IELTS Speaking Questions: Work
Work questions in IELTS Speaking Part 1 are personal and grounded in the present: whether you work or study, what your day-to-day tasks look like, and how you feel about your job or course. The examiner wants a direct answer with a reason or detail attached, not just a job title. In Part 3, the same subject turns abstract - job security, automation, work-life balance across generations - and you are expected to reason about the labour market rather than describe your own role.
Prepare two or three real details before the test: your actual job title or field of study, one specific reason you chose it, and one honest opinion about a change you would like to see. A natural mix of these details, adapted to whichever question is actually asked, sounds far more convincing than a memorised paragraph.
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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Do you work or are you a student?
How to extend itOne clear sentence, then one reason.
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What is your job, or what are you studying?
How to extend itName it, then add why you chose it.
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Why did you choose that job or subject?
How to extend itGive one honest, specific reason.
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Do you enjoy your work or studies?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain briefly.
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What is a typical day like for you?
How to extend itPick one moment and describe it briefly.
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Is your job or course popular in your country?
How to extend itCompare it briefly to another option.
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Do you get on well with your colleagues or classmates?
How to extend itAdd one small example of teamwork.
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What did you want to be when you were a child?
How to extend itName it, then say why it changed.
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Would you like to change your job in the future?
How to extend itState your intention, then a reason.
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Is your work or study stressful?
How to extend itGive a cause, then how you cope.
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Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
How to extend itPick one, add a short reason.
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What skills are important for your job or studies?
How to extend itName one skill, then why it matters.
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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Is job security more important than job satisfaction?
How to structure itTake a position, give a reason, then a concession.
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How has the idea of a "job for life" changed over generations?
How to structure itCompare past and present, then an example.
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Should governments do more to create jobs for young people?
How to structure itState a position, then a likely consequence.
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Do you think automation will reduce the number of jobs available?
How to structure itGive a cause, an effect, then a concession.
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Is it better for a country to have many small businesses or a few large ones?
How to structure itCompare both sides, then favour one.
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How important is work-life balance compared to previous generations?
How to structure itContrast past and present, then explain why.
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Should employees be allowed to work from home permanently?
How to structure itState a position, support it with a reason.
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Do you think people change careers more often than they used to?
How to structure itDescribe the change, then explain a cause.
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Is it fair that some jobs pay far more than others?
How to structure itTake a position, then add a concession.
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What responsibility do employers have for their employees' wellbeing?
How to structure itGive a reason, then a specific example.
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 job you would like to do in the future Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Describe a time you worked in a team Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Work and careers 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.