IELTS Speaking forecast September–December 2026: topic families and how to build your answer

What a forecast is, and what it is not

It is a topic list compiled by prep sites, mostly from what candidates remember after the test.

It is not:

• The test. IELTS does not publish Speaking questions in advance and does not endorse any forecast.
• A promise. Some sites advertise very high hit rates. Read those numbers as marketing.
• A list of answers to memorise. The public band descriptors on ielts.org mention memorised language at the lower bands, as something different from real language ability.
• The same everywhere. Each site's list differs, and some say they are still updating.

Use a forecast to choose what to practise, then practise how to build an answer. When the real question differs, the skill still works.

Part 1 topic families, September–December 2026

Part 1 lasts about 4–5 minutes of short questions about you and daily life. The forecasts we read list roughly thirty to fifty Part 1 topics, which group into about ten families. Each appeared in most of the sources we read.

1. You and where you live: work or studies, home, hometown, your area or city.
2. Daily rhythm: mornings, evenings, tiredness, tidiness, days off.
3. Small everyday objects: mirrors, keys, shoes, watches, sunglasses, headphones, clothes.
4. Technology and the internet: social media, websites, computers and tablets, typing.
5. Entertainment and the arts: music, singing, art, films, jokes, sports programmes.
6. History, buildings and science: history, old buildings, science, space and stars.
7. Outdoors and getting around: parks, cars, walking, travelling, sport.
8. People and manners: teachers, names, politeness, friends.
9. Shopping and advertising.
10. Dreams: the ones you have asleep, and the ones you have for the future.

Part 2 and Part 3 topic families, September–December 2026

Part 2 gives you a cue card, one minute to prepare and one to two minutes to talk. Part 3 is a discussion that takes the Part 2 topic into broader questions.

1. Describe a person: someone who solved a problem cleverly, a childhood friend, someone who runs a successful business, someone who grows plants, someone good at languages, an older person you admire.
2. Describe a place or building: a tall building, a river or lake, a home you would visit but not live in, a place you recommend, a quiet, noisy or crowded place.
3. Technology and media: a power cut or device problem, an app, a time you could not use your phone, a social media video, local news, a film, an advert with a famous person.
4. Decisions, plans and change: an important decision, a changed plan, a changed opinion, a recent change, a long-term goal.
5. Food and gifts: a special cake, food for a special occasion, a gift.
6. Learning and languages: how you learn a language, learning without a teacher, a course.
7. Environment and rules: a new law you would introduce, an environmental law, a natural place.
8. An experience or event: a traffic jam, a very early start, group work, an unanswered message, an event you organised, a low-cost day out.
9. Money and treasured objects: saving money, overspending, a family heirloom.

Part 3 (our inference, not a source list): Part 3 is usually the abstract version of the Part 2 family. "A person who solved a problem" leads to problem-solving at school or work; "a new law" leads to the roles of government and citizens.

How to build an answer: answer, reason, example, extend

This is not a sentence frame. It is four questions you ask yourself before you speak; the content must be yours.

• Answer: say your main point in the opening sentence.
• Reason: one real reason, more specific than "it's convenient".
• Example: one real moment, person or place from your life.
• Extend: a consequence, a comparison (then and now, you and others), or a condition.

Family 1 (Part 1): small everyday objects. Asked about keys, mirrors or watches: do I use it much (answer)? Why, and what habit is it tied to (reason)? When did I last use, forget or lose it (example; illustrative: "…last week I locked myself out")? How has it changed over time (extend)? The real detail is what makes a Part 1 answer come alive.

Family 2 (Part 2): a person who solved a problem cleverly. In the minute of preparation, write four keywords, not sentences: who the person is; what the problem was and why it was hard; what they did, step by step (illustrative: "…instead of calling a repair shop, she…"), the longest part; what you learned. If the story is real, you remember the order, not the words.

Family 3 (Part 3): environment and rules. Asked whether government or individuals should protect the environment: take a clear position (answer); give a general reason (reason); point to something you have seen in your city or country (example; illustrative: "…plastic-bag rules in some supermarkets"); add a downside, a condition or a prediction (extend). An ielts.org article on band 6 and band 7 makes the same point: stronger speakers build arguments, not just opinions.

A four-week plan

• Week 1: three hard Part 1 families, five questions a day, recorded.
• Week 2: three Part 2 families, one cue card a day, four keywords, two minutes.
• Week 3: two Part 3 questions for each of those cards; practise "extend".
• Week 4: mix everything, including topics not on any forecast.

Each week, count two things in your recordings: mid-sentence hesitations and real ideas per answer.

FAQ

Next steps

Coaching is delivered by a teacher with CELTA and a 120-hour TEFL certificate; your teacher is confirmed when you book.

• Find out where you stand: a short diagnostic that points to one Speaking priority.
• Free Speaking lessons: short lessons with a self-check at the end.
• One-to-one Speaking tutoring: what a session covers and what it does not.
• Book a session: how to arrange a time and what to prepare.

A practice estimate is not an IELTS score. Coaching does not issue an IELTS Test Report Form or decide university, scholarship, professional or immigration eligibility.

Related Speaking guides

• IELTS Speaking 6 to 7
• AI scoring for IELTS Speaking
• Online IELTS Speaking coaching: a checklist
• How to choose one Speaking priority