IELTS speaking Part 2 topics: how the long turn works in Australia, with 12 practice prompts
IELTS Australia says Part 2 of the Speaking test lasts 3-4 minutes: you are given a card, you have 1 minute to prepare, and you speak for up to 2 minutes. You speak with a human examiner, and IELTS Australia says that is face to face in the testing room or, in certain situations, by video call. Below are twelve original practice topics, each with three points and a final question.
This page is for people sitting IELTS in Australia who want topics to practise the long turn with. It starts with what IELTS Australia says about Part 2 and what the Speaking test with an examiner is like, then gives you twelve prompts of our own.
Part 2 as IELTS Australia describes it
Three parts, with the long turn in the middle.
IELTS Australia, which is IDP's Australian site, sets out the Speaking test in three parts. Part 2 is the one where you talk alone.
| Part | What IELTS Australia says |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | Part 1 (4-5 minutes): The Examiner asks you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies, and interests. |
| Part 2 | Part 2 (3-4 minutes): You will be given a card which asks you to talk about a topic. You will have 1 minute to prepare before speaking for up to 2 minutes. The Examiner may then ask one or two questions on the same topic. |
| Part 3 | Part 3 (4-5 minutes): The Examiner asks more questions that are connected to the topic of Part 2. |
Whatever the topic, you get one minute to think. IDP's own advice is to spend that minute taking notes on the card, and to keep writing until the examiner asks you to begin.
"Use this time to take notes on the topic you have been given. Keep writing until the examiner asks you to start your long turn."
What is different on test day in Australia
A person, not a microphone.
Whichever way you take the other three sections, the Speaking test is a conversation with a person. IELTS Australia describes the room and the examiner like this.
| Point | What IELTS Australia says |
|---|---|
| The room and the listener | Speak with a human examiner in the IELTS Speaking test, in a private and quiet room, so you can focus more. |
| The pace | Your examiner can slow down, repeat and clarify questions, and won't 'time out' on you. |
| Compared with PTE Academic | Speaking test: IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview with a trained examiner, while PTE Academic responses are recorded through a computer microphone. |
The last row comes from IELTS Australia's own comparison page, so read it as IELTS's view, not a neutral one, and read it with the delivery lines below. If you are choosing between the two tests, our pages on PTE or IELTS and whether PTE is easier set out both sides.
Is the Speaking test always face to face? The owners do not all say the same thing, so here is what each one says.
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| IELTS.org | The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview between the test taker and an examiner. |
| IELTS Australia, computer delivery update | The Speaking test continues to remain a face-to-face interview with an examiner. |
| IELTS Australia, computer delivery FAQ | Your Speaking test will be in the same testing room face-to-face, or, in certain situations, the Speaking test can be conducted using a secure video conference online platform. |
| IDP's Gold Coast centre page | Your Speaking test will be conducted via Video Call Speaking (VCS) through Zoom. |
Our reading: these lines do not line up neatly, so we show all of them. Most describe a face-to-face test, and the last two also describe a video call. Look at how the session you are booking delivers Speaking before you pay, and practise the same way. If yours is a video call, rehearse with a headset and a steady connection.
Our reading: a human listener changes how you practise. You can rehearse into a phone, but you will also want to practise with a real person, because the real test is a conversation with an examiner who can repeat or clarify a question and may prompt you to say more.
12 practice topics for Part 2
Original prompts, grouped by topic area.
These twelve prompts are ours. They follow the card shape that IDP describes: a topic, three bullet points and a final question. The three points are shown as a list separated by semicolons. They are not copied from any list or from the owners, and we do not say that they will appear in a test.
| Topic area | Card prompt | Three points to cover | Final question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | Describe a journey on public transport that you remember. | where you were going; what you saw on the way; what went well or badly | why it stayed in your memory |
| Weather and the outdoors | Describe a day you spent outdoors in very hot or very cold weather. | where you were; what you did; what you wore or took with you | how you felt about the weather |
| Food | Describe a meal you ate at an outdoor market or festival. | where it was; what you ate; who you went with | why you enjoyed it |
| Study | Describe a subject you found harder than you expected. | what the subject was; what made it hard; what you did about it | what you learned about how you study |
| Work and study teams | Describe a person you work or study with who is good at organising things. | who they are; what they organise; how they do it | why their skill helps the group |
| Housing | Describe a home you have lived in and liked. | where it was; what it was like; who you lived with | why you liked it |
| Sport and fitness | Describe a sport or fitness activity you tried for the first time. | what it was; where you tried it; how it went | whether you would do it again |
| Community | Describe a local event where people gathered. | what the event was; who came; what happened | what it showed you about your area |
| Money | Describe something you saved up to buy. | what it was; how long you saved; how you chose it | how you felt when you bought it |
| Technology | Describe a time when technology did not work as you expected. | what you were trying to do; what went wrong; how you solved it | what you would do differently next time |
| Language | Describe a time you spoke English with someone you had just met. | who the person was; where you met; what you talked about | how confident you felt |
| Settling in | Describe a time you helped someone new settle into a place. | who the person was; what you did to help; how long it took | why that help mattered |
Work through them in any order. Use a timer for one minute of notes and two minutes of speaking, and record yourself so that you can listen back.
How to use a topic in three minutes
Notes, talk, listen.
- Choose a prompt and cover the other eleven. In the test you do not choose.
- Set a timer for one minute. Write the question words on a page as four columns: one for each of the three points and one for the final question.
- Speak for two minutes without stopping. If you run dry, use a stalling phrase and go back to the card.
- Listen to your recording once, and write down the three places you paused longest.
- Do the same prompt again tomorrow, fixing only those three places.
IDP gives phrases to use if you stall, and says what happens at the two-minute mark. The two quotes below are worth keeping on your notes page.
"Use stalling phrases (What else can I say about that, well, another thing that I can remember is...)"
"Remember that the examiner will interrupt when the 2 minutes are up. If you haven't finished what you were trying to say, don't worry, you have successfully spoken at length for your long turn."
For a fuller method, including a plan for the two minutes and a worked example, see our Part 2 method page. It was written for Canada, but the card, the timing and the marking are the same in Australia.
Common questions
IELTS Australia says you are given a card which asks you to talk about a topic. The owner pages we read do not list future topics. Our twelve prompts above are original practice topics that follow the same shape.
IELTS Australia says Part 2 takes 3-4 minutes: you have 1 minute to prepare and then speak for up to 2 minutes.
It can be, and it can also be a video call. IELTS Australia says the Speaking test is in the same testing room face-to-face or, in certain situations, by secure video conference. IDP's Gold Coast centre page says its Speaking test is by Zoom video call. IELTS Australia also says you speak with a human examiner in a private and quiet room. Check how your session delivers it.
IELTS Australia says your examiner can slow down, repeat and clarify questions, and will not time out on you.
Take notes on the topic. IDP says to keep writing until the examiner asks you to start your long turn.