IELTS SPEAKING TEST PART 1 NB: at the actual exam, 2 frames are discussed (not counting the introductory

questions), but the examiner doesnt have to ask ALL the questions from each frame. Part 1 lasts about 5 minutes. Frame 1. Time 1. Do you like to plan your time or act spontaneously, on impulse? 2. Whats the best way to plan time? 3. When you have an appointment, do you prefer to come a little early or a little too late? 4. Why do you think some people are permanently late? 5. Are you a morning or an evening person? Frame 2. Pets. 1. Have you ever had a pet? 2. How did you choose it? 3. What animals do you think make the best pets? 4. What can be difficult about having a pet in the city? 5. Do you think having a pet is good for children? Frame 3. Sport 1. Do you prefer to do sport or watch it on TV? 2. Have you ever gone in for any sport? 3. What are your favorite kinds of sport? 4. What sport would you like to do if you had the time? 5. Why do you think people go in for risky sports like sky-diving or mountainclimbing? Frame 4. TV and Radio 1. Whats your main source of information, TV or radio? 2. Do you like having the radio on as a background when you work or study? 3. What sort of programmes do you usually watch on TV? 4. Do you have a favorite TV or radio presenter? 5. Do you think television in Russia has changed in the last ten years? For better or for worse? Frame 5. Holidays 1. What sort of holiday do you prefer: at the sea-side or in the city? 2. Whens the best time to go on holiday? 3. Do you like to go on holiday alone or with friends or family? 4. Do you prefer to travel on your own or book a package tour with a group? 5. What sort of souvenirs do you like to bring from your travels?

Frame 6. Cities 1. Where do you think is the best place to live: in a big city, in the suburbs, in the country? 2. What are the advantages of living in the capital city? 3. Is there any downside to living in Moscow? 4. What would you change in Moscow if you could? 5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why? Frame 7. Cafs and Restaurants 1. How often do you go to cafs? 2. Do you have a favorite caf or restaurant? 3. Do you like restaurants with traditional or foreign cuisine? 4. Whats more important for you in a caf: the food or the atmosphere? 5. Whats important for a caf to be successful in Moscow? Frame 8. Money 1. Do you prefer to save money or spend it and enjoy it while its there? 2. In your view, are credit cards a good idea or do you feel more comfortable with cash? 3. If faced with a choice, would you prefer a more interesting job with a smaller salary or a more boring but better paid job? 4. If you had a chance, would you be interested in going to play at a casino? 5. Why do you think some people gamble (play games for money)? Frame 9. Music 1. What sort or music do you like to listen to? 2. Do you play any musical instrument? 3. Do you think its a good idea to teach children some instrument? 4. What would you prefer, to go to a musical concert or to the theatre? 5. Why do you think are musicals so popular in Russia now? Frame 10. Cinema 1. How often do you go to the cinema? 2. Whats the last film you saw and liked? 3. Are there any kinds of film (for example, thrillers) that you would never go and see? 4. How do you choose a film to see? 5. Do you think the cinema is more popular than the theatre in Russia? Why?

PARTS II and III NB: at the exam, Part III loosely follows from Part II. (e.g. if the candidate spoke about his favorite holiday in Part II, Part III might focus on whether Christmas is becoming commercialized, the best presents to give people, advertisement, consumer society). Often the questions tend to be something like : In comparison to twenty years ago, what has changed in ? The main idea is that we get the candidate to talk about general issues, not him/herself. Ive written just a few sample topics for Part III and left open spaces, which well probably fill with more ideas and associations as we do the exam. Hopefully itll make doing the interviews less repetitive much more interesting!

1. Talk about a purchase youve made lately. 1. what is it? 2. what do you use it for? 3. is it good value for money? 4. why did you buy these particular thing? Sample general topics for Part III: consumer society; advertisement; shopping; money; charity; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

2. Talk about an Internet site you often visit. 1. what information can you find there? 2. who is it useful for? 3. why do you like the site? 4. why is it better than other sites of the same type? Sample general topics for Part III: internet; free flow of information; mass media; censorship; buying online; __________________; ______________________; _____________________________;

3. Talk about a friend you have

1. 2. 3. 4.

where did you meet? how long have you known each other? how often do you meet now? what do you like to do together?

Sample general topics for Part III: friends vs. family; friends vs. colleagues; family relationships; _________________; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

4.Talk about a subject you liked at school 1. what was it? 2. why did you like it? 3. did you find it useful in later life? 4. how old were you when you studied it? Sample general topics for Part III: school subjects, entrance exams, wearing uniform at school, academic education vs. practical experience, role of the teacher; _________________; __________________; ___________________________;

5. Talk about a book / film you have read / seen more than once 1. what is it about? 2. who wrote it / who stars in it? 3. what appeals to you in it? 4. who would you recommend it to? Sample general topics for Part III: whats better: book or film; will people stop reading paper books; trends in modern fiction; the Harry Potter phenomenon; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

6. Talk about a souvenir youve brought from a holiday 1. where did you buy it? 2. why did you choose it? 3. how long have you had it? 4. what memories does it bring back?

Sample general topics for Part III: travelling; impressions; keeping memories fresh; ways to brighten up your life besides going on holiday; ___________________________; _______________________________

7. Talk about an interesting place youve recently visited. 1. why did you go there? 2. what did you like about it? 3. is it popular with other people? 4. would you go there again? Sample general topics for Part III: travelling; positive and negative impact of tourism; _________________; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

8. Talk about your favorite museum 1. where is it? 2. what sort of things can you see there? 3. how often do you go there? 4. who would you recommend it to? Sample general topics for Part III: museums: entertainment, education or both; things to do with children in the city; city life; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

9. Talk about an unusual dish youve tried 1. where did you try it? 2. what were the main ingredients? 3. would you try it again? 4. would you like to learn to cook it yourself? Sample general topics for Part III: cooking; obesity and ways of fighting it; trying new things or being conservative; change; _________________; __________________; ___________________________;

10. Talk about your favorite pastime or hobby

1. 2. 3. 4.

how often do you do it? why do you like it? do you do it alone or with someone else? did anyone teach you or did you learn yourself?

Sample general topics for Part III: finding inspiration in life; safety and danger; _________________; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

11. Talk about one of your duties at work 1. what do you have to do? 2. do you enjoy it? 3. why does it need to be done? 4. how often do you have to do it? Sample general topics for Part III: routine: positive or negative; how to make mundane tasks more interesting; relationship with colleagues, team spirit; office layout (openplan or traditional); leadership; __________________________; _______________________________

12. Talk about a member of your family you are closest with 1. who are they? 2. how often do you get together? 3. what do you usually do together? 4. what attracts you to this person? Sample general topics for Part III: family realtionships; what attracts you in people; parents and children; should the whole family live under one roof; will family as an institute disappear; trends in society; ___________________________; _______________________________

13. Talk about a happy childhood memory 1. what happened? 2. where was it? 3. how old were you? 4. did it happen again?

Sample general topics for Part III: happy childhood; memory; human brain; education based on making children learn things by heart; ___________________________; _______________________________

14. Talk about a television or radio programme that you like 1. how often do you watch it / listen to it? 2. what makes it interesting? 3. who presents it? 4. are there programmes like this in other channels? Sample general topics for Part III: mass media; censorship; pros and cons of TV; advertisement; TV as education; entertainmanet industry; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________

15. Talk about an item of clothing you often wear 1. why do you like it? 2. where did you get it? 3. what other clothes do you combine it with? 4. what does it say about your personality? Sample general topics for Part III: following fashion in clothes and otherwise; modern trends; counterfeit products; being an ethical consumer (e.g. buying products of companies who are ecology-conscious); _________________; __________________; ___________________________; _______________________________