IELTS Speaking Part 2: Make the Most of Your 1-Minute Prep

In IELTS Speaking Part 2, the examiner gives you a task card (often called a cue card) with a topic and three or four prompts. You have one minute to prepare and make notes, and then you speak for one to two minutes. The examiner may ask one or two short follow-up questions afterwards. Many candidates waste the preparation minute by trying to write full sentences, then freeze after 40 seconds. This lesson shows you how to use that minute properly.

Why the minute matters

Part 2 tests whether you can speak at length on a topic in a connected, organised way. The examiner is listening for fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, exactly as in the other parts. A good plan helps you keep talking naturally, which directly supports your fluency and coherence score.

You are given paper and a pencil. The notes are only for you; nobody marks them.

What to write in 60 seconds

Do not write sentences. Write keywords only, about 10–15 words in total. A useful layout is to write one line for each prompt on the card, plus one extra line:

1. Prompt 1 – two or three keywords
2. Prompt 2 – two or three keywords
3. Prompt 3 – two or three keywords
4. The "explain" prompt – usually the last one, and the most important. Note a feeling or reason.
5. Extra line – one detail you can add if you run out: a story, a comparison, or what happened afterwards.

Spend the first few seconds choosing your topic. Pick something real and specific. It is fine to change small details to make the story easier to tell.

Worked example

Invented cue card:

Describe a time you helped someone. You should say:

• who you helped
• what the problem was
• how you helped

and explain how you felt about helping this person.

Notes written in one minute:

• cousin Nabila – HSC, last year
• scared of maths – algebra, failed test
• evenings, 3 weeks, YouTube + old papers
• proud, patient, learned teaching = learning
• extra: she got A, bought me fuchka

How the talk might begin:

"I'd like to talk about a time last year when I helped my younger cousin, Nabila, prepare for her HSC maths exam. She had always been quite nervous about maths, and a few months before the exam she failed a class test in algebra, which really knocked her confidence..."

From those few keywords you can easily speak for two minutes, because each note reminds you of a small story rather than a single fact.

Structure your talk

• Opening (10 seconds): say what you are going to describe. "I'm going to talk about..."
• Middle (60–80 seconds): move through your notes in order, adding details: who, when, where, what happened.
• Explanation (20–30 seconds): answer the "explain" prompt fully. This is where you show more advanced vocabulary for feelings and opinions.
• If you still have time: use your extra line. Keep going until the examiner stops you.

Use simple signposting to move between points: "As for how I helped her...", "What happened next was...", "Looking back, I think..."

Common mistakes

• Writing full sentences. You will run out of time and then read aloud, which sounds unnatural.
• Choosing a topic you know nothing about. A simple true experience is easier to describe than an impressive imaginary one.
• Stopping after one minute. Aim to speak until the examiner stops you. If you finish early, add your extra detail or describe how the experience changed you.
• Ignoring a prompt. Cover all the bullet points, especially the final "explain" point.
• Memorised answers. Examiners are trained to notice rehearsed speeches that do not match the card exactly, and these can affect your score.
• Staring at your notes. Glance at them, then look at the examiner and speak.

Tense awareness

Check the cue card's verb. "Describe a time you..." usually needs the past tense. "Describe a place you would like to visit" needs would / future forms. "Describe a hobby you enjoy" needs the present simple. Bengali speakers sometimes drift between tenses while speaking fast; your notes can include a small reminder such as "PAST!" at the top.

How to practise at home

1. Collect around 30 cue-card style topics (people, places, objects, events, experiences).
2. Set a timer for 1 minute and make notes.
3. Record yourself speaking for 2 minutes on your phone.
4. Listen back and note one thing to improve: fewer pauses, better linking words, or more varied vocabulary.

Practising with topics about studying abroad is useful too, for example describing a university you would like to attend in Malaysia or a skill you want to learn there, because you will speak about these confidently.

Closing tip

Think of your notes as stepping stones, not a script. Each keyword should trigger a small memory or story. If you can glance down, see "fuchka", and immediately remember the moment your cousin thanked you, you will never run out of things to say.