Describe a person you know who succeeded in doing something difficult.
This test has appeared in 2 seasons
- Sep–Dec/2026
- May–Aug/2026
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Your home town
- Where is your home town? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you like most about it? (Tell me more about that.)
- Has it changed much since you were a child? (Why is that?)
- Would you like to live there in the future? (Why is that?)
Food
- What kind of food do you eat most often? (Tell me more about that.)
- What is your favourite dish? (Tell me more about that.)
- Is there any food you didn't like as a child but enjoy now? (Why is that?)
- Do you think people in your country eat more healthily now than in the past? (Why is that?)
Parks and gardens
- Is there a park near your home? (Why is that?)
- How often do you go to parks? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do people do in parks in your city? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did you go to parks a lot as a child? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a person you know who succeeded in doing something difficult.
You should say:
- who this person is
- what they succeeded in doing
- why it was difficult
and explain how you feel about their success.
Follow-up question after your talk: Did this person inspire you to try something difficult? / Did this person's story change the way you think?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
achieving difficult things
- Can you explain why some people keep going when a task turns out to be very hard?
- In general, what do most people mean when they call someone successful?
- How would you contrast success that comes from hard work with success that comes from luck?
support and opportunity
- Can you explain why family and friends make such a difference to what people achieve?
- What could be done about students who give up as soon as work becomes difficult?
- Can you speculate on how young people's chances of success will change in the years ahead?
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.