Describe a time you successfully did something difficult: IELTS Cue Card

Bhargavee Sisodia

10 Jul 2024

The speaking test, which assesses a non-native English speaker's proficiency in the language, is one of the most significant parts of the IELTS exam. In order to apply to the institution or workplace of their choice overseas and receive a respectable score on the IELTS test, a candidate needs to be able to understand the subtleties of the IELTS speaking topics and IELTS speaking questions. 

An examiner assesses a candidate's English communication skills in each of the three main areas of the IELTS speaking exam. The first part of the IELTS speaking test consists of a broad chat between the examiner and the candidate in which the candidate is asked a series of basic questions about their personal and professional interests. This part of the IELTS exam is comparable to the icebreaker section.

It's a good idea to practice a brief introduction of yourself as part of your IELTS preparation so that you can confidently answer these questions during the speaking portion of the test.

The second part of the IELTS speaking test is called the Cue Card section. You will be given a Cue Card with a topic printed on it in this part. You have one minute to collect your thoughts and prepare to deliver a two-minute monologue on the given topic. Your IELTS test score may suffer if the examiner cuts you off in the middle of responding to the IELTS speaking topics section if you take more than two minutes. 

As part of your IELTS exam preparation, time yourself when rehearsing your monologues on the most often asked IELTS speaking topics. You will not be allowed to exceed the specified time. During your IELTS preparation, you must take the IELTS practice test regularly, to help you understand the format of each section of the speaking test.

The final portion of the IELTS speaking test is the segment with follow-up questions. In this segment, the examiner goes into great depth regarding the response provided in the cue card phase, which is the second half of the speaking test. In response to follow-up questions on the IELTS speaking topics, candidates are expected to defend their answers, show that they are confident in their answers, and share their opinions. 

To get a good score on the speaking test, you must thus practice your monologues using the commonly asked IELTS speaking questions while you engage in IELTS exam preparation. In order to prepare for the IELTS exam, you should practice the IELTS speaking topics covered in the test, practice responding to frequently asked IELTS speaking questions, and take the IELTS sample test frequently to become familiar with the format and structure of the test.

You must take at least one IELTS practice test each day if you want to do well on the speaking test. Two equally important aspects of your IELTS preparation are practicing speaking on the IELTS speaking topics extensively and reviewing the answers to the IELTS exam sample on commonly asked IELTS speaking questions. 

IELTS exam sample 1: Describe a time you successfully did something difficult

While responding to topics like this, you need to dig into your practical experiences and emotional journeys. These types of topics are relatable to everyone, so you need an edge factor to exceed the expectations. You cannot take these types of IELTS speaking topics too literally, you need to understand the overall perspective of the given topic. Try to make the answer unique, unpredictable yet believable, to grab the attention of the examiner. You can structure your response in the following manner : 

• Describe the difficulty
• Describe the journey to overcome those hurdles
• Learnings from the struggles

Let us have a look at some model answers.

Describe the difficulty : 

While I was doing an internship at an IT firm in Mumbai, I was assigned a very difficult task for an ongoing project. My team lead was extremely satisfied with my work in the initial days of my internship and urged me to push myself harder to learn better and fulfill my career goals. Thus after rigorous training for two months, he insisted I join an ongoing project to understand the level of dedication that is expected from a permanent employee at the firm. I obliged and joined the project with a very preliminary understanding of the project. After a few weeks of working on the project, I was assigned a task that entitled me to revise the existing code and satisfy the current needs of the client without it affecting the ongoing integrations on the project. 

Describe the journey to overcome those hurdles : 

Every time I started working on the task, I got confused because of the unfamiliarity of the existing code. I tried to alter the code and change its logic to satisfy the requirements of the client, but that messed up the current integration of the website. After two days of trial and error and several hours of research, I finally understood the base of the issue which was disrupting the flow of the code. Once I identified the issue, I went to my supervisor and asked him for some ideas to overcome the issue. He was very impressed with me since I managed to find out the root cause of the problem. He gave me a few ideas to overcome the issue but warned me that it would be time-consuming work. I took the challenge and after a few sleepless nights, I got my desired outcome. 

Learnings from the struggles : 

This incident at the office during the initial phase of my career gave me a clearer idea about the life and work of a developer. I  understood the challenges I needed to face and overcome to improve my skillsets and that was a huge learning. I was also thrilled to overcome the hurdle with my efforts and it boosted my confidence to work harder and attempt tougher features. I was truly grateful to my mentor who gave me the required nudge to accept challenging tasks and not give up. Whenever I see the code of that feature, it reminds me of the frustrating sleepless nights and ecstatic morning when I finally completed the challenge. 

IELTS exam sample 2: Describe a time you successfully did something difficult

Describe the difficulty : 

I love to knit in my free time, it serves as a stressbuster and a unique hobby at the same time. One day, my father bought me some balls of wool of his favorite color and insisted I knit him a muffler for the winter. I was thrilled at the proposition and instantly got to work. I looked at some designs online and selected a nice one according to my father’s taste. I started knitting the muffler and after a few days, I completed half of it. I kept the half-finished muffler in the drawer of my table and went to my sister’s house for a few days. After I came back, I saw that the half-finished muffler had been bitten and torn into pieces by a rat. I was devastated at the sight of my hard work being shredded to pieces and regretted not completing it in one go. However, I was determined to fulfill my father’s demand and made up my mind to fix the problem.  

Describe the journey to overcome those hurdles : 

I gathered the pieces of the muffler that were intact and joined them with the help of a unique sewing technique called applique. I sewed small patches of clothing on the damaged parts of the muffler and gave it a unique and trendy design. Then I continued weaving the rest of the muffler and changed the original pattern. I brainstormed for a few days on several ideas to make the muffler look unharmed and unique. I continued attaching patches of clothing all over the finished muffler to give it a unique and uniform look. In the end, it looked much better than the original design I had chosen. My father was extremely elated to see such a new and unique design for a muffler and appreciated me for not losing my heart and quitting on it. 

Learnings from the struggles : 

From this incident, I learned a big lesson. I understood that there would always be big or small setbacks in life, what matters is that I soldier through them and stick to my path. There will always be problems, I just need to find the solutions to those problems to survive and excel in life. So in a way, this difficult task and its accomplishment taught me a very valuable life lesson that I will not forget. 

IELTS speaking - Follow-up question

Following the part of the IELTS speaking topics comes a portion of follow-up questions. In response to your answers in the IELTS speaking cue cards portion, the examiner will now assess your conversational skills by asking you a few follow-up questions. You must thoroughly review the IELTS speaking questions in order to comprehend the variations of the often-asked IELTS speaking topics as well as the questions that follow in the IELTS speaking follow-up questions section. 

What is your coping mechanism in difficult situations?  

Answer: I am certain that every individual has a unique set of coping mechanisms in life that they apply in difficult scenarios, and so do I. Whenever I find myself stuck in a difficult situation, instead of getting frustrated or quitting halfway through a task, I tend to take a short breather. During this time I compose myself and think of the numerous solutions that I can come up with to resolve the problem a particular task has encountered. Then I weigh the practicality of the solutions and consider the best possible one according to my capabilities. After that, I get back to the task at hand with a new solution and a fresh mindset. This coping mechanism of mine has helped me solve numerous difficult situations and bring out satisfying results. 

Have you ever come across any difficult task while choosing a career path? 

Answer: Absolutely. Choosing the right career path for myself has been an extremely tiresome journey. I had to go through a lot of consultations with my parents, professors, and guidance counselors to find the correct path for me to start my career journey. I gauged all my skills and my potential to figure out the correct career on which I have to stroll for the next part of my life. That is how my journey of career aspirations began and I am glad to have finally overcome such a difficult choice of my life with flying colors. I am content with the choice I made and am completely ready to start the journey of professional growth and upliftment. 

What do you think about the people who chose to quit the task due to its difficulty? 

Answer: I don’t think it is correct for me to judge the people who chose a different approach to resolve a difficult situation. I myself,  have come across many situations in life where I was very close to quitting some difficult task at hand. Thus I understand the mental strength to admit one’s shortcomings and quit a task midway because of a difficult situation. Thus, if a person chooses to quit a task due to its difficulty after attempting it, I would like to appreciate them for their efforts and urge them to try a little harder the next time.  

Conclusion

D-VIVID's expert IELTS preparation program provides one-on-one tutoring and in-depth guidance for your speaking exam. Using our IELTS sample test and IELTS exam sample resources will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the kind of questions you could expect on your test. You will receive all the guidance you require to ace the IELTS exam from our team of highly qualified and experienced educators. From IELTS speaking topics to specific IELTS speaking questions, we can help you hone all the abilities required for the IELTS speaking test. You may relax knowing that D-VIVID will take care of all the details while you prepare for your IELTS exam. So, take immediate action and contact us.