IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a difficult decision you made

This cue card tests whether you can weigh options out loud in real time rather than just announce a choice. Strong answers name the alternative you rejected and explain what made the choice genuinely hard, not obvious.

The cue card

Describe a difficult decision you made.

You should say:

  • what the decision was
  • what your options were
  • why it was difficult to decide
  • and explain how you felt after you made it

60 seconds to prepare · speak for 1–2 minutes

Your one-minute prep plan

  1. 1Choose a decision with two roughly equal options, not an obviously correct one.
  2. 2Name both options in one sentence each so the examiner understands the choice immediately.
  3. 3Note the specific tension that made it hard — money against comfort, family against ambition, and so on.
  4. 4Note your feeling immediately after and your feeling now, since these can differ and both count as an answer.

Band 9 model answer

The decision I want to describe is whether to accept a scholarship to study abroad or stay and take care of my grandfather, who'd just been diagnosed with early-stage dementia. This was around two years ago. The scholarship covered almost everything and it was for a program I'd wanted to get into for years, so turning it down felt like it might be a decision I'd resent for a decade. On the other hand, my grandfather had basically raised me for large parts of my childhood while my parents worked long hours, and my mother, realistically, couldn't manage his care alone alongside her job. What made it genuinely difficult wasn't choosing between something I wanted and something boring — it was that both options were legitimate and I could construct a good argument for either one at two in the morning. I eventually deferred the scholarship for a year rather than rejecting it outright, which the university actually allowed, and stayed to help set up a proper routine of care for him. Right after I made the call I felt mostly relief, honestly, because indecision itself had been exhausting. Looking back now, I don't think there was a purely correct answer, but I'm glad I chose the option I could live with rather than the one that looked more impressive on paper.

The same answer at band 7

I want to talk about a decision I made about two years ago. I had to choose between accepting a scholarship to study abroad or staying at home to help take care of my grandfather, who was diagnosed with dementia. The scholarship was a good opportunity that I had wanted for a long time. But my grandfather needed help and my mother could not manage everything alone because of her job. This was difficult because both choices were important to me and I did not want to feel guilty later, whichever one I picked. In the end, I decided to defer the scholarship for one year and stay to help my family first. After I made this decision, I felt relieved because I had been thinking about it for weeks. Now, looking back, I believe I made the right choice for my situation.

Both answers structure the dilemma clearly with two named options. The band 9 answer earns extra marks by naming the exact internal conflict ('a good argument for either one at two in the morning'), showing a creative compromise (deferring rather than rejecting), and distinguishing the immediate feeling from the retrospective one.

Phrases worth stealing

“…turning it down felt like it might be a decision I'd resent for a decade.”
Future-in-the-past structure showing sophisticated hedging.
“What made it genuinely difficult wasn't X — it was that…”
Reframes the reason and sounds analytical rather than emotional.
“I could construct a good argument for either one at two in the morning.”
Vivid, idiomatic way of describing indecision.
“…which the university actually allowed.”
Small clarifying aside that keeps the story realistic.
“I felt mostly relief, honestly, because indecision itself had been exhausting.”
Separates the feeling from the outcome.
“I'm glad I chose the option I could live with.”
Reflective closing line for any decision topic.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

Do you think people generally make decisions with their head or their heart?

Avoid an absolute claim; say it depends on the type of decision and give one example of each kind.

Is it better to make decisions quickly or take a long time?

Link speed to the stakes involved — low-stakes decisions favour speed, high-stakes ones favour deliberation — rather than giving one universal rule.

How does age affect the way people make decisions?

Contrast younger and older decision-makers using a factor like risk tolerance or experience, and support it with a general observation, not a personal anecdote.

Mistakes to avoid

Now say it out loud

Reading model answers only gets you so far. Linguently gives you a timed Part 2 recorder with AI feedback on fluency, grammar and pronunciation, plus native speakers to practise with in real conversations.

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