Part 2 cue card
Describe a goal you set and achieved.
You should say:
- What the goal was
- Why you set it
- What steps you took to achieve it
- And explain how you felt after achieving it
Source practice test: IELTS Speaking Test 2
Band 9 model answer
Expert-level long turn
The goal I am most proud of achieving was running a half marathon, which is just over twenty-one kilometres. I should say that I was never a natural runner, so at the start it felt genuinely out of reach.
I set the goal mainly for my health. I had a fairly sedentary office job and noticed my fitness slipping, and I have always found that I stick to exercise far better when I am working towards a concrete target rather than just going to the gym aimlessly.
In terms of the steps I took, I followed a structured twelve-week training plan that gradually increased the distance each week. The hardest part was the consistency, so I ran with a friend on weekends to stay accountable, and I learned the hard way to pace myself instead of sprinting at the start and burning out.
When I finally crossed the finish line, the feeling was a strange mix of exhaustion and elation. More than the medal, what stayed with me was the realisation that I could commit to something difficult over several months and see it through. Honestly, that lesson in discipline has carried over into other areas of my life, from work projects to saving money, so the run gave me far more than just a fitness milestone.
Why this scores Band 9
- Fluency and Coherence: the long turn flows logically through all four bullets and ends with a genuine reflection on what the achievement meant.
- Lexical Resource: strong topic vocabulary ('sedentary', 'stay accountable', 'pace myself', 'see it through', 'milestone') used naturally.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a confident blend of past simple, past perfect and present perfect with accurate complex clauses and no impeding errors.
- Pronunciation is assessed live; a top response would also use stress to highlight the emotional contrast at the finish line, which a transcript cannot show.
Band 6 sample answer
Competent but limited response
I want to talk about a goal I achieved, which was running a half marathon. That is about twenty-one kilometres. Before this I was not a runner, so it was difficult for me.
I set this goal because of my health. My job is in an office and I sit the whole day, so my fitness became bad. I think it is easier to do exercise when you have a clear goal.
To achieve it, I followed a training plan for three months. Every week I ran a little more than before. It was hard to do it regularly, so I ran with my friend on the weekend to keep my motivation. I also learned that I should run slowly at the start and not too fast.
After I finished the race, I felt very tired but also very happy and proud. The most important thing for me was that I understood I can do a difficult thing if I try for a long time. After that I felt more confident in my life.
Why this sits around Band 6
- Fluency and Coherence: the answer is organised around the bullets and easy to follow, but it relies on simple linkers ('so', 'also', 'After that').
- Lexical Resource: clear and accurate but plain ('very tired', 'very happy and proud'); it lacks the precise collocations that mark Band 7+.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: correct simple past throughout with limited complexity and little tense variety.
- It fully answers the task and is error-light, which fits Band 6; richer vocabulary and more complex grammar would push it higher.
Part 3 discussion questions
Why is setting goals important in life?
Goals give us direction and a way to measure progress, which is motivating in itself. Without them, it is easy to drift and feel busy without actually moving forward. A clear goal also helps you prioritise, because you can judge any decision by whether it brings you closer to what you are aiming for.
Is it better to have short-term or long-term goals?
Ideally you need both, and they work together. A long-term goal provides the overall purpose, while short-term goals break it into manageable steps and keep you motivated along the way. Relying only on a distant target can feel overwhelming, whereas small wins maintain momentum.
How can schools help students achieve their goals?
Schools can teach goal-setting as an explicit skill rather than assuming students pick it up. Practically, that means helping young people break big ambitions into steps, tracking progress, and crucially teaching them how to cope with setbacks, because resilience is often what separates people who reach their goals from those who give up.
Useful vocabulary for this topic
- to see something through:
- to finish something despite difficulty
- to stay accountable:
- to make sure you keep your commitment, often with others' help
- a sedentary lifestyle:
- a way of living with very little physical activity
- a milestone:
- a significant achievement marking progress
Should the goal in this cue card be something big?
Not necessarily. A modest, real goal that you can describe in detail, such as learning to cook or saving for something, scores better than an impressive goal you struggle to explain. The examiner is listening for clear development of the four points and natural language, not the scale of the achievement.