arrow back icon Top Answers

Describe A Difficult Decision That You Made And Had A Good Result: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What was the decision?
  • When did you make the decision?
  • How long did it take you to make the decision?
  • Explain why it was a difficult decision to make.
Show all 93 answers

Cue 1:What was the decision?

  • Clearly state the decision you made, providing context about the situation.
  • Mention the potential outcomes of the decision to highlight its significance.

Example

The difficult decision I made was to leave my stable job in a multinational company to pursue my passion for photography. I had been working there for over three years, and while it provided financial security, I felt unfulfilled.

Cue 2:When did you make the decision?

  • Specify the time frame when you made this decision, such as a particular month or year.
  • Share any relevant events that led up to this decision to give it more context.

Example

I made this decision in early 2022, after attending a photography workshop that reignited my passion. The workshop made me realize that I wanted to turn my hobby into a career.

Cue 3:How long did it take you to make the decision?

  • Discuss the duration it took you to arrive at this decision, emphasizing any internal conflict.
  • Mention any discussions you had with friends or family that influenced your decision-making process.

Example

It took me about two months to make this decision. I spent countless nights weighing the pros and cons, and I also spoke to my family and friends, who encouraged me to follow my dreams.

Cue 4:Explain why it was a difficult decision to make.

  • Describe the fears or concerns you had about making this decision.
  • Explain how the fear of failure or uncertainty contributed to the difficulty of the decision.

Example

This was a difficult decision because I was afraid of financial instability and the fear of failing in a competitive field. Leaving a secure job felt risky, and I worried about what others would think of my choice.

Conclusion

    Example

    In the end, I took the leap and started my own photography business. It was challenging at first, but I am now thriving and feel more fulfilled than ever. This decision taught me the importance of following my passion and believing in myself.

    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 Responses

    Providing vague or unclear answers can make it difficult for the examiner to understand your experience. Specific details help create a clearer picture of your decision-making process.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Use specific examples and details when describing your decision to make your response more engaging and informative.

    2: Rushing Through the Explanation

    Rushing through your explanation can lead to missing important points. It may also make your answer sound unstructured and less convincing.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Take your time to explain each cue clearly, ensuring you cover all aspects of the decision-making process.

    Neglecting Emotional Impact

    Ignoring the emotional aspects of your decision can make your response less relatable. Emotions often play a significant role in difficult decisions.

    bulb icon

    Tip

    Include how you felt during the decision-making process to add depth and connect with the examiner.

    calendar icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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.

    All Answers

    Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

    Band 6-7

    A difficult decision that I had made till the date is trying exercising and second to start a skincare. Due to my daily routine and schedule which is very unhygienic to be precise, like I am in the IT industry so I have to sit a long time in front of the computer and as I was staying far away from my home, my eating habits were very unhygienic too. So exercising is one of the thing that I wanted to start because my belly fat was increasing, my weight was increasing, I had gained a lot of weight too. So it was one of the thing that was on my mind for many days and same due to the routine which I had in which I was very busy, it was difficult to take time out for exercising. Apart from that the skincare also, I used to be very lazy and will just procrastinate my all the habits that I was thinking to make up. So it was very difficult for me to come up with my, to make a decision and make my mind to follow these routines. But I think, I believe that it is two months ago that I started exercising. I went for running, I started exercise, I started few small yoga exercises and going to gym.

    Band 6-7

    Hi everyone, my name is Anisha and good afternoon to all. My hardest decision was to move abroad from India. That was a very difficult decision for me. I took that decision after my graduation. It took only 2-3 weeks to decide where would I move and what to do, what kind of studies I do there, what kind of jobs I can perform there. That was so difficult for me. And for leaving your family is too difficult for an Indian child that you will leave your family behind there and you can move alone to another nation alone where you never know anyone and what to talk, what will be happens. That was very democratic to you. They can't be able to do that things.

    Band 6-7

    The decision was to choose between my self-respect and friendship. Even if I have to give up my friendship, I can't deal with toxic people who think they can walk all over me. My friend was caring but she had some flaws in her that I can't tolerate like she was passive-aggressive and very egotistic. We both are egotistic but when I am at fault, I accept it and say sorry or apologize but she never does it. For her, her priorities are all about herself. She doesn't care if what others feel. That was where I was having a hard time dealing with her because I really valued that friendship. Our vibes matched so much. We were so good together but I can't deal with her anymore. So, in the last, I finally gave up and thought to leave and move on to meet and make new friends who value me and respect me. Everything is okay but I can't let anyone disrespect me. That is the edge for me.

    Band 6-7

    When I decided to move to Mumbai to pursue my dream of studying about advertising and media when I decided to study Bachelor's in Strategic Communication and Journalism, it has been one of my best decisions of life, but it also came with its own challenges because I had to move to another state. I have never stayed away from my family, especially my mom. And, you know, starting at a new environment, building yourself all together is a difficult task, but it's also a growth path for you as an individual. I decided to study after my 12th boards got over. Yeah, I started applying to Mumbai. I got admissions there. I moved there. It was a long decision. After my 12 boards got over, I was doing my own research and following a pattern that whether this is the best place for me or not. And I realized that I need to know if I want to study Strategic Communication, that is basically Bachelor's in Mass Media. I need to have the exposure of different cultures. India is a vibrant country, right? And I strongly believe, and now since I've experienced it, Mumbai is the best place for someone who is interested in media and culture to visit there and to study. It's a good growth for your personal development. And it's a challenge towards the study, but honestly speaking, it's the best decision you can ever make for your life.

    Band 6-7

    One difficult decision that I have made and experienced a positive result after that has to be the 30 day no sugar challenge that I have taken up. This took place a few months ago after contemplating it for about 2 weeks. All of us know how sugar is not good for your health and many doctors advise you to avoid sugar as much as possible but as you know, as children, as teenagers and even most adults enjoy having sugary treats and I was no exception. So it was very difficult for me to take up this challenge because I was extremely fond of sugar which makes it very difficult for me to cut it out of my life completely and according to this challenge, when I say no sugar, I did not consume the sugar which is the white sugar or brown sugar but I was consuming fruits since I believed it was natural sugars. This challenge was not the most easiest one I have taken but it definitely did teach me quite a lot. Not only the health benefits it offers are healthy for you but also the discipline it teaches you is something that I really found interesting. I did not notice much of physical changes in me besides losing about 1-2 kilograms and a clear skin. I feel like it was the kind of willpower it inculcated within me as I had to say no to all the sugar that my family used.

    Band 6-7

    So, one of the difficult decision that I took was participating in national competitions of architecture which was held by NASA council in India and I took that decision in second year. I took it in a very few days as the deadlines were approaching because I had a very low self-esteem at that time. Since I took that decision, it was really hard to manage competition work and academics along with the design work that I was doing for my own good. So, it was a bit challenging for me to manage all those things and I was really proud that my families and friends supported me very well during that time and they gave me my space to work on everything that I was working on at that time. I am happy that I took this decision because it gave me pretty much very, so many opportunities which led to give me a very good resume. Now my resume is full with competitions and prizes that I won during that time and it actually boosted my confidence very much. Later on, I was recognized in top 12 of the most good projects in NASA and it was one of my biggest achievements with my other teammates as well. So, I think that was a very difficult decision for me to take but it had a very good result.

    Band 6-7

    The one difficult decision that I made and had a good result was when I completed my 10th board exams, I had to decide whether to take a science group or a computer science group. At first I had a confusion what to choose for my career. Most of the people around me forced me to take a science group to become a doctor or any other science related field. But I always found of engineering things because of my physics and computer science ma'am who taught me the difficult concepts in a more imaginative and funnier ways. Moreover, I am a problem solving person who used to solve difficult problems. And then finally I chose a computer science group. Now, right now I am earning more than 70,000 per month in computer science, whereas most of the friends who took science group are working in a doctoral field as less paid than me. And right now I am planning to. So, I could say this has been a difficult decision I have made in my life.

    Band 6-7

    So the decision was to change myself. I used to be very skinny and very B-type guy in my childhood. I was bullied from my classmate, I was bullied from my relative and somewhere I believe bullied my family. Then I start changing myself. The decision I made to change personally, physically and mentally, develop my personality. Secondly, I take this decision after the corona, when it was 2021. I don't know why but I want to change myself just because I don't want to see myself as a skinny guy anymore. That's why I want to gain new muscle Frequently going gym, doing exercise, doing push-ups, chest press, bicep curls gain knowledge, build muscle and continuously I have been to gym and then I could see change in my body. After that decision, my life goes with thoroughly with flow and I can say right now I'm mentally, physically fit and I'm still at more to go. That's all.

    Band 6-7

    In the beginning of my internship, I started looking for alternate options because I didn't want to become a dentist. It wasn't in my books. It didn't feel like being me, so I started considering various other options. My father helped me a lot actually. Once he came to me and he said, okay there is this degree in designing. Do you want to do that? Because they consider people from various backgrounds and I researched about it. I did a lot of research and then got to know that this is what I want. This is where my heart lies. I was like on cloud nine. But then when I tried looking up at the websites of the universities, they were mostly expecting us to have a design background to apply for the master's. So I was scared. I was in stress. I was under stress. I didn't know what to do but I knew one thing to follow my heart. So I made the decision. I left everything and chose my passion. That is where I differ from others I feel. Although everybody around me was saying, why do you want to do that? You're already a university topper. Why do you want to change dreams? But I didn't feel like that is me. Okay yeah, I'm getting money. I'm doing well in that. But where does my conscience lie? I say in art. That is why I chose design and it took me about six to eight months to get a hard decision, hard rock decision on to this. That was that phase was really stressful for me. I couldn't

    Band 6-7

    In my life I had different difficult situations and in those situations I had to take very difficult decisions but eventually they gave me a good result. I still remember one decision which I took during my 11th grade in my school. When I was 11 when I was in 11th grade I had two choices one was to study in the school itself or the second was to study and also prepare for the National Engineering exam. It was a difficult decision because it would be very hectic schedule after that if I had chosen to prepare for an engineering exam along with my studies but I chose that. I was enrolled into one of the institutions in our city. It was a good Institute. Eventually my schedule was very tight. I had to go to school in the morning and after doing the classes in the school I had to go back to the coaching classes at that Institute and those classes were held till late night and after coming back I was really burnt out and but I always had a smile on my face because I was pretty much sure that I'm preparing for a good course and it would lead to a good decision. After doing this for around one year I gave my final engineering exam and I was passed at that time I was over the moon and because I was selected into one of the most premier institution of the country.
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

    Master IELTS Speaking with Leap's Self-Prep Course

    student enroll count

    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

    app download banner image
    See Course Details

    Master IELTS Speaking with Leap's Self-Prep Course

    student enroll count

    Students Enrolled

    review count

    2,411 Reviews

    app download banner image
    See Course Details