Describe a time when the vehicle you were travelling in broke down.
This test has appeared in 2 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Work or study
- Do you work, or are you a student? (Why?)
- Why did you choose that job or that subject? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you enjoy most about it? (Why?)
- Is there anything you would like to change about it? (Why?)
Patience
- Are you a patient person? (Why is that?)
- What situations make you lose your patience? (Tell me more about that.)
- Were you more patient as a child or are you more patient now? (Why is that?)
- Do you think patience is an important quality for a job? (Why is that?)
Shopping
- Do you enjoy shopping? (Why is that?)
- Do you prefer shopping online or in shops? (Why is that?)
- Who do you usually go shopping with? (Tell me more about that.)
- Is there anything you never enjoy buying? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when the vehicle you were travelling in broke down.
You should say:
- what vehicle you were in and where you were going
- what went wrong
- how the problem was solved
and explain how you felt while it was happening.
Follow-up question after your talk: Did this experience change how you prepare for journeys? / How did you get to your destination in the end?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
keeping vehicles safe and reliable
- Can you explain why some drivers ignore small problems with their vehicles?
- How would you compare the reliability of new vehicles with the reliability of older ones?
- In general, how often should vehicles be checked by law?
safety on the roads
- Can you explain why accidents are more common on some roads than on others?
- What could be done about drivers who take risks when they are in a hurry?
- Can you speculate on how electric vehicles will change repairs and maintenance?
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.