Home / Question bank

Describe a time when you forgot or missed an appointment.

This test has appeared in 8 seasons · 2 reported by test takers

  • Jan–Apr/2026
  • Sep–Dec/2025
  • May–Aug/2025
  • Jan–Apr/2025
  • Sep–Dec/2024
  • May–Aug/2023
  • Jan–Apr/2023
  • Sep–Dec/2022

Reported by test takers Forecast only

Take this test with the AI examiner

Part 1

The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.

Work or study

  1. Do you work, or are you a student? (Why?)
  2. Why did you choose that job or that subject? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. What do you enjoy most about it? (Why?)
  4. Is there anything you would like to change about it? (Why?)

Weekends

  1. What do you usually do at weekends? (Tell me more about that.)
  2. Who do you normally spend your weekends with? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. Are your weekends different now from when you were younger? (Why is that?)
  4. Would you prefer a longer weekend or a longer summer holiday? (Why is that?)

Writing

  1. Do you write much in your daily life? (Why is that?)
  2. What kind of things do you usually write? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. Did you enjoy writing stories when you were at school? (Why is that?)
  4. Do you think writing skills are still important today? (Why is that?)

Part 2

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

Describe a time when you forgot or missed an appointment.

You should say:

  • what the appointment was
  • why you forgot or missed it
  • what you did afterwards

and explain how you felt about it.

Follow-up question after your talk: How do you usually remember your appointments? / What happened after you missed it?

Part 3

A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.

remembering things

  1. Can you explain why people forget arrangements they have made?
  2. In general, what kinds of information do people forget most easily?
  3. How would you contrast writing things down with keeping them in your head?

planning and technology

  1. Can you describe the ways people organise their time today?
  2. What could be done about meetings that people forget to attend?
  3. Can you speculate on how technology will help people organise their time 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.