IELTS Speaking Questions: Stages in Life
Stages in life questions in Part 1 stay personal: which stage you are in now, what you enjoy and find hard about it, and how you remember your childhood. A direct answer plus one specific example is enough here, and a short comparison with an earlier or later stage often helps.
Part 3 turns the same theme abstract and societal, asking when adulthood begins, how the timing of study, work, family and retirement has changed, and how society should treat people at different ages. Prepare two or three real details from your own life, plus one clear opinion on how stages of life are changing, rather than a memorised 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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Which stage of your life are you in at the moment?
How to extend itName your stage, then describe it in one sentence.
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What do you enjoy most about this stage of your life?
How to extend itName one thing, then give a specific example.
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What is the hardest part of this stage of your life?
How to extend itName one challenge, then say how you deal with it.
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What do you spend most of your time doing these days?
How to extend itName the activity, then say why it takes your time.
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Who has the biggest influence on you at this stage?
How to extend itName a person, then give one example of their influence.
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Do you think you have changed much in the last few years?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then give one example of change.
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Which stage of life do you think is the happiest?
How to extend itPick one stage, then give one reason for choosing it.
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Do you look forward to getting older?
How to extend itAnswer directly, then name one thing you expect.
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Which stage of your life do you remember best?
How to extend itName it, then share one clear memory from it.
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Was your childhood a happy time for you?
How to extend itGive a view, then support it with one specific memory.
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Is there a stage of your life you would like to go back to?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain what you would do.
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What would you like to be doing in ten years' time?
How to extend itName a plan, then give one reason for it.
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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At what age should a person be considered an adult?
How to structure itGive an age, then justify it with one reason.
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Why do many people now delay marriage and having children?
How to structure itName the main cause, then one effect on society.
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Which stage of life is the most challenging in your view?
How to structure itChoose one stage, then support it with an example.
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How are the stages of life different from those of your grandparents' generation?
How to structure itCompare the generations, then suggest a reason for the change.
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Do young people get enough support when they move from school to work?
How to structure itState a view, then suggest one practical improvement.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of people living longer?
How to structure itCover both sides, then say which matters more.
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How should society treat older people?
How to structure itTake a position, then give one practical example.
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Is it important to mark milestones such as graduation or retirement?
How to structure itTake a position, then support it with one reason.
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Should people retire at a fixed age?
How to structure itTake a position, then concede one practical concern.
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How might the stages of life change in the future?
How to structure itPredict a trend, then explain what drives it.
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 an older person you admire Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Describe a goal you want to achieve in the future Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
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.
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