IELTS Speaking Part 1: Your work

Questions and sample answers

1. 1. Do you work, or are you a student?

   I work. I’m an accountant at a mid-sized logistics company, and I’ve been there for about four years now.

2. 2. What do you do for a living, and how long have you been doing it?

   I handle the monthly accounts and prepare financial reports for the managers. I’ve been doing this kind of work since I graduated, so roughly six years in total.

3. 3. What is the most interesting part of your job?

   Honestly, it’s the problem-solving. When the figures don’t add up, tracking down where the mistake happened is oddly satisfying.

4. 4. Would you like to change your job in the future? Why?

   Not completely, but I’d like to move into a more senior role. That’s actually one of the reasons I’m taking IELTS, because I’m hoping to work abroad.

Each sample is two to four sentences: the answer, a reason or example, then stop. Use them to hear the shape, not to memorise. Examiners are trained to spot a rehearsed answer, and it costs fluency marks.

Language this topic rewards

• I’ve been working there for / since …: Present perfect continuous: the tense this topic tests most.
• I’m responsible for / I handle …: Describes duties without listing them.
• the most rewarding part is …: A natural answer to "what do you like about it".
• move into a more senior role: Talks about career change without "change job".
• work-life balance: A collocation examiners hear used well and badly.