IELTS Speaking · Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a time when you tried something new
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 a time when you tried something new.
You should say:
- •What it was
- •Why you decided to try it
- •How you felt while doing it
- •And explain whether you would do it again
How to use your 1 minute of prep time
Specific to this cue card — not generic advice.
- 1Pick something new with a real risk of looking foolish — that's where the language is.
- 2Show what made you hesitate before trying.
- 3Describe how you felt during, not just after.
- 4End with whether you'd do it again, with a reason.
Sample answer (band 7.5)
Read it once for shape, then aloud for rhythm. Don't memorise it — examiners can tell.
About a year ago I tried stand-up comedy for the first time, at an open-mic night in my city. I'd been writing little jokes in a notebook for years but never showed anyone. A friend who runs the open mic essentially blackmailed me into doing five minutes — he kept saying I was a coward, and at some point that wore me down. I decided to do it because I was tired of being someone who only did things he'd already done before. I felt absolutely awful while doing it. The whole afternoon before the show I couldn't eat. On stage, the first thirty seconds were a blur — I genuinely don't remember speaking. Then I got one laugh, an actual proper laugh, on something I'd written, and the rest of the set went better than I had any right to expect. By the end I was almost enjoying it, in a sweaty, terrified way. Would I do it again? Yes, but not for the obvious reason. Not because I want to be a comedian — I don't. But because doing one thing that genuinely scared me reset what I think of as scary. Job interviews, presentations, hard conversations — they've all felt smaller since.
Topic vocabulary & collocations
Phrases used in the sample answer that lift fluency naturally.
open-mic night
performance event open to amateurs
blackmailed me into
pressured me to do (informal)
wore me down
gradually broke my resistance
in a sweaty, terrified way
while still feeling fear
reset what I think of as scary
redefined my idea of fear
felt smaller
seemed less threatening
Likely Part 3 follow-up questions
The examiner will move from your story (Part 2) to broader, abstract questions (Part 3). Prepare answers for these.
- Why are some people more open to new experiences than others?
- Should children be encouraged to try things they might fail at?
- Has technology made it easier or harder to try new things?
- Why are adults often more cautious than young people?
- What new experiences will future generations have that we don't?
Common pitfalls on this card
- ⚠Picking 'I tried a new restaurant' — too low-stakes.
- ⚠Only describing the after, not the during.
- ⚠Not answering the 'would you do it again' question with reasoning.