Describe An Important Decision You Made: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What was it?
When did you make it?
What music does he/she like?
What was the result?
Explain how you felt about it.

5 unique answers with expert feedback

What factors influenced your decision between CBSE and ICSE?

I considered various factors such as the curriculum, teaching style, and future opportunities for my daughter. I wanted her to have a well-rounded education that would prepare her for both competitive exams in India and potential studies abroad.

How has Kaira's experience in ICSE impacted her interests?

Kaira has thrived in the ICSE environment, which emphasizes practical knowledge. Her love for hip-hop music has flourished due to the specialized classes offered, allowing her to explore her passion while excelling academically.

What advice would you give to parents facing a similar decision?

I would advise parents to thoroughly research both boards, consider their child's interests and future goals, and seek opinions from other parents. Ultimately, it's important to choose a path that aligns with the child's strengths and aspirations.

Band 6-7

00:00

The most important decision that I took in my life was choosing up the internship opportunity that NRSC ISRO provided me with. I took up this decision when I was studying in my third year of my college, where I got an excellent opportunity to do an internship project with National Remote Sensing Center of Indian Space Research and Organization. So this was made around by the time of August month of 2023 and it is still going on now as a project scientist where I got promoted from intern project trainee to project scientist. So I made out this from my mind, I should work for a government organization at any cost whatever it takes. So first initially you should apply using an email id with all the college documents that you are provided with. Although I was having an less CGPA compared to all others from the college, I was having around 8.5 and where college average was up to 8.7. And I applied for with my friends and my cousins. Initially first my cousin got an internship offer where I applied before her and I was actually little feeling bad during that time. Later the third day I got a call from ISRO telling that I have been appointed as a project scientist of internship and I have been working under Mr. Syed Shadab for past one year. And it has been a very perfect time for me to work under him where I got to know a lot about technologies and also about personal development. When I got about the job, I felt very overwhelmed and very happy because it was the first time in job opportunity battling between more than 1000 people and getting an opportunity where NRSC provides only internship for 40 persons in a year of a term for a college student. Out of those 40, I was the one who got selected under Mr. Syed Shadab for the particular academic year of 2023 to 2024, again being appointed under him for the year 2024 to 2025.

Follow up questions

What motivated you to choose an internship at ISRO?

I was motivated by my passion for space technology and the opportunity to work with a prestigious organization like ISRO. The chance to contribute to significant projects and learn from experienced professionals was a driving factor in my decision.

How did you feel when you received the internship offer?

When I received the internship offer, I felt overwhelmed with joy and relief. It was a validation of my hard work and determination, especially since I was competing against many talented candidates. It was a proud moment for me and my family.

What skills have you developed during your internship?

During my internship, I developed various technical skills related to remote sensing technologies and data analysis. Additionally, I improved my teamwork and communication skills while collaborating with my supervisor and colleagues on projects.

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.

Band 6

00:00

The important decision that I made was the decision to go for my MBA after 6 years of experience post my graduation. I graduated in 2019 and after that I have been working in industry for around 6 years. I decided I want to grow further in my career and I want to move into the leadership position. So I chose to give GMAT and the preparation for GMAT exam was a bit tough and like my schedule was very hectic for 2-3 months. I had to go to office then after coming back I will be having the evening calls with my US counterparts and post that I will be studying for my GMAT till late night. But I am happy now and I am also excited to have this opportunity to go outside and again go back to study and the chance to meet the diverse people from diverse background from all across the globe and I hope and I am really hoping that will give me a chance to develop myself and where I can be at a good position after my studies.

Follow up questions

What motivated you to pursue an MBA after six years of work experience?

I realized that to advance in my career and move into leadership roles, an MBA would provide me with the necessary skills and knowledge. I wanted to enhance my understanding of business management and leadership strategies to better position myself for future opportunities.

How did you manage your time while preparing for the GMAT?

It was challenging, but I created a strict schedule. I balanced my work commitments with study time by dedicating my evenings to GMAT preparation. I also made sure to stay organized and focused during my study sessions to maximize productivity despite my hectic routine.

What do you hope to gain from studying with a diverse group of people?

I believe that interacting with individuals from various backgrounds will enrich my learning experience. It will expose me to different perspectives and ideas, which can enhance my understanding of global business practices and improve my leadership skills.

Band 6

00:00

Well, decision-making is part and parcel of everyone's life, however, sometimes decisions are like a hard net to crack, therefore, we always rely on others to make the relevant decisions. And if I were to talk about one of such times, I would suppose I will tell you about a time when I was in a catch-22 situation. To explain it more, I was literally confused whether to stay at home or to study in one of the renowned universities in Amritsar. I nearly forgot to tell you that it was a matter of nearly 5 years back and the reason I was quite struggling with it was quite simple. This was because I had never been away from my family, so I was, you know, literally in a quandary. Thereafter, I took the assistance of my parents and they succoured me to take the right decision. Even though they knew that they wouldn't meet me as much as possible, they made me to take the right decision because they told me that it would be, you know, one of the great opportunities in my near future. So, I decided to, you know, study in the renowned university called Narayana Devya University. Now looking back, I feel that I had made the right decision. This is because I have become the best version of myself and, you know, in the past, even though initially I was feeling, you know, terribly sick, this is because as I felt homesickness and moreover I was not acquainted with much of my friends, but slowly I became, you know, aware with the university life and I have, I believe, I have taken the right decision because had he not taken the right decision at that time, I would have been on edge. And this is because it assisted me to, you know, to become more autonomous and now these days I can take any decision and even can live away from my family. So, all in all, this was the time when I took the

Follow up questions

How did your parents help you in making this decision?

My parents provided me with guidance and support. They shared their own experiences and reassured me that studying away from home would be beneficial for my personal growth. Their encouragement helped me see the opportunity rather than just the challenges.

What challenges did you face after moving to university?

Initially, I struggled with homesickness and adapting to a new environment. I missed my family and friends, which made it hard to focus on my studies. However, over time, I made new friends and got involved in university activities, which helped me adjust.

How do you think this decision has impacted your life?

This decision has significantly shaped my independence and self-confidence. It taught me how to manage my time and responsibilities effectively. I believe it has prepared me for future challenges and has opened up many opportunities in my career.

Band 6

00:00

Decision making is a very important thing in one's life and it's basically the mindset of people decides whether he is able to make a decision or not and from me from my 9th standard onwards every decisions are made by me itself and I always take assistance from my parents but I never allow them to take any decision for me so I am the one who always decide everything in my life and my parents are always supporting regarding that and one of the decision which I was made with a confusion but even though it was a very right decision till now was my career change I was a biotechnology engineer I completed my degree in 2024 and I was searching for a job in that particular career field itself and finally I got an opportunity to work with one famous company in India and I joined there but soon after I understood that that was not my path and I was literally confused I was unable to work there I got some work pressure and I was unable to lead a normal life suddenly I was in a confusion mode and I discussed with parents and with my full confidence I quit that career and I moved forward for banking field and it was a really a life changing moment in my life like I suddenly joined to the banking sector it was completely a new world to me and I started to learn new things and it was like a small baby was learning to work and learning to lead a good life and it's such a good thing for me and because of that sector only I am able to stand confidently I can earn a good level of money and it's like very very interesting and very interesting day by day and I used to feel I want to go to office want to do my job like that mindset is only happening for me because I joined

Follow up questions

What factors influenced your decision to switch careers?

Several factors influenced my decision to switch careers. Primarily, I realized that my initial job in biotechnology was not fulfilling and caused me significant stress. I wanted a career that aligned more with my interests and values, which led me to explore the banking sector.

How did your parents react to your decision to change your career?

My parents were very supportive of my decision to change my career. They understood my struggles in the biotechnology field and encouraged me to pursue what made me happy. Their support gave me the confidence to make such a significant change in my life.

What challenges did you face when transitioning to the banking sector?

Transitioning to the banking sector came with its own set of challenges. I had to learn new skills and adapt to a completely different work environment. Initially, it was overwhelming, but I embraced the learning process and gradually became more comfortable and confident in my new role.

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