Describe a challenge you faced that you thought was rather difficult IELTS Cue Card
IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC
Describe a challenge you faced that you thought was rather difficult
You should say:
- What it was
- When and where you faced it
- Why you thought it was a difficult challenge
- And explain how you felt at the time
Sample 1
Being an adventurous person, I love to face challenges, and I have faced numerous of them. One of them is worth discussing. It was two years back, due to the coronavirus pandemic, I gained a lot of weight, and people used to bully me.
So, I faced this challenge when my father told me to lose 10 kgs in three months. So he threw the challenge to me and said that if I achieved it, he would give me a new heart, and I accepted his challenge.
So it was a difficult challenge because, at that time, I tended to overeat, and I also tried but couldn’t lose weight. So, it wasn’t easy to overcome that challenge. I did a lot of research and learned that losing weight should not happen based on your diet.
So, I started eating all my meals between 7 am and 7 pm. So that means not eating anything after the sunset because that is when our metabolism goes down. So whenever you eat, you are getting it into your body.
The other thing I did was stop eating refined sugar, and both these initiatives worked like a charm, as I lost 15 kgs in three months. My dad was over the moon after seeing my performance, and winning such a complex challenge was a proud moment for me.
Sample 2
There is no denying this conviction that life throws various challenges at us. So, sometimes we overcome the challenge and achieve success, and sometimes we face failure.
So, the last challenge I faced, which was very difficult, was during the Corona pandemic. The challenge was that I was at my job, and due to the pandemic, the offices stopped working, and I was not getting my salary. So, I requested my company to hire me in the work-from-home option. So, they hired me, but they gave me a huge target.
So, when I was in my job, I used to have 100 sales a month. So, they said that their expenses will be high and their sales will be lower. My target should be 200 units per month to get a good salary. So, that was a difficult challenge, and I accepted it.
And to do that, I had to do various things. In the office, I used to run the show through walk-in clients and by visiting open markets. But here, due to the pandemic, I couldn’t go out, and the best solution for me was digital marketing, but I didn’t know about it. So, I watched many videos on YouTube, and from there, I learned the secrets of digital marketing.
I learned how to use Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads, and within one month, I became an expert. After learning the strategies from various YouTube videos, I applied those strategies to our company’s product, and I was happy that my plan was successful.
The challenge was difficult, but I met and got more than 250 unit sales. So, I was on a cloud bank, and I felt perfect about that time because due to the challenge, which was difficult, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I did things beyond the conventional domain, and most importantly, I learned a new skill: digital marketing.
Follow-ups
Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card: “Describe a challenge you faced that you thought was rather difficult IELTS Cue Card”.
1. Why do some people enjoy doing extreme sports?
Some people have this uncanny knack for doing things beyond the conventional domain. So when they do the same repetitive things, they feel bored. So that’s why they enjoy doing extreme sports because they get into an adrenaline rush, and their best comes out. So they get a lot of thrill and excitement out of it.
2. What challenges would people face when learning new sports?
When learning new sports, the first and foremost challenge is to know the rules and regulations because every game differs. So, it takes time to learn about the laws and regulations. Apart from that, every game needs a different kind of stamina and mental approach. In some games, like football, physical prowess is more important than cognitive skills, whereas in chess, it’s all about your mental skills. So, people face physical and mental challenges while learning new sports.
3. What activities would make children feel challenged and why?
Any activities in which there is a competition, be it sports, arts, or drama, where they need to compete with others. The modern era is fierce competition, and sometimes, we have to leave our place and lose touch with our old friends. Sometimes, we get so busy in our lives that we do not have time for friends, and the distance or time kills the friendship, so we have to give up some old friends, and the new friends acquire their place.
Children often feel challenged when they participate in sports, incredibly individual sports. They do feel challenged in team sports as well. However, individual sports like badminton, table tennis, and long tennis, they feel more challenged.
Apart from that, they also feel challenged in exams.
4. Do most people choose to face a challenge alone or with others?
As far as challenges are concerned, most people like to face the challenge alone. Others feel uncomfortable because the inspiration from the challenge comes from inside.
You can take your guarantee but not others’ guarantee. That’s why most people prefer to face the challenges alone.
5. Is it easy for children to overcome a challenge?
No, it’s difficult for children to overcome a challenge because of a lack of experience.
So, sometimes, with initial setbacks, they lose confidence. However, in some cases, children do not prejudge, and they do well. So, that entirely depends upon the situation.
6. What do children often do when they face challenges?
When children face a challenge, the first and foremost thing they do is to take the advice of others. So sometimes they take the advice of parents, teachers, and sometimes their friends. Once they have the advice, they take the step and lead fully.