Speaking: Part 2 Cue Card Categories — An Overview

Part 2 of the Speaking test presents a cue card with a main topic sentence and three or four bullet points to address, followed by one to two minutes of uninterrupted speaking after a one-minute preparation period. While the specific topic on any given cue card varies, the underlying categories those topics fall into are fairly consistent and limited in number, which makes genuine, structured preparation possible in a way that trying to guess the exact cue card never is. Understanding these categories — what each one typically asks for, and what a strong answer within it tends to include — is more useful preparation than attempting to memorise responses to specific example cue cards, since the actual cue card you receive on test day is very unlikely to match any single one you've rehearsed word for word.

Describing a person is one of the most common categories, with example prompts like "Describe someone you admire," "Describe a friend who is important to you," or "Describe a family member you get along with well." A strong answer in this category typically balances factual description (who the person is, your relationship to them, some basic background) with more developed reflection on their personality or the reasons you admire or value them, usually illustrated with one specific anecdote or example of their behaviour rather than a list of adjectives. Simply stating that someone is "kind and hardworking" gives the examiner little to assess; describing a specific instance where their kindness or work ethic was visible gives the answer real, scoreable substance.

Describing a place forms a second major category, covering prompts like "Describe somewhere you'd like to visit," "Describe a place you go to relax," or "Describe a memorable place from your childhood." These prompts typically reward sensory, specific description — what the place actually looks, sounds, or feels like, not just its name and general category — alongside a clear personal connection explaining why the place matters to you specifically. A generic description of a beach could apply to almost any beach anywhere; a description that includes one specific, personal sensory detail (the particular sound of a specific pier, a smell associated with a specific childhood visit) makes the answer distinctively yours rather than interchangeable with anyone else's answer to the same prompt.

Describing an object is a third recurring category, with prompts such as "Describe something you own that is important to you," "Describe a useful item you bought recently," or "Describe a gift you received that you liked." Because objects are inherently less narratively rich than people, places, or events on their own, the strongest answers in this category typically spend less time on physical description (size, colour, material) than weaker answers do, and correspondingly more time on the story or reasoning connecting the object to you personally — how you acquired it, a specific moment it was significant, why it matters beyond its practical function.