I’d like to tell you about my younger cousin, Leo, who is currently obsessed with the prospect of becoming a neurosurgeon. I’ve known him his entire life, but we became particularly close about five years ago when I started helping him with his biology revision. It was during those late-night study sessions at my kitchen table that he first mentioned his ambition. He was reading a textbook on the human brain, and he just looked up, completely mesmerised by the complexity of the nervous system, and said he wanted to spend his life unravelling those mysteries. Since then, his focus has been unwavering. He is currently finishing his final year of secondary school, and his academic life is entirely geared towards securing a place at a top-tier medical school. He spends his weekends volunteering as a porter at the local city hospital, where he’s gained a gritty, realistic view of the clinical environment, far beyond the glamour often portrayed on television. He wants to specialise in paediatric neurology because he feels a profound desire to help children suffering from chronic conditions. He is genuinely driven by a blend of intellectual curiosity and a deep-seated altruism. He’s told me he finds the idea of restoring a child’s quality of life more fulfilling than any other career path he could imagine. It’s not just about the prestige of the title for him; he genuinely thrives on the high-stakes problem-solving required in theatre. Watching him dedicate his youth to such a gruelling, noble pursuit is honestly quite inspiring to me, and I have every confidence that he will make a fantastic doctor one day.
The cue card
Describe a person you know who would like to choose a career in the medical field (e.g. a doctor, a nurse)
You should say:
- →When you knew him/her
- →When he/she started to think about that
- →What he/she would like to do
- →And explain why he/she would like to choose this career
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
A person
How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan
- 1
Identify the person clearly and establish your personal connection to them immediately.
- 2
Use chronological order to link their past inspiration to their current, specific actions.
- 3
Focus on the 'why' by highlighting their personal values or a specific emotional drive.
Model answer
Band 8 sample answer
Say it out loud and get a band
Record this card with the AI examiner: one minute of prep, two minutes to speak, then a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation with the words that cost you.
Say it and get a band free →8 words
Useful vocabulary for this cue card
obsessed
having one's thoughts dominated by a single topic
mesmerised
captured by something as if by a spell
top-tier
belonging to the highest level of quality
gritty
showing the harsh or unpleasant aspects of reality
altruism
disinterested and selfless concern for others' well-being
deep-seated
firmly established and difficult to change or remove
high-stakes
involving serious risks if the outcome is bad
gruelling
extremely tiring and demanding in a physical way
4 questions
Part 3 follow-up questions
- 1How has the social status of medical professionals evolved over the last few decades?
- 2Do you think the pressure to choose a career early in life is beneficial for young people?
- 3In what ways might technology fundamentally change the nature of doctor-patient interactions in the future?
- 4Should governments provide more financial incentives to encourage students to enter essential medical fields?
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 person you know who would like to choose a career in the medical field (e.g. a doctor, a nurse)"?+
Identify the person clearly and establish your personal connection to them immediately.
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: a person
- Describe a child who loves drawing/painting
- Describe a confident public speaker you know
- Describe a family member you admire
- Describe a famous business person that you know about
- Describe a film/movie actor from your country who is very popular
- Describe a friend from your childhood
- All 705 IELTS cue cards 2026
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