Speaking Part 2: cue cards

In Part 2 you are given a card with a topic and points to cover. You have one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes.

That is the format on the official IELTS website, read on 12 November 2026: one minute to prepare, up to two minutes of speaking, then one or two questions from the examiner, three to four minutes in all. The cards below are written by us for practice.

Using the one minute

Do not write sentences. Write six to eight key words, one or two for each point on the card, in order. Add one detail that makes the story real: a name, a place, a colour, a price. Glance at the notes while you speak.

A shape for two minutes

Say what you are going to talk about. (10 seconds)
Cover the points on the card in order. (60 to 70 seconds)
Spend the rest on the last point, the "explain why" or "how you felt". This is where you can show more language. (30 to 40 seconds)

Keep going until the examiner stops you. Stopping at one minute and waiting is a wasted chance.

Sample card and answer

Describe a teacher who helped you.

You should say:

who the teacher was
what he or she taught
how he or she helped you

and explain why you still remember this teacher.

"I'd like to talk about my mathematics teacher in class nine, Mrs Kaur. She taught at the government school near my home, and she had been there for many years, so she had taught my elder brother as well.

At that time I was really weak in maths. I used to be afraid of the subject, and I had failed the first test of the year. Mrs Kaur noticed this, and one day she asked me to stay back after class. She didn't scold me. She just gave me five simple sums and watched how I did them. Then she told me that my problem was not maths, it was that I was rushing and skipping steps.

After that she gave me extra practice sheets every week, and she checked them herself, even though she had more than fifty students. Slowly my marks improved, and by the end of the year I actually started enjoying the subject.

I still remember her because she was the first person who looked for the reason behind my mistakes. Later I chose commerce and now I work with numbers every day, so in a way I owe my career to her. Whenever I explain something to a junior at work, I try to be patient the way she was."

Comments

All four points on the card are covered, in order, and the last gets the most time.
The story has real details: class nine, five sums, fifty students.
A range of past forms appears naturally: "had failed", "used to be", "had been there".
The linking is spoken, not written: "at that time", "after that", "slowly", "so in a way".

Twelve cue cards

1. Describe a place in your town where you like to go.

Say where it is, when you go there, what you do there, and explain why you like it.

2. Describe a journey you remember well.

Say where you went, who you went with, what happened, and explain why you remember it.

3. Describe something useful you bought recently.

Say what it is, where you bought it, how you use it, and explain why it is useful to you.

4. Describe a festival you enjoy.

Say when it is, what people do, what you usually do, and explain why you enjoy it.

5. Describe a skill you would like to learn.

Say what it is, how you would learn it, how long it might take, and explain why you want to learn it.

6. Describe a time you helped someone.

Say who you helped, what the problem was, what you did, and explain how you felt afterwards.

7. Describe a book or film that you liked.

Say what it was, what it was about, when you read or saw it, and explain why you liked it.

8. Describe a member of your family you admire.

Say who the person is, what he or she does, what you do together, and explain why you admire him or her.

9. Describe a meal you enjoyed.

Say what you ate, where, who was with you, and explain why it was special.

10. Describe a time when you were late for something.

Say what it was, why you were late, what happened, and explain what you learned from it.

11. Describe a piece of advice someone gave you.

Say who gave it, what it was, when, and explain whether it was useful.

12. Describe a change you would like to see in your town.

Say what it is, who could make it, how it would help, and explain why it matters to you.

Time yourself: one minute to plan, two to speak. Then go on to Part 3.

Speaking Part 3: discussion All speaking pages

Independent practice site. IELTS Practice is not connected with, approved by or endorsed by the British Council, IDP IELTS or Cambridge University Press & Assessment, who jointly own IELTS. The practice tasks and sample answers here are our own; they are not official test questions, and we do not award bands. Facts about the test were read on ielts.org on 12 November 2026. For registration, fees, dates and official sample tests, go to ielts.org.