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Describe a puzzle, quiz or brain game that you enjoy

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a puzzle, quiz or brain game that you enjoy.

You should say:

  • what the puzzle or game is
  • where and when you do it
  • how you first discovered it

and explain why it appeals to you.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

271 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

A brain game I enjoy is Sudoku. If you haven't tried it, it's a number puzzle played on a grid of nine by nine squares, and the goal is to fill every row, column and block with the digits one to nine without repeating any.

I first discovered it about five years ago, when I picked up a free newspaper on the metro and noticed a puzzle on the back page. I didn't understand the rules at first, so I looked them up on my phone and spent about an hour on the easiest one. I got stuck, of course, and had to rack my brains to find the logic, but when the last number fell into place I felt ridiculously proud. Since then, I've become a bit addicted. Now I do one or two puzzles each day on my phone app, usually on the commute or just before bed. I've worked my way up from the easy level to what the app calls 'expert'.

The reason it appeals to me is that it's very pure. There's no luck involved at all, just pure logic, and each puzzle has exactly one solution. Sometimes I stare at the grid for ages, and then the penny drops and I see a pattern I'd missed, which is very satisfying. It's also a good way to keep my mind sharp, and I find it calming because it blocks out other worries for a while. I like the idea that it's a mental exercise, a bit like going to the gym for the brain. My father has started doing them too, and we compare our times.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
keep my mind sharpstay mentally alert
rack my brainsthink very hard
crack a puzzlemanage to solve it
a brainteasera difficult puzzle
mental exerciseactivity that trains the brain
the penny dropsyou suddenly understand

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • Sudoku or crosswords
  • Quizzes with friends
  • Logic or word games on a phone app

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhat the puzzle or game is
  2. 25 swhere and when you do it
  3. 25 show you first discovered it
  4. 45 sand explain why it appeals to you.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Thinking skills and mental exercise. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Do you think puzzles and brain games really improve intelligence?
  2. Why do people enjoy solving problems for fun?
  3. Should schools teach logical thinking as a separate subject?
  4. Are quiz shows on television still popular?
  5. How can older people keep their minds active?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe an activity in an IELTS cue card?

Explain what the activity involves and how you got into it, describe a typical time you do it, and finish with what you get from it. Present simple for habits and a short past story for one occasion show range.

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