Your phone, the apps you use, how much time you spend online: technology is one of the most common topics in IELTS Speaking Part 1, and the questions often come as a short set about mobile phones, the internet or websites.
You do not need technical knowledge. The examiner wants to hear about your own habits and opinions. Below you will find twelve common technology questions with band 7+ sample answers, useful vocabulary and tips.
Part 1 lasts 4 to 5 minutes. The examiner asks short questions about you and familiar topics. Answer in 2 or 3 sentences: a direct answer, then a reason or an example.
Technology questions with sample answers
1How often do you use your mobile phone?
Honestly, all the time. I check it as soon as I wake up, and I use it for messages, music and maps throughout the day.
2What do you use your phone for most?
Mainly for messaging my family and friends. I also use it a lot for banking and for listening to podcasts on the way to work.
3Could you live without your phone?
For a day or two, yes, and it might even be relaxing. But for longer it would be difficult, because so much of my life, from tickets to work emails, is on it.
4How much time do you spend on the internet?
Probably four or five hours a day, including work. In my free time it is mostly watching videos and reading the news.
5Which app do you use the most?
Probably a map app. I have a terrible sense of direction, so I use it even in parts of my own city.
6What is your favourite website?
I like a website where people share recipes and rate them. It has helped me become a much better cook.
7Do you prefer reading on a screen or on paper?
For news, a screen is fine, but for books I much prefer paper. I find it easier to concentrate, and my eyes get less tired.
8Do you think you spend too much time on your phone?
Probably, yes. I have started to leave it in another room in the evenings, which has helped me sleep better.
9What technology did you use as a child?
We had a family computer that everyone had to share, and I remember playing simple games on it. I got my first mobile phone when I was about twelve.
10Do older people in your country use technology a lot?
More and more. My grandparents now use video calls to see their grandchildren, although they still prefer to pay in cash.
11Is there a piece of technology you would like to buy?
I would like a good e-reader for travelling, so I could take lots of books without carrying a heavy bag.
12How has technology changed the way you study or work?
Completely. Almost everything is online now, so I can work from home on some days and find any information in seconds.
Useful technology vocabulary for IELTS
Use precise words instead of repeating “use”, “phone” and “internet”:
| Topic | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Devices | a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, an e-reader, a smartwatch, a gadget |
| Using technology | to browse the internet, to download an app, to stream videos, to scroll through, to go online |
| Communication | to text someone, to video-call, social media, to keep in touch, instant messaging |
| Problems | to be addicted to, screen time, to run out of battery, a slow connection, to be distracted by |
| Opinions | user-friendly, time-saving, indispensable, a mixed blessing, to make life easier |
How to answer technology questions
- 1
Talk about your real habits
Name the apps and websites you actually use. Real details sound natural and give you more to say.
- 2
Avoid brand names only
Instead of just “Instagram”, say “a photo-sharing app called Instagram” to show more vocabulary.
- 3
Give both sides
Questions like “Do you spend too much time online?” are easy to extend with “on the one hand… but…”.
- 4
Use the past for comparisons
Questions about childhood technology are a chance to use “used to”: “We used to share one computer.”
Practise on your own
Ask yourself three or four of the questions above and answer them aloud without looking at the sample answers. Record yourself and check that each answer has a reason or an example. For the next part of the test, see Technology: Part 2 cue cards with sample answers, and for more Part 1 topics, see the IELTS Speaking Part 1 guide.