How to answer the IELTS Cue card question?

You will be surprised to see how interesting questions people are asking about various things on Google. Although some of them are legitimately necessary questions, most are not. Just like today’s topic- how to answer the IELTS cue card question. 

No tutor on earth can give an answer to this question. The closest useful question could have been like this – how to improve speaking for IELTS, or, how can I score better in IELTS speaking, etc. 

Anyway, we will answer to the interpretation that this question is asking for a strategy on how one can make the most out of those 2 minutes and achieve a high score in speaking.

Pre exam preparation

Your preparation for those two minutes does not begin only a few days before the exam but long before that. It could be months or years, based on the level of speaking skill you have. 

It is better to plan ahead, if possible at least six months ahead of your official registration time. Because, to improve your cue card skills you need to level up your overall speaking skill. 

You need to accumulate a lot of information and consume a lot of various contents to improve your overall knowledge of things in the world. You need to go out more, meet more people, and enrich your real life experience. 

Trust me, your experience talks in a conversation. Without your experiences, you are nothing but an empty canvas. 

So the first step is to get your speaking skill assessed. Then get a tutor to help your practice. So, you can either take a mock test or get a teacher first. Getting a teacher will serve both purposes – two birds with one stone. Then practice with your teacher to improve your skills.

Tips for cue card practice

While you practice with your teacher, try to follow the tips below for cue cards.

1. Look at the question.
2. Make sure to read and understand all the requirements of the question. You will have to answer all the questions written on the cue card.
3. Quickly note down the points you want to talk about.
4. You have 60 seconds to do so. However, do not waste a lot of time because you can already see what the cue card wants from you. It will mention a few points.
5. You have 60 seconds so, spend 15 seconds reading and understanding what it wants.
6. Use the rest of the 45 seconds, speaking to yourself. Let me explain it a bit. Remember, it is very important.
   • When you speak for the first time on a certain topic and when you speak on the same topic for the second and the third time – you will see that you can speak better on the third try. Because the mistakes you made on the first two attempts can be corrected on the third. So, we will follow the same routine. 
   • Assume you have only 15 seconds to prepare yourself. Then you have another 15 seconds to finish your response. Take this assumption as if it is real. Then you will have two more attempts to correct your previous mistakes, and the third will be the final chance. Ingrain this urgency and seriousness and start talking right after the 15th second of the 60 seconds prep time. Try to quickly answer all the questions within 15 seconds. Then start the second attempt. You will now see that you can speak better because now you already know what you will be saying and what you missed the first time. After the 45th second starts the third trial, and I promise you this time will be better than the previous two. Now, after the third trial, you have 120 seconds all to yourself to elaborate and exaggerate what you have tried during the 60 seconds.
   • Follow this and practice this strategy everyday and every time you sit for speaking practice. Follow this to the letters.

I hope you have an answer to “how to answer the IELTS cue card question?” If you follow the tips here, you will definitely get better.