# Describe an event you found very exciting: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Events

Describe an event you thought was very exciting.

You should say:
- what the event was
- when and where it took place
- who you were with
- and explain why you thought it was so exciting

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

## Band 7 sample

The event I'd like to describe is a national robotics competition that I took part in during my second year at university.

It was held about three years ago in a big exhibition centre in the capital, and there were teams from around twenty universities. Each team had to build a small robot that could move through an obstacle course, pick up coloured blocks and put them in the right boxes, all without anyone controlling it. We had about four minutes to complete the course, and the judges gave points for speed and accuracy.

I was in a team with four classmates, and our professor came with us as a supervisor. We spent nearly six months to build the robot, mostly in the evenings and at weekends in the university lab, so by the time of the competition we were all really close friends, but also really exhausted.

It was exciting for several reasons. First of all, the atmosphere was amazing. There were hundreds of people watching, with music and big screens, and every time a robot dropped a block, the whole crowd groaned. Then, in the first round, our robot suddenly stopped in the middle of the course, and we had only fifteen minutes to fix a loose wire before our second attempt. My hands were shaking while I was fixing it. Luckily, it worked, and in the end we got into the final and finished in the third place. When they announced our name, we were jumping and shouting like children. It was the first time I felt that all our hard work was really worth it, and I'll never forget that feeling.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer gives a clear, lively account with good detail about the competition and a moment of real tension. Vocabulary is good ("obstacle course", "supervisor", "loose wire", "the whole crowd groaned", "worth it"), but the signposting ("First of all", "Then") is fairly predictable and "really" is repeated. Grammar is generally accurate, including passives and past continuous, though there are typical slips: "spent nearly six months to build" (rather than "building") and "finished in the third place" (rather than "in third place"). Band 8 would add more idiomatic, precise expressions of excitement and a smoother, more varied flow.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-an-exciting-event).

## 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.