Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something.
This test has appeared in 7 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- Jan–Apr/2026
- Sep–Dec/2025
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
- May–Aug/2023
- Jan–Apr/2023
- Sep–Dec/2022
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Your home
- Do you live in a house or an apartment? (Why?)
- Which room do you spend the most time in? (Why?)
- What would you like to change about your home? (Why?)
- Do you think you will live there for a long time? (Why not?)
Emails and letters
- How often do you send emails? (Tell me more about that.)
- Who do you usually write emails to? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you ever written a letter by hand to someone? (Why is that?)
- Do you think people will still send letters in the future? (Why is that?)
Days off
- How often do you have a day off? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you usually do on your days off? (Tell me more about that.)
- What did you like to do on days off from school as a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Would you prefer to relax at home or go out on a day off? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something.
You should say:
- what you decided to wait for
- why you chose to wait
- how long you had to wait
and explain how you felt about your decision in the end.
Follow-up question after your talk: Are you usually a patient person? / Was it worth waiting for in the end?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
waiting in daily life
- Can you explain why waiting for something makes many people feel uncomfortable?
- How would you compare waiting for something you have paid for with waiting for news?
- In general, how long are people willing to wait for everyday services?
patience and modern life
- Can you explain why fast delivery and instant messaging have changed what people expect?
- What could be done about children who find it very hard to wait for anything?
- Can you speculate on how people's patience will change as services get faster?
Test titles follow test-taker reports and each season's forecasts — IELTS does not publish its papers. "Reported" means someone reported meeting this topic in a dated test. The questions are written by us in the format of the real test.