IELTS, Speaking
IELTS Speaking Part 2 (Cue Card)
You get a topic card, one minute to prepare, then speak for up to two minutes.
Format and scoring
| Skill | Speaking |
|---|---|
| Preparation | 60 seconds |
| Response time | Up to 120 seconds |
| How it's scored | Assessed on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. |
| Weight (estimate) | About 33% of your speaking score |
How to answer Speaking Part 2 (Cue Card)
- 1Use the minute to note one keyword per bullet point.
- 2Cover each bullet in order.
- 3Add detail and feelings to keep speaking for the full time.
- 4Answer the follow-up question briefly.
Common mistakes
- Stopping well before two minutes.
- Writing full sentences in the preparation minute.
- Plan with key words, not sentences: In the one-minute preparation, write four or five key words, one for each bullet on the card plus one extra detail. Full sentences take too long to write and tempt you to read aloud.
- Open with a quick, direct answer: Start by naming your topic in the first sentence so the examiner knows you understood the card. Then move straight into the details instead of repeating the question.
Sample question
Cue card · A skill that took longer than expected
Describe a skill you learned that took longer than you expected. You should say: what the skill is; when and why you started learning it; what made it difficult.
Show a model answer (Band 8.0)
I'd like to talk about learning to swim, which I only took up in my late twenties. Honestly, I assumed it would take a few weeks, but it actually took almost a year.