IELTS Speaking Cue Cards: September–December 2026 (Early Reports)

Last updated: 2 October 2026. This list is based on early September reports and will grow as more candidates report their tests.

IELTS does not publish the Speaking question bank. Every "new cue cards" list, including this one, is built from what candidates say they were asked. For September–December 2026, only early-season reports exist so far: several prep sites say their lists are still a preview or are updated weekly.

To keep this honest, each card below shows how many independent sources reported it. Cards reported by two or more sources are the safest to prepare first. We collected reports from ReadingIELTS, IELTS Fever and Langujet, published 3–6 September 2026.

Still preparing with the previous rotation? The May–August 2026 cue cards are a good base: some cards carry over between periods.

Most reported so far (prepare these first)

Cue card	Sources
Describe a person you met only once recently and want to know more about	3
Describe someone older than you whom you admire	2
Describe a city you have been to and would like to visit again	2
Describe a gift you would like to buy for a friend	2
Describe a piece of local news that interested you	2
Describe a time you changed an important decision or plan	2 (different wording)
Describe a time you worked in a group or as part of a team	2 (different wording)
Describe a person who is good at making things by hand	2 (different wording)

Person cards

• Describe a person you met only once recently and want to know more about (3 sources)
• Describe someone older than you whom you admire (2)
• Describe a person who is good at making things by hand (2)
• Describe a person who is interested in history (2, different wording)
• Describe a happy person you know
• Describe a person you know who is very organised
• Describe a famous person in your local area
• Describe a person who taught you a new skill
• Describe a successful businessperson you know
• Describe a friend from your childhood
• Describe a person you know who chose a career in medicine

What examiners want: one specific moment with this person, not a list of qualities. Practise with a full answer: a person who influenced you →, a teacher who influenced you →.

Place cards

• Describe a city you have been to and would like to visit again (2)
• Describe a natural place in your city that you enjoy visiting
• Describe a noisy place you have been to
• Describe a public building you enjoy visiting
• Describe a tall building in your town
• Describe a home you would like to visit but not live in
• Describe an important river, lake or area of water in your country
• Describe a boring place

What examiners want: sensory detail (what you saw and heard) and why the place matters to you. Practise with: a place you found beautiful →, a park or garden →, a historical place →.

Object and gift cards

• Describe a gift you would like to buy for a friend (2)
• Describe a special cake you received from someone
• Describe a book you read that made you happy

What examiners want: what it looks like, why you chose it, and the feeling or story attached to it. Practise with: a special gift →, an interesting book →.

Event and experience cards

• Describe a piece of local news that interested you (2)
• Describe a time you changed an important decision or plan (2)
• Describe a time you worked in a group or as part of a team (2)
• Describe a time you lost something in a public place
• Describe a course that impressed you
• Describe a party or special event that impressed you
• Describe an enjoyable evening with friends
• Describe a time someone talked about something uninteresting but you kept listening
• Describe a new skill you learned as a child
• Describe a live sports event you watched
• Describe a time you got up early
• Describe a time you were stuck in a traffic jam
• Describe a holiday you went on and would recommend

What examiners want: a clear sequence (when, what happened, how it ended) and how you felt. Practise with: an important decision →, a memorable event →, a useful skill you learned →.

Abstract and future cards

• Describe a long-term goal you would like to achieve
• Describe a person who faced difficulties but succeeded
• Describe a new law you would introduce

Practise with: a future goal →, a challenge you overcame →.

Part 1 topics reported in September 2026

Candidates reported these Part 1 topics in the first week of September: headphones, a favourite teacher, your home, advertisements, remembering names, losing things, emails and letters, politeness, feeling tired, rubbish and recycling, study or work, shoes, punctuality, computers and tablets, collecting things, travelling, social media and your neighbourhood.

One story, many cards

You don't need 40 prepared answers. Prepare four stories in detail and adapt them:

• A person you admire covers: someone older you admire, a person who taught you a skill, an organised person, a successful person.
• A trip covers: a city you want to revisit, a holiday you'd recommend, a natural place, a time you got up early.
• A decision covers: changing a plan, a long-term goal, a person who overcame difficulties.
• A team project covers: working in a group, a course that impressed you, a skill you learned.

Practise out loud and get a score

Knowing the topics is half the job; the other half is speaking for two full minutes without freezing. Use the speaking question randomizer to practise with a 1-minute prep, then record an answer and get it scored on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

Record a cue card answer and get a free band score →