Describe an occasion when you were not allowed to use your mobile phone.
This test has appeared in 5 seasons
- Sep–Dec/2026
- May–Aug/2026
- Jan–Apr/2026
- 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?)
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?)
Cars
- Do you have a car? (Why is that?)
- What kind of car would you like to own? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did your family have a car when you were growing up? (Why is that?)
- Do you think there will be fewer cars in cities in the future? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe an occasion when you were not allowed to use your mobile phone.
You should say:
- when and where it happened
- why you were not allowed to use your phone
- what you did instead
and explain how you felt about it.
Follow-up question after your talk: How long could you go without your phone? / Did the time pass more slowly without it?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
rules about mobile phones
- Can you explain why phones are not allowed in certain places?
- How would you compare phone rules at school with phone rules at work?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of banning phones in schools?
phones and attention
- Can you explain why people find it hard to put their phones down?
- What could be done about families who spend most of their evenings looking at screens?
- Can you speculate on how phones will change the way people spend time together?
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.