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 77 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

    So one of the most difficult decision of my life was to move out and to live alone, not far away from my family. It was when during my high school, I had to make this very tough decision in order to build myself up, just to have new experiences set and to be able to focus on my goals. Even more thoroughly and once I did that, I really had a very excruciating experience but it gave me the freedom and the perspective that I needed while growing up. It was actually very difficult but then I ensured myself that everything was going to be okay and I made it a lot of consistency.

    Band 6-7

    Well in my campus we have two projects to work on in our BTech. We have a major project and a minor project. The minor project comes along in the fifth semester where all of the participants in a team need to work together collaboratively to bring about a project into fruition in the span of three months. It's not extremely long term. It takes some time. It does take time and effort but it doesn't long term enough for us to feel like it's a worthwhile commitment. So I was in a lab and I was working on my minor project and it wasn't very professional. I did not enjoy the lab. I did not enjoy how we were all working because although the commitment that was required was minimal you still needed to put an adequate amount of effort to bring something to life over here. It was research. We had to put a lot of effort. So I kept deliberating on whether or not I should change my lab because in this lab I was worrying about everything but the actual results of the project. I was worrying about the glassware. I was worrying about the water. I was worried about ensuring that all the materials were sterilized and I was not actually worrying about the chemicals I needed and I didn't and because the project was actually just for what three months I didn't have time to worry about other things. I didn't have time to worry about the things that actually did matter for a good project. Now I made the decision just a few months ago to change my lab and I actually went through with it. Now I'm working on a worthwhile project and I'm working better because I feel like I do have all the materials I need. This was a very good decision I made I feel.

    Band 6-7

    Actually, joining my current company was my best decision that I took, and it was one of the hardest decisions that I ever made in my life, and it turned out well. Just because leaving my previous organization was very difficult, at that point of time I didn't have the financial stability and a place to live in, and also I was just a fresher who graduated from the college and was taking up her first job, but also I was not satisfied working over there because of some random issues that pops up every other day, which took a toll on my mental health as well as the productivity which I was bringing up to the table, it was not recognized. So I had to take a hard call on it to stop going to that company again and to go take a few more job interviews and get into a better company with a better hike, but at that point of time it was very difficult for me because I had no support from my family, I had to live in Bangalore alone and without any money, it was very difficult at that point of time, but it turned well and right now I'm living one of my best kind of life in a healthy way, which I'm sure that with the things I learned from this job is going to help me and fetch me to the higher states and levels of it, and I'll be able to improve a lot.

    Band 6-7

    I have a very interesting story for this. So when I passed my 12th grade, which is the high school, I had to choose a stream and then lie with different public university exams as well as a lot of private university exams so I could get an admit. So I finally got into a good private university, but the only downside was I did not get my desired course. But since the university was really good, I was okay to compromise on the course and I joined the university and I think I really blend, I really made really good friends and I was having fun and then a few months down the lane, I got the scores of another exam I had written, which is the Comet K, which is the exam for universities in Bangalore and I had got into a university in Bangalore with the course I wished for and now I had to make a major decision. If I was going to leave the university and come here so that I could pursue my desired course or I would stay there and pursue that course because I was already in there and I really liked the atmosphere and the environment, I felt it was really encouraging. The reason it was really difficult to make that decision was because I was finally in an environment I thought was really encouraging and pushed me to do better, they had a lot of facilities which I could use and get better. But on the other hand, I knew I was interested in this course and I would do better and eventually ended up choosing coming back to Bangalore and doing my desired course. I think it turned out really good for me because now that I look back, I feel like I really couldn't have done the other course because all my interests and my career paths, the career path I wanted to take aligned with this field and I am really happy that I made it.

    Band 6-7

    One of the best decisions that I have ever made, though it was hard, is quitting Bharatanatyam dance class. It was hard for me because it has always been a part of my life since I was two years old. But I had to quit it because I practiced aimlessly, even I had no interest in Bharatanatyam. I was forced into Bharatanatyam by my parents. So to show that I did not like to dance the Bharatanatyam classical style, I just went to dance class, I did not practice or I had no goal with me when I am practicing. So that really took a lot of time in my day's schedule. So by quitting Bharatanatyam dance class, I filled up that time with self-study. So now I had time to study my school materials, which gave me good results in my 11th board exams. So I am grateful, I am delighted that I made that decision. It was also supported by my parents, so I have no regrets right now.

    Band 6-7

    One of the most difficult situations I've had to face in my life and to make a decision on that is to come out of my hometown, go away from my family, settle into a totally new city with new people, try to get in, try to fit in, challenge myself. That is the most difficult situation that I have faced in my life, but I've realized that over time, once you settle, you get used to the environment and you understand its nuances, it actually helps you. I'm so sorry. That one thing, even if it was a small job for me, I'd come to Pune. That one thing opened so many ways for me, opened so many pathways. I became independent in my thoughts, in my actions. I could do the housework myself. I could go anywhere myself. I let go of the fear that one of my parents had to accompany me every time or I had security around me. So I had to let that go. I had to meet new people, make new friends, ensure that I have a community who I can trust. It allowed me to gain a lot of confidence in people and in situations and just to trust myself and my abilities. That one small thing opened a lot of new avenues for me because I knew that from here, I could go anywhere.

    Band 6-7

    The difficult decision that I had made of course is that which course should I study next after my 10th board exam. I was very confused to choose which one I should, which one should I opt for my higher studies like science, communities or humanities as I had no clear idea about my future or I had no idea about my next step. I was very nervous because I don't know how it will be turned out as at that time I don't have any clear idea about my future. I was very tensed about how it will turn out and whether I will choose wrong path or not. I have no idea about syllabus and all because I was no idea whether I could do or I could finish my, I had no idea that if I could, it could be easy for me to study that course or will I be able to complete that course. I was very nervous and tensed for choosing it and at last I came to the conclusion that and I chose science for my higher studies and after choosing them I think I did a good job and I have secured a good mark and after that I chose botany for my degree and also microbiology for my MSc and I think now I am happy I am on my path.

    Band 6-7

    So the difficult decision that I had to make was choosing between commerce and science. Before 10th standard, I was mainly focused on the scientific areas of all terminologies. Mainly science was the base. I love science. But after that, I had to make a decision that whether I have to choose commerce or science because my parents were saying that you can have better career perspective in commerce field than science in today's time period. So I chose commerce and it was a really really rewarding career. It made my life better. That is what I can say. By choosing commerce, I got to know about many career perspectives are there in commerce. For example, investment banking, portfolio management, investment management, consultancy. These are the different career perspectives that you can get in commerce field. But if you look at science field, there are limited fields in science. I can only become an engineer or some other technical person. But in commerce field, I have to choose between many professions. Whether I want to become a consultant, a management consultant, a trader, a retail trader, equity trader, derivative trader. So that is how my life changed after choosing commerce. Because I am now more focused towards my career path. Before 10th, I was not at all focused but after 10th, I got to know about my career, my choices and the career trajectory that I am looking forward.

    Band 6-7

    Actually, in my life, I have made lots and lots of decisions in order to improve myself in a better way. But today, I would like to talk about a difficult decision that I made once and fortunately it had a good result. Actually, I am talking about nothing than getting up early. I vividly remember that when I was in 12th standard, I literally wanted to get up early but I had a problem that I was a night owl and it was pretty much difficult for me to wake up in the early morning. So then I started to make a decision. I still remember that it took me approximately 2 to 3 months to get up at about 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning but later it was really helpful because by getting up early, I could easily go for a walk with my parents and I could also have a great cup of coffee while having a glance of beautiful nature outside and I was also able to read my books clearly and it really assisted me to get fresh and new ideas in the morning. So that was the difficult decision that I made because it was really hard for me as I have already mentioned that I was not an early bird. I used to get up late every morning but then when I made a decision, it was really easy for me to get up.

    Band 6-7

    Yes, so the difficult decision that I made was to actually transition and move to a different country and it was difficult because there were no options available for the profession that I am working in, open options as in we are not offered any country. So I had to voluntarily search, go through and sort of look into where I can have better prospects for my career as well as just to make a living abroad and hence I decided to just go on and make a thorough search and I decided that I shall apply for the Canada PR and yes, it was a very difficult decision because I wouldn't know like what is the kind of life that is expected although I have a fair idea but unless you live in the place, you wouldn't experience or wouldn't have a complete idea of how it is to live in the place and yes, it was a difficult decision considering that I had to do all the homework on my own and I had to make a choice of the place without knowing what it could hold especially with any sort of lifestyle hindrances or anything with respect to my job but I do have a fair idea as to how my career can take shape but still the unpredictabilities are not much under your control and you don't get to have a complete idea of the lifestyle there. So yes.
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
    ielts logo

    Get the IELTS Prep App

    Star rating icon

    4.2

    1M+ Installs

     app download banner image

    Get the app link on your phone

    +91

    Or download app from

    google play storeapp store
    master ielts speaking ad