Describe an event that ended in failure.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What was the event and when did it happen?
Why was it a failure?
How do you feel about it?

30 unique answers with expert feedback

How did you feel when you received your exam results?

I felt a wave of embarrassment and disappointment wash over me. Seeing that big red F was crushing, especially since my friends had done well. It was a moment of realization that I needed to change my study habits.

What strategies did you implement after that failure?

After that experience, I started planning my study schedule in advance. I made sure to take thorough notes and practice problems regularly. I also learned to ask for help whenever I didn't understand something, which made a significant difference.

Do you think failure can be beneficial?

Absolutely. Failure can be a powerful teacher. It showed me my weaknesses and motivated me to improve. I learned resilience and the importance of preparation, which have helped me in many areas of my life since then.

Band 6-7

00:00

One of the biggest failure I faced in my life was not cracking NEET exam. NEET exam is the entrance test which you take to pursue in medical field. So this happened around 6 years ago after I had completed my 10th. Then I started with my pre-university where I completed 11th and 12th standard in biology. So then I had to take this entrance test to continue further studies in medical field. I had prepared it. It was the most stressful year of all my life. So I had taken tuition classes where I used to practice the mock tests and the preparatories but it was not enough. So how did I face that I was not able to crack the entrance test. I had ranked around 1,20,000 but actually there are only around 50 to 60,000 seats available and in that if I get within 1,000 or 2,000 or in the early 1,000s that would be the best rank to get seat anywhere in India. So the competition is actually high. The seat limit is only around as I told it's 80,000 but the students who are attempting their NEET exams goes up to 12 lakhs. So it is the ratio is very there's a huge difference in the ratio for the seats available and the number of students applying for it. So I felt really bad when I did not

Follow up questions

How did you cope with the disappointment of not passing the NEET exam?

After not passing the NEET exam, I took some time to process my feelings. I spoke with my family and friends for support. I also reflected on my study methods and realized I needed to change my approach. This experience taught me resilience and the importance of adapting my strategies.

What did you learn from this failure that helped you in the future?

This failure taught me that hard work alone isn't always enough; I needed to study smarter. I learned to analyze my weaknesses and focus on improving them. It also instilled in me a sense of determination to keep trying, which ultimately helped me succeed in my subsequent attempts.

Have you considered alternative paths in your career after this experience?

Yes, after the NEET exam, I explored other options in the medical field, such as nursing and allied health sciences. I also considered pursuing a degree in biology, which would still allow me to contribute to healthcare in a different capacity. This broadened my perspective on career opportunities.

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 participated in a few events since that competition. I made sure to prepare thoroughly and even practiced improvisation in case something went wrong again. It has helped me gain more confidence.

Show all 30 answers

Cue 1:What was the event and when did it happen?

Begin by clearly stating the event you are referring to, including specific details such as the time and place.
Provide context about why this event was significant to you.

Example

The event I want to talk about is my first attempt at organizing a cultural festival in my college, which took place in March 2022. It was a big deal for me as I was the head of the organizing committee, and I had high hopes for it.

Cue 2:Why was it a failure?

Identify the key reasons that led to the failure of the event, being honest and reflective.
Discuss any unexpected challenges that arose and how they contributed to the outcome.

Example

Unfortunately, the festival turned out to be a failure mainly due to poor planning and lack of communication among team members. We underestimated the budget and ended up running out of funds halfway through the event. Additionally, we faced unexpected rain on the day of the festival, which affected attendance significantly.

Cue 3:How do you feel about it?

Share your emotions regarding the failure, including any lessons learned.
Reflect on how this experience has shaped your perspective or future actions.

Example

I felt quite disappointed and embarrassed at first, as I had invested so much time and effort. However, looking back, I realize that it was a valuable learning experience. I learned the importance of thorough planning and effective communication, which I have applied in subsequent projects.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points you discussed in your response.
Reflect on how this failure has positively influenced your personal growth.

Example

In conclusion, while my first attempt at organizing a cultural festival ended in failure, it taught me essential lessons about planning and teamwork. This experience has made me more resilient and better prepared for future challenges.

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

Providing unclear or general details about the event can make your answer less engaging. Specificity helps the examiner understand your experience better.

Tip

Use specific examples and details about the event, such as the date, location, and key moments that led to the failure.

2: Blaming Others

Focusing too much on blaming others for the failure can come across as unprofessional. It’s important to take some responsibility for your own role.

Tip

Reflect on your own actions and decisions during the event, and discuss what you could have done differently.

Negative Tone

Using a consistently negative tone can make your response less appealing. It’s important to show some personal growth or learning from the experience.