# Describe a piece of advice you received: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Experiences

Describe a piece of advice that had an impact on your life.

You should say:
- what the advice was
- who gave it to you
- when you received it
- and explain how it affected your life

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

The piece of advice I'm going to talk about is "stop comparing yourself to other people". It sounds very simple, but it made a big difference to me.

It was my maths teacher in secondary school who told me this. I was about fifteen at the time, and I was going through quite a difficult period. My best friend was getting top marks in almost every subject, and I was always checking her results and feeling bad about mine. One day, after a test, my teacher noticed I looked upset and asked me to stay behind. I told him I was stupid compared to my friend, and he said that the only person I should compete with is the person I was yesterday. Then he showed me my marks from the beginning of the year, and actually I had improved quite a lot, but I hadn't even noticed because I was so focused on her.

This advice affected my life in several ways. First of all, I started to enjoy studying more, because I was looking at my own progress instead of a ranking. My grades went up gradually, and my friendship also became better, because I wasn't secretly jealous anymore. Later, when I started working, I used the same idea. In my office there are people with much more experiences than me, and I could easily feel inferior, but since then I try to measure myself against my own goals.

To be honest, I still compare myself sometimes, especially on social media, but whenever I catch myself doing it, I remember his words and it really helps me to calm down.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer tells a clear, believable story and shows how the advice continued to matter later in life. Vocabulary is good with some less common items ("stay behind", "feel inferior", "catch myself doing it"), and the speaker sequences ideas with "First of all" and "Later". There are typical errors: "much more experiences" (rather than "much more experience") and "since then I try" (rather than "since then I've tried"), and "my friendship also became better" is a little plain where "improved" would be more precise. Band 8 would add more idiomatic and precise language and a smoother, more varied flow of ideas.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-piece-of-advice-you-received).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.