IELTS Speaking Questions: Sport and Exercise
Sport and exercise questions in IELTS Speaking Part 1 are personal and present-focused: whether you play a sport, how often you exercise, and what you enjoyed as a child. The examiner wants a direct answer with a specific detail attached, not just “yes, I like sport”. In Part 3, the same topic turns abstract - physical education in schools, athletes’ pay, the effect of technology on how much people move - and you are expected to reason about sport in society rather than describe your own habits.
Prepare two or three real details before the test: an actual sport or activity you do or watch, roughly how often, and one honest opinion about your own fitness level. 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.
-
Do you play any sports?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then add a detail.
-
What sport did you enjoy as a child?
How to extend itName it, then add a short reason.
-
How often do you exercise?
How to extend itName a frequency, add a detail.
-
Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?
How to extend itPick one, add a short reason.
-
Is sport popular in your country?
How to extend itSay yes or no, give an example.
-
Do you watch sport on television?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain briefly.
-
What is your favourite sport to watch?
How to extend itName it, then add a short reason.
-
Have you ever been to a live sports event?
How to extend itSay yes or no, give a detail.
-
Do you think you get enough exercise?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain briefly.
-
Would you like to try a new sport?
How to extend itName it, then say why briefly.
-
Did you do sport at school?
How to extend itSay yes or no, add a detail.
-
Do you prefer exercising alone or with others?
How to extend itPick one, add a short reason.
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.
-
Should schools spend more time on physical education?
How to structure itState a position, support it with a reason.
-
Do you think people exercise less than they used to?
How to structure itCompare past and present, then a concession.
-
How does technology affect how much people exercise?
How to structure itGive a cause, an effect, then a concession.
-
Should governments fund sport more than they currently do?
How to structure itState a position, then a likely consequence.
-
Is it fair that professional athletes earn so much money?
How to structure itTake a position, then add a concession.
-
How important is sport in bringing communities together?
How to structure itGive a reason, then a specific example.
-
Do you think competitive sport teaches useful life skills?
How to structure itCompare both sides, then favour one.
-
Is watching sport as valuable as playing it?
How to structure itCompare both, then favour one.
-
How might attitudes towards exercise change in the future?
How to structure itPredict a trend, then give a reason.
-
Should employers encourage physical activity during the working day?
How to structure itState a position, support it with 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 sport or physical activity you enjoy Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Describe something you do to stay healthy Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Health and fitness 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
Record your answer in the app and get your grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation analysed in seconds.
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.