How to speak for the full two minutes
- Use the minute: write 4-6 keywords, one per bullet point, plus one story detail.
- Past, present, future: describe what happened, how you feel now and what you would do next time - a natural range of tenses.
- Extend each point: say what, then why, then an example.
- Finish with a reason: the last bullet ("explain why...") is where you show your best vocabulary.
1. Describe a skill you learned that took a long time to master.
You should say:
- what the skill is
- when and how you started learning it
- what difficulties you had
- and explain how you feel about this skill now.
Part 3 - learning skills: Why do some people learn new skills more quickly than others? · Do you think schools focus too much on academic subjects and not enough on practical skills? · How has technology changed the way people learn new skills?
Band 9-style sample answer
I'd like to talk about learning to play the guitar, which honestly took me far longer than I expected.
I started when I was about fourteen. A cousin of mine left an old acoustic guitar at our house, and I began teaching myself from online videos. For the first few months it was frankly painful, literally, because my fingertips hurt every time I pressed the strings, and I couldn't switch between chords fast enough to play anything that sounded like a real song.
The biggest difficulty, though, wasn't physical. It was that progress was so slow that I kept losing motivation. I'd practise intensely for two weeks, get frustrated, and then not touch it for a month. What eventually changed things was joining a small group at school that met every Friday. Having to play in front of other people, even badly, gave me a reason to practise regularly, and after about a year I could finally get through complete songs without stopping.
Looking back, I feel genuinely proud of it, not because I'm a great guitarist, which I'm not, but because it taught me that consistency matters far more than talent. Whenever I'm struggling with something new now, like learning German, I remind myself how hopeless I felt at the start with the guitar.
2. Describe a place in your city or town where people go to relax.
You should say:
- where it is
- what it looks like
- what people do there
- and explain why it is a good place to relax.
Part 3 - leisure and public spaces: Why do you think people find it difficult to relax nowadays? · Should governments spend more money on parks and public spaces? · How have the ways people spend their free time changed in the last 20 years?
Band 9-style sample answer
The place I'd like to describe is a lake on the northern edge of my city, which locals simply call 'the big lake', although it's not really that big.
It's about twenty minutes from the centre by bus. There's a path that goes all the way around the water, roughly three kilometres, with old trees on one side and benches every few hundred metres. On the far side there's a small café that's been run by the same family for as long as I can remember, and in the evenings the whole place turns orange when the sun sets behind the hills.
People do all sorts of things there. In the early morning you see joggers and older people doing exercises together. At weekends families come for picnics, and there are usually a few people fishing, although I've honestly never seen anyone catch anything.
I think it works so well as a place to relax because it's one of the few spots in the city where you can't hear traffic. The water seems to absorb the noise, and you can actually think. Whenever I've had a stressful week, especially during exams, walking one lap of the lake has been my way of switching off. If it were ever built over, I think the city would lose something it couldn't replace.
3. Describe a time when you helped someone.
You should say:
- who you helped
- what the situation was
- how you helped them
- and explain how you felt about helping this person.
Part 3 - helping others: Why do some people volunteer to help in their community? · Do you think people are less helpful than they were in the past? · Should schools teach children to help others?
Band 9-style sample answer
I'd like to talk about a time last year when I helped an elderly neighbour of mine, Mrs Rao, who lives alone in the flat below ours.
One evening in the middle of winter there was a power cut in our building, and I remembered that she'd mentioned she was nervous about the dark and couldn't manage the stairs very well. So I went down with a torch to check on her. It turned out she'd been trying to find candles and had knocked over a small table, so she was quite shaken, though thankfully not hurt.
I stayed with her for about two hours until the electricity came back. I set up some lights, made her a hot drink on our gas stove upstairs, and we ended up talking for ages. She told me about moving to the city in the 1970s and how different the neighbourhood was then.
Honestly, I felt a mixture of things. Partly I was relieved I'd gone down, because if I hadn't, she might have tried to walk around in the dark and fallen. But I also felt a bit guilty that I'd lived above her for three years and had hardly spoken to her before. Since then I've made a point of knocking on her door every week or so, and she's become a sort of extra grandmother to me.
4. Describe a journey that you remember well.
You should say:
- where you went
- how you travelled
- who you went with
- and explain why you remember this journey well.
Part 3 - travel and transport: Why do some people prefer travelling by train rather than by plane? · How has tourism affected your country? · Do you think people will travel less in the future because of environmental concerns?
5. Describe a decision you made that changed your life.
You should say:
- what the decision was
- when you made it
- how you made it
- and explain how it changed your life.
Part 3 - decisions and choices: Do young people today have more choices than their parents did? · Should parents influence their children's choice of career? · Why do some people find it hard to make decisions?
6. Describe an interesting old person you have met.
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you met them
- what you have learned from them
- and explain why you find this person interesting.
Part 3 - older people and society: What can young people learn from older people? · How are older people treated in your country? · Should people be required to retire at a certain age?
7. Describe a piece of advice you received that was useful.
You should say:
- who gave you the advice
- what the advice was
- when you received it
- and explain why it was useful.
Part 3 - advice and learning: Who do young people in your country usually ask for advice? · Is advice from the internet reliable? · Why do some people find it difficult to accept advice?
8. Describe a building that you think is beautiful.
You should say:
- where it is
- what it looks like
- when you first saw it
- and explain why you think it is beautiful.
Part 3 - architecture and public buildings: Why do some cities preserve old buildings while others knock them down? · Should governments spend money on beautiful public buildings? · How does architecture affect the way people feel?
9. Describe a time when you had to wait for something important.
You should say:
- what you were waiting for
- how long you had to wait
- what you did while you were waiting
- and explain how you felt while waiting.
Part 3 - patience and modern life: Do you think people are less patient than in the past? · How has technology affected people's patience? · In what situations is it important to be patient?
10. Describe a skill you would like to learn in the future.
You should say:
- what the skill is
- why you want to learn it
- how you would learn it
- and explain how this skill would be useful to you.
Part 3 - skills and work: What skills are most important for young people starting work? · Should employers or schools be responsible for teaching work skills? · Will some skills become less important because of technology?
11. Describe a problem you solved in a creative way.
You should say:
- what the problem was
- when it happened
- how you solved it
- and explain why you think your solution was creative.
Part 3 - creativity and problem-solving: Are some people naturally more creative than others? · How can schools encourage creativity? · Is creativity more important than knowledge in today's world?
12. Describe a website or app that you find useful.
You should say:
- what it is
- how you found out about it
- what you use it for
- and explain why you find it useful.
Part 3 - technology and learning: How has technology changed the way young people study? · Are online courses as effective as classroom teaching? · Should children be allowed to use phones at school?
13. Describe a change that would improve your local area.
You should say:
- what the change is
- why it is needed
- how it could be achieved
- and explain how it would improve the area.
Part 3 - cities and change: Who should decide how a local area is developed: residents or governments? · Why do some people resist change in their neighbourhood? · Should city centres be closed to private cars?
14. Describe a time when you disagreed with someone.
You should say:
- who you disagreed with
- what the disagreement was about
- how you dealt with it
- and explain how you felt about the situation afterwards.
Part 3 - disagreement and cooperation: Is it good for people to disagree sometimes? · How should people deal with disagreements at work? · Why do some people find it difficult to admit they are wrong?
15. Describe a teacher who has influenced you.
You should say:
- who the teacher was
- what subject they taught
- what was special about them
- and explain how they influenced you.
Part 3 - teachers and education: What qualities make a good teacher? · Should teachers be paid more? · Will online learning replace teachers in the future?
16. Describe an important piece of news you heard about.
You should say:
- what the news was
- how you heard about it
- what you thought about it
- and explain why it was important.
Part 3 - news and media: Do young people today follow the news as much as older people? · Should news be free for everyone? · How can people tell whether news is reliable?
17. Describe a time when you changed your mind about something important.
You should say:
- what you changed your mind about
- what you thought before
- what made you change your mind
- and explain how you feel about this change now.
Part 3 - opinions and persuasion: Why do people find it difficult to change their opinions? · Are people more influenced by facts or by emotions? · Should politicians be praised or criticised for changing their minds?
18. Describe an occasion when you used a foreign language.
You should say:
- where you were
- which language you used
- why you needed to use it
- and explain how you felt about using it.
Part 3 - languages and communication: Why do people learn foreign languages? · Should everyone learn English, or is it better to learn other languages too? · Will translation technology make language learning unnecessary?
19. Describe a historical period you would like to learn more about.
You should say:
- which period it is
- what you already know about it
- how you would learn more
- and explain why you are interested in it.
Part 3 - history and the past: Why is it important for young people to learn history? · Should history lessons focus on national or world history? · How can museums make history interesting for young people?
20. Describe an achievement you are proud of.
You should say:
- what you achieved
- when you achieved it
- what difficulties you had to overcome
- and explain why you are proud of this achievement.
Part 3 - success and achievement: How do people in your country define success? · Is it more important to be successful at work or in personal life? · Do you think competition between students is helpful?
Practise each card with a timer, record yourself and get feedback on fluency, vocabulary and filler words in the speaking simulator - start with Full Mock 1.
Frequently asked questions
How long is IELTS Speaking Part 2?
You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes. The examiner stops you at two minutes.
What if I run out of things to say?
Go back to a bullet point and add an example, a reason or a comparison with the past. Speaking for the full two minutes helps your Fluency and Coherence score.
Are these the real IELTS cue cards?
They are original cue cards written in the IELTS format and on the kinds of topics used in the test. Real topics change and are not published.
Practise in the real test format
DMATBLAZE has 20 full IELTS Academic mock tests: Listening (4 parts, 40 questions), Reading (3 passages, 40 questions, 60 minutes), Writing Task 1 and 2, and a 3-part Speaking test, with band estimates and analytics that show which question types cost you marks. Full Mock 1 is free.
More guides: IELTS mock test · Band score calculator · Writing Task 2 samples · Speaking cue cards · Speaking Part 1 questions · Listening practice test · Reading practice test · True/False/Not Given · Writing Task 1 samples · IELTS for German universities