The cue card
Describe a goal you hope to achieve in the next few years.
You should say:
- what the goal is
- when you first set this goal
- what you are doing to achieve it
and explain why this goal is important to you.
You have one minute to make notes, then speak for one to two minutes.
Band 8–9 sample answer
Written by Abroadway as a model of natural, high-band speaking (not an official IELTS sample).
The goal I'd like to talk about is qualifying as a chartered accountant, which I'm hoping to do within the next four years or so. It's quite a long road, because you have to pass several levels of exams while doing practical training at a firm.
I first set this goal in my second year at university in Dhaka. Before that, I had a vague idea that I'd end up in some kind of office job. But then my uncle, who runs a small business making garment accessories in Narayanganj, asked me to help him sort out his accounts over the summer. I spent about six weeks going through piles of receipts and handwritten ledgers, and I realised I genuinely enjoyed making sense of all that chaos. By the end of it, I'd spotted a couple of mistakes that had been costing him money for years, and he was so grateful that it made me think this could be a career rather than just a favour.
As for what I'm doing to get there, I've already passed the first set of papers, and I've just started my practical training at a mid-sized firm in Motijheel. My days are long: I'm at the office until six, and then I study for two or three hours. I've also joined a study group with three other trainees, and we meet every Friday morning to go through past papers, which keeps me accountable when my motivation starts to dip.
The reason this goal matters so much to me is partly about security, of course, but it's more than that. Nobody in my family has a professional qualification, and my parents made a lot of sacrifices to put me through university. If I manage to qualify, I'll feel I've repaid that faith, and I'd also love to help small business owners like my uncle, who often can't afford proper financial advice.
Useful phrases from this answer
- making sense of
- understanding something that is confusing or disorganised
- keeps me accountable
- makes me feel responsible for doing what I said I would do
- my motivation starts to dip
- I begin to feel less keen or energetic about something
- repaid that faith
- proved that someone was right to trust or believe in me
- a sense of direction
- a clear idea of what you want to do and where you are going
- lose heart
- become discouraged and stop trying
- guide rather than dictate
- give advice instead of giving orders
- a double-edged sword
- something that has both good and bad effects
Part 3 follow-up questions and answers
Is it important for young people to set goals for the future?
Yes, I think it is, although I'd add that those goals don't need to be rigid. Having something to aim for gives young people a sense of direction, and it helps them make sensible day-to-day decisions, like which subjects to take or how to spend their free time. Without any goal at all, it's very easy to drift, especially now that there are so many distractions on our phones. That said, I'd argue that goals at eighteen should be fairly flexible, because most people don't really know themselves yet. A goal like 'I want a job where I work with people' is probably more useful than a very narrow one that might turn out to be a poor fit.
Do people's goals change as they grow older?
Definitely, and I think that's perfectly natural. When people are young, their goals tend to be quite outward-looking: getting a good degree, earning a decent salary, perhaps travelling or buying a car. As they get older and take on responsibilities like children or ageing parents, their priorities usually shift towards stability, health and family. In Bangladesh, for instance, you often meet people in their fifties whose main ambition is simply to see their children settled. And later in life, I think a lot of people become less concerned with status and more interested in leaving something meaningful behind, whether that's a good reputation in their community or a small charity.
Why do many people fail to achieve their goals?
I'd say the most common reason is that people set goals without a realistic plan. Saying 'I want to be fluent in English' is easy, but unless you break it down into small, regular steps, it stays a wish rather than a goal. Another factor is that people underestimate how long things take, so when they don't see quick results, they lose heart and give up. Circumstances play a part too, to be fair. Someone might have a brilliant ambition but lack money or family support, or face a serious illness. So I wouldn't say failure is always about laziness; quite often it's a mixture of poor planning and bad luck.
Should parents set goals for their children?
To some extent, yes, particularly when children are young and can't yet judge what's good for them in the long run. A parent saying 'I'd like you to read for half an hour every day' is setting a perfectly reasonable goal. The problem arises when parents start choosing their children's life goals for them, such as insisting that they become doctors or engineers regardless of their talents. That's quite common in South Asia, and it can lead to a great deal of unhappiness. I think the ideal is for parents to guide rather than dictate, helping children discover what they're good at and then supporting them to set their own targets.
How are the ambitions of young people today different from those of their parents' generation?
I think the biggest difference is that young people today have a much wider range of options in mind. For my parents' generation, a secure government job was often seen as the ultimate achievement, because it offered stability and respect. Many young people now are more drawn to things like starting their own business, working remotely for foreign companies or building an online following, partly because the internet has shown them what's possible. They also seem to care more about job satisfaction and work-life balance. Of course, this can be a double-edged sword, because some of these paths are far less predictable than the careers their parents valued.
Practise this cue card out loud
Free, no account needed. Use Chrome or Edge with a microphone; you'll get a band estimate for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Want the technique behind a strong Part 2? Read the free Speaking lessons.