Describe a challenging technological problem you faced
IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with a full sample answer, a Band 9 model of the two-minute long turn.
The cue card
Describe a challenging technological problem you faced
You should say:
- what the problem was
- when and where you faced it
- how challenging it was
- how you solved it
Sample answer
I'd like to describe a challenging technological problem I faced, which happened during a critical moment when I was working on an important university assignment.
The problem was that my laptop suddenly crashed and refused to turn on, seemingly wiping out weeks of work on a major project. This occurred late one evening, just two days before the submission deadline, while I was at home putting the finishing touches to my report. To make matters worse, I hadn't backed up my most recent work.
It was extremely challenging for several reasons. Firstly, the timing could not have been worse, as I was under enormous pressure with the deadline looming. Secondly, I'm not particularly tech-savvy when it comes to hardware, so I had no idea what had caused the problem or how to fix it. And of course, the thought of having lost weeks of hard work filled me with genuine panic and dread. It felt like a complete disaster.
However, I forced myself to stay calm and tackle the problem methodically. First, I searched online using my phone to find out what might be wrong and tried a few basic troubleshooting steps, such as removing the battery and holding down the power button, but none of these worked. Realising it was beyond my abilities, I took the laptop to a professional repair shop first thing the next morning. Fortunately, the technician diagnosed it as a faulty component rather than a total failure. He managed to repair it and, crucially, recover all of my files, which was an enormous relief.
In the end, I managed to submit my assignment on time, though it was a nerve-racking experience I won't forget in a hurry. The whole ordeal taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of regularly backing up my work, which I now do religiously. It also showed me that staying calm and seeking expert help is often the best approach when facing a problem beyond your own knowledge.
328 words — roughly 3–3 minutes at a natural speaking pace.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 2 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How long should I speak for in Part 2?
Between one and two minutes. The examiner stops you at two, so aim to still be talking at the ninety-second mark rather than finishing early — running out at forty seconds is the most common problem in this part.
What do I do with the one minute of preparation time?
You get one minute and a pencil and paper. Most candidates waste it writing full sentences they then read aloud, which sounds flat. Note a few keywords against each bullet instead, so you have four things to say and can speak naturally from them.
Do I have to cover all four bullet points?
They are prompts, not a checklist, and you are not penalised for skipping one. In practice they are the easiest way to fill two minutes, so covering them is usually the simplest way to keep going.
Does it matter if the story is not true?
No. You are assessed on your English, not on whether the events happened. Inventing detail is fine and often easier than recalling a real memory under pressure.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.