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Describe a person you know from a different cultural background.

This test has appeared in 5 seasons · 3 reported by test takers

  • Sep–Dec/2025
  • May–Aug/2025
  • May–Aug/2023
  • Jan–Apr/2023
  • Sep–Dec/2022

Reported by test takers Forecast only

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Part 1

The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.

Your home

  1. Do you live in a house or an apartment? (Why?)
  2. Which room do you spend the most time in? (Why?)
  3. What would you like to change about your home? (Why?)
  4. Do you think you will live there for a long time? (Why not?)

Ice cream

  1. How often do you eat ice cream? (Tell me more about that.)
  2. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. Did you eat ice cream a lot when you were younger? (Why is that?)
  4. Do you think ice cream is only for hot weather? (Why is that?)

Making plans

  1. Do you usually make plans for your weekends? (Why is that?)
  2. How do you keep track of your plans? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. Have you ever had to change an important plan at the last minute? (Why is that?)
  4. Do you prefer to plan everything or be spontaneous? (Why is that?)

Part 2

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

Describe a person you know from a different cultural background.

You should say:

  • who this person is
  • how you met them
  • where they come from

and explain what you have learned from this person.

Follow-up question after your talk: Would you like to visit the place this person comes from? / Do you two still keep in touch?

Part 3

A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.

meeting people from other cultures

  1. Can you explain why misunderstandings happen between people from different countries?
  2. How would you compare the way people greet each other in your country with the way they greet each other abroad?
  3. In general, what do people usually notice first about another culture?

culture and daily life

  1. Can you describe the customs that visitors to your country find surprising?
  2. What could be done about children who leave school knowing little about other cultures?
  3. Can you speculate on how travel and the internet will change local customs?

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.