Describe an important decision you made

In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you get this card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. Below: the notes a strong candidate might make in that minute, a natural Band 7–8 answer, the words that make it work, and the Part 3 discussion the examiner usually moves on to.

The cue card

One-minute notes

Notes in the preparation minute should be keywords, not sentences — one line per bullet, plus the one detail that makes your story yours. Something like:

• left a stable job → went back to study
• two years ago, age 27
• my sister helped: made a pros/cons list with me
• scared about money
• important: first big decision for myself, not others

Band 7–8 sample answer

The decision I'd like to talk about is leaving a stable job to go back to university, which I did about two years ago, when I was twenty-seven.

At the time I was working in the accounts department of a large company. It was a perfectly good job — decent salary, nice colleagues — but I'd stopped learning anything, and I'd always regretted not studying engineering, which is what I'd really wanted to do at eighteen. For about a year I kept telling myself it was too late.

The person who helped me most was my older sister. She didn't tell me what to do, which I appreciated. Instead, she sat down with me one evening and made me write two lists: what I'd lose by leaving and what I'd lose by staying. The first list was mostly about money and security. The second list was shorter, but everything on it was about the next thirty years of my life, and seeing it on paper made the answer fairly obvious.

I won't pretend it was easy. I had to move back into a smaller flat and I'm much more careful with money now. But it was important for a reason that goes beyond the career itself: it was the first major decision I'd made purely for myself, rather than because it was what my family expected or what seemed sensible. I think it changed how I make decisions in general — I'm less afraid of short-term discomfort now.

About 248 words — roughly two minutes at a relaxed pace. Notice what it does: one specific story instead of general statements, every bullet covered, natural spoken linking rather than "firstly… secondly…", and the "why" part of the card answered properly at the end — that is where many candidates run out of things to say. Use it to see the structure; don't memorise it. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and your own story will always sound more fluent.

Useful vocabulary

• stable job — a job that is secure and unlikely to end suddenly
• weigh up (the options) — to think carefully about advantages and disadvantages
• pros and cons — advantages and disadvantages
• I won't pretend (it was easy) — a natural way to admit something was difficult
• go beyond — to be more than, or wider than, something
• short-term discomfort — difficulty that lasts only a limited time

Part 3: questions and model answers

After your two minutes, the examiner moves to a discussion linked to the card's topic. These questions are more abstract: give an opinion, a reason and an example, and it's fine to say "it depends" — as long as you explain on what.

Do people make better decisions alone or in groups?

It depends on the decision. For personal choices, like a career or a relationship, I think you have to decide alone in the end, because you live with the result. For decisions that affect many people — in a company, say — groups tend to be better, as long as one loud person doesn't dominate the discussion.

Should young people make their own career decisions?

Mostly, yes. They're the ones who'll spend forty years doing the job, so it has to be their choice. Parents can and should give advice, especially about the practical side, but when families choose for their children you often end up with adults who are good at a job they never wanted.

How do you think emotions affect decision-making?

Quite strongly, and not always badly. Strong emotions like fear or anger can push people into quick decisions they regret. But emotions also tell us what we actually care about, so a decision that looks perfect on paper but feels wrong is often worth reconsidering.

Is having too many choices a problem?

It can be. When I'm buying something online and there are two hundred versions of the same product, I sometimes give up altogether. Psychologists talk about choice overload — more options can make people less satisfied, because they keep wondering whether a different choice would have been better.

More cue cards about experiences and events

• Describe a journey you remember well
• Describe a time someone helped you
• Describe a goal you achieved
• Describe a time when you were very busy
• Describe an interesting conversation you had
• Describe a change that improved your life
• Describe a time you were late for something important
• Describe a celebration you enjoyed
• Describe a time you changed your mind about something
• Describe a piece of good advice you received
• Describe a time you taught someone something

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