Describe a challenge you faced that you thought was rather difficult: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

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

13 unique answers with expert feedback

What motivated you to switch from Computer Science to Management Studies?

I realized that my passion lies in management, where I can combine my technical skills with leadership. I wanted to work in a field that excites me and allows me to make a significant impact on organizations.

How did you convince your father to support your career change?

I had several discussions with him, explaining my interests and the potential career opportunities in management. I also shared my plans for further education and how I would leverage my technical background in this new field.

What skills did you develop while overcoming this challenge?

I developed resilience, effective communication, and problem-solving skills. I learned to articulate my goals clearly and to navigate difficult conversations, which helped me gain confidence in pursuing my new career path.

Band 6-7

00:00

Well this is a very intriguing question that I'd love to answer it. Yes as I work in a multinational company I just want to take the scenario from there where I work. As I'm working the first day when I was in the company I faced a challenge to face the leaders or the teammates who was in my team who were assigned to me as my teammates. I thought that yes I'll find difficulty initially that I'll not cope up with them with the work and they'll be very rude to me. I thought okay I will be like this only I'll be not getting any support but I was totally wrong. I was taken aback when I just saw my teammates. I was totally wrong. Once we started working together, once we started knowing each other it was very very interesting and intriguing and I just loved working with them. I was very happy working with them and what I've learned from this is you should never judge a book by its cover. As the thought says you should never judge a book by its cover and also you should never judge anything too quickly until you have known it completely and yes all this you know all this process of recruitment is a rigmarole process which everyone hates. I am the one who despise it more and yes this is it. I just love working with my team.

Follow up questions

How did you overcome your initial fears about your teammates?

I overcame my fears by actively engaging with my teammates. I made an effort to communicate openly and participate in team activities. This helped me build rapport and understand their perspectives, which eased my initial apprehensions.

What specific qualities did your teammates have that surprised you?

I was surprised by their friendliness and willingness to help. They were very supportive and shared their knowledge generously. Their collaborative spirit made the work environment enjoyable and encouraged me to contribute more.

What lessons did you learn from this experience that you apply in your work today?

I learned the importance of keeping an open mind and not making assumptions about people. This experience taught me to approach new situations with curiosity and to foster a positive team dynamic, which I apply in all my professional interactions.

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Yes, I have faced several challenges, like public speaking in high school and participating in debates, which have helped me improve my skills further.

Show all 13 answers

Cue 1:What it was

Clearly state the challenge you faced, providing specific details.
Make sure to explain the context of the challenge to give it depth.

Example

The challenge I faced was preparing for my final exams during my final year of college. I had to manage my time effectively between studying, attending classes, and working part-time.

Cue 2:When and where you faced it

Describe the time frame when this challenge occurred, including any significant dates.
Mention the location where you were during this period, such as your college or home.

Example

This challenge took place in the months leading up to my final exams in April 2022, while I was studying at my college in Pune. I often found myself studying late at night in my hostel room.

Cue 3:Why you thought it was a difficult challenge

Explain the reasons that made this challenge particularly tough for you.
Discuss any external pressures or personal expectations that added to the difficulty.

Example

I thought it was a difficult challenge because I had to balance my studies with my job, which left me with very little time to revise. Additionally, the pressure to perform well for my future career made it even more daunting.

Cue 4:And explain how you felt at the time

Share your emotions during this challenging period, such as stress or anxiety.
Reflect on how you coped with these feelings and whether they changed over time.

Example

At the time, I felt extremely stressed and anxious. I often worried about not being able to cover all the material. However, I coped by creating a strict study schedule and seeking support from my friends and professors.

Conclusion

Summarize the main points of your experience with the challenge.
Reflect on what you learned from this experience and how it helped you grow.

Example

In conclusion, facing this challenge taught me valuable lessons about time management and resilience. It helped me grow as a person and prepared me for future challenges in my career.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your answer unclear and unengaging. It’s important to provide specific details about the challenge to create a vivid picture for the examiner.

Tip

Use specific examples and descriptive language to clearly explain the challenge you faced.

2: Lack of Structure

Failing to organize your response can confuse the listener. A well-structured answer helps convey your thoughts clearly and logically.

Tip

Follow the cue prompts in order to structure your response: describe the challenge, when and where it happened, why it was difficult, and how you felt.

Overly Negative Tone

Focusing too much on negativity can leave a poor impression. It’s important to acknowledge the difficulty but also to highlight any positive outcomes or lessons learned.