Cue Card Sample

A success or an achievement in your life - Cue Card # 682

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe a success or an achievement in your life.

You should say:

  • what it is
  • when did you achieve it
  • what you did to achieve it

and explain how you felt after you achieved it.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]


 

Model Answer 1:
I have read and heard about many success stories of other people, and they made me feel really good and motivated. However, I am not sure if my success story here would make anybody feel good or motivated, but it is still worth giving a good try.

Back in my university years, about 7 years ago, I developed a hobby of “gardening”. I became interested in this hobby also because I wanted to take part in a competition, organized by my own city government, in order to win the “best gardener” award of the year.  Of course, the problem was that gardening required a significant amount of time and effort to become successful. Starting a new part-time job with a good salary unexpectedly, shortly after starting gardening, didn’t help my cause either. But, I just didn’t want to give up on the idea of gardening because I already spent some good money and time nurturing it.

So, I decided to work on 'better time management' by cutting short on TV watching. Then, I also started to meet my friends a lot less in order to work extra time in gardening. By the way, my garden had at least 15 different kinds of plants, including paper-bark maple, ornamental cherry, Rowans and Japanese dogwood, which required some really good care. In this way, my gardening work continued for the next year or so when I was finally ready to take part in the competition. And, my “beautiful garden” didn’t disappoint me at all as it helped me achieve the 2nd best award in the “best gardener” competition.

I felt really good after I received the award in the competition, as I wasn’t too sure about the success of my hard work. In fact, after the success, I was convinced that if we really work hard and be patient, success would come on our way sooner or later. Finally, I also felt really happy and proud because of the fact that my little initiative and success would go a long way to make my city look more green and beautiful.


 

Model Answer 2:

Introduction:
One of the most significant achievements in my life was when I successfully completed my undergraduate degree with honours. I am sure it may sound not so not-so-successful story to many, but it is one of the few most important achievements in my life. Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to talk about this.

What it is:
Completing my undergraduate degree with honours was a major milestone for me, signifying years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance in pursuit of academic excellence. During my university years - when I was completing my honours degree, my mother passed away, I lost my best friend, and I went through two major surgeries. So you can imagine that it was not easy for me to stand still and continue my studies at a prestigious university that demanded continuous study and academic pursuits to complete the degree. 

When did you achieve it:
I achieved this milestone in the spring of 2023, after four years of rigorous coursework, research projects, and examinations.

What you did to achieve it:
To achieve this success, I maintained a disciplined study routine despite all odds, attended classes regularly, and actively participated in various academic and extracurricular activities. I dedicated long hours to studying, conducted in-depth research for my projects, sought guidance from professors, and collaborated with classmates on group assignments and projects. I often had to work harder than others due to my health and personal issues like losing my dear mother all of a sudden. 

And explain how you felt after you achieved it:
Upon successfully completing my undergraduate degree with honours, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride, accomplishment, and fulfilment. All the hard work and sacrifices I had made over the years had finally paid off, and I was elated to see the tangible results of my efforts. I am sure my mother and my best friends would have been the two happiest people on my graduation day but sadly they were not there! Moreover, achieving this milestone boosted my confidence and instilled in me a sense of self-belief that I could overcome challenges and accomplish my goals with dedication and perseverance.

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