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Describe a topic that you would like to know more about

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 topic that you would like to know more about.

You should say:

  • what the topic is
  • how you first became interested in it
  • how you could find out more about it

and explain why you want to know more about this topic.

Ready

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

Recordings stay in this tab and are never uploaded.

Band 8 sample answer

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

A topic I'd like to know more about is the human brain, particularly how memory and learning work. I find it endlessly fascinating that something that weighs around one and a half kilograms can store our memories, create our emotions and allow us to solve complicated problems.

My interest began around two years ago when I was preparing for exams and noticed that I forgot things surprisingly quickly. I started to search online for ways to study better, and I came across a video explaining the forgetting curve and why repeating information at spaced intervals helps it stay in our memory. That video piqued my interest, and I began watching more talks on neuroscience. I then read a popular science book about how sleep influences memory, which surprised me because I'd always thought staying up late to study was a good idea.

There are several ways I could find out more. I could take an introductory course in psychology or neuroscience online; some universities offer them for free. I could read more books by specialists, and I might also attend public lectures at my university, since there is a department that organises them regularly. In the long term, I would love to take a related course as part of my degree.

I want to know more about this topic because it has a practical value. Understanding how my brain works could help me learn more efficiently and manage stress. It also raises deep questions about human nature, such as what consciousness is. I feel that I've only scratched the surface, and that makes me even more eager to continue learning.

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
pique my interestmake me curious
delve intoexplore in depth
a fascinating fielda very interesting subject area
a lifelong learnersomeone who keeps learning all their life
scratch the surfaceonly begin to explore
an insatiable curiositya desire to learn that is never satisfied

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

  • Space and astronomy
  • How the human brain works
  • Ancient history or a foreign culture

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhat the topic is
  2. 25 show you first became interested in it
  3. 25 show you could find out more about it
  4. 45 sand explain why you want to know more about this topic.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why are some people more curious than others?
  2. How do people find information on topics they are interested in?
  3. Is it better to know a little about many things or a lot about one?
  4. Do you think adults should keep studying throughout their lives?
  5. How has the internet changed the way people learn?

Frequently asked questions

How do I answer an abstract IELTS cue card, like a rule or a decision?

Make it concrete straight away: name the rule, the advice or the decision, then tell the situation where it mattered to you. An abstract card answered with a real example is easier to talk about and easier to follow.

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