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Cue Cards For IELTS Speaking | Topics, Difficult questions (2022)

Written by  Vishesh Chogtu

Published on Mon, April 11, 2022 10:53 AM   Updated on Wed, May 25, 2022 12:18 PM   12 mins read
Source : Manjita Osta

Cue cards for IELTS have always been a topic of discussion. There has been a lot of confusion on how to present yourself in the test and utilize the opportunity to be given the cue cards and come out as a brilliant candidate in the IELTS speaking test.

Cue Cards for IELTS is a test taken during the IELTS speaking test in which your ability to think and to present your idea, which you will be required to form within a fraction of seconds, and you will be expected to convey your idea using the best presentable way to do so.

And the topic for the presentation will be provided instantly during the IELTS speaking test.  

The candidate is given exactly 1 minute to prepare the topic written on the cue card, also called the candidate task card.

The examiner will provide you with the card on which the topic will be written and you will be expected to speak for at least 2 minutes until the examiner tells you to stop. In the end, you will be asked one or two questions based on what you spoke and your overall performance will be given the grades by the examiner which eventually becomes the part of your overall IELTS score.


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Cue Cards For IELTS speaking 

A Cue Card or a task card is handed over to you during IELTS speaking in which a particular topic is written along with some suggestive questions mentioned on it.

You are given time duration of 1 minute in which you can recollect all the points to be mentioned during the presentation you are also provided a pencil and a paper so that you can write all the points you need to mention in the speech.

You are expected to speak continuously for at least 2 minutes until the examiner tells you to stop after you are done, you will be asked 2-3 questions based on your presentation.

The overall time of the test is around 3-4 minutes and your presentation score will be added to your overall score.

This test is being conducted to test your persuasion skills, your ability to think, and to present your point to the examiners.

Topics for IELTS Cue Cards.

The topics for the Cue Cards for the IELTS speaking test depend entirely on the examiner. However, there are several common grounds on which the topics of the Cue Cards are allotted to the candidate as the main idea behind this test is to examine your overall personality and your intelligence quotient. 

Generally, the topics given in the Cue Cards for IELTS are related to your past experiences or any place you travelled to recently, or any character traits which can define your personality. Here are some of the examples of the possible topics for the Cue Cards for the IELTS speaking test:

1. PLACE

Topics given in the Cue Cards can also be related to the place or any experience associated with it or any historical place you have been before. You should create a mental chain of all the topics you want to cover.

2. ASPIRATIONS

If you get a Cue Card with a topic as aspiration you can mention your goals or the reason why you choose a particular topic, you can also cover the topics you are interested in and the situations that aspired you to do something.

You can also mention the sacrifices you made to develop your career and the decisions you made to grow in the field of your interest.

3. FAMILY

When it comes to the topic of family there can be an enormous number of factors you can mention but try to be clear and concise with your topic and your points as well, You can mention how does it feel like to live with your family, what is the most precious thing you like about your family.

4. FAVOURITES

If you have been given the topic related to your favorites in your cue card you can mention your favorite things which are also somehow related to the field of your interest. Try to mention any extracurricular activities as well.

5. PERSON

If the topic allotted to you in the Cue Card is the person you can mention your favourite person, or you can also mention a person who inspires you the most. A person who helped you change positively.

6. APP

The next probable topic which can be asked is to talk about any apps you have used before or any app you prefer to use every day or an app you use for your refreshment. You can also be asked if there’s an app you recently discovered and liked.

Technology can be a tricky topic you can also choose to prepare for it in depth.

7. FAMOUS

The next topic which can be asked in the Cue Card is related to the famous personality you adore or any famous person you met in the past and what you liked about them.

8. BUSINESS

A great topic that can be asked in the Cue Card for IELTS speaking is related to business like any present business idea you have or whether you would like to have a business of your own one day or any small business you know which is going to be successful one day.

9. COLLEGE

About college, you can mention the good experiences you had the memories you made with your friends any specific event you participated in. The faculty from your college whom you adore the most out of all. The things you got to learn in the college.

10. SKILLS

Another probable topic that can be asked in the Cue Cards for IELTS examination is about the skills you would want to acquire or any skill you think is going to be your biggest asset in the future, also you can mention the skill which you are interested in.

11. MONEY

The next best topic is money. You can be asked if you had unlimited money what would you do with it or what item would you buy with it. Money can be a confusing topic and a lot of confusing questions can be asked related to money in the Cue Card. 

12. DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU FELT THE MOST BETRAYED

A very good topic which can be asked in the Cue Card for IELTS is if there has been any time where you felt that someone is trying to betray you or someone actually betrayed you.

13. UNSUAL EXPERIENCES

A question can also be asked in the Cue Card for IELTS speaking test related to the unusual experiences you had in the past or any experience which surprised you tremendously. You can also be asked if you had these experiences with someone who inspires you.

14. DESCRIBE A SITUATION YOU CAME OUT OF WITH THE HELP OF INTERNET

The Internet is one of the most trending topics for any examination due to its various pros and cons therefore you can also be asked to talk about something related to the internet. You can be asked if there has been a time when you solved a problem with the use of the internet or if there has been a situation from which you came out with the help of the internet.

15. SCHOOL TRIP

Another great topic for the Cue Cards for IELTS is to mention something related to your school trip or any experience associated with your school trip and any past events you enjoyed during the school trips or any incident that happen during the school trips.

16. PHOTOGRAPH

you can also be asked to talk about something related to a photograph or a specific phonograph you have which is very important to you.

17. DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHERE YOU SAVED SOMEONE FROM AN ACCIDENT

Another great topic that can be asked in the Cue Cards for the IELTS examination is to describe a situation where you saved someone from an accident.


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How to prepare cue cards for IELTS?

The Cue Card for IELTS is taken to evaluate your overall personality, it helps the examiner to examine your persuasion skills and your ability to present everything and be focused in a situation of high pressure.

You should focus on your ability to form a strong opinion and to have faith in yourself, you should prepare yourself to have clarity of thoughts in a situation of high pressure and to remain calm.

You should also focus on your speaking abilities as this is the skill that is tested the most by the examiner.

Here are some of the guidelines you should consider while preparing the cue cards for IELTS:

  •  The first and foremost thing is to have clarity of thoughts.
  • Prepare yourself well.
  • Try to inculcate a habit of speaking on any random topic for at least 3-4 minutes.
  • Always remember confidence is the key to success.
  • Become confident within yourself and become self-reliant.
  • Always communicate in English.
  • Try to create a mind map of all the points to want to speak.
  • Be expressive while you speak
  • Dress neat and clean, the first impression is the last impression.

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Tough IELTS Cue Cards

IELTS speaking tests are the evaluation to examine the overall personality of the candidate. The level of the speaking test is majorly dependent on the number of applicants who applies for the same,

The domain up to which the topics for the cue cards are asked can be infinite; it is not limited to any particular subject the best any candidate can do is prepare to the best of their ability and be confident throughout the test.

Body language also helps to express confidence and to stand apart from the crowd.

Mentioned below are some of the topics for Tough IELTS Cue card:  

  • A structure with an architectural design: You can be asked if you have been to a place that had great architectural designs.
  • A place that had a huge history associated with it: You can be asked if you have visited a place before which had a huge history associated with it.
  • Relating to a country that is famous for its antiques: The Cue Cards can also have the topic relating to a particular country.
  • Investment topics: You can even be asked that in your opinion start-up is going to boom in the coming years.
  • Political Event: A topic in the cue card can also be given related to any political event you have witnessed before.
  • A Tv program: The topic related to a television program you watched and didn’t like. 

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Difficult Decision Cue Card

As it is rightly said that the topic which can be asked in the IELTS speaking test is not limited to a specific topic, it can be wide as long as the ocean, the only thing you can be certain about is your preparation for the test. You should rely on your preparation and your ability to perform in the test.

However, there are certain difficult topics that can be asked or which carry a good probability to be asked in the Cue Card for the IELTS speaking test.

Following are some of the examples of the topics based on difficult decisions which can be asked in the Cue Cards for IELTS:

1. Describe the difficult decision you once made

You can be asked about any difficult decision you made in the past and how did you manage to take that decision, you can also mention the sacrifices you did to take that decision and the efforts you put to develop some skills you possess now.

2. Who do you go to before making an important decision?

This type of topic in the Cue Card can also be related to a specific person who helped you take such a decision.

3. Do you think an 18-year-old is capable enough to make life-changing decisions?

Some paradoxical topics can also be given to speak about like whether an 18-year-old should have the liberty to make decisions.

You can also mention the factors you consider before making an important decision or someone to whom you go for the reviews before making such decisions.

4. Do you think a child should be allowed to make a decision?

A question like whether a child should be allowed to make a certain decision can also be asked you.


Check out : How to prepare for IELTS at Home ?


FAQs 

✅ What is Cue Cards for IELTS?

Ans: Cue Cards are a type of task card that is allotted to the candidate during the time of the speaking test and you are required to prepare a presentation related to the given topic within a time span of 1 minute.

✅ How do I answer Cue Cards in IELTS?

Ans: You should be concise with your words and you should work on 
Your presentation and speaking skills convey any idea.

✅ How many Cue Cards are in IELTS?

Ans: There is only one cue card given to you in which a time duration of 1 minute is given to you.

✅ How many types of Cue Cards are there?

Ans: There are several types of Cue Cards some are experienced-based, and some of them ask you to describe any past events or any difficult decision that you made.

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Vishesh Chogtu

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