IELTS Speaking Part 1

Cooking: questions and Band 8 answers

The examiner asks three to five short questions on two or three everyday topics in the first four to five minutes. These are the 9 questions about cooking in the BandLadder test bank, with sample answers for the most frequent ones. Aim for two or three sentences each: answer, reason, one detail.

Sample answers

Who normally does the cooking in your home?

My mother is the primary cook in our household as she finds it incredibly relaxing. She insists on preparing traditional meals from scratch every evening, and frankly, I prefer her culinary skills over anything I could rustle up myself, so I usually just help with the washing up.

Does anyone in your family like to cook?

Actually, my older brother is quite the enthusiast when it comes to experimenting with exotic spices. He spends his entire Saturday morning scouring local markets for fresh ingredients, aiming to replicate the complex curries he discovered while travelling through Southeast Asia last year.

Do you want to learn how to cook well?

Most definitely, as I believe being able to prepare a nutritious meal is a vital life skill. I am currently watching online tutorials to master the basics of French cuisine, hoping that one day I can host dinner parties for my friends without any kitchen disasters.

How good are you at cooking?

To be perfectly honest, I am merely a competent amateur who sticks to simple recipes. I can manage a decent pasta dish or a stir-fry, but I often lack the finesse required for more elaborate baking or complicated sauces that demand precise timing.

Do you like cooking?

I find it to be a rather therapeutic way to unwind after a long day at work. There is something deeply satisfying about transforming raw ingredients into a wholesome meal, especially when I have the luxury of time to experiment with new flavours.

How often do you cook?

I try to get behind the stove at least three or four times a week. My busy schedule makes it difficult to prepare elaborate dinners every night, so I typically batch-cook on Sundays to ensure I have healthy options ready for the upcoming work week.

Details are invented. Use the shape, not the sentences: examiners mark memorised answers down.

Useful vocabulary

From scratch: Using raw ingredients instead of pre-prepared or processed food
Culinary skills: The practical ability to prepare and cook various foods
Rustle up: To quickly prepare a meal with minimal effort involved
Finesse: Great skill and style in handling a delicate task
Therapeutic: Having a healing or relaxing effect on the mind
Batch-cook: Preparing large quantities of food to store for later

Use specific examples to make your answers sound more authentic and personal to examiners.
Avoid overusing filler words and focus on providing a clear, direct answer to each question.

Answer out loud and get a band

The AI examiner asks Part 1 questions like these, listens, and scores fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with the words that cost you.

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