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IELTSTM CUE CARD

Describe A Period When You Were Busy: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Updated on Nov 13, 2024, 06:32

Overview

Describe a period when you were busy is one of the questions that can be asked in the IELTS speaking test. It is a two-way conversation between you and the examiner. 
 

The primary purpose of this module is to let the examiner assess your English communication skills. You will be given a band score between 0 and 9 based on your interaction with the examiner. Therefore, you should start practising and understand how the speaking test mechanism works to get higher scores.

 

Cue Card/Topic: Describe a period when you were busy.

You should say

  • When was the period?
  • Describe the tasks that kept you busy.
  • Explain how you managed your time during the period.
  • Share how you cope with these busy schedules.
Sample Answer 1

Introduction:
 

  • One of the busiest times in my life was during my marketing internship last summer. 
  • It was a distinct experience that challenged me to level up and gain experience working in the dynamic corporate world. 

 

When Was the Period?
 

  • This particular period was during my final semester. 
  • During this timeframe, I focused on my professional upliftment to prepare myself for the corporate world and perform better academically. 
     

Describe the Tasks That Kept You Busy:
 

  • During my tenure, I was assigned various tasks, including market research operations, developing marketing methods, and client presentations. 
  • I was also involved in some projects with deadlines. I also had to attend team meetings and coordinate with team members actively. 
     

Explain How You Managed The Time During The Period.
 

  • I have used many tools to manage my time efficiently. For example, I have used project management tools such as Asana to keep track of tasks and prioritise them according to deadlines. I have used digital calendars and software to schedule and manage client meetings. 
  • Also, I have broken down challenging tasks into small fragments and focused on each one at a time. 
  • I also used to seek the support of my managers whenever I got stuck during a task.

     

Share How You Cope Up With the Busy Schedules: 

 

  • I had to take care of my personal well-being and give myself enough time to handle the tough times smoothly. 
  • A balanced work-life has always been my priority, and I always care for my health to keep myself active. 
  • I engage in various productive activities like cycling, walking, playing outdoor games, and listening to music to overcome stressful times and stay fit. 
  • These activities make me swiftly cope with these challenges and groom myself professionally. 

 

Conclusion: 
 

  • The internship experience was challenging, but it provided me with a great experience of working in the corporate world and maintaining a balance between work and personal life. 
  • I was able to manage time efficiently and achieve the desired results. 
  • This has resulted in brushing up my skills and growing professionally. 
Sample Answer 2

Introduction:
 

  • It was one of the busiest periods I have ever experienced as a student while preparing for an academic competition. 
  • This challenging situation made me put more effort into it, making up strategies with extreme focus and dedication. 
     

When Was the Period?
 

  • It was during my second year of the undergraduate program, from January to March. 
  • During that time, my friends and I were actively practising for the intercollege debate competition. 
     

Describe the Tasks That Kept You Busy: 
 

  • I created a detailed strategy to manage my work and time efficiently. 
  • I made a proper schedule and allocated time for debate practice, research, college studies, and recreational activities. 
  • Then, I prioritised the tasks based on their urgency and deadlines. 
  • This way, I could maintain the tasks smoothly without worrying about the last-minute stress. 
     

Explain How You Managed The Time During The Period: 
 

  • I need to maintain discipline, be strict with my deadlines, and take care of my personal health. 
  • I take regular breaks during my day to keep myself calm and stress-free. 
  • I ensure I get enough sleep and engage in yoga, meditation and exercises. 
  • I also maintain a healthy and balanced diet to sustain my energy level. 
     

Conclusion: 
 

  • Although the debate preparation phase was challenging to manage between the academics, it was a rewarding experience. 
  • It helped me realise the importance of time management and effective planning, which can help us prioritise and achieve tasks together.
Sample Answer 3

Introduction:
 

  • I was pursuing my bachelor's course when seniors suggested learning new skills. 
  • So, I decided to take a certificate course to grow myself in the corporate world. 
  • This has become advantageous and has also brought new challenges for me. 

 

When Was the Period?
 

  • The period began in the early months of my third year of college and continued until the end of the year. 
  • This timeline was filled with lecturers, assignments, and examinations from the course and the college.   
     

Describe the Tasks That Kept You Busy:
 

  • Managing regular college and certification courses was a breathtaking experience for me. 
  • On one hand, I had to attend regular classes, do assignments, and prepare for exams. 
  • On the other hand, there were so many learning modules that I had to cover, attend live workshops, and complete assignments throughout the course duration. 
     

Explain How You Managed the Time During the Period
 

  • Managing time has become crucial to balancing the college curriculum and course modules. 
  • To handle them together, I created a weekly plan to attend my college classes, assign them tasks, and cover the learning modules. 
  • I have used a digital calendar and task-tracking apps to stay organised and keep deadlines in mind. 
     

Share How You Cope Up With The Busy Schedules 
 

  • I effectively planned to handle both areas together. 
  • Most of the time, I prioritised my tasks based on their deadlines and importance. 
  • I used to escalate tasks of less importance and try to cover them on the weekends. 
  • For the priority tasks, I used to allocate the maximum time to ensure I did not miss the deadline. 
  • Besides this, I also used to take care of my health and maintain regular exercise to stay healthy and stress-free. 
     

Conclusion
 

  • Taking a certification course and an academic course are both equally important for my career. 
  • However, they became challenging at times when deadlines clashed. 
  • However, I could handle both with better planning and time management. 
  • This time period has taught me valuable lessons and made me grow in my career.

Here’s how the cue card related to our topic will look like: 
 

Based on the topic, the whole answer can be divided into small fragments, each discussing a specific area. We have broken it into fragments in our theme, which we will see with a practical example.
 

Introduction:
 

  • You should introduce the busy period you will discuss in your speech. 
  • Then, briefly explain why you were busy during the period. 
  • You must have your language clear and maintain a smoother flow to make it easy to understand. 
“In my final year of university, I had a busy period due to the thesis work given with a short deadline and the preparation for the examination.”

When Was the Period?
 

  • Here, you can specify the particular time period during which you were busy.
“It all began in the second half of the last semester when I was given a project report to be completed by the end of the examination.”

Describe the Tasks That Kept You Busy:
 

  • Provide details of the activities that kept you busy. 
  • You can discuss the deadlines, the responsibilities assigned to you, and the challenges (if any). 
“I had to collect data from many people for my thesis. I also had to invest time in analysing them and interpreting my results while giving time to my preparation work. Unfortunately, the report's submission date coincided with the end examination.”

Explain How You Managed The Time During The Period: 
 

  • You need to describe how you keep yourself organised.
  • Explain some methods that help you plan your day and manage all the activities without compromising the other. 
“To manage my tasks simultaneously, I created a daily action plan outlining my needed tasks. I also specified the research, writing, and exam preparation timeline. Besides this, I also sought the support of my seniors and professors.”

Share How You Cope Up With the Busy Schedules: 
 

  • Discuss how you have handled the pressure of managing priority tasks together. 
  • You can explain the habits you adopted to keep yourself positive and active throughout the period. 
“I took frequent breaks whenever I felt like losing myself. I also walked quickly, meditated, and hung out with my friends. Also, I exercised regularly and ate rich meals to keep myself healthy and relieve the stress during the phase.”

Conclusion: 
 

  • You must describe the outcome of your busy periods and what you have learned. 
  • Provide an overall insight and end on a positive note. 
“Despite all the odds and evens, I have completed the assignment and performed better in the exams, too. Although challenging, it taught me how to manage my time effectively and multiple tasks smoothly. This will help me to be a better version of myself and excel in the professional world.”

Follow-Up Questions

For our topic, “Describe A Period When You Were Busy”, here are the possible questions which the examiner might ask. 
 

Note: These are common questions based on the topic we are concerned with. However, the examiner might ask a different question, too. It is just for your practical experience to know what questions can be asked and how you will answer them.

Q1. How did you prioritise your tasks during that busy period?

Answer 1:

I prioritise tasks based on their deadlines and importance in my busy schedule. First, I try to create tasks with closer deadlines. After finishing them all, I move to the tasks with extended deadlines and try to complete them according to my bandwidth and the deadlines. This helps me cover all the tasks without missing deadlines.  
 

Answer 2: 

I divide my tasks into 2 parts: one for short-term and the other for long-term goals. Then, I consider the timelines and try to cover the most time-consuming tasks with shorter deadlines. After which, I revisit the tasks I can handle quickly and then manage to work on them on weekends. 

Q2. What strategies did you use to stay motivated during such a demanding time?

Answer 1:
 

I divide complex workloads into small, achievable tasks and fuel myself with little moments of happiness after completing these small tasks. Also, breaking down the tasks into smaller parts makes the work look easier, which could have made it more complex when handled together. 
 

Answer 2:
 

During difficult hours, I keep myself motivated by constantly reminding myself of the long-term advantages of my efforts. I can also maintain my focus and motivation by considering where I want to reach my goals. I can also balance my energy and motivation by taking care of my health with a proper diet.

Q3. Did you face any challenges while balancing your college and certification courses? How did you overcome them?

Answer 1:


 It was a big challenge to balance the college and certification courses. I used to run low on energy after returning home from classes. So, I had significantly less active time to devote to the courses. But yes, with a preparation strategy and setting the timelines for both, I have managed both together. Mostly, I attended the certification course lectures and assignments on weekends.

 

Answer 2:

Managing the certification course and the college was very tough. There were many times when my schedules conflicted and overlapped. Sometimes, there were urgent assignments during the examination. I had to dedicate time to these things daily to overcome this. In case of difficulties, I requested the course coordinators or the college professors to allocate more time to the projects/assignments. 

Q4. How did taking the certification course alongside college benefit your academic and professional development?

Answer 1: 

I had many benefits from taking the certification and college courses. The first is that I was able to use the time for professional development, and I will have less hustle to get an entry into the corporate world. This has also made me more competitive and opened opportunities to grow in my career.

 

Answer 2: 

It has been fruitful for me to seek skill-based courses while completing my academics. These courses gave me a deep understanding of my interest domain and helped me gain practical knowledge. This skill enhancement will help me to take up my dream job and grow professionally.

FAQs

Q. How can we answer the cue card topic “Describe a time you were very busy”?

Ans. To speak on this topic, you need to frame it correctly. You need to describe when you were busy and share some tips you have used to overcome the busy life. Also, shed some light on how you have managed multiple things together. You can mention how you have maintained your motivation throughout difficult times.

Q. What are some of the common cue card topics?

Ans. Many cue card topics can be asked about in the IELTS test. It is very unpredictable to describe the same. However, most will relate to the following major topics: personal lifestyle, interests, hobbies, education, technology, healthcare, and other general topics. They are usually shared and do not require any particular study, but yes, practice is required to speak fluently. 

Q. Are speaking tests for Academic and General the same?

Ans. The IELTS speaking test is the same for the Academics and Generals. The topics will mostly be generic. But yes, a good command of the language is required. You should practice speaking in English and seek feedback from friends and mentors. This will help you to improve yourself and get good marks constantly. 

Q. What are the three parts of the IELTS speaking test?

Ans. These 3 parts include the introduction, the long run and the discussion part. The introduction will ask questions about your personal life, such as family, hobbies, goals, etc. In the long run, you will be given a cue card and told to speak on the topic. In the last and the third sections, the questions will be asked from your long-run speech. 

Q. Is eye contact important in IELTS speaking?

Ans. Yes, it is essential to maintain eye contact with the examiner. This makes you look confident and interactive, creating a positive impression and helping you get more band scores. However, avoid excessive eye contact, which will hamper your overall performance and efforts.

Q. What is the duration of IELTS speaking part 2?

Ans. Part 2 lasts around 3-4 minutes. Here, you need to speak about the topic given to you in the cue card. After giving the cue card, one minute is allocated. So make sure to prepare well and perform at your best level. Try to use simple words so that you can explain them easily. 

Q. Describe the marking scheme for the IELTS speaking test.

Ans. In the speaking test, the examiner will assess your speaking skills based on four criteria and give you marks. These four areas include fluency and coherence, lexical resources, grammatical range, and accuracy. The examiner will give you a band score from 0 to 9 based on all these factors. 

Q. Is disagreeing with the examiner's opinion during the speaking test okay?

Ans. Yes, it's completely alright if you disagree with the examiner. However, you need to be respectful and avoid arguing with them, which is not good. As a best step, you should express your ideas clearly and explain why you disagree with the words said by the examiner. 

Q. How should I prepare for the IELTS speaking test?

Ans. Practice is the only way to prepare best for the speaking test. You should start communicating more often in English. You can talk to your friends and family members and ask them to correct you if you make mistakes while speaking. Alternatively, you can also record yourself, listen to it, and figure out the areas that require improvement. 

Q. Can I use informal language during my cue card task?

Ans. You should maintain a formal communication style during the test. But yes, you can use informal language, too. However, please make sure not to use too much of it. Using the informal style heavily will not create a good presentation. So, always try to strike a balance between both while speaking. 

Q. Which part is the most important in IELTS speaking?

Ans. All three parts are most important in your IELTS speaking test. The examiner will analyse your whole speaking test before giving you marks. But because Part 2 is a little longer and you get the topic on the spot, it becomes more important to focus on it. So practice more on it and maintain a good command of all three parts. 

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