Describe a time when you paid more than you expected for something.
This test has appeared in 7 seasons · 2 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2026
- May–Aug/2026
- Jan–Apr/2026
- 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 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?)
Names
- Does your name have a special meaning? (Why is that?)
- Who chose your name? (Tell me more about that.)
- Would you ever like to change your name? (Why is that?)
- Are there any names that are popular in your country at the moment? (Why is that?)
Childhood
- Where did you spend most of your childhood? (Tell me more about that.)
- What did you enjoy doing most as a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Who was your best friend when you were a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you think children today have a better childhood than you did? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when you paid more than you expected for something.
You should say:
- what you bought
- how much more it cost than you expected
- why you decided to pay for it
and explain how you felt about paying that much.
Follow-up question after your talk: Would you buy it again at that price? / How did you feel when you saw the final price?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
the way people spend money
- Can you explain why people sometimes spend far more than they planned to?
- How would you compare the way young people spend money with the way older people spend it?
- What could be done about shoppers who are not told the full price until the very end?
prices and value
- Can you explain why the same product can cost very different amounts in different shops?
- In general, what makes people believe that an expensive product is better?
- Can you speculate on how online shopping will change prices in ordinary shops?
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.