IELTS Speaking · Part 2 Cue Card
A complete preparation guide: the cue card itself, a 60-second prep framework, a band 7.5 sample answer, topic vocabulary, and likely Part 3 follow-up questions.
Cue card
Describe an achievement you are proud of.
You should say:
Specific to this cue card — not generic advice.
Read it once for shape, then aloud for rhythm. Don't memorise it — examiners can tell.
An achievement that genuinely stands out for me was completing a half-marathon last spring. It might not sound dramatic, but two years earlier I'd been told by a doctor that my knees couldn't handle long-distance running, so for me it was as much a medical milestone as a sporting one. I started training in November, twenty weeks before the race. The first month was demoralising — I could barely manage four kilometres without pain — but I worked with a physiotherapist who rebuilt my running form from scratch. I also followed a fairly strict programme: three runs a week, plus strength training, plus actually sleeping properly, which was the hardest part. By February I was running fifteen kilometres comfortably, and on race day in April I finished in just under two hours. I'm proud of it for two reasons. First, because it was tangible proof that bodies can be retrained, which I genuinely hadn't believed. Second — and probably more importantly — because it was the first time in my adult life I'd committed to something difficult for that long without quitting. The medal isn't really what I value; it's the evidence that I can finish things.
Phrases used in the sample answer that lift fluency naturally.
medical milestone
a turning point in health
from scratch
from the beginning, redoing everything
demoralising
destroying one's confidence
tangible proof
real, physical evidence
commit to something
to dedicate yourself fully
running form
the technique used while running
The examiner will move from your story (Part 2) to broader, abstract questions (Part 3). Prepare answers for these.