Describe a time when someone congratulated you on something you did well.
This test has appeared in 4 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2025
- Sep–Dec/2024
- May–Aug/2024
- Jan–Apr/2024
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?)
Saying thank you
- Do you often say thank you to people? (Why is that?)
- Who was the last person you thanked? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did your parents teach you to say thank you when you were young? (Why is that?)
- Do you think sending a thank-you message is better than saying it in person? (Why is that?)
Keys
- How many keys do you usually carry with you? (Tell me more about that.)
- Where do you normally keep your keys? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you ever lost your keys? (Why is that?)
- Do you think keys will be replaced by technology in the future? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when someone congratulated you on something you did well.
You should say:
- who congratulated you
- what you had done well
- how they congratulated you
and explain how you felt at that moment.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you find it easy to accept praise? / How much did that person's words mean to you?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
praise and encouragement
- Can you explain why praise has such a strong effect on people's confidence?
- In general, how often should teachers praise their students?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of giving prizes to children for good schoolwork?
success and recognition
- Can you explain why some achievements are noticed and others are ignored?
- How would you compare praise from family with praise from a teacher or a manager?
- Can you speculate on how sharing achievements online will change the way people measure success?
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.