To most students, the Cue Card task is the most challenging task in the IELTS speaking test, and the primary reason for that is its duration, which is 2 minutes. Students who could be better speakers experience immense problems while generating ideas for 2 minutes. In this case, preparing in advance to pass your speaking test with flying colors is good.

After every four months, a list containing about 80-90 Cue Card topics is released. You can go through them, and our website, IELTSpages.com, publishes this list at the end of the beginning of every trimester. So, it comes in Jan, May and September. By preparing these Cue Cards, you can easily pass the test, and we include 5-6 sample answers for every question. Apart from this, we provide well-crafted answers for the follow-up questions, too. So, by working with determination, dedication, and discipline, you can easily pass your IELTS speaking test. Although our study material provides much support, framing your Cue Cards as per your ideas is worthwhile.

So, whenever you get a Cue Card topic, think of the actual situation in your life to gain valuable insights. For example, if the topic is “Describe a beautiful city you visited,” dig into your past instead of cramming the answer from our website or some other website. If you visited some beautiful city that was clean and pristine, you can design your content by revisiting the memories you have from that place. And if you do that, it becomes straightforward for you to frame the answer. Moreover, it boosts your creativity and helps you think beyond the conventional domain. It is an idea that you can quickly adapt to prepare for Cue Card topics.

Another thing you can do is that there can be one single answer for multiple Cue Cards. Like, describe an older adult you met recently or describe someone you like the most. Now, the same idea you can use for both the Cue Cards. So, if you go this way, then also it becomes easy. So, these are the two strategies you can use to frame your Cue Card answers.

Five major doubts students commonly have.

Various doubts students have whenever they go for Cue cards.
The first and foremost doubt is understanding the Cue Card topics.

The topic comes in various forms, possibly in the present, past, or future tense. Sometimes, the Cue Card questions have many combinations.

Like it has to be answered in a combination of past and present,
or present or future, or future or present.So, that sometimes needs to be clarified for test seekers.

The second major problem they encounter is generating ideas and content. You have one minute to prepare.
For some students, more is needed to frame good ideas and cohesively organize their content to get a good score. So it is again a challenging thing for them.

Another major problem is organizing the responses. Students generate ideas and have the content, but how do they organize it? They must also learn how to start or end an answer and what discourse markers to use while answering.

Apart from this, they need help with vocabulary and language use. They need help comprehending which words they should use and which they should avoid using. Sometimes, they memorize some words in their minds. However, when they take the exam, they need to remember all of them due to the pressure scenario.

Lastly, time management is challenging for some students as they struggle to generate ideas in one minute, while others need help to speak for two minutes.

Sometimes, they stop in between and need to realize that their two minutes are incomplete. And sometimes, whatever question there is, they cannot complete it in two minutes. So, these are the challenges that students face for Cue Cards.

Interesting Story

I’ve got an exciting story to tell you about a girl from the rural areas of Punjab who had never experienced city life. She had never attended an English Medium school, so it was a daunting challenge when she tried. When I asked her a few questions, I wasn’t sure if I could train her based on her answers, but I decided to take on the challenge.

During her first month, she didn’t answer any questions. Instead, I gave her a list of 400 questions to ask other students. She asked these questions multiple times and listened to the answers provided by the other students. Over time, the answers were drilled into her head, and after one month, she was ready to give the answers instead of asking questions. I gave her the task of answering questions, and although I was apprehensive at first, she did an excellent job because the practice of asking questions from students worked like a charm for her.

She gained confidence and became a brilliant communicator within three months, passing her exam with flying colors. The story’s moral is that practice is the key to success in the IELTS exam.