Describe something that surprised you and made you happy.
This test has appeared in 9 seasons · 4 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2025
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
- Sep–Dec/2024
- Sep–Dec/2023
- May–Aug/2023
- Jan–Apr/2023
- Sep–Dec/2022
- May–Aug/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?)
Clothes
- What kind of clothes do you usually wear? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you wear different clothes at weekends? (Why is that?)
- Do you ever wear traditional clothes? (Why is that?)
- Where do you usually buy your clothes? (Tell me more about that.)
Holidays
- How often do you go on holiday? (Tell me more about that.)
- Where did you go on your last holiday? (Tell me more about that.)
- What did your family usually do on holidays when you were a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you prefer relaxing holidays or active holidays? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe something that surprised you and made you happy.
You should say:
- what the surprise was
- when it happened
- who was involved
and explain why it made you happy.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you like surprises in general? / Did you tell anyone about it afterwards?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
surprises
- Can you explain why some people enjoy surprises and others dislike them?
- In general, what kinds of surprises do people remember for years?
- What could be done about surprises that upset the person they were meant for?
celebrations
- Can you explain why celebrations are important for families?
- How would you contrast large public celebrations with small family ones?
- Can you speculate on how people will celebrate important events 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.