60 English Speaking Exam Topics for GCSE and IGCSE (and How to Pick One)

Picking a topic is the part of the English speaking exam that most students get wrong. Not the talking. The choosing. A good topic gives you something to argue, a few facts to lean on, and a reason to care for four minutes. A bad topic leaves you reading a script about "my favourite holiday" while the teacher checks the clock.

This guide gives you 60 English speaking exam topics that work, sorted by theme. It also explains what the exam is, how it is graded, and how to turn a topic into a talk that earns a Distinction (GCSE) or a grade 1 (IGCSE). We tutor IGCSE English students one-to-one at Educifly, and the advice below is what we tell them.

Quick answer: The best English speaking exam topics are ones you have an opinion about, can back up with two or three real facts, and can talk about for 3–4 minutes without notes. Strong picks include "Should schools ban phones?", "Is social media making us lonelier?", "Should the voting age be 16?", and "Why every student should learn to cook." Avoid topics that are just a story about you, and avoid anything so big (like "the environment") that you cannot say anything specific.

What is the English speaking exam?

The English speaking exam is a short, recorded talk plus a conversation with your teacher, and it is graded separately from your written English grade.

That is the one-sentence version. The details depend on which qualification you are sitting, because "the English speaking exam" is really three different tests.

Two things stand out from that table.

First, for GCSE, Cambridge 0500 and Edexcel 4EA1, you choose the topic. That is why this article exists. For the Second Language test (0510/0511), the examiner picks a topic card for you, so the skill there is thinking on your feet. We cover that near the end.

Second, in most of these exams the speaking grade does not change your written English grade. It sits next to it on the certificate. Students hear that and relax too much. Schools, sixth forms and some employers do look at it, and a "Not Classified" next to a grade 8 looks odd. More importantly, the skills you build here (structure, evidence, handling questions) are the same skills your written papers reward.

If your child is at an international school and you are not sure which of these applies, our guide to what IGCSE is explains the codes and boards.

How is the English speaking exam graded?

The English speaking exam is graded on how well you organise ideas, use formal spoken English, engage the audience, and respond to questions, not on how confident you look.

That last point matters. Nervous students pass all the time. Students who ramble do not.

GCSE and Edexcel International GCSE: Pass, Merit, Distinction

All the UK boards use the same criteria, agreed together. It is a "competency" system: you must meet every criterion in a grade before you can be considered for the next one.

To get any grade at all, you must be audible, intelligible, and use spoken Standard English in a formal register. Then:

Read the Distinction column again. "Challenging ideas." "Sophisticated vocabulary." "Range of strategies to engage the audience." You cannot get those from a talk about your pet. You can get them from a talk about whether pets should be sold in shops.

Also note: reading straight from a script blocks you from Merit and Distinction. Notes and slides are allowed. A script is not.

Cambridge IGCSE 0500: marks out of 40

Cambridge marks the two parts separately. Part 1 (the individual talk) is 20 marks. Part 2 (the conversation) is 10 marks for speaking and 10 for listening.

The top band for Part 1 asks for "full and well-organised use of content", "lively delivery which fully engages the audience", and "a wide range of language devices (e.g. tone, irony, emphasis)". The top band for the conversation rewards a student who "extends the subject matter" and "speaks on equal terms with the listener". In plain English: have opinions, develop them, and talk to your teacher like an adult, not like a student answering a quiz.

If your child sits the Cambridge exam, our IGCSE English tutors run mock Component 4 tests, because the 7–8 minute conversation is the part students underestimate.

How to choose a good English speaking exam topic

A good English speaking exam topic passes five tests: you care about it, you can argue it, you can prove it, you can narrow it, and you can survive the questions on it.

Run every idea through these before you commit.

1. Do you actually care? Not "is it impressive". Do you have a real opinion? If you are indifferent, the audience will be too. Four minutes is a long time to fake interest.

2. Can you argue it? The best topics have a "should" or an "is" in them. "Should schools ban phones?" gives you a side to take. "Phones in schools" does not. A talk with no argument has no spine.

3. Can you prove it? You need two or three specific facts, examples or numbers. Real ones. "Studies show" is not evidence. "UNESCO's 2023 education report found that almost one in four countries had banned smartphones in schools" is evidence.

4. Can you narrow it? "Climate change" is a library, not a talk. "Why my school should stop selling bottled water" is a talk. Small and specific beats big and vague every time.

5. Can you survive the questions? Your teacher will push back. If your only argument is "because I think so", the Q&A will sink you. Pick something where you already know the strongest argument against you.

One more filter. Ask yourself whether you could explain your topic to a 10-year-old and to your grandparent. If you can do both, you understand it well enough.

60 English speaking exam topics that work

Here are 60 English speaking exam topics sorted into seven themes, each with the angle that makes it a real argument rather than a description.

Each one is phrased as a question or a claim. That is on purpose. You are not describing a subject. You are taking a position.

School and education (10)

• 1. Should schools ban mobile phones completely? Angle: what changed at schools that did it.

• 2. Homework should be scrapped in Year 7 and 8. Angle: what the time could be used for instead.

• 3. Exams are a bad way to measure intelligence. Angle: what they actually measure, and what they miss.

• 4. Every student should learn a musical instrument. Angle: memory, discipline, and the cost problem.

• 5. School uniforms: fairness or control? Angle: pick one side and defend it.

• 6. Should the school day start later? Angle: teenage sleep science.

• 7. Private tutoring gives richer students an unfair advantage. Angle: honest, and you can argue both ways.

• 8. Schools should teach personal finance before algebra. Angle: what most 16-year-olds do not know about money.

• 9. Should students be allowed to grade their teachers? Angle: what universities already do.

• 10. Learning a second language should be compulsory to 16. Angle: what the brain gains, and what bilingual students already know.

Technology and social media (10)

• 11. Is social media making teenagers lonelier? Angle: the gap between "connected" and "close".

• 12. Should there be a minimum age of 16 for social media? Angle: which countries have tried it.

• 13. AI homework helpers: cheating or the new calculator? Angle: where the line is.

• 14. Video games are good for you. Angle: problem-solving, teamwork, and where the addiction risk is real.

• 15. Should influencers have to label every advert? Angle: who is being tricked.

• 16. Are smartwatches and fitness trackers making us anxious? Angle: counting steps vs. living.

• 17. Should schools teach how to spot fake news? Angle: an example of a hoax that spread.

• 18. Screen time limits for children should be law. Angle: parent vs. state.

• 19. Is it wrong to post photos of children online? Angle: consent and the digital footprint.

• 20. Self-driving cars: would you get in one? Angle: trust, blame, and who decides in a crash.

Society, fairness and rights (10)

• 21. Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Angle: Scotland and Wales already did it for some elections.

• 22. Fast fashion should be taxed. Angle: the true price of a £5 t-shirt.

• 23. Is it ever right to break the law to protest? Angle: a historical example.

• 24. Should zoos exist in 2026? Angle: conservation vs. entertainment.

• 25. Rich countries should take more refugees. Angle: numbers, not feelings.

• 26. Should there be a four-day working week? Angle: trials that measured output.

• 27. Is celebrity culture harmful? Angle: who benefits.

• 28. Should plastic packaging be banned? Angle: what would replace it.

• 29. Are billionaires good for society? Angle: philanthropy vs. tax.

• 30. Should the UK keep the monarchy? Angle: cost, tourism, and tradition.

Environment and animals (8)

• 31. Meat-free Mondays should be compulsory in school canteens. Angle: the carbon maths of one meal.

• 32. Should we bring extinct animals back with science? Angle: the mammoth project.

• 33. Cars should be banned from city centres. Angle: a city that did it.

• 34. Is recycling a waste of time? Angle: what actually happens to your bin.

• 35. Should flying be rationed? Angle: one long-haul flight vs. a year of driving.

• 36. Keeping exotic pets should be illegal. Angle: welfare and the trade behind it.

• 37. Nuclear power is the answer to climate change. Angle: safety record vs. reputation.

• 38. Should people be paid to plant trees? Angle: what works and what is greenwashing.

Health, sport and wellbeing (8)

• 39. Sugary drinks should be banned for under-16s. Angle: the sugar tax results.

• 40. Should PE be graded like other subjects? Angle: who that helps and who it hurts.

• 41. Esports should count as a real sport. Angle: the definition of sport.

• 42. Mental health days should be allowed off school. Angle: what a good policy would look like.

• 43. Is the pressure to look perfect worse for boys or girls? Angle: pick a side with evidence.

• 44. Everyone should learn first aid at school. Angle: how many lives that saves.

• 45. Should athletes who dope be banned for life? Angle: a real case.

• 46. Is 8 hours of sleep more important than homework? Angle: what happens to memory without it.

Personal and persuasive (8)

• 47. Why every student should learn to cook. Angle: independence, money, and health.

• 48. The one book everyone should read before 18. Angle: what it changed in you, and why that matters to others.

• 49. Failure is more useful than success. Angle: one failure of yours and what it taught.

• 50. Why you should visit my home country. Angle: three things people get wrong about it.

• 51. Part-time jobs make better students. Angle: time management, and the risk.

• 52. Everyone should do a year of volunteering. Angle: what you did and what surprised you.

• 53. Learning to be bored is a skill. Angle: creativity and the phone reflex.

• 54. The best lesson I learned outside a classroom. Angle: keep it short, make it a lesson for others.

Culture, media and fun (6)

• 55. Are remakes killing original films? Angle: box office vs. quality.

• 56. Should reality TV be regulated? Angle: welfare of the people on it.

• 57. Streaming has ruined music. Angle: how much an artist earns per play.

• 58. Should museums return stolen artefacts? Angle: the Parthenon marbles or the Benin bronzes.

• 59. Is graffiti art or vandalism? Angle: Banksy vs. your local wall.

• 60. Books are better than films. Angle: pick one adaptation and prove it.

Pick three from the list that made you react. Then run them through the five tests above. One of them will win.

Topics to avoid in the English speaking exam

Avoid topics that are just a story about you, topics too big to say anything specific about, and topics you cannot defend under questioning.

Here are the ones we see fail most often.

Notice the pattern. "My holiday" is bad, but "Why tourists should stop visiting Venice" is excellent. The subject is the same. The shape is different.

How to structure a 4-minute English speaking exam talk

A 4-minute talk needs a hook, one clear claim, three supported points, a counter-argument, and an ending that lands, in that order.

Here is the timing we teach. It works for GCSE (aim for 3–5 minutes of talk before questions) and for Cambridge 0500 Part 1 (3–4 minutes, and the teacher will step in at 4½).

Total: about 4 minutes.

Three notes on that table.

The counter-argument is not optional. The Distinction criteria want "sophisticated ideas". Showing you understand the other side and still hold your position is the simplest way to do that.

Your strongest point goes last, not first. People remember endings.

And practise the last sentence until you could say it in your sleep. Most talks fall apart in the final 20 seconds because the student has not decided how to stop.

How to handle the questions after your talk

Handle the questions by listening to the whole question, answering it directly, then adding one extra idea or example, which is exactly what the top-grade criteria ask for.

The GCSE Distinction criteria say "responds perceptively and, if appropriate, elaborates with further ideas and information". The Cambridge conversation band wants you to "extend the subject matter". Both mean the same thing: do not just answer, build.

A simple pattern:

1. Pause for one second. It looks thoughtful and it stops you answering the wrong question.

2. Answer it straight. "Yes, I think that is a fair point" or "No, and here is why."

3. Add one thing. A second example, a number, a "what would happen if".

4. Stop. Do not trail off. Do not say "so yeah".

Prepare for the three questions you least want to be asked. Write them down. Say your answers out loud. If you pick a topic from the list above, you already know what they are, because the "angle" tells you where the fight is.

Two things to avoid. Never say "I don't know" on its own. Say "I'm not sure of the exact figure, but I do know that…". And never argue with the teacher's question. Engage with it. "That is true for some students, but…" wins more marks than "No, that is wrong."

A worked example: turning topic #1 into a talk

Here is how "Should schools ban mobile phones completely?" becomes a Distinction-level 4-minute talk.

Hook (20 s): "Put your hand up if you have checked your phone in the last hour. Now imagine you could not, from 8.30 to 3.30, every day. Some schools already do this. I think every school should."

Claim (15 s): "Phones should be locked away for the whole school day, and I have three reasons: focus, friendship, and fairness."

Point 1, focus (50 s): Explain how long it takes to refocus after a notification. Give the number you found in your research and say where it came from. Link it to a lesson you have sat in.

Point 2, friendship (50 s): What happens at break when nobody has a phone. Use one specific example from a school that introduced lockable pouches. Say what changed.

Point 3, fairness (50 s): The kids who get bullied online during the day. The kids whose parents cannot afford the newest phone. A ban removes both problems at once.

Counter-argument (35 s): "Some people say phones are needed for safety. But every school has an office phone, and emergencies happened before 2007 too. Others say students should learn self-control. I agree, and that is exactly why we should practise a phone-free day now."

Ending (20 s): "So, the next time you reach for your phone in a lesson, ask what you are actually reaching for. Ban them, and we might find out."

Notice what is in there: a number with a source, a named example, a real counter-argument, and an ending that echoes the hook. That is the whole recipe.

Before the questions, this student would write down: "What about students with medical apps?", "Isn't a ban just treating teenagers like children?", and "What did your own school do?". Three prepared answers, and the Q&A becomes the easiest part.

A two-week practice plan

Two weeks is enough to go from a topic to a confident talk if you practise out loud every day, not just in your head.

The two days most students skip are 7 and 11, the recordings. They are the two that matter most. You cannot fix what you cannot hear.

What if the examiner picks the topic? (IGCSE ESL 0510 and 0511)

In the Cambridge Second Language speaking test the examiner chooses your topic card, so the skill is not picking a topic but having a method for any topic.

Here is the format again, because it is often misunderstood. After a one-minute introduction and a warm-up chat of one to two minutes (neither is marked), there are three assessed parts. Part 1 is a 2–3 minute interview on a topic the examiner tells you. Part 2 is a 3–4 minute short talk on a card the examiner hands you, with up to one minute to read it and prepare. You cannot make written notes. Part 3 is a 3–4 minute discussion on the same topic. The whole thing runs 10–15 minutes and is recorded.

Because you cannot choose, do this instead:

• Learn the five common themes. Cards tend to cover everyday life: school, family, hobbies, travel, technology, food, the environment, your town. Prepare two opinions and one example for each theme. You will rarely be surprised.

• Use the prompts on the card as your structure. Each card gives you a topic and a set of prompts. Work through them in order. That is your talk plan, handed to you.

• Practise the one-minute prep. Read the card, pick one opinion per prompt, decide your first sentence. That is all you have time for. Rehearse that routine until it is automatic.

• In Part 3, extend. The examiner will push the discussion wider. Say what you think, then say why, then give an example. Three steps, every time.

The 60 topics above are still useful here. They are the kinds of questions that appear in Part 3. If you have already thought about whether social media makes people lonely, you will not freeze when a card about "friendship" leads there.

Our guide to IGCSE English past papers explains where to find past speaking test cards and examiner notes so you can practise with real ones.

How parents can help with the English speaking exam

Parents help most by being an audience, asking honest questions, and timing the talk, not by writing it.

Here is what actually works, from the families we tutor:

• Be the audience, twice. Once early (day 5 or 6 in the plan) and once late (day 10 or 13). Sit still, do not interrupt, and do not look at your phone. The point is realism.

• Ask one hard question. After the talk, ask the thing you genuinely wonder about. Not a soft one. Your child needs practice at being pushed.

• Time it. Use your phone. Tell them the number. Under 3 minutes and they need more content. Over 5 and they need to cut.

• Do not write it. Teachers can tell. And your child cannot answer questions on ideas that are not theirs.

• Praise something specific. "Your ending was strong" beats "well done". Then one thing to fix. One.

If the talk is fine but the nerves are not, a few sessions with a tutor who runs mock speaking tests can settle it. That is one of the things our IGCSE tutors do in the weeks before the test window. And if you want to see whether that would help your child, you can book a free trial class and we will run a short mock with them.

One last thing. If your child is choosing between GCSE and IGCSE English, or is at a school that offers both, our IGCSE vs GCSE comparison explains how the speaking parts differ, because that can be a real factor for quieter students.

Frequently asked questions

What are good topics for the English speaking exam?

Good topics for the English speaking exam are ones with an argument in them: "Should schools ban phones?", "Is social media making teenagers lonelier?", "Should the voting age be 16?", "Fast fashion should be taxed", or "Why every student should learn to cook". A good topic is something you have an opinion on, can support with two or three real facts, and can talk about for 3–4 minutes without a script.

How long is the English speaking exam?

For UK GCSE English Language, the whole assessment (talk plus questions) should be no more than 10 minutes. For Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500, Component 4 is about 10–12 minutes: a 3–4 minute talk and a 7–8 minute conversation. For Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language 0510/0511, the speaking test is about 10–15 minutes including a warm-up, an interview, a short talk and a discussion.

Does the English speaking exam count towards my grade?

Usually not. For UK GCSE English Language, Cambridge IGCSE 0500 and Edexcel International GCSE 4EA1, the speaking grade is reported separately on your certificate and does not change your written grade. The exception is Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language 0511 ("count-in speaking"), where the speaking test is worth 20% of the final grade.

How is the GCSE spoken language endorsement graded?

It is graded Pass, Merit, Distinction or Not Classified. There are no marks. To get any grade you must be audible, intelligible and use spoken Standard English. Then you must meet every criterion in a grade before you can be considered for the next. Distinction requires sophisticated ideas and vocabulary, a range of strategies to engage the audience, and perceptive answers to questions that add further ideas.

Can I use notes in the English speaking exam?

Yes, in most versions. GCSE rules allow pre-prepared notes and slides, but reading straight from a script stops you reaching Merit or Distinction. Cambridge 0500 allows a cue card and illustrative material, which must be labelled with your name and number. In the Cambridge Second Language test (0510/0511) you cannot make written notes during the one-minute preparation for the short talk.

Can I choose my own topic for the English speaking exam?

For GCSE, Cambridge IGCSE 0500 and Edexcel International GCSE 4EA1, yes. You choose the topic and agree it with your teacher in advance. For Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (0510/0511), no. The examiner selects a speaking assessment card for you and you have up to one minute to prepare.

What should I avoid talking about in the English speaking exam?

Avoid pure personal stories with no argument ("my holiday"), topics too large to say anything specific about ("technology"), hobbies described rather than argued, anything you cannot defend under questioning, speeches copied from the internet, and very personal or upsetting subjects that you may not be able to finish or take questions on.

How do I start my English speaking exam talk?

Start with a hook, not an introduction. Ask the audience a question, give a surprising number, or tell a one-line story. Then state your claim in one sentence. Do not open with "Hello, today I am going to talk about…". The first 20 seconds decide whether the audience listens to the rest.

What happens if I go over time in the speaking exam?

For GCSE the guidance is that the whole assessment should be no more than 10 minutes, so a teacher will usually move to questions. For Cambridge 0500, the teacher is told to interrupt and begin Part 2 if you show no sign of finishing after 4½ minutes. Going over is not a disaster, but it usually means you have too much content and a weak ending. Aim for 3½–4 minutes and practise your last sentence.

How do I answer questions in the English speaking exam?

Pause for one second, answer the question directly, add one extra idea or example, then stop. The top-grade criteria reward "perceptive" responses that "elaborate with further ideas", so building on your answer matters more than getting it perfectly right. Prepare the three hardest questions you could be asked and practise your answers out loud.

Is the English speaking exam the same for GCSE and IGCSE?

No. GCSE and Edexcel International GCSE use a prepared presentation plus questions, graded Pass/Merit/Distinction. Cambridge IGCSE 0500 uses a 3–4 minute talk plus a 7–8 minute conversation, marked out of 40 and graded 1–5. Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language uses examiner-chosen cards with an interview, a short talk and a discussion. The skills overlap, but the formats differ.

Can a tutor help with the English speaking exam?

Yes, mainly by running realistic mock tests. A tutor can act as the examiner, time the talk, ask unexpected questions and give feedback against the actual criteria. That is hard for a parent to do neutrally and hard for a busy teacher to do individually. Educifly's IGCSE English tutors run mock speaking tests as part of one-to-one lessons in the weeks before the test window.

Written by the Educifly IGCSE English team. Educifly is a boutique one-to-one tutoring practice for IB and IGCSE students, founded in 2018.