Topics · Sept–Dec 2026 · updated 23 September 2026
IELTS Speaking Topics Reported for Sept–Dec 2026, With Practice Cards
These are themes that candidates say they were asked in IELTS Speaking tests this season. They are reported, not predicted. Below is how we checked them, a practice cue card we wrote for each Part 2 theme, the Part 1 subjects that keep coming up, and how to practise from a list like this without falling into the memorising trap.
Read this first: nobody outside IELTS knows the real list
IELTS does not publish its Speaking topics. Examiners work from long lists and the pool is refreshed from season to season. Experienced teachers put that at roughly every four months, with many questions carried over. The exact changeover dates are not published, so any page that names an official "new topics" day is guessing.
What circulates online is candidates' memory of what they were asked, collected by teachers and study groups. It's useful, because recycled questions are common, but it is not a forecast. Use it to practise, never to decide what you can skip.
How we built this list
Seasonal lists online disagree more than they seem to. Several sites copy one another, so the same list can appear in five places and still come from a single source. We kept a theme only when two independent sources reported it for this season, and we dropped anything that turned out to come from an earlier year's list.
We kept themes rather than anyone's exact wording. The cue cards and questions below are our own, written to practise each theme, so they will not match what you are asked word for word. That's deliberate. Your goal is to talk well about the theme, however the question is phrased.
Five Part 2 themes, each with a practice card
Give yourself one minute to make notes on each card, then speak for the full two minutes without stopping. After that, answer the two follow-up questions the way you would in Part 3: give a view, a reason and an example.
1. A conversation you remember
Describe a conversation you took part in that you did not find interesting.
- who you were talking to
- where the conversation happened
- what it was about
- and explain why it did not interest you
Follow-up: Why do people make small talk with strangers? Is it rude to change the subject when a conversation bores you?
2. An older person you look up to
Describe an older person you respect.
- who this person is
- how you know them
- what they are like
- and explain why you respect them
Follow-up: What can young people learn from older generations? Do older people get enough respect in your country today?
3. Someone who inspired you
Describe a person who encouraged you to try something new.
- who this person is
- what they encouraged you to do
- how they encouraged you
- and explain how you felt about it afterwards
Follow-up: Are teachers or parents better role models for children? Can a famous person be a good role model if you never meet them?
4. Rules and good manners
Describe a time when someone was especially polite to you.
- when and where it happened
- who the person was
- what they did
- and explain why it stayed in your memory
Follow-up: Are good manners the same in every culture? Should schools teach politeness, or is that a job for families?
5. A place full of colour
Describe a colourful place you have visited.
- where it is
- when you went there
- what you saw there
- and explain why the colours made an impression on you
Follow-up: Why do some cities paint their buildings in bright colours? Do colours really affect how people feel?
Part 1 subjects reported this season
Part 1 is short, everyday questions, so each subject here is small and concrete. For each one, practise a two- or three-sentence answer: a direct reply, then a reason or a small detail. One question of our own is included for each subject to get you started.
| Subject | A question to practise |
|---|---|
| Lost and found | Have you ever lost something important? What happened? |
| Politeness | Do you think people are less polite than they used to be? |
| Shoes | Do you prefer comfortable shoes or fashionable ones? |
| Street markets | Is there a street market near where you live? |
| Tiredness | What do you usually do when you feel tired during the day? |
| Rubbish and recycling | Is it easy to recycle where you live? |
| Paper | Do you still write on paper, or mostly on a screen? |
| Secondary school | What subject did you enjoy most at secondary school? |
| Fruit and vegetables | Did you eat much fruit when you were a child? |
| Names | Does your name have a special meaning? |
| Computers and tablets | Which do you use more, a computer or a tablet? |
How to practise from a reported list without wasting it
Build stories, not scripts. One well-rehearsed memory can answer several cards. A grandparent who taught you to cook could fit "an older person you respect", "someone who encouraged you to try something new" and "a time someone was polite to you". Prepare three or four flexible stories like that and you are ready for far more cards than you wrote down.
Never recite. A memorised answer sounds memorised: the rhythm is even, the vocabulary is suspiciously polished, and it rarely fits the exact question. Examiners are trained to notice this, and it works against you. Know your content well, then say it differently every time you practise.
Practise out loud, against the clock. Reading a sample answer feels like preparation but trains nothing you use in the room. One minute to prepare, two minutes to speak, and a recording you actually listen back to. Most candidates stop well short of two minutes the first time. Our Part 2 time budget guide shows how to fill it.
Don't skip what's missing. A theme that isn't on this list can still come up, because recycled questions from earlier seasons are common. Use the list to decide what to practise first, not what to leave out.
Practising these in CueRise
The CueRise app carries this season's themes. Pick one and it runs a timed Part 2 practice on a freshly written cue card for that theme: one minute to prepare, up to two minutes to speak. You then get a Part 2 estimate on all four criteria, plus the filler phrases and long pauses in your answer.
The same "reported, not predicted" rule applies inside the app. The themes are there to practise with, not as a promise of what you'll be asked.
Download CueRise on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
Are these the real topics for this season?
Nobody outside IELTS can say. IELTS doesn't publish its topics, and examiners draw from long lists, so any seasonal list records what candidates remember being asked. Treat it as practice material, not a forecast.
How often do the topics change?
Experienced teachers report a refresh roughly every four months, with many questions recycled from earlier seasons. The exact dates aren't published, so be wary of any source that names an official changeover day.
Should I memorise answers to these topics?
No. A memorised answer that doesn't quite fit the question costs marks, and examiners are trained to spot rehearsal. Prepare flexible stories and vocabulary for each theme, then practise answering fresh questions on it out loud.