Describe a successful person you know.
This test has appeared in 5 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2026
- May–Aug/2026
- May–Aug/2024
- Jan–Apr/2024
- Sep–Dec/2023
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?)
Food
- What kind of food do you eat most often? (Tell me more about that.)
- What is your favourite dish? (Tell me more about that.)
- Is there any food you didn't like as a child but enjoy now? (Why is that?)
- Do you think people in your country eat more healthily now than in the past? (Why is that?)
Headphones
- Do you use headphones a lot? (Why is that?)
- What do you usually listen to with them? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you prefer big headphones or small earphones? (Why is that?)
- Do you think using headphones too much is bad for people? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a successful person you know.
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you know them
- what they have achieved
and explain why you think this person is successful.
Follow-up question after your talk: Would you like to be successful in the same way? / Did this person work hard to get there?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
what success means
- Can you explain why people measure success in different ways?
- How would you compare success at work with success in family life?
- In general, what do most people in your country think success looks like?
reaching success
- Can you explain why hard work alone does not always lead to success?
- What could be done about students who leave school unprepared for working life?
- Can you speculate on how ideas about success will change for the next generation?
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.