Based on the Cue card, make use of the 1-minute note taking in IELTS Speaking Part 2

What is a Cue card? How can you make the most of the 1-minute preparation time for the Cue card in IELTS Speaking Part 2 to have the most complete speaking response? In the article below, PREP would like to share with readers the concept, examples, answers to questions, as well as how to make the most of the 1-minute preparation time before speaking. Let's take a look together!

I. What is a cue card in IELTS Speaking Part 2? 

Cue card, also known as the task card in IELTS Speaking Part 2. The Cue Card includes 3-4 questions and some specific guidance to suggest how to answer the questions asked. Candidates will not be allowed to change the questions, you must talk about any topic you receive on the prompt card, and you will have one minute to think about the answer. In addition, candidates are given a pencil and a sheet of paper to develop an outline, speaking ideas, and take notes during the 1-minute preparation time.

II. Sample Cue cards in IELTS Speaking Part 2 

To help you get a clearer picture of the Cue Card in IELTS Speaking Part 2, please follow the image below:

III.  Answer some questions about the Cue card in IELTS Speaking Part 2 

Below, Prep will help you answer some of the questions you often encounter when answering the Cue card in IELTS Speaking Part 2:

1. Are candidates allowed to change the Cue card?

The answer here is NO. After being given the IELTS cue card, you will start preparing for your speech and there is no opportunity to change the topic.

2. Are candidates allowed to ask the examiner to explain the Cue card?

Typically, NO. Examiners usually do not help candidates understand the Cue Card at this time. The Cue card is given to you, and time is allotted for you to speak, there will be no time for examiners to explain it to you during Part 2 of the Speaking test.

3. What should candidates do if they don't understand the Cue card?

• In this case, you should try to "steer" towards similar topics. You can explain the idea before talking about this similar topic, which is also a reminder for the examiner not to think that you are trying to change the topic completely.

• Most Cue cards in IELTS Speaking Part 2 are usually very simple topics, common topics such as a meal you enjoyed, your favorite season, a book you read, ... very simple to understand, right? So don't worry too much, the Speaking test won't try to trick you.

• It is not mandatory for candidates to stick strictly to the question, for example, the topic "Describe a place near water", you can describe a place near the sea, a place near a river or a place near a swimming pool. Examiners usually won't scrutinize closely what you're talking about, but only care about how you present your speech to assess your Speaking ability.

IV. How to make the most of the 1-minute preparation time before speaking 

Finally, to be able to answer the IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue card fluently, Prep will guide you on how to make the most of the 1 minute of preparation time before speaking!

1. Specific strategy

Use the 1 minute wisely to quickly think of ideas about the topic you will be speaking about. Proceed to write down the relevant keywords that come to your mind on the paper the examiner has provided. This 1 minute is the opportunity for candidates to think of the content they want to convey in the Speaking test. Below is an example of how to make use of the 1 minute in the IELTS Speaking test, with the prompt:

One-minute note taking:

For the full sample, please refer to the following article:

https://prepedu.com/vi/blog/describe-a-polluted-place/

2. Some important tips for the 1-minute preparation before speaking

• After the examiner provides the Cue card, you should quickly think about the topic you need to talk about to save time. You need to understand the topic very well. Sometimes students misunderstand the topic of the cue card, leading to the content of the speech being irrelevant and easy to lose a lot of points.

• Remember the keywords that you have written down during the note-taking process and use them when speaking. Write down factual information in the form of keywords, and try to stick to the questions in the task such as what, where, and when, for example, you can write "party", "last month" and "hotel".

• The examiner may look at your note sheet when you write the keywords, don't feel worried but just focus on the cue card to prepare your speech.

• Don't write full sentences, just jot down the important phrases. Always remember the ideas you have noted down and don't forget to continue thinking of new ideas during the speaking and make sure not to leave the note sheet provided by the examiner blank.

• Usually, the topics in Speaking Part 2 will be very familiar topics that you have already experienced or heard from others, watched in movies, or read in books. Outline the familiar ideas to yourself so that you can solve the task easily.

• Write down clear and specific keywords so that you can remember them in your mind. Try to write down all the main ideas on the cue card. Write keywords in the form of bullet points instead of random words/phrases.

• Visualize the scenarios and create an overall picture in your mind so that you can easily add new and better ideas. You can write down some vocabulary that you can use in Speaking Part 2. When you have finished writing all the keywords, look through them carefully one more time and start speaking when the examiner asks you to.

V. Conclusion

This article has provided all the knowledge about Cue cards in IELTS Speaking Part 2. PREP wishes you effective exam preparation and the ability to achieve a very high score in the upcoming real exam. In addition, you will master the knowledge above in the IELTS preparation course at prepedu.com. Please check it out right away!