IELTSVegaIELTS Speaking questions November 2026: cue cards, Part 1 & 3
IELTS Speaking questions for November 2026 tests: the Part 2 cue cards still in the Sept–Dec pool, Part 1 topics, Part 3 questions and model answers.
If your IELTS Speaking test is in November 2026, you will most likely get a Part 2 cue card from the pool that opened in September, not a brand-new set. Cue cards are widely reported to change in January, May and September, so November sits in the middle of the September–December cycle. Below are the cue cards, Part 1 topics and Part 3 questions to prepare for November, with model answers. IELTS never publishes live questions. This is a forecast built from this cycle's published cue card banks, not an official list.
What changes in November, and what does not
- Part 2 cue cards: no new pool is expected. The cards reported since September should keep appearing until the end of December.
- Part 1: the opener (work or study, home, hometown) never changes. The two short topic frames after it rotate more often, so expect a few you have not seen in any list.
- Part 3: always follows from your Part 2 card. Prepare the card well and Part 3 has a predictable direction.
- Wording: the topic repeats, the sentence does not. A card about 'an object you value' may arrive as 'something you own that you would never sell'.
Part 2 cue cards to prepare for November 2026
These cards appear in this cycle's published cue card banks and forecasts. They are grouped by type, because one well-prepared story usually covers two or three cards of the same type.
| Type | Cue card (our wording) | One story that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Object | Describe something you own that is important to you. | A gift, a watch, a phone or a notebook with a history |
| Object | Describe a gift you gave someone that they liked. | Same object story, told from the giver's side |
| Object | Describe a piece of technology you could not live without. | Your phone or laptop, and one specific way it changed your routine |
| Experience | Describe a time you made a mistake and learned from it. | A missed deadline, a wrong booking, a bad decision at work |
| Experience | Describe a time you taught someone something new. | Teaching a parent to use an app, a friend to cook a dish |
| Experience | Describe an important decision you had to make. | Choosing a course, a job, or a country to study in |
| Experience | Describe a time you received poor service in a shop or restaurant. | One specific visit, what went wrong, how it was handled |
| Experience | Describe an unusual meal you have had. | A wedding, a trip, a dish you tried once |
| Person | Describe a person who has had a strong influence on you. | A teacher, grandparent or first manager |
| Person | Describe someone you know who started their own business. | A relative's shop, a friend's online venture |
| Place | Describe a new public building or place you would like to visit. | A library, museum, metro station or park in your city |
| Media | Describe a review you read about a product or service. | An online review that changed what you bought |
Part 2 model answer: something you own that is important to you
Card: Describe something you own that is important to you. You should say what it is, how you got it, how often you use it, and explain why it is important to you.
Model: "The thing I'd find hardest to lose is a fairly ordinary steel watch that belonged to my grandfather. He wore it every day for about thirty years, and when he retired he gave it to me, which surprised everyone, because I was only fifteen and not exactly careful with my things. It's not valuable, and to be honest it loses about two minutes a week, so I can't rely on it if I'm catching a train. I wear it on days that matter: my first day at university, job interviews, and I'm planning to wear it on my IELTS test day. Why is it important? Partly because it's a link to him. He was a quiet man and didn't say much about how he felt, so the watch kind of says it for him. But it's also a reminder to be patient. He used to say that a good watch, like a good habit, only works if you look after it every day."
Why it works: one clear object, a short story with a moment of surprise, an honest flaw (it loses time), and the 'why' answered with two different reasons. That reason section is where you show range, so leave the most time for it.
Part 1 topics for November 2026
After the work, study and home questions, expect two short topic frames. These are the frames forecast for this cycle:
- Messages and phones: do you prefer texting or calling? Do you reply to messages quickly?
- Your neighbourhood: what is the most useful place near your home? Has your area changed recently?
- Concentration: when do you find it hardest to focus? What helps you concentrate?
- Weekends and rest: what do you do after a busy week? Do you plan your weekends in advance?
- Gifts: what kind of gifts do you like to receive? Is it hard to choose a gift for someone?
- Food: have you ever cooked a meal for other people? Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?
- Childhood: what games did you play as a child? Was your childhood busier than children's lives today?
Part 1 model answer
Q: Do you prefer texting or calling?
Model: "Texting, most of the time. It lets people answer when it suits them, and I can think before I reply. But for anything emotional, like good news or a problem in the family, I'll always call, because tone gets lost in a message."
One answer, one reason, one contrast. That is the right size for Part 1: about 20 seconds, not a speech.
Part 3 questions to expect in November
Part 3 takes your cue card topic and asks you to talk about society, not yourself. Likely follow-ups for this cycle's cards:
- Possessions: why do people keep things they never use? Do people today repair things less than in the past?
- Gifts: is it better to give money or a chosen gift? Has online shopping changed the way people give presents?
- Mistakes and learning: should schools let children fail? Do adults learn from mistakes as easily as children?
- Teaching: is it easier to learn from a friend or from a professional teacher? Will technology replace teachers?
- Decisions: do young people today have more choices than their parents had? Is too much choice a problem?
- Service and reviews: why do people trust online reviews from strangers? Should companies be allowed to delete bad reviews?
- Business: what qualities does someone need to run a business? Should schools teach young people how to start one?
Part 3 model answer
Q: Do people repair things less than they used to?
Model: "Generally, yes. A big part of it is price. When a new kettle costs less than getting the old one fixed, repairing it just doesn't make financial sense. Products are also designed in a way that makes them hard to open, with glued parts and no spare pieces available. That said, I think the trend might be turning a little. In my city there are small phone repair stalls on almost every street, and they're busy, because a phone is expensive enough that fixing the screen is worth it. So I'd say people repair things when the numbers add up, and the problem is that for cheap goods they rarely do."
The pattern: a direct answer, two reasons, a 'that said' counterpoint and a local example. That structure lifts Fluency and Coherence without sounding rehearsed.
A seven-day plan if your test is in November
| Day | Focus | Task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stories | Write one-line notes for four stories: an object, a mistake, a person, a decision |
| 2 | Part 2 | Record two cue cards with a strict one-minute prep and two minutes of speaking |
| 3 | Part 1 | Answer all seven Part 1 frames above in about 20 seconds each |
| 4 | Part 3 | Answer five Part 3 questions using answer, reasons, counterpoint, example |
| 5 | Vocabulary | Replace your three most repeated words with more precise ones, then re-record day 2's cards |
| 6 | Full test | One full mock: Part 1, a fresh cue card and Part 3, timed, without stopping |
| 7 | Review | Listen back, score yourself on the four criteria, and fix the weakest one |
How we built this forecast
Nobody outside IELTS knows the November questions in advance. This list is drawn from the September–December 2026 cue card banks and forecasts published by IELTS prep sites, which are themselves built from candidate reports, and we chose cards that cover the most common card types. It is a forecast, not a leak. Use it to prepare stories and ideas, not to memorise answers.
Earlier this cycle
The September and October cards are still in use, so work through those as well.
Practise November's cue cards with instant band scores
Reading a cue card list will not raise your band. Speaking does. On IELTSVega you can record Part 1, 2 and 3 answers with the built-in one-minute Part 2 prep timer, then get an instant band on Fluency, Vocabulary, Grammar and Pronunciation, so you know which of the four is costing you marks before test day.