IELTS Speaking Part 2 — Cue Cards
Topics, Structure & Tips to Score Band 7+
Everything you need to know about the IELTS Speaking long turn — how Part 2 works, cue card topic categories with examples, how to structure 2 minutes, what examiners mark, and how to practise with AI feedback.
What is IELTS Speaking Part 2?
How Part 2 Fits in the Full Speaking Test
The examiner asks personal questions about familiar topics — your home, work, studies, hobbies, and daily routines. Short answers expected (2–4 sentences per answer).
You receive a cue card with a topic and 3–4 bullet points. You have 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1–2 minutes without interruption. The examiner asks 1–2 follow-up questions after your long turn.
The examiner asks abstract, opinion-based questions linked to the Part 2 topic. Longer, more complex answers expected. This is where your analytical vocabulary is tested most.
Common Cue Card Categories — 2026
IELTS cue cards fall into six main categories. Practise at least 2–3 responses in each category before your test date.
- Describe a person you admire
- Describe a teacher who influenced you
- Describe a famous person you find interesting
- Describe a friend who has helped you
- Describe a place you visited recently
- Describe a city you would like to live in
- Describe a natural place you enjoy
- Describe a place that has changed a lot
- Describe a gift you received that meant a lot to you
- Describe a book that influenced you
- Describe a piece of technology you use often
- Describe something you own that is important to you
- Describe a celebration or festival you attended
- Describe a time you achieved something you were proud of
- Describe an event that changed your life
- Describe a sporting event you watched or took part in
- Describe a time you helped someone
- Describe a challenge you overcame
- Describe a time when you had to make an important decision
- Describe an experience that made you laugh
- Describe a skill you would like to learn
- Describe a sport or physical activity you enjoy
- Describe a hobby you have taken up recently
- Describe a talent someone you know has
How to Structure Your 2-Minute Response
Use this time allocation for a natural, well-developed long turn that covers all cue card bullet points.
Briefly state what you are going to describe. Set the scene. Don't give everything away yet — create a sense of flow.
'I'd like to talk about my secondary school maths teacher, Mr Sharma, who had a profound impact on how I think about problem-solving…'
Cover the bullet points on the cue card: Who/What, Where, When, and context. Be specific — use names, dates, and places rather than vague descriptions.
'This was during my 11th and 12th standard, around 2018–2019, at DAV School in Chandigarh. What made him distinctive was…'
Explain how you felt about this person/place/event and why it was memorable or important to you. This is where 'and explain why' is answered — many candidates skip this.
'What struck me most was his ability to… I felt genuinely motivated for the first time because…'
A natural closing statement. Don't just stop mid-sentence. Round off gracefully.
'Overall, he's the reason I developed a systematic approach to problem-solving, which has served me well ever since.'
How to Use Your 1-Minute Preparation Time
One minute feels short but is enough if you use it efficiently. Most high-scoring candidates use all 60 seconds. Do not rush to speak — a 15-second pause before starting is fine and normal.
Understand the full shape of the response before writing anything.
Choose one specific person/place/event — vague generalities score lower.
Keywords only — not sentences. These are memory triggers, not a script.
A confident start sets the tone. Prepare a first sentence so you don't hesitate.
What IELTS Examiners Mark in Speaking Part 2
The same 4 criteria across all 3 parts of the Speaking test.
Continuous, connected speech. Minimal hesitation. Ideas flow logically from one to the next. Self-correction is acceptable — long pauses and repetition are not.
Practise until you can speak comfortably for 2 full minutes on any topic. Filler words ('like', 'you know') are acceptable in moderation.
Range and accuracy of vocabulary. Avoiding repetition of the same words. Using topic-specific vocabulary and natural collocations.
Vary how you describe emotions and evaluations. Instead of 'good' and 'nice', use 'remarkable', 'memorable', 'pivotal', 'formative'.
A mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Correct tense usage (past tense for experiences is common in Part 2). Infrequent errors.
Use a mix of structures: 'I was particularly struck by the fact that…', 'What made it memorable was…', 'Having never experienced X before, I found that…'
Clear enough to understand throughout. Appropriate word stress and sentence rhythm. Accent is not penalised — unclear articulation and mispronunciation of common words is.
Focus on word stress (PHOtograph vs phoTOgraphy). Indian accent is fine — it is never penalised. Clarity matters more than accent.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These patterns are consistently observed in Indian IELTS candidates who score below their target band in Speaking.
Reading from your notes instead of speaking naturally
Notes are a memory prompt, not a script. If you look down and read, your speech loses natural rhythm and intonation — both markers of Fluency. Glance at your keywords, then speak.
Stopping before 90 seconds
Short responses (under 90 seconds) significantly hurt your Fluency and Coherence score. Examiners expect you to fill the 2-minute window. Practise with a timer until you can comfortably speak for 2 minutes on any topic.
Being vague: 'I like this person because they are nice'
Vague descriptions give examiners no evidence of Lexical Resource. Add specifics: names, dates, places, what specifically was said or done. Specificity sounds natural and demonstrates vocabulary range.
Memorising entire sample answers
Examiners are trained to detect memorised answers — your intonation changes, you sound robotic, and you may go off-topic if you misremember. Memorised phrases and vocabulary are fine; full scripts are not.
Ignoring the 'and explain' instruction
Every cue card ends with 'and explain why/how/when'. This is not optional. Examiners specifically listen for whether you've addressed this — skipping it hurts Task Achievement in the Speaking band.
Frequently Asked Questions
IELTS Speaking Part 2 — the most common questions answered.
How long should I speak for in IELTS Speaking Part 2?
Can I choose a different topic if I don't know the cue card?
Should I memorise sample cue card answers?
What happens in the 1 minute of preparation for IELTS Speaking Part 2?
Practice Speaking Part 2 with AI Feedback
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LanguageTest.in is not affiliated with the British Council, IDP IELTS, Cambridge English, ETS, Pearson, or any official language testing body. Cue card examples are illustrative and based on publicly known IELTS topic categories. Actual test topics vary by administration. Always practise with official IELTS Cambridge preparation materials.