In the IELTS speaking part 2 test you will be given a task card on a particular topic, and this will include key points that you should talk about. 

This section of the Speaking test gives you the opportunity to speak for longer on a topic. You will be given one minute to prepare to talk about the topic on the task card.  A pencil and paper will be provided for you to make notes.

You will have to talk for 1-2 minutes, and then the examiner will ask you one or two questions on the same topic. Part 2 takes 3-4 minutes in total.

How to practise

Ask your study partner to listen while you speak about the task card topic. You should talk for 1-2 minutes. Your study partner should then ask you one or two questions on the same topic using the rounding off questions. Record yourself if you can.

Speaking test part 2: candidate task card

Describe a special event or festival that you liked.

Say:

  • what the event was
  • where it was
  • what happened

and say why you liked it.

You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Rounding off questions

Did the other people also enjoy this event? 

Listen to the audio:

Transcript of the audio file

Examiner: Thank you. Now I am going to give you a topic and I would like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. You will have one minute to prepare and you can write notes if you want. Do you understand?

Test taker: Yes, I do. 

Examiner: OK here is your card and some paper to write some notes. I would like you to describe a special event of festival you liked.

Describe a special event or festival that you liked.

Say:

  • what the event was
  • where it was
  • what happened

and say why you liked it.

Pause of one minute

Examiner: Alright. Remember you have one to two minutes for this so don’t worry if I stop you. I’ll tell you when your time is up. Can you start speaking now please?

Test taker: Yes, well, the festival that I really liked, really enjoyed is called Las Fallas. I think that’s the correct pronunciation. It’s a festival that’s held in Valencia in Spain. And we went to it about 2 years ago just before we came to Australia. We just thought we’d do a few short trips in Europe before, you know, leaving Europe for a couple of years. So we decided, my partner and I decided we’d treat ourselves. So the kids stayed with grandparents. And we travelled by train overnight which was brilliant. So we travelled from Paris to Barcelona and then changed trains and arrived in Valencia the following morning.    So we did what everyone else does, we checked into our hotel, left our luggage and then just went for a stroll around the city. I, quite honestly, I couldn’t believe our eyes. They have these absolutely huge paper mâché, I think the word is . . . effigies. They’re big sort of creatures made out of paper mâché. They’re about 15m tall and they’re absolutely everywhere, sort of, on every street corner, in every tiny square you can see them. And they’re sort of models of famous people. I mean it could be politicians. It could be cartoon characters. It could be film stars. Each chooses the person they want to make a model of. They’re incredibly well done and beautiful and . . . 

Examiner: Thank you. Did the other people also enjoy this event? 

Test taker: Oh yes, absolutely. I mean the streets were alive. People were having a really really brilliant time.

Advice

When you have completed all three parts of the practice Speaking test, listen to your recording of your own practice test to see how well you did.

You can also listen to the recordings and read the audio transcripts for each part of the test. These are designed to give you an understanding of the format of the test. They do not represent model answers.

Now move on to Speaking part 3.

See also

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