These new topics for speaking came up in an IELTS speaking test just a few days ago. They include the Part 2 cue card topic: "Describe a time when you organized a happy event successfully" and others.
Sample answers are provided to give some ideas of how you could answer these types of part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 IELTS speaking questions.
This IELTS speaking test includes questions about:
- your job
- future work plans
- chocolates
- organizing a successful event
- risks
- organizational skills
- running a business
Topics for Speaking IELTS Part 1
What is your full name?
My name is Sarah Louise Johnson.
What should I call you?
You can call me Sarah.
Can I see your identification, please?
Yes, of course, here’s my ID card.
Do you work or study?
I work. I’m a supply chain manager for a multinational company.
How did you decide to do this job?
Well, I chose to study Industrial Engineering at university, and when I graduated I started working in a local company as an assistant supply chain manager.
My current position was obtained through a recruitment consultant in the agency I was registered with. They informed me about the vacancy and asked me if I would like to apply for it and take part in the selection process.
What job would you like to do in the future?
For now, I’m happy doing the job I have, it’s interesting, challenging and it pays well. I suppose in the future I might be interested in something different, maybe something more in general management, but I would need to study some more I think.
Actually, I’m thinking of starting an MBA next year as part of this plan – to broaden my knowledge and experience. So when I’ve completed it I’ll probably consider looking at alternative careers for the future.
Do you like chocolates? Why? Why not?
No, not really. I don’t really have a sweet tooth. I prefer to eat other things like fruit.
Did you ever receive chocolates as a gift in your childhood?
Yes, quite often until people began to realize that I didn’t really like chocolates. Most kids love them so they thought it was a bit strange that I didn’t like them much. But I used to eat a lot of other types of candy.
Do you give chocolates as a gift to other people?
Sometimes, it depends on who the gift is for. Unlike me, my sister loves chocolates and anything with chocolate in it, like chocolate cake.
I usually get her some chocolates at least a couple of times a year, either for her birthday or another special event and sometimes just because I’ll be going to visit here and maybe haven’t seen her for a long time.
Why are chocolates important to people?
I don’t know. It’s personal taste, isn’t it? But then it’s also a cultural thing - chocolates seem to be very popular and seem to be associated with special occasions and are popular as gifts, a bit like flowers, you know, they’re seen as something special.
It’s difficult to explain why they’re important – I mean what would people do if there was no chocolate in the world? I guess we’d all learn to live without it pretty quickly. Personally, because I’m not a big fan of chocolates – they’re not really important to me, but I can understand if someone else loves them then enjoying chocolates would be something important for them.
Topics for Speaking IELTS Part 2
Describe an event that you organized which was very successful
You should say:- what the event was
- where it was
- who helped you
Similar cue card: Describe a time when you organized a happy event successfully
IELTS Speaking Sample Answer
I’ve organized several events but the most successful one was a few months ago. I organized my sister’s wedding. Obviously, she was involved a lot as well – she made a lot of the decisions but I did most of the organizing, calling vendors and suppliers, and scheduling everybody involved.
We started by choosing a theme, and then worked on selecting the color scheme for the venue, dresses, and everything else at the venue. I helped her choose her wedding dress and also the dresses for the bridesmaids, and arranged the various fitting sessions with the dressmaker.
The wedding was in a castle, a local historic site that is open to the public, which was a spectacular venue, and the wedding reception was in a local hotel later in the day.
There was also a host of other things to organize, such as the catering for the event, music, and logistics. I had to plan for family members coming from other parts of the country, and some from other countries, so I had to arrange for a local hotel to accommodate some people and others stayed with family members here.
I also had to organize the photographer and videographer to capture the day’s major events and special moments. This took quite a long time trying to select the best people for the job, but eventually, I found a couple who were excellent. We had various meetings with them before the day of the wedding to discuss exactly what my sister wanted, and they did a super job on the day, and the video they produced of the wedding was just amazing!
The whole process was exhausting and took several months to get everything organized for the big day. But, fortunately, everything went really well on the day and there were no problems – it was a super special day - an unforgettable event - one that we’ll all remember forever.
Overall, it was successful because on the day everything was just perfect – and there were no last-minute problems to spoil my sister’s special day. It was definitely a memorable event!
Topics for Speaking IELTS Part 3
What are some of the risks involved in organizing an event?
Well, there’s always the risk that something you might have planned doesn’t actually go according to the plan on the day of the event. A lot depends on the type of event you’re organizing. But, for example, in the case of my sister’s wedding, the main part of the ceremony was outside in the grounds of the castle, and so we were just hoping that the weather would be good on the day. Just in case it wasn’t I had organized a Plan B, to move everything inside.
Other risks could be that vendors or suppliers don’t show up or don’t provide the service agreed. I suppose as well there’s always the risk that something unforeseen happens and spoils the event, such as an accident or a piece of equipment fails – I was at a party recently and the music just suddenly stopped and they couldn’t fix it, something had happened to the sound system – and to be honest it ruined what started as a great party.
Why do some people seem to like taking more risks than others?
I suppose all people are different, some are naturally more adventurous and like to do things that other people would never dream of doing. It’s just in their nature, they like to experience dangerous situations or test their abilities doing dangerous activities, and in some cases of course the greater the risk the greater the reward, especially in business. So some people like to take more risks so they can get a bigger reward for their efforts.
Do you think people take more risks now than in the past?
It’s difficult to say. There are so many things available to do nowadays that weren’t in the past. Like, for example, extreme sports are popular nowadays, but in the past, they didn’t exist, so yes people take more risks than before, but in normal life, I think it’s probably about the same.
We make decisions and almost all decisions carry some degree of risk – you either make a good decision or a bad decision and sometimes the consequences can be serious. Even choosing a career, or a life partner, where to live, buying a car, buying a house, etc. all these things have some element of risk attached to them – and those risks were the same for our parents and probably our grandparents, so many risks haven’t changed.
How important are organizational skills in running your own business?
They’re very important. Probably among the most important skills you need. You might have a great business idea, but unless you have the necessary skills to organize your ideas and make things actually happen your great business idea will just remain an idea.
When running a business it’s essential to be organized because if you’re not, you can end up losing money and your business could fail. There are various aspects to a business including marketing, finance, sales, and production and it’s critical to stay on top of them all so that your business is a success.
What are the benefits and risks of owning your own business?
Personally, I think the primary benefit would be working for yourself and not for someone else. I think that’s a big motivating factor for most business owners.
It might be a lot of hard work, in fact, I think that most business owners probably work longer hours than employees do, but at the end of the day it’s their business, it’s their future, and their success or failure based on their own efforts.
As for the risks – there are plenty. You need to compete with other companies, provide quality products or services, and be able to finance your business until it grows sufficiently and becomes stable.
I think the important thing is that there are always risks, but the nature of the risk might change over time. For example, in the first couple of years of your own business, the biggest risk might be the business failing because you don’t have a good enough cash flow or a large enough customer base.
Years later the risk may be more from competitors and changes in the market or consumer trends which threaten your business. You constantly have to be assessing risks and evaluating their impact so that you can mitigate them. I don’t think it ever stops.
Even large multinational companies face risks all the time, but the nature of the risks is usually different from those a small business just starting up would face.
Would you like to have your own business in the future? Why? Why not?
It’s not something I’ve really considered. I’m just starting in my career so I think I have a lot to learn still and I see my long-term future in management within a large company, but you never know – maybe one day I’ll have an idea for a business and want to do something about it.
How would you answer these latest IELTS speaking topics?