In IELTS Speaking Part 2 the examiner gives you a card with a topic and a few points to cover, a pencil, paper and one minute to prepare. You then talk for up to two minutes, until the examiner stops you, and may be asked one or two questions on the same topic. The whole part takes 3 to 4 minutes: the only time in the test you speak on your own.
60
seconds to read the card and make notes
120
seconds to speak, until the examiner stops you
1–2
rounding-off questions that may follow
3–4
minutes the whole part takes
How does IELTS Speaking Part 2 work?
Part 2 is the long turn. The examiner gives you a task card, a pencil and some paper, and you have one minute to prepare. Then you speak, alone, for up to two minutes. IELTS says the examiner will stop you when the time is up, and may then ask one or two questions on the same topic.
To scale
Part 2 from the card to the last question
- Prepare · 1 minOne minute, with a pencil and paper for notes
- Speak · 2 minUp to two minutes; the examiner stops you when the time is up
- Rounding-off questions · 30 sOne or two short questions, if the examiner asks them; not a fixed length
Part 2 tests something Part 1 cannot: whether you can produce a long turn on your own, without the examiner's questions to lean on. That is written straight into the fluency descriptor, which at Band 7 describes a speaker “able to keep going and readily produce long turns without noticeable effort”.
What is on a cue card?
A cue card has a topic, almost always beginning with “Describe”, and a short list of points under “You should say”. The last point usually asks you to explain something: why it was memorable, why you like it, how it changed you. Here is a real card from our bank; play it to hear the examiner read the topic:
Describe a memorable journey you have taken.
On the card itself, under the topic, you would read: you should say where you went, who you went with, what happened on the way, and explain why it was memorable.
The points are a guide, not a checklist. IDP's advice is not to worry if you do not cover every one. They are useful because they give you an order, and because the last point, the one that asks you to explain, is where your answer can go deeper than a list of facts.
What kinds of cue cards come up?
Every card asks you to describe one thing, and the cards in our bank fall into six kinds. Knowing the kind tells you what shape the two minutes will take before you have read the points.
| Kind | A card from our bank | The shape of the answer |
|---|---|---|
| People | Describe a person you admire. | Who they are, how you know them, one story that shows what they are like |
| Places | Describe a place where you like to go to relax. | Where it is, what it looks and sounds like, when you go, how it makes you feel |
| Things | Describe a possession that is important to you. | What it is, where it came from, how you use it, why it matters |
| Events and experiences | Describe a memorable journey you have taken. | A story told in order, with a turning point and a reason it stayed with you |
| Activities and goals | Describe a useful skill you have learned. | What it is, how you learned it, what was hard, what difference it makes |
| Media | Describe a website or app you find useful. | What it is, how you found it, how you use it, what you would change |
Event cards tend to be the easiest to fill, because a story has its own order. People and place cards are the ones that tend to run short, because description runs out faster than narrative. The fix is the same for both: find one moment, a time you were with that person or in that place, and tell it. A card about someone you admire becomes much easier when it contains “the day she…”.
How should you use the one minute?
Use it to choose your story in the first few seconds and then write four lines of keywords, one for each point. Your notes are not marked, so spelling and grammar do not matter on the paper. IDP's advice is to keep writing until the examiner asks you to start.
Choose quickly, and choose something real
Spend no more than ten seconds deciding. The first real example that fits is usually the best one, because you already know its details. Changing your mind halfway through the minute is how candidates end up with empty notes.
Write one line per point, in keywords
Names, places, numbers and one striking detail. These are the notes from the guide to the card above: “Konkan Railway, Mumbai to Goa, July / three college friends, after final exams / landslide, stuck six hours, Kerala family's food / the delay became the best part.”
Plan the explanation, not just the facts
The last line matters most. Decide the one reason it mattered, and something that makes it specific: a feeling, a change, a comparison with how you expected it to be.
Have your first sentence ready
Know how you will begin, so the first ten seconds do not become a search for words. Something simple works: “The journey I'd like to talk about is a train trip I took two years ago.”
Notes that slow you down
“I went to Goa by train with my friends in July after our exams and it was very nice because…” (one sentence, one point, the minute gone)
Notes that help
“Mumbai to Goa, Konkan line, July / Rohan, Imran, Priya / landslide, six hours, shared food / best part was the delay”
How do you keep talking for two minutes?
Treat the points as stops on a route and spend about half a minute at each, telling a story rather than answering four separate questions. At a steady pace, two minutes is roughly 230 to 290 words, far more than four short answers.
To scale
One way to fill the two minutes
- Open · 10 sSay what you will talk about, with one detail
- Prompt 1 · 25 sThe who or what
- Prompt 2 · 25 sThe how or when
- Prompt 3 · 30 sWhat happened: the story itself
- Explain · 30 sWhy it matters to you: the most room for language
Three habits make the time go further:
- Add a detail to every fact. Not “I went with three friends”, but “I went with three friends from college, all of us exhausted after our final exams”. Each detail is another chance to show vocabulary.
- Tell what happened, in order. A story has its own momentum: first, then, suddenly, in the end. Narrative past tenses (it was raining, we had been travelling for hours, someone had brought food) show grammatical range without effort.
- Spend real time on the explanation. The last point is where you move from what happened to what it meant, which invites comparisons, opinions and feelings. Give it the last half minute.
What do three bands of the same card sound like?
Here is the card above answered at Band 6, 7 and 8, from its guide. All three tell the same story at roughly the same length. Switch between them: the Band 6 version has each of its mistakes underlined with the fix.
One card, three bands
Describe a memorable journey you have taken.
- You should say:
- where you went
- who you went with
- what happened on the way
- and explain why it was memorable
Band 6 sample answer
229 words · about 1:59 spoken at a Band 6 pace
I'd like to talk about a train journey from Mumbai to Goa which I took two years ago, in July. It's on the Konkan Railway, it goes along the coast, and normally it takes around twelve hours.
I went with three friends from my college, Rohan, Imran and Priya. We just finished our final exams, so we wanted to celebrate, and the train was the most cheap option because it was monsoon season.
On the way, something unexpected happened. We were travelling for about seven hours when the train suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere. After some time the guard told us there was a landslide on the track ahead, and we have to wait until they clear it. In the end it made a delay of six hours. At first we were very annoying, because we had no food left and no mobile signal. But a family sitting near us, they were from Kerala, shared their food with us, rice and fish curry and banana chips, and we played cards with their children.
I think it was memorable because the delay became the best part of the trip. The views from the window was amazing, everything was green and there were waterfalls everywhere. Also we made friends with that family and we are still in contact on WhatsApp. We reached Goa at midnight, but nobody was complaining.
The mistakes that keep it at Band 6
- We just finished our final exams should be We had just finished our final exams
- the most cheap option should be the cheapest option
- We were travelling for about seven hours should be We had been travelling for about seven hours
- we have to wait until they clear it should be we had to wait until they cleared it
- it made a delay of six hours should be it caused a six-hour delay
- we were very annoying should be we were very annoyed
- a family sitting near us, they were should be a family sitting near us, who were
- The views from the window was amazing should be The views from the window were amazing
Why this is Band 6, not Band 7
- Fluency and coherence
- Willing to speak at length and the story has a clear sequence ("On the way", "After some time", "In the end"). It stays at Band 6 because the reason it was memorable is added as a list at the end ("Also we made friends") rather than growing out of the story itself.
- Vocabulary
- Adequate for the story ("landslide", "in the middle of nowhere", "mobile signal"), but with clear slips: "we were very annoying" uses the wrong form and changes the meaning, and "it made a delay" is not a natural collocation. Band 7 needs more precise and less common vocabulary.
- Grammar
- Attempts narrative tenses, but the harder ones break down: "We just finished our final exams" and "We were travelling for about seven hours when" both need a past perfect form, and reported speech slips into the present ("we have to wait"). That pattern is typical of Band 6.
Pronunciation is the fourth criterion; it is judged from your voice, so a written sample cannot show it.
Band 7 sample answer
259 words · about 2:00 spoken at a Band 7 pace
The journey I'll never forget was a train trip from Mumbai down to Goa on the Konkan Railway, a line that runs along the west coast through tunnels and over rivers. It was July, right in the middle of the monsoon, which is supposed to be the most beautiful time to do it.
I went with three friends from college, Rohan, Imran and Priya. We'd just finished our final exams and wanted a cheap break before everyone scattered for jobs, so we booked sleeper seats for next to nothing.
What happened on the way was that, about seven hours in, the train ground to a halt beside a paddy field. Eventually word came down the carriage that there'd been a landslide further down the line, and we ended up stuck there for nearly six hours. We'd already eaten all our snacks, and there was no signal, so tempers started to fray a bit. Then the family in the next compartment, who were heading home to Kerala, simply opened up their tiffin boxes and insisted us to share their lunch. We spent the afternoon playing cards with their kids while the rain hammered on the roof.
I think it stuck with me because the thing that should have ruined the trip turned out to be the highlight. The scenery was breathtaking, with waterfalls pouring down the hillsides, but what I really remember is how generous complete strangers were. We're still in touch with that family, and we didn't roll into Goa until after midnight, which nobody minded in the slightest.
The slips
- insisted us to share their lunch should be insisted that we share their lunch
Why this is Band 7, not Band 8
- Fluency and coherence
- Speaks at length with clear narrative control ("about seven hours in", "Eventually word came down the carriage", "Then"), and the delay is developed into a proper scene. Not Band 8 because the final bullet is announced ("I think it stuck with me because") rather than emerging from the story.
- Vocabulary
- Good, less common items: "ground to a halt", "tempers started to fray", "for next to nothing", "tiffin boxes", "roll into Goa". Band 8 would bring this precision to the feelings too; here they stay general ("breathtaking", "generous").
- Grammar
- The past perfect is used correctly for earlier events ("We'd just finished", "there'd been a landslide"), with relative clauses and a contrast clause. One slip, "insisted us to share", where insist takes a that-clause; otherwise accurate, which is Band 7.
Pronunciation is the fourth criterion; it is judged from your voice, so a written sample cannot show it.
Band 8 sample answer
281 words · about 1:56 spoken at a Band 8 pace
The journey that stands out is a train ride I took from Mumbai to Goa on the Konkan Railway two monsoons ago. It's one of those routes people do for the scenery as much as the destination: the line clings to the coast, cuts through dozens of tunnels and crosses rivers that are swollen and brown in July.
There were four of us, all from the same college: Rohan, Imran, Priya and me. We'd sat our last exam the previous week, and this was meant to be a final cheap blowout before we all went our separate ways, so we'd booked the slowest, least glamorous train we could find.
About seven hours in, we came to a juddering stop in what looked like the middle of a rice field, and the rumour that worked its way along the carriages turned out to be true: a section of hillside had collapsed onto the track. We sat there for close to six hours. Our snacks had run out, our phones were useless, and Rohan, who is not a patient person, was on the verge of walking to the next station. What rescued the afternoon was the family opposite, on their way home to Kerala, who unpacked an absurd amount of food and simply wouldn't take no for an answer. By the end their youngest was beating all of us at cards.
What makes it memorable is that it completely reversed my idea of what a good trip is. I'd been impatient to arrive, and the best part turned out to be the hours we spent going nowhere. We finally pulled into Goa just after midnight, soaked, exhausted and oddly reluctant to get off.
Why this is Band 8, not Band 9
- Fluency and coherence
- Fluent and coherent, with the delay told as a scene and a clear turn in the last paragraph ("it completely reversed my idea of what a good trip is"). Short of Band 9 because one or two sentences, such as the list of the four friends, are functional rather than shaped.
- Vocabulary
- Wide and idiomatic: "clings to the coast", "a juddering stop", "on the verge of", "wouldn't take no for an answer", "went our separate ways". The gap to Band 9 is the occasional loose phrase, such as "an absurd amount of food".
- Grammar
- A wide range used accurately: the past perfect for earlier events ("We'd sat our last exam", "had collapsed onto the track"), a relative clause dropped into the sentence about Rohan, and "turned out to be" twice to mark the twist. No errors.
Pronunciation is the fourth criterion; it is judged from your voice, so a written sample cannot show it.
The Band 6 answer covers every point and keeps going, which is real strength. What holds it at 6 is control, and its errors cluster in the past tenses of the longer sentences: “We just finished our final exams” for “We had just finished”, “We were travelling for about seven hours” for “We had been travelling”, “we have to wait until they clear it” for “we had to wait until they cleared it”. The Band 7 version tells the same story with those forms right, more precise words (“the rain hammered on the roof”), and an explanation that says why the delay mattered: “how generous complete strangers were”.
What if you run out of things to say, or out of time?
Go back to the most interesting point and add something: a detail you skipped, how you felt at the time, how you feel about it now, or how it compares with what you expected. Each of those can fill twenty seconds.
If you do stop early, the examiner may ask whether you have anything more to say. IDP's advice is to say yes and carry on. A natural phrase gives you a moment to think: “Actually, one more thing I remember is…”, or “Looking back, what strikes me now is…”. Silence costs more than an imperfect sentence.
The opposite problem is just as normal. If the examiner stops you mid-sentence, stop. IELTS states that the examiner will stop you when the time is up, so being interrupted at two minutes is normal and is not a sign that anything went wrong. It usually means you used all the time, which is exactly what the long turn asks for. Do not try to finish your sentence.
What are the rounding-off questions?
After the long turn, the examiner may ask one or two short questions on the same topic. For the card above they might be “Has the way people travel changed?” or “Is the journey as important as the destination?”. Answer them in a sentence or two, as you would in Part 1. They close Part 2; the longer discussion questions come in Part 3.
What are the most common Part 2 mistakes?
Almost every Part 2 mistake is a planning mistake, made in the minute before you speak or in the first ten seconds after:
Said, and better
Part 2 habits that cost time
Notes written as full sentencesFour lines of keywords, one per prompt
Sentences take the whole minute to write and tempt you to read them aloud. Keywords remind you what to say and leave you to say it.
A story learned in advance and bent to fit the cardA real example chosen in the first ten seconds
A memorised talk rarely fits the topic exactly, and it sounds recited. A real memory gives you details you do not have to invent.
Stopping after a minute because you have covered the four promptsGoing back to the most interesting prompt and adding a detail, a feeling or a comparison
The prompts are a guide, not a finish line. The descriptors reward the ability to produce long turns, so use the full two minutes.
Reading the prompts back as you go (“Who it was. It was…”)Moving between them naturally (“I got to know her through…”)
Reading the card aloud is repetition, not language. Linking the points in your own words is what coherence means.
Rushing to finish your sentence when the examiner stops youStopping when asked and answering the next question
Being stopped at two minutes is normal and is not a judgement. It usually means you kept going, which is exactly what Part 2 is for.
Try it on a full paper
Speaking · 11 to 14 minutes
A band for each criterion, corrections and sample answers.
Every card in our bank has its own page in the cue card library: the examiner reads it, a one-minute preparation timer runs with space for notes, your two minutes are recorded, and samples at Band 6, 7 and 8 show what each band sounds like on that card. The Part 2 checker scores a recorded long turn on the four criteria, and the Speaking Simulator puts the card between Part 1 and Part 3, as the real test does.
Where to check this
Every rule in this guide comes from these official pages. Test centres can differ on dates and arrangements, so check yours too.
- IELTS Academic Speaking test format · IELTS
- IELTS Speaking Part 2: how to speak confidently for 2 minutes · IDP IELTS Australia
- IELTS Speaking band descriptors · IELTS
Questions people ask next
Do I have to cover every point on the cue card?
No. The points are there to help you plan and keep going, and IDP's advice is not to worry if you do not reach them all: you have still shown you can speak at length, and the examiner stops you at two minutes. Following them is simply the easiest way to fill the time.
Can I write notes in IELTS Speaking Part 2?
Yes. The examiner gives you a pencil and paper and one minute to prepare. Your notes are not marked, so spelling does not matter. Keywords work better than sentences: you can glance at them while you speak without reading them out.
What happens if I stop speaking before two minutes?
If you finish early, the examiner may ask whether you have anything more to say. Say yes and go back to one of the points with a detail, a feeling or a comparison. A short long turn gives the examiner less evidence that you can keep going on your own.
Will the examiner interrupt me in Part 2?
Yes, at the end. IELTS says the examiner will stop you when the time is up, so being cut off mid-sentence at two minutes is normal and says nothing about your band. Stop, and be ready for one or two short questions on the same topic.
Can I talk about something that did not really happen?
You are marked on your English, not on whether the story is true. Most candidates find a real memory easier, because the details are already there, but if nothing fits, adapting a story you know well is better than freezing.
Written by SpeakMetry Team
The team that builds SpeakMetry's mock tests writes these guides. Every rule is checked against the official IELTS, British Council and IDP pages listed in the guide, and every example question, passage and sample answer was written for the guide it appears in.
