Describe A Time When You Had A Problem With Using The Computer: IELTS Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

15 Jul 2024

One of the most renowned exams for non-native English speakers to gauge their level of English proficiency is the IELTS exam. The tests included in this exam are the IELTS reading test, IELTS writing test, IELTS listening test, and IELTS speaking test. The IELTS reading test takes about 60 minutes, the IELTS writing test takes 60 minutes, the IELTS listening test takes 30 minutes and the IELTS speaking test takes 11 to 14 minutes to complete. 

The three sections of the IELTS speaking test are the general interview round, the Cue Card round, and the follow-up questions section. 

The examiner will ask you a few questions based on your career and educational experience during the general interview phase. It is advisable that you write a succinct introduction of yourself in advance of this round of the IELTS speaking test.

The Cue Card component is the second portion of the IELTS speaking test. A Cue Card with a subject and a few prompts printed on it will be given to you. You have one minute to gather your thoughts before giving a two-minute speech on the IELTS speaking topics. Make sure your speech on the cue card topics doesn't go beyond two minutes and it covers all the key pointers.  

As you practice your answers to the cue card question, you should refer to the common IELTS cue card topics 2024. The list of the latest cue cards 2024 topics deserves special attention as IELTS cue card questions get repeated quite often. Your IELTS cue card topics preparation must include detailed speech practice on speaking cue cards 2024 questions in a time-based manner in the presence of a mentor who can point out your shortcomings.  

The section including follow-up questions comes at the end of the IELTS speaking test. This segment contains detailed questions from the examiner about the response given during the cue card phase. As candidates are asked follow-up questions on the IELTS speaking topics, they should explain their reasoning, be quick and witty with their responses, and be sufficiently rigid about their perspectives and opinions. 

You must quickly go over each topic on the IELTS cue card 2024 and prepare your responses if you want to do well on the IELTS speaking test. Take care to comprehend and evaluate the topics of the speaking cue cards 2024 so that you can identify the kind of cue card questions you may expect on the IELTS speaking test. When it comes to the cue cards for IELTS speaking and follow-up question sections, your preparation and practice on the latest cue cards 2024 topics might make all the difference. 

The two most crucial things for you to focus on when you practice your speech using the most recent cue cards for the IELTS speaking exam are planning and strategizing. For your IELTS speaking topics 2024, we have created a road map that will help you tackle IELTS cue card questions like “Describe A Time When You Had A Problem With Using The Computer.”

 IELTS speaking topics 2024: Describe A Time When You Had A Problem With Using The Computer

In case your IELTS cue card 2024 has a topic like this one, you should prepare your response in a way that makes it both distinct and captivating. Cue card questions need you to provide a response that is both interesting and relatable to the examiner. When planning your speech for cue card topics like the ones mentioned above, you should consider the following points. 

• When was it: Describe the time and the event when you encountered the problem
• Where was it: Describe the place where you encountered the problem
• What was the problem: Describe the problem and the moment when the problem occurred
• How did it get resolved: Describe the resolution process
• Conclusion: Give some concluding thoughts 

Let us have a look at some model answers to the cue card 2024 topic.

Cue Card 2024: Sample 1

When was it: 

While I was doing my internship at an IT firm in Mumbai, we had an urgent deliverable for a week. Everyone within our team including the leads worked for three nights straight just to complete the requirements of the client. Not only the employees but our laptops, computers, and tablets were exhausted after such rigorous sessions of task. It was midnight, right before my final code commit to the server when I encountered a glitch in my computer which froze my mind for a couple of minutes.  

Where was it: 

I was working from my apartment at that time and was simultaneously on a call with a colleague when I suddenly encountered the traumatizing incident. I was about to open my code and push it to the server while being on call with my team lead, when all of a sudden everything went blank and my system crashed. 

What was the problem: 

I started spiraling about the code which I failed to commit due to the glitch. It was an important piece of validation which was the reason behind us encountering multiple bugs in the feature we were about to deploy in the next few hours. I was genuinely happy a few moments ago since I debugged the problem and solved it myself, only to be brought down by the almighty computer breakdown. Soon I gathered my thoughts and tried to shut down the computer to try and restart it, when I noticed that the CPU was as hot as an oven. I instantly understood that the computer had shut down due to overheating. 

How did it get resolved

By that time my team lead had called me numerous times on my phone to check what the issue was. I picked up his call and elaborated on the whole incident to him. He promptly suggested that I keep my computer in front of a fan or air conditioner to cool it down. After half an hour, the computer was cool enough to be restarted again. This time it started instantly. Once it restarted, I checked the status of my code and pushed it to the server without any delay. I informed my team lead about the same and the nightmare finally came to an end. 

Conclusion : 

This incident was a reminder of the uncertainty that technological devices face and it also taught me the valuable lesson of keeping myself calm and composed during a crisis.  Electronic devices might look indestructible, but the truth is that they have their exhaustion points as well. We need to consider that while using technical devices to keep their longevity intact. 

Cue Card 2024: Sample 2

When and where was it: 

A few months ago, I assigned a task at college during our final assessment presentation. I was trusted by my team and given the most crucial task of all, the presentation of the project in front of a jury. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I had prepared my speech and had an in-depth knowledge of the project, with which I had prepared my presentation. I opened my laptop, plugged it into the charger and connected it to the projector while opening the presentation. Just when I was about to start the slideshow, everything went blank. The jury of professors looked at the blank screen with a puzzled gaze while I tried to pace myself and think of a solution to this sudden problem.

What was the problem: 

I took the microphone and announced that the presentation had to be a few minutes delayed because of the technical glitch and apologized for the inconvenience. I asked one of my teammates to bring their computer with the presentation and tried restarting mine simultaneously.  After a few retries, my laptop started but began rebooting. Within a few seconds, my home screen returned and I could start my presentation. Turns out, my computer had a feature to start rebooting when it encountered any threat, and the pen drive I inserted had a virus. 

How did it get resolved

Thankfully I had a strong antivirus installed on my computer which scanned my laptop and prevented the virus from entering. Thankfully there were no major challenges after that and my presentation was completed successfully. My teammates were very enthusiastic about my scores and the day ended on a happy note. 

Conclusion : 

I was very thankful to my father who installed the antivirus on my laptop just to be safe. My project was saved by it. If the virus had entered my system during the presentation, it would have destroyed our project and rendered us helpless. Thus the proverb “precaution is better than cure” was proved correct yet again.   

IELTS speaking test: Follow-up questions

The portion with follow-up questions follows the segment with IELTS cue card topics. Here, the examiner will give you a few follow-up questions to gauge your conversational abilities based on your responses to the IELTS speaking topics section. In order to fully understand the variations of the often asked IELTS cue card questions and their follow-up questions in the IELTS speaking test follow-up questions segment, you must go over all of the cue card samples and IELTS speaking test questions in detail. 

IELTS speaking test - Follow-up question

Do you think technology can be addictive? 

Answer: Certainly. Technology has the power of addiction imbibed within itself and that is one of the main reasons behind its rapid growth. People have become dependent on technology so much that life without it seems like a distant dream nowadays. For instance, people can hardly remember the time when there were no online streaming platforms, social media, online chat platforms, or online banking media. Most of the youngsters and a fair share of adults are addicted to social media content, and online streaming platforms for their daily dose of entertainment and relaxation. 

Do you think the computer is a useful item of daily need?

Answer: Absolutely. The computer is one of the necessities of our day-to-day life in the current day and age. Although most of the things done by computer can be done on our smartphone, there are still several things a computer is needed for daily. Personally, I use my computer to do my study, make printouts, complete my assignments, and play games on the big screen. If I fail to turn on my computer for a day, my day remains incomplete. 

What are the main reasons behind a technical device shutting down abruptly? 

Answer: There can be numerous reasons behind a technical device abruptly shutting down. Every technical device like other things has longevity, beyond which its service starts decaying. Hence old items break down faster than comparatively new items in the field of technology. Another reason behind a gadget’s poor performance is the evolution of technology. As the technology upgrades itself, the devices with outdated software start malfunctioning, ultimately moving towards extinction. 

Conclusion

To gain a comprehensive idea of the format of the IELTS speaking test, especially the cue card section of the test, you need ample guidance from an expert in the field. That is where D-VIVID comes into the picture. With our expertly prepared notes on IELTS speaking topics of the IELTS cue card segment, we provide a huge library of the latest cue cards 2024 topics with answers. We also have a vast array of probable cue card 2024 questions along with strategized answers and a series of follow-up questions on those IELTS speaking topics 2024. Our IELTS speaking pdf 2024 lets you download the list of IELTS cue card questions for practicing them offline. We understand the difficulties one might face while analyzing and answering the cue card topics, thus we are available to help you at each and every step of your IELTS speaking test preparation.