In IELTS Speaking Part 2 the examiner hands you a task card with a topic and three or four prompts. You get one minute to make notes, then you talk on your own for one to two minutes before the examiner stops you. This page runs the same routine as often as you like, so the timing feels normal long before test day.
How to use this practice tool
- Get a topic Each topic follows the Part 2 pattern: “Describe …”, a short list under “You should say”, and a final “and explain …” line. Read the whole card before you start the clock.
- Make notes for one minute Type key words in the notes box, or write on paper as you would in the test. When the minute ends the speaking timer starts by itself.
- Speak for two minutes Keep going until the timer ends. If you finish early, add an example, a comparison or a feeling about the topic.
- Listen back and answer Part 3 If you recorded yourself, play it back. Then answer the discussion questions out loud.
What a Part 2 cue card looks like
Here is one of the 64 original topics, so you can see the format before you start:
Describe a neighbour who once helped you.
You should say:
- who this neighbour is
- when this happened
- what they did for you
and explain how you felt about their help.
A good minute of notes for this card might be only six or seven words: a name, where they live, the problem, what they did, one detail you remember, and how it made you feel. Each word is a reminder of a sentence or two you will say, not something to read aloud.
Using your one minute well
Most candidates either write too much or freeze. A simple method is to give each prompt one line and write one or two words on it, then add a single example or story at the bottom. Leave the “explain” line until last, because it is where you give reasons and show a wider range of language. If you run out of things to say, go back to the example and add detail: who was there, what you saw, how you felt then and how you feel about it now.
Writing short notes is the same skill as writing good note cards for a speech. Our guide to writing cue cards shows how to turn full sentences into prompts you can read at a glance, and the IELTS cue cards guide covers the format of the whole test.
What the examiner listens for
IELTS Speaking is marked on four public criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource (your range of vocabulary), grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Talking for the full time helps fluency, but it is not enough on its own. Link your ideas with phrases such as “the main reason was” or “looking back”, use a few less common words where they fit naturally, and mix simple and complex sentences. Recording yourself is the quickest way to hear long pauses, repeated words and sentences that trail off.
Getting ready for Part 3
Part 3 moves from your own experience to the wider world. The questions ask what people in general do, how things have changed and what might happen in future. Give an opinion, explain it, support it with an example and, where you can, mention another point of view. Each answer should be longer than in Part 1, often three or four sentences, but you do not need to talk for minutes.
A daily routine that works
Short, regular practice beats one long session. Try one new topic a day: prepare for a minute, speak for two, listen back once, then answer two of the Part 3 questions. Every few days, repeat an older topic and see whether you can speak more smoothly. Free visitors get a few new topics each day. With Gold you can practice as many topics as you like, choose a theme such as places or technology, and keep a history of your sessions and notes.