IELTS Cue Cards Samples with Answers 2024 (LATEST)

IELTS Speaking Cue Cards is a vital component of the IELTS Speaking test. It evaluates the ability of the test taker to express themselves fluently, coherently, and appropriately in a given situation. The IELTS Speaking test assesses the English proficiency level of the test taker, and it is required for those who wish to study or work in countries where English is the primary language. In this article, we will explore everything about IELTS Speaking Cue Cards, including the format of the test, preparation strategies, and examples, to help test takers to perform well in the test.

What is IELTS Cue Card? 

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standardized English language proficiency test is taken for study, immigration, or work. IELTS is divided into two categories: Academic and General Training. The latter is applicable for aspirants desirous of higher education pursuits abroad. Yet, the speaking test is the same for both these modules. The first part is the introduction and interview, where candidates will be asked questions about themselves, their family, education, etc. 

The IELTS speaking cue cards come into play for the second part when the candidate will be choosing cue cards and then speaking on a topic for two minutes at least. They can make notes on the topic beforehand. After their speech, follow-up questions are also asked on the topic. In the long discussion, the topic in the cue cards has to be explained in detail by the candidate. For example, the cue cards for IELTS 2023 will contain 3-4 questions for candidates. It will be marked based on four parameters, and it will be done on a scale of 1-9.

Understanding the IELTS Speaking Test

The IELTS Speaking test is conducted to evaluate the English speaking skills of the test taker. The test consists of three parts, and the duration of the test is approximately 11-14 minutes. The first part of the test is an introduction where the test taker is asked general questions about themselves, their family, and their interests. The second part of the test is the IELTS Speaking Cue Cards section, where the test taker is given a cue card with a topic to speak on. They have one minute to prepare their response and two minutes to speak on the topic. The third part of the test is a discussion where the examiner asks the test taker questions related to the topic in part two.

Role of IELTS Speaking Cue Cards in the Test

The IELTS Speaking Cue Cards section is a crucial part of the IELTS Speaking test, and it contributes significantly to the test taker's final score. It assesses the test taker's ability to organize their thoughts and express themselves coherently and fluently in a given situation. The cue cards cover various topics related to daily life, such as people, places, events, opinions, future plans, and storytelling. Test takers must be well-prepared for this section to perform well in the IELTS Speaking test.

How to Prepare for IELTS Speaking Cue Cards?

Effective preparation is essential to perform well in the IELTS Speaking Cue Cards section. The following are some key skills required to prepare for the test:

1) Expand vocabulary: Test takers should work on building their vocabulary to express themselves more accurately and effectively.

2) Practice speaking: Consistent practice of speaking English will help improve fluency and confidence.

3) Listen to English: Listening to English podcasts, music, and TV shows can help improve the test taker's understanding of the language.

4) Study grammar: Reviewing grammar rules and practicing using them in context will help improve grammatical accuracy.

5) Understand the format: Test takers should familiarize themselves with the IELTS Speaking test format and the IELTS Speaking Cue Cards section's structure.

Strategies for Approaching IELTS Speaking Cue Cards:

Effective strategies are necessary to perform well in the IELTS Speaking Cue Cards section. The following are some general and specific strategies to follow:

General Strategies:

1) Understand the Cue Card Prompt: It is crucial to read and understand the prompt on the cue card carefully to ensure that the response is relevant to the topic.

2) Plan the Response: Test takers should take the time to brainstorm and organize their response before speaking.

3) Speak Clearly and Confidently: Test takers should speak clearly and confidently to convey their ideas effectively.

Specific Strategies:

1) Introduction: The test taker should start their response with a clear introduction that restates the prompt and provides an overview of the response.

2) Body: The body of the response should contain two to three main points that answer the prompt and provide relevant examples to support the response.

3) Conclusion: The response should conclude with a summary of the main points and a final statement that relates to the prompt.

4) Time Management: Test takers should manage their time effectively to ensure they have enough time to prepare and speak on the topic.

List of IELTS Speaking Cue Cards 2024

Here is an approximate list of IELTS speaking cue cards 2023 that you should note. You can practice these in advance by looking for IELTS cue cards with answers. There are some predominant types, including the following: 

1. Past events
2. Places
3. Objects
4. Crazy queries
5. Hypothetical thought
6. Habits
7. Favorite things
8. Cultural events
9. Persons 

Here is a list of anticipated cue cards:

Time-Based / Someone

Describe a Time When You Told Your Friend an Important Truth	Talk About A Time When You Gave Advice to Someone	Describe A Time When You First Talked in A Foreign Language
Describe A Time When You Helped A Friend	Describe A Time When Your Computer Broke Down	Describe A Time When You Felt Bored
Describe A Time When You Were Really Close To A Wild Animal	Describe a time when you needed to use your imagination	Describe a time when you observed stars IELTS cue card
Describe a Time when you Missed an Appointment IELTS cue card	Describe a time you made a promise to someone IELTS Cue Card	Describe a time you moved to a new home/school IELTS cue card
Describe a time when you shared something with others IELTS cue card	Describe a time you were busy IELTS Cue Card

 

Famous / Person & Occasion

Describe a Person Who Impressed You in Primary School	Describe an Occasion When Many People Were Smiling	Describe a Famous Person You Are Interested In
Describe A Dinner You Really Enjoyed	Describe an Expensive Activity that You Enjoy Doing Occasionally	Describe A Person Who Wears Unusual Clothes
Describe A Businessman You Admire	Memorable Day in My Life	Describe a Famous Athlete You Know
Describe a foreign person who you have heard	Describe a person who solved a problem in a smart way	Describe an interesting neighbour
Describe a creative person whose work you admire	Describe a popular/well-known person in your country	Describe a Childhood Friend
Describe a Person who you Believe Dresses Well

 

Life / Emotions & Place

Describe a Difficult Decision that You Once Made	Describe A Street Market In Your City	Describe an Event You Attended in Which You Didn’t Like the Music Played
Describe A Puzzle You Have Played	Describe an Art Exhibition that You Visited	Describe A Long Walk You Ever Had
Describe a Film that Made You Laugh	Describe A Live Sports Match That You Watched	Describe A Quiet Place You Like To Spend Time In
Describe Your Favourite Movie	Describe A Difficult Thing You did	Describe A Toy You Liked in Your Childhood
Describe A Good Law In Your Country	Describe A Computer/Phone Game You Enjoy Playing Since Your Childhood	Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading
Describe An Ambition that You haven’t Achieved	Describe a city that you think is very interesting	Describe A Bag You Want to Own
Describe Your Dream House	Describe a Perfect Job You Would Like To Have in the Future	Describe a cafe you like to visit
Describe a leisure activity in or on the sea	Describe A Tradition in your Country	Describe a chocolate you didn t like
Describe a tall building in your city	Describe an Object you Find Particularly Beautiful	Talk about a special day which was not that expensive
Describe an activity that you do after school/work	Talk about a traditional object of your country	Describe a positive change in your life
Describe a skill that was difficult for you to learn	Describe your favorite movie	Describe an interesting song
Talk about an important/Special event you celebrated	Describe your first day at school	Talk about a TV Show you Like to Watch
Talk about an important river or lake in your country or hometown	Describe your favorite singer	Describe a Problem You had while Shopping Online or in a Store
Describe an English Class/Lesson that You Enjoyed	Describe a website which helped you to do something	Describe an activity you do to keep fit
Describe a competition you would like to take part in	Describe a book you read that you found useful	Describe an art or craft activity that you had at school
Describe a course that impressed you a lot	Describe a skill that you can teach other people	Describe a law on environmental protection
Describe your favourite weather	Describe an activity that you usually do that wastes your time

 

Activity / Event & Interesting / Work

Describe an Expensive Activity that You Enjoy Doing Occasionally	Describe an Art Exhibition that You Visited
Describe A Live Sports Match That You Watched	Describe A Leisure Activity in or on the Sea
Describe A City that You Think is Very Interesting	Describe An Exciting book that You Enjoy Reading
Describe A Perfect Job You Would Like To Have in the Future	Aquatic Animal Cue Card

 

Movie / Object

Describe a Film that Made You Laugh	Describe Your Favourite Movie
Describe A Computer/Phone Game You Enjoy Playing Since Your Childhood	Describe A Good Law In Your Country
Describe A Toy You Liked in Your Childhood	Describe A Puzzle You Have Played
Describe Your Dream House	Describe A Tall Building in Your City
Describe A Bag You Want to Own

Marking Criteria for IELTS Speaking Cue Cards 

The speaking section is 11-15 minutes long. Candidates interact face-to-face with examiners in this section. The score in the section is between 0-9. Here are the marking criteria: 

1. Coherence & Fluency – This examines the capabilities of candidates in terms of their fluent speech and expressing their thoughts. 
2. Grammatical Accuracy & Range – This assesses how people accurately use their grammatical paradigms and how they deploy the same in their speech. 
3. Lexical Resources – The candidate’s vocabulary is scrutinized in this case, with a view toward analyzing the communicative aspects of speech. 
4. Pronunciation – It may differ across countries, although suitable capabilities to pronounce words correctly in English are measured. 

Each of these four points is given a cumulative value and these are added for making up the overall score. For instance, if someone scores 6 in grammatical accuracy and range, 6.5 in fluency and coherence, 7 in pronunciation, and 6 in lexical resources, it adds up to 25.5. Divide this by 4, and it comes to 6.3 on average.

In conclusion, the IELTS Speaking Cue Cards section is an essential component of the IELTS Speaking test, and it requires effective preparation and strategies to perform well. Test takers must understand the test format, scoring criteria, and approaches to the section to succeed. By following the strategies outlined in this article and practicing consistently, test takers can improve their English proficiency and perform well in the IELTS Speaking test.

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