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Describe a time you saved money to buy something special.

This test has appeared in 1 seasons

  • Sep–Dec/2026

Reported by test takers Forecast only

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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?)

Secondary school

  1. Where did you go to secondary school? (Tell me more about that.)
  2. What did you like most about that school? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. Do you still keep in touch with your classmates? (Why is that?)
  4. Would you like to go back and visit it? (Why is that?)

Feeling bored

  1. When do you usually feel bored? (Tell me more about that.)
  2. What do you do when you feel bored? (Tell me more about that.)
  3. Did you often feel bored when you were a child? (Why is that?)
  4. Do you think it is bad to feel bored sometimes? (Why is that?)

Part 2

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

Describe a time you saved money to buy something special.

You should say:

  • what you wanted to buy
  • how long you saved for
  • how you saved the money

and explain how you felt when you finally bought it.

Follow-up question after your talk: Are you good at saving money? / How long did it take you to save the money?

Part 3

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

how people save money

  1. Can you explain why saving money is difficult for many young adults?
  2. In general, what do families usually save money for?
  3. How would you compare saving for something small with saving for something expensive?

spending habits and advertising

  1. Can you explain how advertising encourages people to spend more?
  2. What could be done about young people who spend more than they earn?
  3. Can you speculate on how cashless payment will change the way people spend?

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.