IELTS Speaking Questions: Hobbies and Free Time
Hobbies and free-time questions in IELTS Speaking Part 1 are personal and present-focused: what you like to do when you are not working or studying, how long you have done it, and why you enjoy it. The examiner wants a direct answer with a specific detail attached, not a vague “I like relaxing”. In Part 3, the same topic turns abstract - shrinking free time, the influence of social media on leisure choices, whether group activities are more beneficial than solo ones - and you are expected to reason about leisure in society rather than describe your own weekend.
Prepare two or three real details before the test: an actual hobby you have, roughly how long you have done it, and one honest opinion about how your free time has changed recently. A natural mix of these details, adapted to the exact question asked, sounds far more convincing than a rehearsed answer.
Part 1 questions
Short, personal, present-tense. Answer the question directly first, then add the one detail the tip suggests — the extension is what separates a one-line answer from a Band 7 one.
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What do you like to do in your free time?
How to extend itName it, then add a short reason.
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How long have you had this hobby?
How to extend itGive a time frame, add a detail.
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Did you have a different hobby as a child?
How to extend itSay yes or no, give a detail.
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Do you prefer indoor or outdoor hobbies?
How to extend itPick one, add a short reason.
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Is your hobby something you do alone or with others?
How to extend itSay which, then a short reason.
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How much free time do you usually have?
How to extend itGive an estimate, add a detail.
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Would you like to try a new hobby?
How to extend itName it, then say why briefly.
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Do you think hobbies are important?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain briefly.
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Do you spend money on your hobby?
How to extend itSay yes or no, give a detail.
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Do you prefer active hobbies or relaxing ones?
How to extend itPick one, add a short reason.
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Have your hobbies changed since you were younger?
How to extend itName one change, then explain briefly.
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Do you take photos of things you enjoy?
How to extend itSay yes or no, add a detail.
Part 3 questions
The same topic, pitched at the abstract level the examiner moves to after your cue card. These want reasoning — a position, a cause, an example, a concession — not a description of your own life.
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Do you think people have less free time than in the past?
How to structure itCompare past and present, then a concession.
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How has technology changed the way people spend their leisure time?
How to structure itGive a cause, an effect, then a concession.
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Should employers encourage employees to have hobbies outside work?
How to structure itState a position, then a likely consequence.
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Is it important for children to have unstructured free time?
How to structure itTake a position, then add a concession.
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Do you think expensive hobbies create inequality between people?
How to structure itCompare both sides, then favour one.
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How does social media influence the hobbies people choose?
How to structure itGive a reason, then a specific example.
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Should governments fund public spaces for leisure activities?
How to structure itState a position, support it with a reason.
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Is it becoming harder for people to switch off and relax?
How to structure itDescribe the change, then explain a cause.
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Do you think group hobbies are more beneficial than solo ones?
How to structure itCompare both, then favour one.
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How might people's free-time habits change in the future?
How to structure itPredict a trend, then give a reason.
Say the answers out loud, then sit the whole test
Reading a question and answering it are different skills. Work through the list above aloud, then put the topic inside a full timed test where you cannot stop to think.
- Describe a hobby you would like to try Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Describe a photo you like Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Hobbies and free time vocabulary 30 band-graded phrases and a self-test
Part 1, a cue card, then Part 3 — timed, in your browser, about 13 minutes.
One cue card a day on Telegram
A new Part 2 card every morning, a vocabulary topic on Sundays.
Practise this with instant AI feedback
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More topics
Books and reading
Part 1 and Part 3 IELTS Speaking questions on books and reading, from personal habits to the role of libraries and reading in society, with a tip per answer.
Daily Routine
Commonly reported IELTS Speaking questions about daily routine for Part 1 and Part 3, with short tips for extending your answers and structuring opinions.
Family and Friends
Commonly reported IELTS Speaking questions about family and friends for Part 1 and Part 3, with short tips for extending answers and structuring opinions.