In IELTS Speaking Part 2 the examiner hands you a task card (cue card): you get 1 minute to prepare, with paper and a pencil for notes, and then talk for about 2 minutes without interruption. The examiner may finish with one or two questions on the same topic. Below: how the card is built, how to use the minute, a 2-minute talk plan and a full sample answer.
How Part 2 works
The whole Speaking test lasts 11-14 minutes and is recorded. Part 2 is marked on the same four criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation.
| Stage | Length | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | 1 minute | Read the card and make notes |
| Talk | about 2 minutes | The examiner does not interrupt and stops you when time is up |
| Follow-up | one or two questions | Short questions on the same topic |
| Total | 3-4 minutes | Including preparation |
How a cue card is built
A card has one main task (“Describe...”), 3 “You should say” prompts and a final “and explain...” prompt. The last one matters most: it asks for reasons and feelings. A sample card:
- Describe a skill you learned that is useful in your daily life.
- You should say: what the skill is; when and how you learned it; how often you use it;
- and explain why this skill is useful to you.
What to write in 1 minute
- No full sentences - keywords only, 2-3 per prompt.
- Keep the card’s order: 4 prompts = 4 short blocks. That is a ready-made plan for Coherence.
- For “explain”, note 2 reasons and 1 specific example - make it the longest part of the talk.
- Jot down 1-2 strong phrases (for example “a steep learning curve”) and use them.
- If the topic is unfamiliar, pick something close to real experience: a true story is easier to tell than an invented one.
A 2-minute talk plan
If you run out of ideas early, go back to “explain” and add another example or a plan for the future.
| Time | What you say |
|---|---|
| 0:00-0:15 | Opening: one sentence on what you will talk about |
| 0:15-0:45 | Prompt 1: what and how |
| 0:45-1:15 | Prompts 2-3: when, where, with whom, how long |
| 1:15-2:00 | “Explain”: reasons, feelings, results, an example |
Sample answer (around band 7)
“I’d like to talk about cooking, which is probably the most practical skill I’ve picked up in the last few years. I started learning it when I moved to Tashkent for university and suddenly had to feed myself. At first I just followed short videos online, and to be honest, the first few attempts were a disaster - I burnt rice more than once.
Over time, though, I got the hang of it. My flatmate’s mother showed me how to make plov properly, and that was a turning point, because I realised cooking is mostly about timing and patience. These days I cook almost every evening, and at weekends I sometimes prepare a bigger meal for friends.
The main reason this skill is so useful is that it saves me a lot of money - eating out every day simply isn’t affordable for a student. It’s also much healthier, since I know exactly what goes into my food. And, I suppose, it gives me a kind of confidence: if I can manage a kitchen, I can manage living on my own.”
- What works: a clear order, reasons and examples, natural phrases such as “got the hang of it” and “a turning point”, a range of tenses.
- The answer is about 190 words - close to 2 minutes at an average pace.
Cue card topics: 6 main groups
Prepare 2-3 flexible stories per group: one story about a “favourite place” or an “important person” fits many cards. Do not memorise word for word - examiners notice rehearsed text.
| Group | Example card | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Person | Describe a person who inspired you | Character adjectives, relationships |
| Place | Describe a place you would like to visit | Location, atmosphere, future forms |
| Object | Describe something you bought recently | Description and meaning, not price |
| Event | Describe a celebration you enjoyed | Past tenses, sequence |
| Experience | Describe a time you helped someone | A story, feelings, the outcome |
| Activity | Describe a hobby you have | Present tenses, habits |
What band 7 requires
- Fluency: long turns without noticeable effort; some hesitation or self-correction may occur, but coherence is not affected.
- Lexical Resource: some less common and idiomatic items, awareness of collocation, effective paraphrase.
- Grammar: simple and complex sentences used effectively, with some errors.
- Source: IELTS Speaking band descriptors (public version).
Common mistakes and how to practise
- Talking for under a minute - Fluency drops. Always fill the 2 minutes.
- Rattling through the prompts like a list: develop each one.
- Reciting a memorised script: the intonation sounds unnatural and the answer drifts off topic.
- Practice: a 1-minute timer, then record 2 minutes on your phone. Listen back, count the “um”, “er” and long pauses, and cut them next time.
