Describe a time when you forgot something important.
This test has appeared in 3 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- Jan–Apr/2026
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
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?)
Public transport
- How often do you use public transport? (Tell me more about that.)
- What kind of public transport is most common where you live? (Tell me more about that.)
- Has public transport in your city changed in recent years? (Why is that?)
- Do you think more people should use public transport instead of driving? (Why is that?)
Plants
- Do you have any plants at home? (Why is that?)
- What kind of plants do you like best? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did your family grow any plants when you were young? (Why is that?)
- Would you like to have a garden one day? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when you forgot something important.
You should say:
- what you forgot
- when it happened
- what the result was
and explain how you felt about forgetting it.
Follow-up question after your talk: What do you do now to avoid forgetting things? / Did forgetting that cause problems for anyone else?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
how people remember things
- Can you describe the methods people use to remember important information?
- Can you explain why people forget things that matter to them?
- In general, what kinds of information are easiest to remember?
memory and technology
- Can you explain why many people no longer try to remember phone numbers?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of relying on a phone to remember everything for you?
- Can you speculate on how technology will change the way people train their memory?
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.