IELTS Speaking Practice 16 Test 01
Practise Part 1 questions, a Part 2 cue card and Part 3 discussion questions with sample answers.
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Introduction and Interview
Answer familiar questions naturally and directly.
Where is your hometown?
My hometown is Shenzhen, in southern China. It’s a large, modern city, and I’ve lived there for most of my life, so it still feels very familiar to me.
What do you like most about your hometown?
What I like most is the convenience. Public transport is efficient, there are plenty of places to eat, and I can usually find whatever I need without travelling very far.
Has your hometown changed much in recent years?
Yes, a lot. There are more metro lines, shopping centres, and high-rise buildings now. Some older streets I remember from childhood have been replaced by newer developments.
Do you believe in karma?
I’m not completely sure I believe in karma in a literal sense, but I do think the way you treat people often affects how they treat you later.
Has karma ever happened to you?
Once I helped a colleague finish some urgent work, and a few weeks later she helped me when I was under pressure. It felt a little like karma.
Is karma a good belief to have?
Yes, if it encourages people to behave kindly and take responsibility for their actions. I just wouldn’t use it to explain every good or bad thing that happens.
Do you drink coffee?
Yes, usually one cup in the morning. I like coffee, but I try not to drink too much because it can make it harder for me to sleep.
How do you like your coffee?
I normally drink it with a little milk and no sugar. I prefer a fairly mild taste rather than something extremely strong or sweet.
Do you think coffee helps you work or study better?
It helps me feel more alert, especially early in the morning, but it isn’t a substitute for proper sleep. If I’m exhausted, coffee only helps for a short time.
Long Turn
Speak continuously and develop the cue card as one natural response.
Describe a time you changed your mind
- What you originally thought
- What made you reconsider
- What decision you finally made
- How you felt about the change
A time I changed my mind was when I was deciding whether to take an evening course in digital marketing. At first, I thought it would be a waste of time because I was already working full-time and could find plenty of free information online. I was worried that paying for a course would just give me material I could learn by myself. What made me reconsider was a conversation with a friend who had taken a similar course. He explained that the main benefit wasn’t only the content, but having a structured schedule, assignments, and feedback from someone experienced. I looked at the course outline again and realised that I had been thinking too much about the price and not enough about whether the structure would help me stay consistent. In the end, I decided to enrol. The course wasn’t perfect, but it pushed me to practise regularly, and I finished projects that I probably would have postponed if I had studied alone. I felt relieved that I had changed my mind because the decision turned out to be useful. It also reminded me that rejecting something too quickly can mean overlooking benefits that aren’t obvious at first.
Do you often think about this experience?
Yes, sometimes. I remember it when I catch myself rejecting an idea too quickly, because it taught me to look at the practical benefits before deciding.
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Discussion
Develop your ideas with reasons, examples, comparisons or qualifications where they fit.
What can influence people to rethink their decisions or beliefs?
New information is probably the biggest influence. People may change their minds after seeing stronger evidence, hearing another person’s experience, or noticing that their original plan isn’t working. Personal relationships matter too, because advice from someone we trust often carries more weight. Major life events can also shift beliefs. For example, becoming a parent or changing careers may make someone reconsider priorities they used to take for granted.
Why do people sometimes find it difficult to change their minds?
Changing your mind can feel like admitting that your previous judgment was wrong, and some people connect that with weakness or embarrassment. They may also have invested time, money, or emotion in a decision, which makes reversing it uncomfortable. Social pressure matters as well. If someone has strongly defended an opinion in public, they may worry about looking inconsistent. So the difficulty is often emotional rather than logical.
Why do some people refuse to admit they were wrong?
Some people see being wrong as a threat to their intelligence or status, so they become defensive instead of examining the facts. Pride can be especially strong when the mistake has been pointed out by someone they dislike. In other cases, admitting an error may have practical consequences, such as apologising or changing a decision. It takes confidence to say, 'I got that wrong,' because doing so means accepting short-term discomfort.
How can changing your mind help you learn?
Changing your mind can be a sign that you’ve absorbed new information rather than simply repeating an old belief. It forces you to compare evidence, question assumptions, and understand why your first conclusion was incomplete. That process can improve judgment over time. If people never revise their opinions, they may protect their ego, but they also miss opportunities to learn from experience, feedback, and better information.
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