Describe a time you answered a phone call from a stranger in a public place.
This test has appeared in 3 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
- Sep–Dec/2024
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?)
Stories
- Do you enjoy reading or listening to stories? (Why is that?)
- What kind of stories do you like most? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did anyone tell you stories at bedtime when you were a child? (Why is that?)
- Do you think children learn important lessons from stories? (Why is that?)
Sports
- Do you play any sports? (Why is that?)
- Which sport is the most popular in your country? (Tell me more about that.)
- What sports did you play when you were younger? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you think children should be made to do sport at school? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time you answered a phone call from a stranger in a public place.
You should say:
- where you were
- who the caller was
- what they wanted
and explain how you felt about the call.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you usually answer calls from numbers you don't know? / What did the caller want?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
using phones in public places
- Can you explain why some people talk very loudly on the phone in public?
- In general, what rules should there be about using phones in public places?
- How would you contrast the way older people use mobile phones and the way young people do?
unwanted calls and messages
- Can you describe the tricks used by the people who make scam calls?
- What could be done about the growing number of scam phone calls?
- Can you speculate on how people will contact each other as phone calls become less common?
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.