How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?

Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.

What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?

After "A Time You Remember Being in a New Place", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.

Is this cue card still being used?

It was most recently reported by test-takers in May–Aug 2026. Cue cards rotate every four months, and many topics return in later seasons with slightly different wording.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

A Time You Remember Being in a New Place

Most recently asked in May–Aug 2026

The cue card

Describe a time that you remember being in a new place

You should say:

where you were
why you were in this new place
what you remember about it
and explain how you felt about being in this new place

Sample answers: Band 6.5, 7.0 & 7.5

Three versions of the same answer, each written to sit genuinely at that band — compare them to see exactly what separates the scores.

Band 6.5

The 6.5 answer states the main memory plainly ('What I remember most is going into one of the caves by boat') and uses simple 'and'-linked descriptive sentences throughout.

The new place I remember well is Phong Nha, in Quang Binh province, which I visited two years ago with my colleague Thảo.

I was there because our studio gave the whole team a short break after a big project finished, and Thảo suggested Phong Nha because she had heard the caves there were amazing. I had never been to that part of Vietnam before, so I agreed straight away.

What I remember most is going into one of the caves by boat. It was completely dark inside except for our small lights, and the air felt cool and a bit damp. The rock shapes above us were huge, some like curtains, some like towers, and the guide told us some parts were millions of years old. Outside the cave, the river was very calm and green, with mountains covered in thick forest on both sides. I also remember a simple lunch we had at a small restaurant by the river, eating fish soup while watching local boats go past.

How I felt was amazed, honestly, because I had never seen anything like it. Da Nang has beaches and bridges, but nothing that quiet or that old. I felt very small inside the cave, in a peaceful way, and I still think about going back with my sister one day.

220 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

FC“What I remember most is going into one of the caves by boat.” — The cleft-style opener 'What I remember most is...' identifies the single most important memory before the paragraph elaborates on it with sensory detail, giving the answer a clear anchor point rather than launching straight into description. It's structurally similar to the topic-sentence signalling that shows up at 7.0, but here it introduces only plain factual content rather than a more evaluative or reflective claim, and the following sentences stay at the descriptive level rather than developing an argument, keeping the passage within the 6.5 'direct, on-topic' standard.
LR“very small” — 'Very small' is the plainest possible intensifier-plus-adjective combination to describe feeling insignificant inside a massive cave, chosen over a more figurative alternative (dwarfed, like a speck) that a 7.5 answer might reach for in the same spot. The phrase is immediately qualified by 'in a peaceful way', which adds a little nuance to an otherwise flat description, but the core adjective itself stays basic and unadorned — consistent with the 6.5 lexical target of clear, high-frequency vocabulary.
GRA“It was completely dark inside except for our small lights, and the air felt cool and a bit damp.” — Two sensory observations — sight (darkness, small lights) and touch/smell (cool, damp air) — are joined with a single 'and', each clause built from a simple linking verb plus adjective(s), with no subordination anywhere in the sentence. This is accurate, vivid-enough description through basic coordination, appealing to two different senses in turn, but it doesn't attempt to link the two observations causally or comparatively — contrasting the cave's cool damp with the tropical heat outside — the way a 7.0 answer might, staying within the 6.5 target.

Band 7.0

The 7.0 answer uses a natural collocation ('out of curiosity') and adds a reflective point about realising how little the speaker knew about their own country, sitting comfortably above the plain 6.5 description.

The new place I remember most clearly is Sa Pa, a small town up in the mountains in the north of Vietnam, which I visited for the first time about three years ago with my colleague Linh.

I was there because Linh had been to Sa Pa once before and kept insisting I needed to see the rice terraces properly before I turned thirty, which was apparently some sort of deadline she'd decided on my behalf. I hadn't travelled much outside central Vietnam before that trip, so I agreed mostly out of curiosity rather than any real plan.

What I remember most is how cold it actually was, which genuinely surprised me since I'd grown up thinking of Vietnam as basically warm all year round. We arrived in the evening in thick fog, and I couldn't see more than a few metres in front of me, which felt strange after living somewhere as bright and open as Da Nang. The next morning, though, the fog had cleared, and the whole valley below was covered in green rice terraces stepping down the mountainside as far as I could see. We also walked through a small village where a group of local women, dressed in traditional clothing, were selling handmade fabric, and one of them ended up teaching me a few words in her own language, which I've completely forgotten since.

How I felt about being there was mainly amazed, and honestly a bit humbled too. Having lived in cities my whole life, standing in front of those terraces made me realise how little I actually knew about my own country. I've been trying to convince Linh to plan another trip somewhere similarly unfamiliar ever since, though we haven't managed to agree on a date yet.

294 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“out of curiosity” — "Out of curiosity" is a natural fixed prepositional phrase, more compact and idiomatic than the plainer alternative "because I was curious", used here to explain a fairly reluctant decision to travel. That kind of flexible, slightly less-common phrasing, not rare, but not the first phrase a lower-band speaker would reach for, is exactly the Band 7.0 Lexical Resource target.
FC“made me realise how little I actually knew about my own country” — The description of the trip closes with a short generalisation — realising "how little I actually knew about my own country" — which moves the answer from pure narration into a light, personal reflection. That reason-plus-brief-reflection pattern is the Band 7.0 fluency signature: the speaker doesn't just describe what they saw, they say what it revealed, though without developing that insight further the way a 7.5 answer might.
GRA“We arrived in the evening in thick fog, and I couldn't see more than a few metres in front of me, which felt strange after living somewhere as bright and open as Da Nang.” — This sentence layers coordination ("and"), a relative clause ("which felt strange"), and a comparative structure ("as bright and open as Da Nang") into one accurate, fluent whole. That's the comfortable mix of complex devices Band 7.0 grammar is calibrated for, several structures combined without strain, though not pushed to the more unusual constructions, such as clefts or conditionals, that would mark 7.5.

Band 7.5

The 7.5 answer condenses a huge landscape into a precise figurative image ('a green thread') and delivers a blunt, idiomatic reflective line ('I'd seen photographs and they had prepared me for nothing.'), both markers of confident Band 7.5 range.

The new place I remember most clearly is the Mã Pí Lèng pass in Hà Giang province, in the far north of Vietnam, where I arrived one afternoon last October on a rented motorbike with my colleague Đức.

Why I was there was a plan Đức had been pushing for two years: to ride the mountain loop in Hà Giang before, as he put it, 'we get old or the road gets famous'. I'd resisted because I'm a coast person and a city person, and because I'd never ridden anything more difficult than the road to Hue. In the end I went because he booked the flights without asking me.

What I remember is, first, the cold. I'd lived in central Vietnam my whole life, and at the top of the pass it was nine degrees and I had one jumper. Then the scale: the road is cut into the side of a mountain, and the river is nearly a kilometre straight down, a green thread, with grey rock rising on the far side to peaks I couldn't see the top of. I'd seen photographs and they had prepared me for nothing. I remember a Hmong market the next morning, women in embroidered skirts selling pigs and plums in a fog, and a language around me I couldn't pick a single word from. I remember being unable to stop grinning.

How I felt was mainly small, in a good way. In Da Nang I know every street and I'm known; on that road I was a stranger with a bad jacket who didn't know the rules, and it was a relief. There was fear too — the road has no barrier in places, and Đức rode ahead as if he'd been born there. But mostly there was the feeling of being fully awake, which I'd forgotten was possible, and which I've been trying to find again since. I've promised Đức the whole loop next year. I've bought a second jumper.

330 words · about 2 minutes

Why this band

LR“a green thread” — "A green thread" compresses an entire river, seen from a kilometre up, into a single small, precise image — figurative language doing far more work than a literal description ("the river looked very small from up there") ever could. That kind of compact, original metaphor, used without any explanatory flag, is exactly the figurative touch Band 7.5 Lexical Resource is looking for.
GRA“I'd seen photographs and they had prepared me for nothing.” — "I'd seen photographs and they had prepared me for nothing" uses the past perfect together with an idiomatic negative construction — "prepared me for nothing" rather than the flatter "I wasn't prepared" — to land a blunt, controlled statement right after an elaborate description of scale and cold. The grammar itself is simple, but its placement and phrasing show the same rhetorical confidence Band 7.5 looks for: knowing when a short, plainly-built sentence will hit harder than a longer, more visibly complex one.
FC“I've bought a second jumper.” — "I've bought a second jumper" replaces a conventional reflective summary with a small, concrete, forward-looking action that implies the speaker fully intends to return to that cold, difficult place. That dry, understated way of signalling a changed outlook through an action rather than a stated feeling is a more sophisticated closing move than a plain "I really enjoyed the trip", characteristic of confident Band 7.5 development.

How this card was asked, by exam period

Describe a time that you remember being in a new placeMay–Aug 2026

Part 3 follow-up questions

These are the discussion questions examiners asked after this cue card. Sample answers are shown where available.

1. Why do so many people enjoy travelling to new places?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing image 'a lot of living packed into just a few days' sums up the idea simply, without idiom.
I think it's because a new place makes you notice things again. On that mountain pass, I couldn't stop smiling, because for the first time in months, everything around me felt new, so all my senses were working. People also travel for beautiful views and for stories to tell friends later. But I also think people enjoy being a stranger somewhere, because nobody knows you and you can be a bit different. Seeing how other people live also makes you appreciate your own life more. A good trip also feels like a lot of living packed into just a few days.
Why this band
FC“I think it's because a new place makes you notice things again.” — A plain statement of the thesis with a simple 'because' clause, typical of 6.5's directness. 7.0 and 7.5 instead lead straight with a compact evaluative fragment before the reasoning.
LR“makes you appreciate your own life more” — A general, everyday phrase, less precise than 7.0's and 7.5's more specific 'makes your own life feel chosen rather than just inevitable'.
GRA“On that mountain pass, I couldn't stop smiling, because for the first time in months, everything around me felt new, so all my senses were working.” — A long sentence chaining 'because' and 'so' clauses one after another, a simple but slightly repetitive construction, compared with the semicolon-based version used at higher bands.
Band 7.0
The dash-linked clarification 'and it wasn't just the view — it was that...' adds a natural, reflective correction typical of spoken reasoning.
I'd say it's mainly because a new place switches your attention back on. On that mountain pass I honestly couldn't stop grinning, and it wasn't just the view — it was that for the first time in months, every sense was working, since nothing around me was familiar enough to ignore. People obviously travel for beauty and for stories worth telling afterwards. But underneath that, I think there's a real pleasure in being a stranger, since nobody knows you and you're free to be slightly different. There's also comparison involved: seeing how other people live tends to make your own life feel chosen rather than just inevitable, which is probably why people remember their holidays and forget whole ordinary years.
Why this band
FC“and it wasn't just the view — it was that for the first time in months, every sense was working” — This dash-linked self-correction develops the claim in real time, a more fluent cohesive move than 6.5's single flat 'because' clause.
LR“make your own life feel chosen rather than just inevitable” — This precise contrastive collocation is more developed and specific than 6.5's vaguer 'makes you appreciate your own life more'.
GRA“There's also comparison involved: seeing how other people live tends to make your own life feel chosen rather than just inevitable, which is probably why people remember their holidays and forget whole ordinary years.” — A colon-introduced explanation followed by a non-defining relative clause shows more layered subordination than 6.5's shorter, separate sentences.
Band 7.5
The compact opener 'more than anything else' and the closing image of a trip that 'compresses a surprising amount of living into a handful of days' give the answer a vivid, economical shape.
Because a new place switches attention back on, more than anything else. On that pass I honestly couldn't stop grinning, and it wasn't only the view; it was that for the first time in months every sense was working, since nothing around me was familiar enough to ignore. People travel for beauty and for stories worth telling, sure. But underneath all that, I think it's the pleasure of being a stranger — nobody knows you, so you're free to be slightly different — and the way an unfamiliar place makes you notice your own home properly for once. There's comparison too: watching how others live tends to make your own life feel chosen rather than merely inevitable. And a good trip compresses a surprising amount of living into a handful of days, which is exactly why people remember their holidays and forget whole ordinary years.
Why this band
FC“Because a new place switches attention back on, more than anything else.” — This sentence-fragment opener, with the evaluative tag 'more than anything else' appended directly, is more economical than 7.0's fuller sentence-initial hedge 'I'd say it's mainly because'.
LR“notice your own home properly for once” — The idiomatic tag 'for once' adds a vivid, natural touch beyond 7.0's plainer phrasing of the same idea.
GRA“nobody knows you, so you're free to be slightly different — and the way an unfamiliar place makes you notice your own home properly for once” — The dash-linked expansion adds a second clause onto the first without a new main verb, a more flexible, compact structure than 7.0's fully spelled-out separate sentence.
2. What possible negative impacts can frequent international travel have?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain listing 'push out local residents and make prices go up' states the impact directly and simply.
The environmental effect is probably the biggest one. Our client in Berlin worked out that her flights were actually her biggest source of personal carbon emissions, bigger than her house and car combined. For the traveller, always being on the move can damage your health, sleep and relationships, because you never really belong anywhere fully. For the places being visited, tourism can bring crowds that push out local residents and make prices go up. Diseases can also spread through travel, as everyone learned recently. And there's a smaller problem too — if you've seen everywhere already, nothing feels new anymore.
Why this band
FC“The environmental effect is probably the biggest one.” — A plain, short topic sentence with no hedge, typical of 6.5. 7.0 and 7.5 both add the hedge 'I'd say'/'honestly' to soften the same claim.
LR“always being on the move” — A general everyday phrase, less precise than 7.0's and 7.5's more specific 'constant travel wears down health, sleep and relationships'.
GRA“And there's a smaller problem too — if you've seen everywhere already, nothing feels new anymore.” — A short conditional sentence tacked on with a dash, typical of plain 6.5 grammar, compared with the more developed final sentence used at 7.5.
Band 7.0
The colon-introduced closing 'a subtler loss underneath it all: once a person has seen everywhere, nowhere feels new any more' shows more developed, reflective reasoning.
The environmental one comes first, I'd say. Our Berlin client calculated that her flights were her single largest personal carbon cost, bigger than her home and car put together, and frequent flyers as a group apparently produce a disproportionate share of aviation's total damage. For the traveller, constant travel wears down health, sleep and relationships, since people who are always somewhere else never really belong anywhere fully. For the destinations themselves, it brings crowds that push out residents, raise prices, and turn everyday living places into something more like a stage. Diseases travel with people too, as everyone learned the hard way. And there's a subtler loss underneath it all: once a person has seen everywhere, nowhere feels new any more.
Why this band
FC“The environmental one comes first, I'd say.” — The hedge 'I'd say' is appended to a short topic sentence, a more natural spoken rhythm than 6.5's unhedged version of the same claim.
LR“wears down health, sleep and relationships” — This precise triple collocation is more developed and specific than 6.5's vaguer 'can damage your health, sleep and relationships'.
GRA“And there's a subtler loss underneath it all: once a person has seen everywhere, nowhere feels new any more.” — A colon-introduced explanatory clause shows more controlled subordination than 6.5's plain dash-linked conditional sentence.
Band 7.5
The idiom 'living, breathing places' and the closing aphorism 'travel is precious partly because it's occasional' give the answer a vivid, evaluative finish.
The environmental one first, honestly. Our Berlin client calculated that her flights were her largest personal carbon cost, bigger than her home and car put together, and frequent flyers, as a small group, apparently produce a disproportionately large share of aviation's total damage. For the traveller, constant travel wears down health, sleep and relationships; people who are always somewhere else end up belonging nowhere fully. For destinations, it brings in crowds that push out residents, drive up prices, and turn living, breathing places into little more than a stage. Diseases travel with people too, as everyone learned the hard way. And there's a subtler loss buried in all of it: once someone has seen everywhere, nowhere is new any more, and that grin on the pass becomes a good deal harder to find. Travel is precious partly because it's occasional.
Why this band
FC“The environmental one first, honestly.” — This compact fragment with the hedge 'honestly' placed at the very end is even more economical than 7.0's fuller 'I'd say' construction.
LR“living, breathing places” — This vivid, idiomatic pairing is more evocative than 7.0's plainer 'everyday living places'.
GRA“Travel is precious partly because it's occasional.” — This short, aphoristic closing sentence adds a compact evaluative judgement, a more sophisticated rhetorical move than 7.0's plainer factual ending.
3. What difficulties can people face when they start working at a new company?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain contrast 'The official rules are easy to learn, but the unwritten ones take much longer' states the point directly.
The official rules are easy to learn, but the unwritten ones take much longer. A designer who joined our studio last year said she spent her first two weeks just trying to figure out who really makes the decisions, because it's never the person shown on the company chart. New employees have to learn the tools, the special language, and the history behind strange processes. They don't always know when it's okay to ask a question. They also get judged before they've had a real chance to prove themselves. It can be lonely too, especially if you left a place where people knew you well.
Why this band
FC“The official rules are easy to learn, but the unwritten ones take much longer.” — A simple contrastive statement with 'but', typical of 6.5's directness, compared with 7.0's and 7.5's tighter semicolon versions of the same idea.
LR“the special language” — A general paraphrase, less precise than the specific technical term 'jargon' used at higher bands.
GRA“They don't always know when it's okay to ask a question.” — A simple sentence with no subordination, typical of plain 6.5 grammar.
Band 7.0
The semicolon-linked contrast 'The written rules are pretty easy, honestly; it's the unwritten ones that take months to work out' shows tighter, more natural cohesion.
The written rules are pretty easy, honestly; it's the unwritten ones that take months to work out. A designer at our studio told me she spent her first fortnight decoding who actually decides things, never the person shown on the company chart. New employees have to learn the tools, the jargon, the history behind odd processes, and the moods around them, often not knowing when a question is welcome or a nuisance. There's also the fact that they get judged before they've had a chance to show anything, plus a real loneliness in it, especially for people who've left somewhere they were already known. The pressure to prove yourself quickly can lead to mistakes you'd never make once settled.
Why this band
FC“The written rules are pretty easy, honestly; it's the unwritten ones that take months to work out.” — The semicolon links the contrast directly, a tighter cohesive device than 6.5's separate 'but'-joined sentence.
LR“the jargon” — This precise technical term is a step up from 6.5's vaguer paraphrase 'the special language'.
GRA“There's also the fact that they get judged before they've had a chance to show anything, plus a real loneliness in it, especially for people who've left somewhere they were already known.” — A long sentence stacking a 'that' clause with a 'plus' addition shows more complex coordination than 6.5's two short, separate sentences.
Band 7.5
The compact opening 'The written rules are easy; the unwritten ones take months' and the closing 'build in the time for it' give the answer an economical, confident shape.
The written rules are easy; the unwritten ones take months. A designer who joined our studio last year told me she spent her first fortnight not on the actual work but on decoding who really decides things, which is never the person shown on the org chart. New employees have to pick up the tools, the jargon, the history behind every strange process, and the moods of the people around them, all while not knowing when a question is welcome and when it's a nuisance. They're judged before they've had a chance to show anything. There's a real loneliness in it too, especially for people who've left somewhere they were already known, and the pressure to prove yourself fast leads to mistakes you'd never make once you're settled. Good companies expect all of this, and build in the time for it.
Why this band
FC“The written rules are easy; the unwritten ones take months.” — This four-word-plus-four-word semicolon pairing is the most compact of the three versions, more economical than 7.0's fuller 'The written rules are pretty easy, honestly; it's the unwritten ones that take months to work out'.
LR“pick up the tools” — The verb 'pick up' is a more natural, idiomatic collocation than 7.0's plainer 'learn the tools'.
GRA“Good companies expect all of this, and build in the time for it.” — A short two-clause closing sentence joined with 'and' packs a summary and a recommendation into one compact structure, a more confident closing move than 7.0's longer final sentence about mistakes.
4. Do you agree or disagree that it is important to learn a lot about a new place before travelling there?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing 'let the place itself surprise me' states the personal rule simply.
I agree a little, but not completely. I arrived in Hà Giang with only one jumper because I hadn't checked the temperature, and that was a mistake. But I also didn't know what the mountain pass looked like, and the shock of seeing it was the best part of the whole trip. Practical things, like the weather, safety, money and how to behave, are worth learning before you go, because not knowing can cause real problems. But if you learn everything in advance, the trip can feel more like a checklist than an adventure. My rule now is to prepare the practical things and let the place itself surprise me.
Why this band
FC“I agree a little, but not completely.” — A short, plain statement of the degree of agreement, typical of 6.5's directness, compared with 7.0's fuller 'I'd agree a little, but not a lot' and 7.5's terse 'Some, not a lot'.
LR“a checklist than an adventure” — An adequate but slightly generic contrastive pair, less idiomatic than 7.5's more compact closing image.
GRA“My rule now is to prepare the practical things and let the place itself surprise me.” — A simple sentence with two coordinated infinitive clauses joined by 'and', typical of plain 6.5 grammar.
Band 7.0
The phrase 'prepare for the body and leave the eyes unprepared' gives the personal rule a more developed, reflective shape.
I'd agree a little, but not a lot. I arrived in Hà Giang with just one jumper because I hadn't learned anything about the temperature, which was genuinely a mistake; on the other hand, I also had no idea what the pass looked like, and the shock of it turned out to be the best moment of the whole trip. Practical things — climate, safety, money, how to get around, what's considered rude — are definitely worth learning beforehand, since ignorance of them tends to cause real trouble. But learning absolutely everything in advance can turn a journey into a checklist, and people who've already seen every photograph sometimes arrive just to confirm what they expected rather than actually discover anything. My own rule is to prepare for the body and leave the eyes unprepared.
Why this band
FC“I'd agree a little, but not a lot.” — The hedge 'I'd' softens the claim naturally, a slightly more developed opener than 6.5's unhedged 'I agree a little'.
LR“arrive just to confirm what they expected rather than actually discover anything” — This precise contrastive phrase is more developed and specific than 6.5's vaguer 'the trip can feel more like a checklist than an adventure'.
GRA“I arrived in Hà Giang with just one jumper because I hadn't learned anything about the temperature, which was genuinely a mistake; on the other hand, I also had no idea what the pass looked like” — The semicolon-linked contrast with 'on the other hand' shows more controlled cohesion than 6.5's simple 'but'-joined sentences.
Band 7.5
The compact opener 'Some, not a lot' and the closing 'let the place itself do the surprising' give the answer an economical, idiomatic finish.
Some, not a lot. I arrived in Hà Giang with one jumper because I hadn't learned about the temperature, and that was stupid; I also arrived not knowing what the pass looked like, and the shock of it was the best moment of the trip. The practical things — climate, safety, money, how to get around, what's rude — are worth learning, and ignorance of them causes real trouble and, occasionally, real offence. But learning everything in advance turns a journey into a checklist, and people who've seen every photograph beforehand arrive to confirm rather than discover. My rule is to prepare for the body and leave the eyes unprepared: know what to pack and how to behave, and let the place itself do the surprising.
Why this band
FC“Some, not a lot.” — This two-word fragment answer is the most compact of the three versions, more economical than 7.0's fuller sentence 'I'd agree a little, but not a lot'.
LR“that was stupid” — This blunt, self-deprecating adjective is more vivid and natural than 7.0's more formal 'which was genuinely a mistake'.
GRA“My rule is to prepare for the body and leave the eyes unprepared: know what to pack and how to behave, and let the place itself do the surprising.” — The colon introduces a further explanatory clause onto the rule, extending it with parallel infinitive phrases, a more layered structure than 7.0's shorter single-clause version of the same rule.
5. How likely do you think it is that humans will one day find a new planet to live on?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain contrast 'Finding one is quite likely, but actually living there is much less likely' states the position directly.
Finding one is quite likely, but actually living there is much less likely. My friend Đức spent a night on that mountain pass pointing out stars, and I remember thinking that even the nearest star is further away than a human lifetime could ever travel, with any technology we have now. Telescopes are already finding planets that might have water and air, so I think we'll probably find a good candidate in my lifetime. But actually reaching it, and living there, is a completely different problem. Colonies on the Moon or Mars seem possible within a hundred years, but a real second home around another star feels much further away.
Why this band
FC“Finding one is quite likely, but actually living there is much less likely.” — A plain contrastive sentence with 'but', typical of 6.5's directness, compared with the tighter semicolon versions used at 7.0 and 7.5.
LR“further away than a human lifetime could ever travel” — An adequate but slightly clumsy phrase, less precise than the higher bands' 'a journey longer than a human life... the distance is really the problem, not the searching'.
GRA“But actually reaching it, and living there, is a completely different problem.” — A simple sentence with two coordinated subjects, typical of plain 6.5 grammar.
Band 7.0
The semicolon-balanced opener 'Finding one, quite likely, I'd say; actually living on it, much less so' shows a more compact, reflective structure.
Finding one, quite likely, I'd say; actually living on it, much less so. My friend Đức spent a night on that pass pointing out stars, and the thought that stayed with me was that even the nearest of them is a journey longer than a human life, with any technology we can imagine — the distance is really the problem, not the searching. Telescopes are already finding planets that might have water and air, so I'd expect a convincing candidate within my lifetime. Reaching it is another matter entirely, and actually living there, given everything that means for bodies built for this planet, is further still. Colonies on the Moon or Mars seem plausible within a century, but a true second home around another star feels like a project for people not yet born.
Why this band
FC“Finding one, quite likely, I'd say; actually living on it, much less so.” — This semicolon-balanced pair of fragments, with the hedge 'I'd say' inserted mid-clause, is more compact and natural than 6.5's fuller 'but'-joined sentence.
LR“the distance is really the problem, not the searching” — This precise, contrastive phrase is more developed and specific than 6.5's vaguer explanation of the same idea.
GRA“Reaching it is another matter entirely, and actually living there, given everything that means for bodies built for this planet, is further still.” — The inserted parenthetical clause 'given everything that means for bodies built for this planet' shows more complex embedding than 6.5's plainer coordinated sentence.
Band 7.5
The stripped-down opener 'Find one, quite likely; live on it, much less so' and the closing 'a project for people not yet born' give the answer a compact, memorable shape.
Find one, quite likely; live on it, much less so. Đức spent a night on that pass pointing out stars, and the thought that stayed with me was that even the nearest of them is a journey longer than a human life with any technology we can imagine — the distances are the problem, not the searching. Telescopes are already turning up planets that might have water and air, and I'd expect a genuinely convincing candidate within my lifetime. Reaching it is another matter, and living there, with everything that means for bodies built for this particular planet, is further still. Colonies on the Moon or Mars seem plausible within a century. A true second home around another star, though, feels like a project for people not yet born.
Why this band
FC“Find one, quite likely; live on it, much less so.” — This imperative-verb opener, stripped of any hedge, is the most economical of the three versions, tighter than 7.0's hedged 'Finding one, quite likely, I'd say'.
LR“turning up planets” — The phrasal verb 'turning up' is a more natural, idiomatic collocation than 7.0's plainer 'finding planets'.
GRA“A true second home around another star, though, feels like a project for people not yet born.” — The mid-sentence 'though' inserted between commas shows more flexible discourse placement than 7.0's sentence-initial 'but', giving the closing a more natural spoken rhythm.
6. Do you think spending public money on space exploration to find new planets is worthwhile?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing statement about where 'the main money should go' states the conclusion directly.
I think it's worthwhile, but only in the right amount, and that amount is usually smaller than people assume. The satellite that gave Da Nang three days' warning of last year's typhoon exists because of space programmes, and so does the map app on my phone — space money often comes back in ways people don't notice. Searching for new planets is cheap compared with most government spending, and understanding how planets form has value in itself. I disagree with the idea that we need a new planet because we've damaged this one — that's really just an excuse. The main money should go on fixing the planet we already have.
Why this band
FC“I think it's worthwhile, but only in the right amount, and that amount is usually smaller than people assume.” — A long but simply coordinated sentence stating the position directly, typical of 6.5, compared with 7.0's and 7.5's leaner one-word openers.
LR“that's really just an excuse” — A plain, blunt phrase, functional but less vivid than 7.5's idiomatic 'an excuse wearing the costume of a plan'.
GRA“The main money should go on fixing the planet we already have.” — A short, simple closing sentence with no subordination, typical of plain 6.5 grammar.
Band 7.0
The cleft structure 'What I'd resist, though, is the argument that...' shows more developed, reasoned qualification.
Worthwhile, I'd say, in the right proportion, and that proportion is usually smaller than people assume. The satellite that gave Da Nang three days' warning of last year's typhoon exists because of space programmes, and so do the maps on my phone — space money often comes home unnoticed. Searching for planets is cheap compared with most government spending, and the knowledge has value in itself, since understanding how planets form tells us about our own. What I'd resist, though, is the argument that we need a new planet because we've already damaged this one, which is really just an excuse dressed up as a plan. Fund the science, keep it modest, and put the serious money into fixing the planet we're already on.
Why this band
FC“Worthwhile, I'd say, in the right proportion,” — This one-word opener with the hedge 'I'd say' inserted mid-phrase is more economical than 6.5's fuller opening sentence.
LR“an excuse dressed up as a plan” — This idiomatic phrase is more vivid and developed than 6.5's plainer 'that's really just an excuse'.
GRA“What I'd resist, though, is the argument that we need a new planet because we've already damaged this one, which is really just an excuse dressed up as a plan.” — A cleft sentence ('What I'd resist... is...') with a stacked relative clause shows more complex grammar than 6.5's plain declarative sentence.
Band 7.5
The idiom 'an excuse wearing the costume of a plan' and the closing 'the planet we're already standing on' give the answer a vivid, memorable finish.
Worthwhile, in the right proportion — and that proportion tends to be a good deal smaller than people assume. The satellite that gave Da Nang three days' warning of last year's typhoon exists because of space programmes, and so do the maps on my phone; a surprising share of space money quietly comes home in forms nobody connects to it. Searching for planets specifically is cheap next to most government spending, and the knowledge carries value on its own terms — understanding how planets form tells us something about ours. What I'd push back on is the argument that we need a new planet because we've wrecked this one, which is an excuse wearing the costume of a plan. Fund the science, keep it modest, and pour the serious money into fixing the planet we're already standing on.
Why this band
FC“Worthwhile, in the right proportion — and that proportion tends to be a good deal smaller than people assume.” — The dash links the claim to its qualification directly, without a hedge word like 7.0's 'I'd say', showing a more confident, economical fluency.
LR“an excuse wearing the costume of a plan” — This original, vivid idiom is more striking and precise than 7.0's plainer 'an excuse dressed up as a plan'.
GRA“Fund the science, keep it modest, and pour the serious money into fixing the planet we're already standing on.” — A triple imperative structure closes the answer with parallel commands, a more rhetorically forceful construction than 7.0's plainer final sentence.
7. Do you agree or disagree that there are no new places left to explore on Earth?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain two-part structure 'for two reasons... First... Second...' organises the answer directly and simply.
I disagree, for two reasons. First, literally: the deep ocean is actually less explored than the surface of Mars, and caves are still being found — Vietnam's biggest cave was only discovered by a local man in 1991. The forests and the seabed still hold species that nobody has even named yet. Second, in a personal way: the river below that mountain pass has been on maps for a hundred years, but it was completely new to me. So there are no unknown continents left in the old sense, but the Earth still has plenty of surprises, and most of it is still new to each individual person.
Why this band
FC“I disagree, for two reasons.” — A plain, explicit signposting sentence, typical of 6.5's directness, compared with 7.0's more integrated 'I'd disagree, in two ways, actually' and 7.5's terse 'Disagree, in two ways'.
LR“still has plenty of surprises” — A general, everyday phrase, less vivid than 7.5's more emphatic 'nowhere near finished with surprising us'.
GRA“So there are no unknown continents left in the old sense, but the Earth still has plenty of surprises, and most of it is still new to each individual person.” — A long sentence with three clauses joined by 'but' and 'and', a simple additive structure typical of plain 6.5 grammar.
Band 7.0
The relative clause 'which suggests exploration has always been partly about the explorer rather than the place itself' adds a reflective, reasoned insight.
I'd disagree, in two ways, actually. First, quite literally: the deep ocean is less mapped than the surface of Mars, caves are still being discovered — Vietnam's largest cave, for instance, was only found by a local man in 1991 — and the forests and seabed still hold species nobody has ever named. Second, more personally: the river below that pass has been sitting on maps for a century and was completely new to me, which suggests exploration has always been partly about the explorer rather than the place itself. There are no blank spaces left on the map in the old sense, and nobody is going to sail into an unknown continent again. But the planet is far from finished surprising us, and most people's own map of it is still mostly blank.
Why this band
FC“I'd disagree, in two ways, actually.” — The hedge 'actually' is appended to the two-part signpost, a slightly more natural spoken rhythm than 6.5's unhedged version.
LR“far from finished surprising us” — This more vivid idiomatic phrase is a step up from 6.5's plainer 'still has plenty of surprises', though less compact than 7.5's 'nowhere near finished with surprising us'.
GRA“the river below that pass has been sitting on maps for a century and was completely new to me, which suggests exploration has always been partly about the explorer rather than the place itself” — The non-defining relative clause 'which suggests...' adds an extra layer of reasoning onto the example, more complex than 6.5's plain coordinated sentence.
Band 7.5
The idiom 'nowhere near finished with surprising us' and the parallel closing 'every person's own map of it remains largely blank' give the answer a vivid, tightly balanced finish.
Disagree, in two ways. First, the literal one: the deep ocean is less mapped than the surface of Mars, caves are still being discovered — Vietnam's largest cave was found by a local man as recently as 1991 — and the forests and seabed hold species nobody has ever named. Second, the personal one: the river a kilometre below that pass has sat on maps for a century and was completely new to me, which suggests exploration has always been as much about the explorer as about the place. There are no blank spaces on the map in the old sense; nobody will sail into an unknown continent again. But the planet is nowhere near finished with surprising us, and every person's own map of it remains largely blank.
Why this band
FC“Disagree, in two ways.” — This three-word opener is the most compact of the three versions, more economical than 7.0's fuller 'I'd disagree, in two ways, actually'.
LR“nowhere near finished with surprising us” — This is the most vivid and idiomatic version of this phrase across the three bands, more forceful than 7.0's 'far from finished surprising us'.
GRA“There are no blank spaces on the map in the old sense; nobody will sail into an unknown continent again.” — The semicolon-linked pair of independent clauses is tighter than 7.0's version, which joins the same ideas with 'and'.
8. Why do many students move to a new city or country to study?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain contrast 'Officially it's for the course, but honestly it's often for the escape too' states the position directly.
Officially it's for the course, but honestly it's often for the escape too. I moved from Hue to Da Nang at eighteen for the design course, and because in Hue everyone had known me since I was six and I wanted to find out who I was without people watching. Students also move for better universities, subjects not offered at home, and the job opportunities a degree from a bigger city brings. Some go abroad to learn a language or build a different life. Family expectations push some students too. But underneath it all, I think it's the same wish — to be somewhere that doesn't know you yet.
Why this band
FC“Officially it's for the course, but honestly it's often for the escape too.” — A plain contrastive sentence with 'but', typical of 6.5's directness, compared with 7.0's and 7.5's more compact fragment openers 'For the course, officially, and for the escape...'.
LR“without people watching” — A general, plain phrase, less precise than the more specific 'without an audience' used at higher bands.
GRA“But underneath it all, I think it's the same wish — to be somewhere that doesn't know you yet.” — A simple sentence with a dash-appended infinitive phrase, typical of plain 6.5 grammar.
Band 7.0
The colon-introduced closing 'the same instinct that later took me to Hà Giang: the wish to be, for a while, somewhere that doesn't yet know you' links the answer back to the topic with more developed cohesion.
For the course, officially, and for the escape, if I'm honest. I moved from Hue to Da Nang at eighteen for the design course, and also because in Hue everyone had known me since I was six and I wanted to find out who I was without an audience watching. Students move for better universities, subjects not offered at home, and the jobs a degree from a bigger city or a foreign country tends to open up. Plenty go abroad for the language, or a kind of passport into a different life. Family expectations push some people too, especially where a foreign degree carries status. And underneath all of it, I'd say, is the same instinct that later took me to Hà Giang: the wish to be, for a while, somewhere that doesn't yet know you.
Why this band
FC“For the course, officially, and for the escape, if I'm honest.” — This fragment opener, hedged with 'if I'm honest' at the end, is more compact and natural than 6.5's full contrastive sentence.
LR“without an audience watching” — This more precise, figurative phrase is a step up from 6.5's plainer 'without people watching'.
GRA“And underneath all of it, I'd say, is the same instinct that later took me to Hà Giang: the wish to be, for a while, somewhere that doesn't yet know you.” — A colon-introduced appositive clause, with the hedge inserted mid-sentence, shows more complex grammatical packaging than 6.5's simple dash-appended ending.
Band 7.5
The idiom 'on paper' and the verb 'dragged' in 'the same instinct that later dragged me to Hà Giang' give the answer a vivid, idiomatic edge.
For the course, on paper, and for the escape, if I'm honest with myself. I moved from Hue to Da Nang at eighteen because that's where the design course was, and because in Hue everyone had known me since I was six and I wanted, for once, to find out who I was without an audience. Students move for better universities, for subjects their hometown simply doesn't offer, and for the jobs that a degree from a bigger city or a foreign country tends to unlock. Plenty go abroad chasing the language itself, or a kind of passport into an entirely different life. Family expectations push a few, especially where a foreign degree carries real status back home. And underneath all of it sits the same instinct that later dragged me to Hà Giang: the wish to be, if only briefly, somewhere that doesn't yet know you.
Why this band
FC“For the course, on paper, and for the escape, if I'm honest with myself.” — The idiom 'on paper' replaces 7.0's plainer 'officially', a more vivid and natural discourse choice for the same contrastive opener.
LR“chasing the language itself” — The verb 'chasing' is a more vivid, active collocation than 7.0's plainer 'specifically for the language'.
GRA“the same instinct that later dragged me to Hà Giang” — The verb 'dragged' replaces 7.0's neutral 'took me to', a small but telling grammatical choice that adds idiomatic colour and a hint of self-deprecating humour.
9. How do most children feel on their first day at a new school?
May–Aug 2026
Compare Band 6.5 / 7.0 / 7.5 for this question
Band 6.5
The plain closing 'the right question, which is never just 'was it good?'' states the advice directly.
I think most children feel frightened, even if they try not to show it. My nephew was cheerful all the way to the school gate, then went quiet at the gate, and when he got home just said the day was 'good' with no details, which my sister said meant 'terrifying but survived'. Most children feel a mix of fear, excitement and loneliness, because the building is huge and the rules are unfamiliar. Older children hide their fear better, but they may actually feel it more. What helps is something familiar from home, a normal routine, and asking the right question, which is never just 'was it good?'
Why this band
FC“I think most children feel frightened, even if they try not to show it.” — A plain statement with a simple 'even if' concession, typical of 6.5's directness, compared with 7.0's hedge 'I'd say... honestly' and 7.5's confident unhedged opener.
LR“may actually feel it more” — A general, plain phrase, less precise than the more specific reasoning 'because status starts to matter more as they get older' used at higher bands.
GRA“Older children hide their fear better, but they may actually feel it more.” — A simple contrastive sentence with 'but', typical of plain 6.5 grammar, compared with the 'since' clause used at 7.0.
Band 7.0
The reasoned explanation 'because status starts to matter more as they get older' adds a more developed layer to the observation about older children.
I'd say most children feel frightened, honestly, even while pretending not to be. My nephew was cheerful all the way to the school gate, went quiet at the gate, and by four o'clock reported the day as 'good' with no details, which my sister translated as 'terrifying and survived'. Most children feel some mix of fear, excitement and loneliness: the building seems huge, the rules are unknown, and other children already seem to have friends. Older children tend to hide it better while actually feeling it more, because status starts to matter more as they get older. A few genuinely love it, usually those who've moved before. What helps is a familiar object, a known routine at home, and an adult who asks the right question — which is never 'was it good?'
Why this band
FC“I'd say most children feel frightened, honestly, even while pretending not to be.” — The double hedge 'I'd say... honestly' integrated into the opening is more developed than 6.5's single 'even if' concession.
LR“because status starts to matter more as they get older” — This precise causal explanation is more developed and specific than 6.5's vaguer 'they may actually feel it more'.
GRA“Older children tend to hide it better while actually feeling it more, because status starts to matter more as they get older.” — A sentence stacking 'while' and 'because' clauses shows more complex subordination than 6.5's plain 'but'-joined sentence.
Band 7.5
The compact opener 'Frightened, and pretending not to be' and the emphatic closing 'never, ever' give the answer a sharp, confident shape.
Frightened, and pretending not to be. My nephew was cheerful all the way to the gate on his first day, went silent at the gate, and at four o'clock reported the day as 'good' with no further details, which my sister translated as 'terrifying and survived'. Most children feel some mix of fear, excitement and loneliness: the building is huge, the rules are unknown, and the other children already seem to have friends. Older children hide it better and feel it more, since status matters a good deal more at twelve than at six. A few genuinely love it, usually the ones who've moved before. What helps is a familiar object, a known routine at home, and an adult who asks the right question — which is never, ever 'was it good?'
Why this band
FC“Frightened, and pretending not to be.” — This two-fragment opener drops the hedge entirely, the most compact and confident version of the three, tighter than 7.0's fuller 'I'd say most children feel frightened, honestly'.
LR“status matters a good deal more at twelve than at six” — The precise comparative 'at twelve than at six' is more vivid and specific than 7.0's more general 'as they get older'.
GRA“which is never, ever 'was it good?'” — The repeated intensifier 'never, ever' adds emphatic rhythm through repetition, a more flexible rhetorical device than 7.0's plain single 'never'.

Frequently asked questions

How long should my answer to this Part 2 cue card be?: Speak for 1 to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you at 2 minutes, so aim for roughly 220-300 words that cover every bullet on the card and end with how you feel about it.
What Part 3 questions follow this cue card?: After "A Time You Remember Being in a New Place", examiners have asked 9 follow-up discussion questions, listed above. They move from your personal story to general opinions on the same theme.
Is this cue card still being used?: It was most recently reported by test-takers in May–Aug 2026. Cue cards rotate every four months, and many topics return in later seasons with slightly different wording.