What was your favourite subject at school?
Watch the tense. The examiner may ask about school now or in the past, and switching to past simple and "used to" when they ask about the past is something they notice.
Very often the best reason has nothing to do with the subject itself. A good teacher, a project you were proud of, or the fact that you were good at it are all stronger than "because it's interesting".
Sample answers at 3 bands
Same question, three answers. Read them out loud and notice what changes: not longer words, but more detail, better linking and a bit of you in it.
My favourite subject was maths. I like maths because it is interesting and I am good in maths. My teacher was also very good.
Why it scores Band 5.5: A tense mix ("was… I like"), "good in" instead of "good at", and "interesting" with nothing behind it.
It was biology. I had a teacher who was obsessed with insects and used to bring things into class in jars, which was disgusting and fascinating at the same time. I think that's when I first realised I wanted to study science.
Why it scores Band 7: Consistent past tenses, "used to" for a past habit, a vivid detail and a link to the speaker's life now. That's Band 7 grammar and coherence.
History, although it took me a while to get there. For the first couple of years it was just dates to memorise. Then we got a new teacher who taught it like a series of arguments: who was to blame, what else could have happened. Suddenly I was hooked, and I think it's the reason I enjoy debating now.
Why it scores Band 8: It shows a change over time, explains precisely what changed and connects it to the present. "Hooked" and "taught it like a series of arguments" are natural, high-level expressions.
Bands are our estimate against the public IELTS Speaking band descriptors. In the real test your band comes from all three parts, not one answer.
The follow-up questions
Part 1 stays on one topic for three or four questions. These are the ones that usually come next.
- Was there any subject you didn't like?
- Chemistry. I could follow the theory, but every time we did an experiment something went wrong, usually involving a small fire. My teacher was very patient about it.
- Do you think the subjects taught at school are useful?
- Most of them, though I wish we'd had something practical too, like how to manage money or how taxes work. Nobody ever taught us that, and everyone has to learn it the hard way.
- What subject do you study now?
- I'm doing computer science. It's quite different from what I expected: much more maths and much less building apps than I'd imagined.
- Would you like to be a teacher?
- I don't think so. I enjoy explaining things to friends, but standing in front of thirty teenagers every day takes a kind of patience I don't think I have.
Words that lift this answer
- be good at / struggle with
- Do something well, or find it hard.
- be hooked
- Become very interested very quickly.
- learn by heart / memorise
- Learn something so you can repeat it exactly.
- I used to…
- A past habit: "I used to stay late for the chess club."
- a hands-on subject
- One where you do practical things.
- it sparked my interest in
- It made you start liking something.
Mistakes that cost marks here
- Mixing present and past: "My favourite subject was maths because it is fun."
- "Good in maths". It's "good at maths".
- "Because it is interesting" with nothing after it. Say what was interesting.
Reading answers won't move your band. Saying them will.
Take a full Cambridge Speaking test: the examiner's questions are played out loud, you answer, and you get a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. 10 free corrections a day.