Describe a difficult task you completed at work or school that you felt proud of.
This test has appeared in 11 seasons · 5 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2025
- May–Aug/2025
- Sep–Dec/2024
- May–Aug/2024
- Jan–Apr/2024
- Sep–Dec/2023
- May–Aug/2023
- Jan–Apr/2023
- Sep–Dec/2022
- May–Aug/2022
- Jan–Apr/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?)
Apps
- Which apps do you use every day? (Tell me more about that.)
- What is your favourite app, and why? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you recently deleted any apps from your phone? (Why is that?)
- Do you think people spend too much time on apps? (Why is that?)
Neighbours
- Do you know your neighbours well? (Why is that?)
- What are your neighbours like? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did you have a good relationship with your neighbours when you were a child? (Why is that?)
- Do you think it is important to get on well with your neighbours? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a difficult task you completed at work or school that you felt proud of.
You should say:
- what the task was
- why it was difficult
- how you managed to complete it
and explain why you felt proud of it.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you usually enjoy a challenge? / Would you like to do a task like that again?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
difficult tasks at school
- Can you explain why some students give up when a task is too hard for them?
- What could be done about students who give up on difficult work?
- In general, what kind of school tasks do students remember for a long time?
challenges at work
- Can you explain why employers give staff work that is difficult for them?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of giving people tasks that they may not succeed at?
- Can you speculate on how the skills people need at work will change in the coming years?
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.