IELTS Speaking Part 2 Tips

⚡ TL;DR

Expert tips and strategies for this part of the IELTS Speaking test. Includes sample responses and key vocabulary for Band 7+.

Originally published August 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.

In this post, see the top 6 speaking part 2 tips that will help you to achieve a band score 7 or above.

The IELTS Speaking Test Part 2 lasts 3-4 minutes.

After part 1 the examiner will give you a card or booklet with your question and related ideas you need to talk about.

1 minute >> You will be given 1 minute to make notes.

1-2 minutes >> You will talk about for 1-2 minutes about the topic on the cue card/booklet.

1-2 minutes >> After you have finished speaking, the examiner will ask you one or two questions relating to what you have just talked about.

The cue card the examiner gives to you will look something like this >>

Some students admit to finding this part of the test difficult as they have to give a monologue for 1-2 minutes. They sometimes run out of ideas or start repeating themselves. Practising and developing a strategy can help to make sure that you have success in this area.

Read on for our top 6 tips for getting a high-level band score >>

SPEAKING Test Part 2 TIPS

TIP 1 >> Think of Ideas

When the examiner gives you the cue card during your speaking test, read the topic and the bullet points and think of ideas. It is better to think of a couple of relevant ideas, rather than too many ideas.

The bullet points on the cue card are there to help you to think of ideas so that you can develop an answer. However, you do not have to use those bullet points as a guide and can talk about anything you want in relation to the topic.

The cue card will give you the main topic, then list several bullet points below, stating ‘you should say‘ this means that it is optional. It is up to you, whether you wish to use those bullet points as a guide to help you, and add further information, or not. If there are any bullet points you do not wish to talk about, you may leave them out and talk about something else. As long as all of your ideas are related to the main topic and relevant, then you will still be able to gain a high-level band score.

TIP 2 >> Develop A Strategy

When planning your part 2 monologue, developing a strategy can help you to deliver a high-level answer.

Take a look at the post on how to develop a speaking test part 2 strategy.

TIP 3 >> Make Useful Notes

Making useful notes in the time allowed (1 minute) will help you to organise your thoughts and plan your answer.

Take a look at the post on how to organise your notes.

TIP 4 >> Be Honest

When answering the question, try to be as honest as possible, telling the examiner your thoughts, feeling and opinions. Use examples from your past experiences and be sure to give your opinion. You are allowed to make up information for your monologue, but make sure that you are really confident about what you are saying, as this may lead you into difficulties.

Being honest about your thoughts, feelings, opinions and own experiences is the best way to expand on the topic and give plenty of information to the examiner.

TIP 5 >> Extend Your Answers

When giving your answer, try to make sure that it is not too short – think of ideas that will allow you to talk about the topic confidently for 1-2 minutes.

You can expand your answer by adding more detail and giving examples. Whatever topic you get, you will be able to think of something relevant and share your own thoughts, feelings, opinions and experiences. You can also give relevant examples that can support your points.

Think about the who, what, when, where and how, then think of the details, where you went, who you went with, how you got there, etc.

The answers in part 2 should not be too long either if the examiner feels as though you have gone over your time, they will stop you and ask an extension question.

TIP 6 >> Practice

Practice as much as possible with your native speaking IELTS teacher, a partner or friend. Take a look at past cue cards (see the other posts in this section) and practice answering those questions, making use of the 1-minute note taking time. Whatever you do, don’t memorise any answers, the examiner will see through this and they can give you a low score.

Time yourself and see how much you can say in 1-2 minutes, you may need to develop your answer further or learn to be more concise.

A good way to listen for errors is to record yourself speaking. Listen to your recording and notice any errors you have made, including grammar mistakes, pronunciation, intonation and fluency. Keep practising and use the posts in this section to help you.

I hope that all of these tips have been useful to you in your IELTS practice and preparation, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below >>

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IELTS Speaking Part 2 Introduction

⚡ TL;DR

Expert tips and strategies for this part of the IELTS Speaking test. Includes sample responses and key vocabulary for Band 7+.

Originally published August 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.

In this post, we will be looking in-depth at part 2 of the speaking test.

The IELTS Speaking Test lasts 11-14 minutes.

The test has three parts, where you are interviewed by a trained examiner. You are not allowed to use a dictionary during the test. IELTS Academic and IELTS General students take the same test and it is marked in the same way.

PART 2 INFORMATION

Part 2 = 3-4 minutes – After part 1 the examiner will give you a card or booklet with your question and related ideas you need to talk about.

1 minute >> You will be given 1 minute to make notes.

1-2 minutes >> You will talk about for 1-2 minutes about the topic on the cue card/booklet.

1-2 minutes >> After you have finished speaking, the examiner will ask you one or two questions relating to what you have just talked about.

The topics might include;

Studying/Education
Hobbies/Sports
Family
What kind of movies, books, tv shows or music you like
What you like to eat / where you like to eat
Your job
Where you live
Daily life
Your own experiences

PART 2 QUESTIONS

The questions in part 2 will be about your daily life or experiences. Your answers should include your own thoughts, opinions and feelings.

Possible cue card questions >>

Does the question look difficult to you?

The bullet points are there to help you to extend your answer and be able to speak for 1-2 minutes on the topic. You can also say things about the topic, which are not bulleted on the cue card.

The topics on the cue cards mostly relate to daily life and your own experiences, so that you can think about an answer fairly quickly. You have 1 minute to make notes, so it is beneficial for you to be able to choose a specific idea/subject quickly.

There are hundreds of different cue cards, with new ones being added every year, so it will be difficult for you to memorise answers. You can prepare by reading past cue card questions and practising with a speaking partner or native speaking IELTS teacher.

Making Notes

Using the allocated time of 1 minute to make some notes before your talk can help you to organise your ideas. The examiner will not look at your notes, they will only mark you on your spoken answer. You should practice making notes that will help you during your talk. This will allow you to

Think in-depth about the topic.
Organise your ideas and improve coherence.
Give you more to talk about – improving fluency.

Don’t write too much when you are making notes, use the time you have to think and write down ideas and words. You need to be able to look at your notes and think of your next idea quickly so that your talk flows naturally. You can use arrows to lead your eye to the next keywords, or group words together for each bullet point.

You can also circle key words from the cue card questions – like where, when, what, how etc. Make sure you answer them in your notes, using the key words as headings.

How To Start

Instead of repeating the question on the cue card to the examiner, try to memorise a few phrases that will help you to start talking, for example;

Q: Describe a sport you enjoy.

A: I’d like to talk about Volleyball, which is a sport I like to play regularly……………..

Q: Describe a place you like to go on holiday.

A: I’d like to talk about Greece, which is a place I like to visit every year………

Q: Describe a teacher who influenced you.

A: I had several teachers who I thought were brilliant when I was at school, but the one that really stands out was my Art teacher, Mrs. Harris………..

Q: Talk about an article you recently read in a newspaper.

A: I read many articles daily, but one that stands out was about the rescue of animals during the recent Hurricane Harvey in Texas ………..

You can adapt the same structure repeatedly, or have a different approach for each question, it is up to you!