Describe a goal you set and worked hard to achieve.
This test has appeared in 4 seasons · 2 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2025
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
- 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?)
Teachers
- Do you remember your first teacher? (Why is that?)
- What makes a good teacher, in your opinion? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you ever wanted to be a teacher? (Why is that?)
- Do you still keep in touch with any of your teachers? (Why is that?)
Museums
- Do you often visit museums? (Why is that?)
- What kind of museum do you find most interesting? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did your school take you to any museums when you were a child? (Why is that?)
- Do you think museums should be free for everyone? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a goal you set and worked hard to achieve.
You should say:
- what the goal was
- why you set it
- what you did to achieve it
and explain how you felt when you achieved it.
Follow-up question after your talk: What goal are you working towards now? / Was that goal harder than you expected?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
the goals young people set
- Can you explain why many people give up on the goals they set?
- In general, what kinds of goals do young people in your country set for themselves?
- What could be done about the pressure young people feel to achieve a great deal very early?
how schools prepare people for the future
- Can you explain why schools ask students to plan their future so early?
- In general, who should decide what a young person aims for?
- Can you speculate on how the goals of young people will change in the next twenty 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.