IELTS cue cards: topics, sample answers and a Part 2 timer
An IELTS cue card is the topic you talk about for two minutes in Speaking Part 2, after one minute of preparation. Here are 32 common cue card topics grouped into four families, a way to prepare four stories that cover most of them, three sample answers you can listen to, and a free timer that runs the real Part 2 timing and records you.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 14 min read
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Practise now: a free IELTS Part 2 timer
This runs the real Part 2 timing: one minute to make notes, then two minutes to speak. Allow the microphone and it records you, so you can listen back. Press “New card” for a different topic.
Your cue card
Describe a hard-working person you admire
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you know them
- what they do
- and explain why you admire them
Runs in your browser. Your recording stays on your device and is never uploaded.
What is an IELTS cue card?
A cue card (also called a task card) is the card the examiner gives you in IELTS Speaking Part 2. It shows one topic, usually starting with “Describe…”, and three or four points you should talk about, ending with “and explain…”.
| Part 2 step | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | 1 minute | You read the card and make notes with the pencil and paper you are given. |
| Your talk | 1–2 minutes | You speak alone. The examiner stops you at two minutes. |
| Rounding off | Short | The examiner may ask one or two questions on the same topic. |
| Then Part 3 | 4–5 minutes | A discussion of wider questions linked to your cue card. |
Format from ielts.org, checked 6 October 2026. The whole Speaking test takes 11–14 minutes.
Parts 1 and 3, with questions by topic, are on our describe a person cards, IELTS speaking topics page. To run all three parts in order, take the free IELTS speaking mock test.
How to answer any cue card
- Use the minute well. Write 4–6 keywords per point, not sentences. Decide your story first: a specific person, place or moment.
- Open with the topic, in your own words: “I’d like to talk about my grandmother, who…”, not a repeat of the card.
- Follow the points in order, and use them as your structure. Each one is about 20–30 seconds.
- Tell one specific moment. “I remember one summer…” turns a list into a story, and stories are easier to keep going.
- Spend the most time on “explain why”. It’s the last point and where you can show the widest range of language.
- If you finish early, add detail: how you felt, what you learned, what you would do differently. Keep talking until the examiner stops you.
Useful phrases: “What I remember most is…”, “To give you an example…”, “Looking back…”, “The main reason is…”, “If I’m honest…”.
The 4-stories method: prepare a few stories, answer most cards
Cue cards change, but they repeat the same few families. Instead of memorising answers (the official band descriptors treat memorised language as a sign of a lower level, and it rarely fits the exact card), prepare a small set of real stories in detail, and adapt them to the card you get.
| One story you prepare | Cards it can answer |
|---|---|
| Your grandmother’s tailoring shop | a hard-working person · an older person you enjoy talking to · someone who taught you something · a family member · a person good at their job |
| A trip to the mountains | a peaceful place · a natural place · a journey that took longer than expected · a place you’d recommend · a time you were very happy |
| Choosing your first job | a difficult decision · a time you changed your opinion · a success you’re proud of · advice you received |
| Your phone or laptop | an object you use every day · an app you find useful · something you bought · a piece of technology |
Practise each story out loud until you can tell it in different orders. On test day you change the angle, not the story.
32 IELTS cue card topics, in 4 families
These are common types of cue card. Exact cards change in each test period, so use them to practise the families rather than to guess your test.
People
Story to prepare: One person you know well (a relative, teacher or friend), with one story about them.
Describe a hard-working person you admire
- who this person is
- how you know them
- what they do
- and explain why you admire them
Describe a family member you spend a lot of time with
- who this person is
- what you do together
- how often you see them
- and explain why you enjoy their company
Describe a person who taught you something important
- who this person is
- what they taught you
- how they taught it
- and explain why it was important
Describe a friend you have known for a long time
- who this friend is
- how you met
- what you usually do together
- and explain why the friendship has lasted
Describe a person who is good at their job
- who this person is
- what their job is
- how you know about their work
- and explain what makes them good at it
Describe an older person you enjoy talking to
- who this person is
- how you know them
- what you talk about
- and explain why you enjoy talking to them
Describe someone who helped you when you needed it
- who this person is
- what the situation was
- how they helped
- and explain how you felt
Describe a famous person you would like to meet
- who this person is
- what they are famous for
- what you would ask them
- and explain why you would like to meet them
Places
Story to prepare: One trip you remember well, and one place you love in your city.
Describe a peaceful place you have visited
- where it is
- when you went there
- what you did there
- and explain why it felt peaceful
Describe a place in your city you like to go to
- where it is
- how often you go
- what you do there
- and explain why you like it
Describe a place you would like to visit in the future
- where it is
- how you know about it
- what you would do there
- and explain why you want to go
Describe a café or restaurant you enjoy
- where it is
- what it looks like
- what you usually order
- and explain why you enjoy it
Describe a building you find interesting
- where it is
- what it looks like
- what it is used for
- and explain why you find it interesting
Describe a place where you like to study or work
- where it is
- what it is like
- how often you go there
- and explain why it helps you concentrate
Describe a natural place you remember
- where it is
- when you went there
- what you saw
- and explain why you remember it
Describe a crowded place you have been to
- where it was
- when you went
- why it was crowded
- and explain how you felt there
Objects and things
Story to prepare: One object you use every day, and one gift or object with a story.
Describe an object you use every day
- what it is
- when you got it
- how you use it
- and explain why it is important to you
Describe a gift you gave or received
- what the gift was
- who it was for or from
- why it was chosen
- and explain how the person felt
Describe a piece of clothing you like to wear
- what it is
- where you got it
- when you wear it
- and explain why you like it
Describe an app or website you find useful
- what it is
- how you found it
- what you use it for
- and explain why it is useful
Describe something you bought that you were happy with
- what it was
- where you bought it
- why you bought it
- and explain why you were happy with it
Describe a photo that is important to you
- what is in the photo
- when it was taken
- where you keep it
- and explain why it is important
Describe a book that you would recommend
- what the book is
- what it is about
- when you read it
- and explain why you would recommend it
Describe something you own that you would never sell
- what it is
- how you got it
- how long you have had it
- and explain why you would never sell it
Events and experiences
Story to prepare: One challenge or decision, one happy occasion, and one time you learned something.
Describe a difficult decision you made
- what the decision was
- when you made it
- how you decided
- and explain how you feel about it now
Describe a time you were very busy
- when it was
- why you were busy
- how you managed
- and explain how you felt
Describe a happy event from your childhood
- what the event was
- when it happened
- who was there
- and explain why it made you happy
Describe a time you learned something new
- what you learned
- when and where you learned it
- how you learned it
- and explain how it has helped you
Describe a time you changed your opinion
- what your opinion was
- when it changed
- what made you change it
- and explain how you feel about it now
Describe a journey that took longer than expected
- where you were going
- why it took longer
- what you did during the delay
- and explain how you felt
Describe a success you are proud of
- what the success was
- when it happened
- what you did to achieve it
- and explain why you are proud of it
Describe a celebration you enjoyed
- what the celebration was
- where it took place
- who was there
- and explain why you enjoyed it
3 cue card sample answers (with audio)
Each answer covers every point, in order, in about a minute and a half. In the test, use the remaining time for extra detail (how you felt, what you learned) until the examiner stops you at two minutes. Read the notes first: this is all you would have written in your one minute. The voices are AI neural voices, and the comments use the four public IELTS Speaking criteria. We don’t give band scores: only a trained examiner can.
1.Describe a hard-working person you admire
1-minute notes: grandmother · tailor 40 yrs · summers · 7 a.m. → night · never complained · wedding: 12 outfits, 1 week · influence: care, patience
I’d like to talk about my grandmother, who I think is the most hard-working person I know.
She lives in a small town about two hours from my city, and she ran a tailoring shop there for almost forty years.
When I was a child, I spent every summer holiday with her, so I saw her routine up close. She opened the shop at seven every morning, and she was usually still sewing when I went to bed.
What I admired most was that she never complained. Even when business was slow, she would find something useful to do, like teaching neighbours’ daughters how to sew, for free.
I remember one summer, a wedding party ordered twelve outfits with only a week’s notice. Everyone told her it was impossible, but she worked through the nights, and she finished them a day early.
I think she influenced me in two ways. First, she showed me that hard work isn’t about long hours for their own sake; it’s about caring about the result. And second, she taught me patience. When I’m studying and I feel like giving up, I sometimes think about her bent over that sewing machine, and it helps me keep going.
She’s retired now, but honestly, she still can’t sit still for very long.
| Criterion | What this answer shows |
|---|---|
| Fluency and coherence | Clear order (who → story → influence) with signposts: “What I admired most…”, “First…, and second…”. |
| Lexical resource | Precise, natural words: “tailoring shop”, “up close”, “bent over”, “can’t sit still”. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | A mix of tenses (past habits with “would”, present perfect), and complex sentences with “who”, “when” and “even when”. |
| Pronunciation | Listen for stress on key words (“never complained”, “twelve outfits”) and the pauses between ideas. |
2.Describe a peaceful place you have visited
1-minute notes: hill station · college friends, winter · train + bus · pines, snow peaks · guesthouse food · waterfall, monastery · opposite of city life · go back in spring
The place I’d like to describe is a small hill station in the north of my country, which I visited with my college friends last winter.
It’s quite remote; we had to take an overnight train and then a four-hour bus ride up a narrow mountain road, which was, to be honest, a little frightening.
But when we arrived, it was completely worth it. The town is surrounded by pine forests, and on clear mornings you can see snow-covered peaks in the distance.
We stayed in a family-run guesthouse, and the owner cooked for us every evening, mostly simple local dishes with a lot of ginger and garlic, which was perfect in the cold.
During the day, we hiked to a waterfall and visited an old monastery, where the monks let us join their morning prayers. That was probably the most peaceful hour of my whole year.
The reason I liked it so much is that it was the opposite of my everyday life. In my city, everything is fast and noisy, and I’m always looking at my phone. Up there, the internet barely worked, so we actually talked to each other, played cards, and went to bed early.
I came back feeling genuinely rested, and I’ve promised myself I’ll go back, ideally in spring, when the whole valley is supposed to be full of flowers.
| Criterion | What this answer shows |
|---|---|
| Fluency and coherence | Each point on the card gets its own part, and the reason (“the opposite of my everyday life”) ties them together. |
| Lexical resource | Descriptive collocations: “remote”, “narrow mountain road”, “snow-covered peaks”, “family-run guesthouse”. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Passive and modal forms (“is supposed to be”), contrast (“But when we arrived…”), and a future plan at the end. |
| Pronunciation | Natural linking (“it was completely worth it”) and a calm pace with no rushing. |
3.Describe a difficult decision you made
1-minute notes: two job offers · bank: safe, pay, family proud · startup: −20%, unknown · lesson design task · professor’s question · chose startup · hard start → promoted
I’m going to talk about a time I had to make a difficult decision, which was choosing between two job offers after I graduated.
The first offer came from a large, well-known bank. The salary was good, the office was close to my parents’ home, and my family was very proud.
The second offer was from a small education startup in another city. The pay was about twenty percent lower, and nobody I knew had heard of the company.
It was difficult because, on paper, the bank was clearly the safer choice. But during my interview at the startup, I met the team, and they asked me to design a short lesson for their app. I enjoyed that task more than anything I’d done at university.
I spent about a week making lists of pros and cons, and I talked to a former professor, who asked me a simple question: in five years, which job will you regret not taking?
That question made the decision for me. I chose the startup.
My parents were worried at first, and the first few months were hard; I was living alone for the first time and working long hours. But looking back, it was the right decision. I’ve learned far more than I would have in a big company, and last year I was promoted to lead a small team.
It also taught me that the safest choice isn’t always the best one for you.
| Criterion | What this answer shows |
|---|---|
| Fluency and coherence | A story with a clear problem, turning point and result, and a reflection at the end. |
| Lexical resource | Phrases that show range: “on paper”, “the safer choice”, “pros and cons”, “looking back”. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Comparatives, reported questions (“asked me a simple question: …”), and a conditional (“would have learned”). |
| Pronunciation | Contrastive stress: “the BANK was the safer choice, but…”. |
Common Part 2 mistakes
- Stopping after one minute. Practise with the timer until two minutes feels normal.
- Writing sentences in the minute. You won’t have time to read them. Keywords only.
- Talking in general (“Teachers are important because…”) instead of about one real person or moment.
- A memorised speech that doesn’t quite match the card. The band descriptors treat memorised language as a feature of lower bands.
- Skipping “explain why”, the point where you can show your best language.
- Speaking too fast because of nerves. A calm pace with clear pauses sounds more fluent, not less.
From cue cards to the real test
Practising alone builds the two-minute habit, but the real test also has Part 3, where the examiner asks follow-up questions you can’t prepare. YoFluent’s IELTS speaking call has an AI tutor act as the examiner, then estimates your level and scores your fluency, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. See how the speaking score is calculated and how an AI tutor call works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cue card in IELTS?
A cue card is the card you receive in IELTS Speaking Part 2. It gives a topic, usually starting with “Describe…”, and three or four points to talk about. You have one minute to prepare, with pencil and paper, and then speak for up to two minutes.
How long should I speak for an IELTS cue card?
Speak for the full two minutes if you can. The examiner will stop you when the time is up. Very short answers give the examiner less evidence of your fluency and vocabulary.
How do I prepare for IELTS cue cards?
Group cue cards into families (people, places, objects and experiences), prepare a few detailed real stories you can adapt, and practise speaking for two minutes with a timer. Use the one minute to write keywords, not sentences.
Can I memorise cue card answers?
It is better not to. Memorised answers often don’t fit the exact card, and the official IELTS Speaking band descriptors treat memorised language as a feature of lower bands. Prepare stories and useful phrases instead, so you can speak naturally about any similar topic.
What happens after the cue card in IELTS Speaking?
The examiner may ask one or two short questions on the same topic, then moves to Part 3: a 4 to 5 minute discussion of more general questions linked to your cue card topic.
Where can I practise IELTS speaking with feedback?
Use the free Part 2 timer on this page to practise timing and listen back to yourself. For feedback, an AI tutor such as YoFluent’s IELTS speaking call acts as the examiner and scores your fluency, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, free for 3 days.
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Start your free trialSources
- IELTS Academic format: Speaking, IELTS (ielts.org)
- IELTS Speaking band descriptors (public version, PDF), IELTS (ielts.org)