Part 1 — IntroductionQ3/2026Difficulty 2/5

Music

IELTS Speaking questions reported by recent test-takers, compiled each quarter. Cambridge does not publish the active list, so this is a compilation of reports, not official material.

Questions

Question 145s to speak

Have your tastes changed over the years?

Question 245s to speak

Did you ever learn a musical instrument?

Model answer

Written by 8020 teachers. Do not memorise it — take the structure and the way ideas are developed, then speak about your own life.

What kind of music do you listen to? Quite a mix, but mostly Vietnamese indie and some older Trinh Cong Son. Not much international pop, though I couldn't tell you why exactly. When do you usually listen to music? On the way to work, and when I'm cooking. Never while working, because I can't concentrate on words and read at the same time — I've tried. Have your music tastes changed over the years? Quite a lot. At school I listened to whatever my friends listened to, and around twenty I started finding things myself. What surprised me is that I've come back to some of the music my parents played. Did you learn a musical instrument at school? Guitar, briefly, and badly. I gave up after about a year because I wanted to play songs and my teacher wanted me to learn theory, and neither of us moved.

Vocabulary you can use today

quite a mix
khá đa dạng
I couldn't tell you why exactly
tôi không nói được chính xác vì sao
I've tried
tôi thử rồi — hai từ mà đủ nghĩa
what surprised me is that...
điều làm tôi bất ngờ là...
I gave up after about a year
tôi bỏ sau khoảng một năm
neither of us moved
chẳng ai chịu nhường ai

Common traps for Vietnamese speakers

Nói về nhạc Việt Nam là lợi thế: giám khảo không biết nên bạn không bị so sánh, và bạn có sẵn nội dung văn hoá. Câu "quay lại nghe nhạc bố mẹ tôi từng bật" là chi tiết ai cũng thấy đúng nhưng ít người nói. Chi tiết kiểu đó dễ nhớ khi thi vì nó là chuyện thật. Ở câu về nhạc cụ, trả lời thật rằng bỏ giữa đường thì dễ nói hơn nhiều so với bịa ra là biết chơi. "Neither of us moved" là cách kết gọn và có hài.

âm cuối /k/ trong music, week, workâm cuối /d/ trong changed, listened, movedâm cuối /z/ trong songs, years, tastes→/s//θ/ trong theory, things, month

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