Describe a time you tried to do something but were not very successful.
This test has appeared in 1 seasons
- 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 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?)
Shopping
- Do you enjoy shopping? (Why is that?)
- Do you prefer shopping online or in shops? (Why is that?)
- Who do you usually go shopping with? (Tell me more about that.)
- Is there anything you never enjoy buying? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time you tried to do something but were not very successful.
You should say:
- what you tried to do
- when you tried it
- what went wrong
and explain how you felt about the result.
Follow-up question after your talk: Would you try it again? / Did anyone help you at the time?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
how people deal with failure
- Can you explain why some people give up quickly when something goes wrong?
- In general, what do people usually learn from their mistakes?
- What could be done about the fear of failure that stops people trying new things?
failure at school and at work
- Can you explain why schools often focus more on results than on effort?
- How would you contrast making a mistake at school and making a mistake at work?
- Can you speculate on how companies will treat their employees' mistakes in the future?
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.