
Do you enjoy snowy days?
What do you do when the weather is hot?

Study & education

Tell me about a teacher you had at school.
What was your favourite class at school?
Which classes did you think were particularly useful?
What do you think of the standard of education in your country?
How would you improve education in your country?
What do you think makes a good teacher?

Names

How many different names do you have?
Do you have a nickname?
Does your name have any special meaning?

City & neighbourhood

Describe your neighbourhood.
What are the most interesting things in your neighbourhood?
What sort of people are your neighbours?
Have you ever had any problems with your neighbours?
What places are near your neighbourhood?
If you didn’t live in your neighbourhood, where would you like to live?

Places to go & entertainment

What sort of places do you like to go to?
What places to do you like to go to for fun?
What sort of places are popular in your culture?
Tell me about a popular place in your home town.
Are the places you enjoy visiting different from those your parents like?

Transport

Can you drive?
How can your town improve its traffic?
How is parking in your hometown?
How would you describe the public transport in your town?
What is the most popular mode of transport for short and long journeys in your country?

Hometown

Where do you come from?
How often do you do back to your hometown?
What can you tell me about your hometown?
What do people do for entertainment in your hometown?
What are the main reasons people leave or come to your hometown?
Is there any famous or well-known lace in your hometown?

Shopping

What shops do you like to visit?
What is the most interesting shopping area in your city?
Are there many boutique shops in your town?
Do you usually buy your food in supermarkets or in small shops?

Books, TV, films

What was the last book you read?
Tell me about an interesting book you have read.
What genre of books do you enjoy?

Sports, games, exercise

What sports do you enjoy?
How often do you exercise?
Where do you usually exercise?
With whom do you usually exercise?
What sports are popular in your country?
What are the benefits of playing sports?
Do you enjoy watching sports?
Do you attend live sporting events?

Internet, email, computers, social networks 

What do you usually do on the internet?
Tell me about a website you often use?
How many hours do you spend on the internet each day?
How would your life be different if you didn’t have the internet?
Do you think the internet should be censored?

Ambitions

What do you want to do in the future?
Tell me about a time you fulfilled an ambition.
Are you an ambitious person?
Do you have any ambitions that your family doesn’t agree with?
What did you want to do when you were young?

Memorable experience

Tell me about an early memory.
Tell me about a memorable experience.
Do you prefer to have experiences by yourself or with friends and family?