Part 2

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a time when you had to change an important plan

The long turn. You are handed a cue card, given 60 seconds to make notes, and then asked to speak for 1 to 2 minutes without interruption. Most candidates lose marks by stopping early rather than by saying anything wrong.

The cue card

Describe a time when you had to change an important plan.

You should say:

  • What the original plan was
  • Why it had to change
  • What you did instead
  • How you felt about the outcome

How to use the preparation minute

This is a plan, not a script. Examiners are trained to recognise memorised answers and mark them down, so the aim is to know what you will cover — not which words you will use.

  1. Seconds 0–15 · commit to one examplePick a real, specific instance and write its name down. Candidates who spend the preparation minute hunting for the perfect example start the long turn with nothing concrete to say.
  2. Open with · what the original plan wasGive the specific over the general, then one detail that could only be true of your example.
  3. Then cover · why it had to changeTwo sentences: the fact, then one detail that could only apply to your example.
  4. Then cover · what you did insteadSequence two or three concrete actions rather than summarising. Past tenses live here, and this is where accuracy is easiest to demonstrate.
  5. Then cover · how you felt about the outcomeFinish on evaluation rather than repetition. The examiner has heard the facts; what earns marks here is what you make of them.
  6. If you run out before the time doesSay what you would change about it now, or how it compares with something similar. Stopping at ninety seconds costs more than an imperfect extra sentence.

What comes next

The long turn does not end the topic. The examiner moves straight into Part 3 with something broader, often along these lines:

Are people today better or worse at coping with sudden change than in the past?

What is being marked

Every part of the test is scored on the same four criteria, each carrying equal weight in the final band.

Fluency & Coherence
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Pronunciation

Voxtis is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with the British Council, IDP, or Cambridge Assessment English. Band estimates are indicative.

Practise this one out loud

Reading a cue card is not the same as speaking for two minutes under timing. Take it with an AI examiner that responds to what you actually say, then get a band estimate and the specific sentences that held you back.

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