IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a job that you have done: IELTS cue card with sample answer

An IELTS cue card for Speaking Part 2 with a Band 8 sample answer, the one-minute plan behind it, the vocabulary that lifts it and the Part 3 follow-up questions the examiner can ask next.
  • 267 words
  • An experience
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe a job that you have done.

You should say:

  • →How do you get the job?
  • →What did the job involve how long did the job last?
  • →Describe how well you did the job.

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

An experience

How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan

  1. 1

    Note down the job title and how you found it to start your narrative smoothly.

  2. 2

    List three specific duties to ensure you have enough content for the middle section.

  3. 3

    Brainstorm one personal feeling or skill gained to provide a strong, reflective closing.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8267 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

A couple of years ago, I took on a summer role as a junior archivist at the local municipal library. I stumbled upon the opportunity quite serendipitously; I was just browsing the library’s notice board when I saw a flyer seeking help with their digitisation project. I’d always been intrigued by the dusty, labyrinthine basements of the building, so I applied immediately, going through a brief interview with the head librarian, a stern but kind woman named Mrs Higgins. The job was essentially to catalogue and scan fragile, historical manuscripts from the early twentieth century. It involved wearing white cotton gloves and carefully flattening yellowed documents to feed them into a high-resolution scanner. I held this position for exactly three months over the summer break. I think I performed remarkably well, actually. Initially, the process was incredibly tedious and I struggled with the sheer monotony of the tasks, but I soon developed a methodical rhythm. By the second month, I was processing twice as many documents as the previous intern, and I took great pride in ensuring that the digital copies were crystal clear. I was particularly meticulous about tagging the files with accurate metadata, which meant that researchers could actually find what they were looking for later on. I genuinely felt like I was preserving a slice of history. The reason I enjoyed this job so much was the quiet solitude of the archives combined with the profound sense of accomplishment I felt whenever I completed a stack; it was immensely satisfying to transform a chaotic pile of decaying paper into an organised, accessible digital database.

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8 words

Useful vocabulary for this cue card

  • serendipitously

    happening by chance in a happy, beneficial way

  • labyrinthine

    like a maze, intricate, confusing and very large

  • digitisation

    converting physical documents into a digital computer format

  • monotony

    lack of variety and interest, making something boring

  • methodical

    done in a very systematic and orderly way

  • meticulous

    showing great attention to detail and extreme care

  • accessible

    easy to reach, enter, or obtain and use

  • solitude

    the state of being alone, often pleasantly quiet

6 questions

Part 3 follow-up questions

  1. 1What do you do?
  2. 2What are your responsibilities?
  3. 3How many hours do you work each day?
  4. 4Do you enjoy your work?
  5. 5Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
  6. 6If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See how to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe a job that you have done."?+

Note down the job title and how you found it to start your narrative smoothly.

How long should I speak on an IELTS cue card?+

You get one minute to prepare, then speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.

How is the cue card scored?+

Part 2 is not scored on its own. Your whole Speaking test gets one band from four criteria: fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The cue card is where the examiner hears whether you can keep going for two minutes.

Can I use this sample answer in the exam?+

Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.

Keep practising

More cue cards: an experience

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