Last updated: October 19, 2026
An IELTS Speaking prediction is a list of the topics you are most likely to meet in the current test period, based on what recent candidates report. This guide sets out the expected topic areas for September–December 2026 in all three parts of the Speaking test, shows how the mix of topics has shifted since 2025, and explains how to prepare so that you are ready even when your exact question isn’t on any list.
About these predictions: they are based on third-party collections of topics reported by IELTS candidates and on our own analysis of those topics. IELTS does not publish its Speaking questions, so no prediction can guarantee what you will be asked.
If you’re looking for free IELTS Speaking practice, then click the button below to answer real Speaking questions and get a free AI score.
play_circle_outline Start Free IELTS Speaking PracticeAfter their tests, many candidates share the Speaking questions they were asked. Preparation websites collect these reports and group them by period, usually January–April, May–August, and September–December. When the same topics are reported again and again within a period, they become “predicted” topics.
That makes predictions useful for one thing: knowing which topic areas are common right now. They are not a list of guaranteed questions. Topics often carry over between periods, the exact wording changes from test to test, and the examiner can choose from a large bank of questions.
Part | Expected topic areas | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
Part 1 (4–5 minutes) | Work or study, hometown, home, plus everyday topics such as free time, food, technology, travel, and the weather | Short, natural answers with a reason and an example. See our IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions. |
Part 2 (cue card) | People, places, experiences and events, objects, technology, and media | A bank of flexible personal stories you can adapt. See our IELTS cue cards 2026. |
Part 3 (discussion) | Broader questions linked to your Part 2 topic: society, education, work, technology, and the environment | Opinions with reasons and examples beyond your own life |
Part 1 is the most predictable part of the test. It almost always starts with one of three topics, then moves to one or two everyday subjects.
Every one of these, with four or five practice questions and sample answers, is on our IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions page.
Recent reports for September–December 2026 cluster into four topic areas. Prepare at least one story for each area, and you will have material for almost any cue card.
Examples of recently reported cue cards:
See all of them, with “You should say” prompts and ideas, in the people cue cards.
Examples of recently reported cue cards:
See all of them, with “You should say” prompts and ideas, in the places cue cards.
Examples of recently reported cue cards:
See all of them, with “You should say” prompts and ideas, in the experiences and events cue cards.
Examples of recently reported cue cards:
See all of them, with “You should say” prompts and ideas, in the objects, technology, and media cue cards.
Part 3 questions grow out of your Part 2 topic, so the Part 3 themes follow the same four areas. Expect questions that ask you to compare, explain causes, or predict the future:
Part 2 area | Likely Part 3 themes |
|---|---|
People | Role models, generations learning from each other, and what makes people successful or happy |
Places | City life, noise and pollution, public spaces, and protecting nature in cities |
Experiences and events | Decision-making, teamwork at school and work, helping others, and customer service |
Objects, technology, and media | Technology in daily life, reading habits, news and social media, and consumer culture |
Part 3 rewards developed opinions: answer the question, explain why, and support it with an example from society, not only from your own life.
We grouped recently reported Part 2 and Part 3 topics into seven categories and compared 2025 with 2026.

The prediction for the rest of 2026 follows the same pattern: personal experiences, people, and places first. For more on the Speaking test and how each part is scored, see our IELTS Speaking test guide.
The best use of a prediction list is not to memorize answers to it, but to build a small story bank: six to eight real experiences that you can adapt to many cue cards. Each story covers several topic areas at once:
Story from your life | Cue cards it can answer |
|---|---|
A grandparent or older relative who taught you something | An older person you admire; a person who overcame a challenge; a time someone helped you |
A trip to a city you loved | A city you would like to visit again; a noisy place; an enjoyable evening with friends |
A change of plan, such as a new course or job | An important decision you changed; a personal achievement; a time you saved money |
A group project at school or work | A time you worked in a team; a time you helped someone; a successful person you know |
An app, book, or device you use every day | An app you use; something you cannot live without; a gift for a friend |
For each story, note the background, what happened, one specific detail, and how you felt. Then practise telling it for two minutes in different directions. Add topic vocabulary for each area, and you will be ready for predicted topics and new ones alike.
Each part of the Speaking test asks for a different length of answer. The chart shows how long our learners actually speak in each part. In Part 3, where predicted themes turn into abstract questions, grammar was the lowest criterion most often, in 84% of answers.
Knowing the topics is half the job. The other half is answering them out loud under test timing. Our free practice covers all three parts, and every recording gets an instant AI score on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation:
Part 3 is where predicted themes become hardest, because the questions are abstract. This AI Tutor exercise walks you through a real Part 3 question from our bank, step by step:
Task Achievement — IELTS Speaking 3
Learn how to answer this question in a step-by-step interactive exercise
Task Achievement — IELTS Speaking 3
回答 IELTS 口语 Part 3 题目的第一步,是识别题目类型。一旦认出题型,你就能马上在脑中套用对应的回答结构。
这样你就清楚下一句该说什么,能把答案顺畅地展开,不会卡住。不要在开口前就想好整个回答,只需按照结构一步一步来说。
在这一步,你将学习 8 种常见的 IELTS 口语 Part 3 题型以及每种题型的回答结构。点击每个题型标签,了解它的用法。
我们来练习第 1 题。
首先,识别题目类型。问问自己:这道题要我做什么?认出题型后,用对应的回答结构来引导你的回答。
这道题的题型是Opinion / View,所以请按照这个结构来回答:
Answer → Reason → Explain → Example → Result → Second Point or Contrast → Conclusion
说的时候,可以使用一些可控的填充语,例如 Well、Actually、For example、What I mean by that is 和 So overall。这些短语能让你的回答听起来更流畅,而且如果你一时忘了下一句要说什么,它们还能帮你多争取一点思考时间。要自然地使用,不要每句话都用。下面是可控填充语的列表。
Do you think job satisfaction is more important than your salary when choosing a job?
我们来练习第 2 题。
首先,识别题目类型。问问自己:这道题要我做什么?认出题型后,用对应的回答结构来引导你的回答。
这道题的题型是Descriptive / Types,所以请按照这个结构来回答:
Main Type → Explain → Example → Second Type → Explain or Compare → Overall View
说的时候,可以使用一些可控的填充语,例如 Well、Actually、For example、What I mean by that is 和 So overall。这些短语能让你的回答听起来更流畅,而且如果你一时忘了下一句要说什么,它们还能帮你多争取一点思考时间。要自然地使用,不要每句话都用。下面是可控填充语的列表。
What skills do you think are needed to get a good job these days?
我们来练习第 3 题。
首先,识别题目类型。问问自己:这道题要我做什么?认出题型后,用对应的回答结构来引导你的回答。
这道题的题型是Opinion / View,所以请按照这个结构来回答:
Answer → Reason → Explain → Example → Result → Second Point or Contrast → Conclusion
说的时候,可以使用一些可控的填充语,例如 Well、Actually、For example、What I mean by that is 和 So overall。这些短语能让你的回答听起来更流畅,而且如果你一时忘了下一句要说什么,它们还能帮你多争取一点思考时间。要自然地使用,不要每句话都用。下面是可控填充语的列表。
Do you think that women should be able to do the same jobs as men?
我们来练习第 4 题。
首先,识别题目类型。问问自己:这道题要我做什么?认出题型后,用对应的回答结构来引导你的回答。
这道题的题型是Compare / Contrast,所以请按照这个结构来回答:
Main Difference → Explain → Example → Second Difference → Contrast → Overall Comparison
说的时候,可以使用一些可控的填充语,例如 Well、Actually、For example、What I mean by that is 和 So overall。这些短语能让你的回答听起来更流畅,而且如果你一时忘了下一句要说什么,它们还能帮你多争取一点思考时间。要自然地使用,不要每句话都用。下面是可控填充语的列表。
What’s the difference between white collar and blue collar jobs?
我们来练习第 5 题。
首先,识别题目类型。问问自己:这道题要我做什么?认出题型后,用对应的回答结构来引导你的回答。
这道题的题型是Descriptive / Types,所以请按照这个结构来回答:
Main Type → Explain → Example → Second Type → Explain or Compare → Overall View
说的时候,可以使用一些可控的填充语,例如 Well、Actually、For example、What I mean by that is 和 So overall。这些短语能让你的回答听起来更流畅,而且如果你一时忘了下一句要说什么,它们还能帮你多争取一点思考时间。要自然地使用,不要每句话都用。下面是可控填充语的列表。
What jobs do you think are most valuable to society?
For a detailed review of your recordings, see our IELTS speaking review guide.
The best way to prepare for predicted topics is to answer real questions out loud. Every Speaking practice in our question bank is listed below by part. Open any set to record your answers and get an instant AI score.
Predictions are based on topics that candidates report after their tests, so they show which topic areas are common in a period. They cannot tell you your exact questions, because IELTS does not publish its question bank.
Preparation websites usually group reported topics into January–April, May–August, and September–December. Many topics carry over from one period to the next, and IELTS does not announce official change dates.
No. Prepare a bank of flexible stories and topic vocabulary instead. Memorized answers sound unnatural and often do not fit the exact question you receive.
In the 2026 topics we analysed, events and experiences was the largest category, followed by people and places. Together, people and places made up 43.6% of the topics.
Use the same method: answer directly, give a reason, and add a personal example. If you have practised flexible stories about people, places, and experiences, you can adapt them to most new topics.
The figures on this page come from the BestMyTest IELTS learner performance data, our records of IELTS practice on BestMyTest up to October 2026. That page explains how we measure each figure. Last updated 15 October 2026.