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    Speaking Part 1Reported 12 August 2026

    IELTS Speaking Part 1: Reading

    The questions

    Asked in this order, in one sitting.

    1. Do you prefer reading on paper or on a screen?
    2. When do you need to read carefully?
    3. Do you often read books?
    4. Have your reading habits changed?
    5. Have you read a novel that was adapted into a film?
    6. Do you prefer books or films?

    How to answer it

    This question has come back: candidates reported it on 3 July 2026, 12 August 2026. Questions that repeat across sittings are the ones worth rehearsing properly.

    A six-question run, so keep each answer short or you will be cut off. The 'have your habits changed' question is the one to invest in: give a then-and-now contrast, because that is where the examiner hears tense control. Have one real book title ready — a specific title beats 'I like novels' every time.

    What moves the band

    • Contrast frames: I used to … whereas now, I've got out of the habit of, I'm back into.
    • Reading lexis: skim, plough through, dip into, a page-turner, heavy going.

    Two answers, two bands

    Both answers below respond to this exact question. Read them in order: the difference between them is what a band is actually made of. They are written by us for this page — they are not candidate transcripts.

    Band 6.5

    What a 6.5 sounds like

    Do you prefer reading on paper or on a screen?

    I prefer paper books because it is more comfortable for my eyes. On a screen I get tired quickly.

    When do you need to read carefully?

    When I read something important, for example a contract, or my university notes before an exam. Then I read slowly.

    Do you often read books?

    Not very often, maybe one book in two months. I am quite busy with my work.

    Have your reading habits changed?

    Yes, they have changed. When I was a child I read more books, but now I read more on the internet, like news and articles.

    Have you read a novel that was adapted into a film?

    Yes, I read Harry Potter and then I watched the film.

    Do you prefer books or films?

    I prefer books because there are more details in a book than in a film.

    Why it scores what it scores

    Every answer is on topic and correctly formed, and the length is right for Part 1 — this is a solid 6.5. What it never does is take a turn. The habits question, which the plan flags as the one worth investing in, gets a then-and-now contrast in its simplest possible form, and the book-versus-film answer stops at more details, which is the answer the examiner can predict before it arrives.

    Band 8

    What an 8 sounds like

    Do you prefer reading on paper or on a screen?

    Paper, though I'll admit that's partly a pose. I read far more on a screen; I just enjoy it less.

    When do you need to read carefully?

    Anything I'd have to defend later. Contracts, obviously, but also work emails before I send them — I've learned that the hard way.

    Do you often read books?

    Less than I claim to. I'm about halfway through three at the moment, which I think means the honest answer is no.

    Have your reading habits changed?

    Enormously. I used to plough through a novel in a weekend, whereas now I dip into things for ten minutes and lose the thread. I've got out of the habit of sitting still, really — the books haven't changed, my attention has.

    Have you read a novel that was adapted into a film?

    Yes, No Country for Old Men. Rare case where I'd say the film was the better version.

    Do you prefer books or films?

    Books, but not for the reason people usually give. It's not that they have more in them; it's that they're slower, and being made to go slowly is the part I actually want.

    Why it scores what it scores

    The answers are no longer than the 6.5 ones — Part 1 rewards precision, not volume — but each one has a small twist in it: an admission, a self-correction, a named title. The habits answer carries the tense contrast the run is really testing (I used to plough through, whereas now I dip into) and ends on a reframing rather than a fact.

    Phrases worth stealing

    • “though I'll admit that's partly a pose”
    • “Anything I'd have to defend later”
    • “Less than I claim to”
    • “I used to plough through a novel in a weekend, whereas now I dip into things”
    • “I've got out of the habit of sitting still”

    These are candidate recalls. These are questions reported by test-takers after their exams, not official or leaked IELTS material. Wording varies by test version, location and memory. Use them for timed practice — never as a prediction of what you will be asked.

    Practise these next

    Know the number. Now move it.

    A conversion table tells you where you stand today. Langujet's AI marks your writing and speaking against the real rubric and tells you exactly which criterion is holding your score down.