IELTS Speaking · Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a skill you learned that you found useful
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 skill you learned that you found useful.
You should say:
- •What the skill is
- •When you learned it
- •How you learned it
- •And explain why it is useful
How to use your 1 minute of prep time
Specific to this cue card — not generic advice.
- 1Choose a skill specific enough to discuss in detail (not 'communication' — too vague).
- 2Distinguish between learning the skill and getting good at it; that gap is where good vocabulary lives.
- 3Mention who or what taught you (a person, a course, a YouTube channel) — the 'how' bullet is often skipped.
- 4Tie the usefulness to a concrete situation, not a generic 'helps in life'.
Sample answer (band 7.5)
Read it once for shape, then aloud for rhythm. Don't memorise it — examiners can tell.
The skill I'd choose is touch typing, which sounds unglamorous but has genuinely changed how I work. I picked it up about five years ago, when I started a job that involved writing long reports almost every day. I was a hunt-and-peck typist back then — fast for someone using two fingers, but slow compared to what was needed. I used a free website called keybr.com that drills you on letter combinations rather than full words, and I forced myself to use it for fifteen minutes every morning before opening anything else. The first three weeks were honestly painful — my output dropped by half because I was deliberately not looking at the keys. But by the end of the second month, I was typing about seventy words a minute without looking, which was roughly double my previous speed. The reason it's so useful is that it removes a kind of friction I didn't know was there. When the typing keeps up with my thinking, drafting a document feels almost effortless. I also notice it during online meetings — I can take notes without breaking eye contact with the screen. It's one of the highest-return things I've ever invested time in.
Topic vocabulary & collocations
Phrases used in the sample answer that lift fluency naturally.
picked it up
learned it (often informally)
hunt-and-peck
slow typing using only a few fingers
drills you on
trains you repeatedly on
remove a kind of friction
eliminate something slowing you down
high-return
providing strong benefits relative to effort
keep up with my thinking
match the speed of my thoughts
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.
- What skills do you think will be most valuable in twenty years?
- Should schools spend more time teaching practical skills?
- Are some skills better learned online or in person?
- Is it harder for adults than children to learn new skills?
- Why do some people give up on learning a new skill?
Common pitfalls on this card
- ⚠Choosing 'leadership' or 'communication' — too abstract for a 2-minute answer.
- ⚠Describing the skill but not how you learned it (skipping the third bullet).
- ⚠Not explaining when you actually use it — the 'useful' part needs evidence.