“Unlock the secrets of acing the IELTS cue cards with this comprehensive guide. Discover expert tips and strategies to conquer cue cards for IELTS speaking. “
Let's be real, the IELTS Speaking test can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you're handed that little cue card. But fear not, my friends! Today, we're going to dive into the depths of the IELTS cue cards.
The IELTS Cue Cards are the second task in the speaking section of the IELTS examination. While answering this question, you are expected to have some skills and one of the skills is framing the answers based on the topic.
What is a Cue?
A cue is a prompt or a signal that serves as a reminder or a guide for an action. In the context of the IELTS Speaking test, a cue is a short phrase or sentence that introduces the topic you'll be speaking about.
What is an IELTS Cue Card?
A cue card is a small card containing a cue or a prompt, along with specific instructions or questions related to the given topic. In the IELTS Speaking test, you'll receive a cue card for the second part of the test, known as the "Long Turn."
List of IELTS Cue Card Topics
The cue card samples given below are categorized according to different topics. These are the latest cue card topics that appeared in actual tests with answers. We've done this to enable you to browse through the list and pick a speaking cue cards of your choice.
FAVOURITE
These are the cue cards that asks you about things you like.
- Describe your favourite Picture or Photography you like
- A song that has special meaning to you
- a story/ novel interests you
- Describe A Special or favourite Toy you liked in your childhood
- Describe a favourite song that you like
- Describe a restaurant you like(to go to)/ that impresses you
- Exciting Sport
- Describe an Indoor Game that you would like to play
- Describe an area of science you like or interested in
- Describe An free time activity you like to do after study or work
More Favourite Cue Cards>>
TIME-BASED
These are the cue cards that asks you to talk about events that occurred in the past/present and future.
- A Subject at School
- Things You Want to Buy in the Future
- An age/stage in your life you enjoyed most
More Time Based Cue Cards>>
PERSON
These are type of cue cards where you will asked to about your friend or a guide.
- A person You Admire/Love Essay
- Describe someone you consider a good leader
- Describe one of your Family Member You Spend The Most Time With
- An Occasion You Unexpectedly Met Someone for the first time
- Describe Someone in the news you like to meet
- Someone/Something Made A Lot Of Noise
- An Older Person Who You Admire
- A Good/Best Friend
- Describe an Old Friend
- Describe a Family Member
- An Interesting Neighbor You Like
- talk about an interesting conversation you had with a stranger
- A Person Speak A Second (Foreign) Language Well
- A Time When You Waited For Something or someone to arrive
More Person Cue cards >>
FAMILY
In these type of cue cards you will asked to talk about your family.
- Describe Your Family
- Describe a family event you are looking forward to
- Describe a family picnic or tour you have had
More Family Cue cards >>
OBJECT
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked about things like objects.
- Describe a picture or photograph in your home
- A Gift You Gave That Took A Long Time To Choose
- Describe a piece of electronic equipment that you find useful
- A Time You Borrowed Something useful
- A house/apartment you like to live in
- A Product You Were Happy With
- An item of clothing that someone bought for you
- Describe a painting or work of art
- Describe a time someone or something made noise
More Object Cue cards>>
PLACE
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about the places which you are going to visit or already visited.
- A Place you remember well that is Full of Color
- A country you have not been to yet
- A street that you like to visit
- Describe a polluted place
- A place near water you visited
- Describe a place where you often go to relax
More Place Cue cards>>
WORK/STUDY:
In the following list of items, you’ll find cue cards related to work and study.
- A Project at Work or Homework Assignment
- A Course You Like to Study and found useful
- Describe a piece of work you did quickly
- Describe your Dream/ideal/Perfect Job
- Describe something that you want to learn more
More Work/Study Cue cards>>
EMOTIONS/ASPIRATIONS:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about different kind of emotions that one feels and various aspirations.
- Ambition You Have Not Yet Achieved
- Describe something A Child that Made You Laugh
- A Paid Job You/A Friend Enjoyed Doing
- An experience you had as a member of a team
- A disagreement you had with a friend
- a recent activity or event that made you happy
- a difficult decision you made in your life
- A TV Program that Made You Laugh
- A Goal that You Have
- Describe the Best and exciting experience in your life
- Describe an exciting or Interesting Thing You Did
- Describe an Advertisem*nt which you found very persuasive
- A Time You Used Your Imagination
- A Time You Need to Use Imagination
- A book that had a major influence on you
- Describe a success your friend has had or achieved
- A special and memorable meal you have had
- A situation made you angry
- Describe an experience you spent time with a child that you know
- A positive experience when you were a teenager
- Describe an unusual/ an unforgettable or memorable meal
- Describe a time you were friendly to someone you didn’t like
- Describe an ambition you have not achieved yet
More Emotions Cue cards>>
OCCASIONS:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about certain occasions that you attended and celebrated.
- An Occasion When You Got Up Very Early in the morning
- Describe a birthday party celebration that you attended
More Occasion Cue Cards>>
RECALL:
In these cue cards, you will be asked to talk about a past memory/dream that you recall.
- Describe A Teacher From Your Past That You Remember
- Describe a Photograph That You Remember
- Describe a Garden You Remember Visiting
- Describe a dream you remember well
More Recall Cue cards>>
POPULAR:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about things that are popular whether it be tangible or intangible.
- Describe a story popular in your country
- Describe A Popular Musical Instrument In Your Country
More Popular Cue cards>>
ACTIVITY:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about a certain activity that can be anything from gym to sport.
- Describe a Leisure Activity (A Game, Hobby, or Sport) That is Popular in your Country
- Describe an Indoor Game you have Enjoyed Playing in your Free Time
- Describe an indoor game that you played in your childhood
More Activity Cue Cards>>
SOMETHING IMPORTANT:
While solving these cue cards you will be asked to talk about something important.
- Describe An Important Change In Your Life
- Describe Something You Own Which is Very Important to You
- Describe a Festival that is Important in your Country
More Something Important Cue cards>>
LIFE:
In the below-mentioned cue cards, you will be asked to talk about life and different parts of it.
- Describe an Invention that has Changed People's Life
- Describe life in a particular period of history
- Describe a typical day in your life when you were a child
More Life Cue cards >>
EVENT:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about the places that you are going to visit or have already visited.
- A Memorable Event from your School Days
- Describe an event you felt unhappy about
More Event Cue cards >>
SOMEONE:
For these cue cards, you will be asked to talk about ‘Someone’ in different situational senses.
- Describe something kind that someone did for you
- Talk about a situation when you taught something to someone
More Someone Cue cards>>
WHO YOU ADMIRE:
In these cue cards you will be asked to talk about someone you admire.
- Describe An Artist or Entertainer You Admire
- Describe the person in your family who you most admire
More Who You Admire Cue cards>>
USEFUL:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about things that are useful.
- Describe a useful plant you know about
- Describe a Useful Website You Have Visited
More Useful Cue cards>>
APP/MOBILE
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about a certain app/mobile.
- A program or an app in your computer/ phone
- Describe An App You Use On Your Mobile Phone
More App/Mobile Cue cards >>
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about different facets of business.
- Describe A Successful Small Company or Business that you know
- Describe a Successful Businessman you know
More Business Cue Cards>>
MOVIE:
For these cue cards, you will be asked to talk about movies in different situational settings.
- Describe A Movie or performance You Recently Watched
- Film/Movie that you Watched and did not Enjoy
More Movie Cue cards >>
FAMOUS:
In the below-mentioned cue cards, you will be asked to talk about a famous person/thing.
- Describe A Famous Person that You Are Interested In
- Describe a famous building/landmark
More Famous Cue Cards>>
INTERESTING:
These are the cue cards in which you will be asked to talk about things that you’re interested in.
- Describe an interesting talk or a lecture you have heard
Describe an interesting story you have read or heard
More Interesting Cue cards>>
For these cue cards, you will be asked to talk about different sorts of situations related to health.
- Describe a health problem you once had
- Describe something healthy you enjoy doing
More Health Cue Cards>>
So did you check all of the above IELTS speaking examples with answers topics? I believe if you do then you must’ve probably grasped the essence of cue cards for IELTS Speaking.
How to Approach an IELTS Cue Card?
When faced with an IELTS cue card during the Speaking test, it's essential to follow these steps:
- Read the cue card carefully:Take a few seconds to read and understand the topic, instructions, and questions provided on the cue card.
- Plan your response:Use the one-minute preparation time wisely to organize your thoughts and structure your response.
- Speak fluently and coherently:When the examiner signals you to start, begin speaking confidently and clearly. Aim to cover all aspects of the topic mentioned on the cue card.
- Use relevant vocabulary and grammar:Demonstrate your language proficiency by using a wide range of appropriate vocabulary and accurate grammar structures.
- Manage your time:Be mindful of the time limit (typically 1-2 minutes) and ensure you complete your response within the allotted time.
Different Parts of the IELTS Speaking Test
The IELTS Speaking test consists of three parts:
Part 1
Introduction and Interview: This section involves answering general questions about yourself, your family, work, studies, or interests.
Part 2
Long Turn: In this part, you'll receive a cue card with a topic and specific instructions. You'll have one minute to prepare your response and then speak for 1-2 minutes.
Part 3
Discussion: This section involves a more abstract discussion on the topic introduced in Part 2. The examiner will ask you additional questions related to the topic to assess your ability to express ideas and opinions.
Conclusion
Alright, let's wrap this up with a bang! Mastering the IELTS cue card is no easy feat, but with the right strategies and a sprinkle of confidence, you'll be unstoppable. Remember, the key is to embrace the challenge, channel your inner wordsmith, and let your unique personality shine through.
OTHER CUE CARDS:
- A Law About Environment
- An article about healthy living that you read from magazine or online
- A film you watched at home or in a cinema
- The First Time You Used a Foreign Language to communicate
- local news people interested in
- Describe Something you learned in a place or from someone
- A Meal You Had With Your Friends in a restaurant
- A Sport You Have Learned
- Describe A Family You Know
- Describe a Skill
- Describe a Natural Landscape scenery
- Describe a bicycle/Bike/ Car Trip
- Describe a language other than English you would like to learn
- Describe a Game/ Sport
- Describe A Big/Large Company you are interested in
- A time you miss an appointment
- Something you did which was a waste of time
- An important letter or email you wrote
- Art or craft activity you did at school
- Describe Something you do that keeps you fit and Healthy
- Describe a time when you were looked at the sky
Other Cue cards >>
