Describe a goal you would like to achieve

The cue card

Describe a goal you would like to achieve. You should say:

• what the goal is
• when you set it
• what you are doing to achieve it
• and explain why it is important to you

You have 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1 to 2 minutes.

🎙 Practise this card with the examiner

Notes you could make in 1 minute

Write key words only, one line per bullet point:

• registered nurse in Australia
• two years ago
• IELTS, bridging course
• security, helping people

Band 7+ sample answer

The goal I'd most like to achieve is to become a registered nurse here in Australia. I trained as a nurse in my home country and worked in a hospital for five years, but my qualifications aren't automatically recognised here, so I've had to start the process again.

I set this goal about two years ago, just after I arrived. At first I was working in aged care as an assistant, which I enjoy, but I knew I wanted to get back to the work I was trained for.

There are several steps, and I'm working through them one by one. The first was improving my English to the level the nursing board requires, which is why I've been studying so hard for my test, especially writing and speaking. After that I'll need to complete an assessment and possibly a bridging program, which includes clinical placements in a hospital. I'm also doing some short online courses to keep my knowledge up to date, and I've been talking to other overseas nurses who've already been through the process, which has been really helpful.

It's important to me for a few reasons. Practically, it would mean a better salary and more security for my family. But more than that, nursing is a big part of who I am. I miss the responsibility and the feeling of really making a difference to patients. When I finally get my registration, I think I'll feel a huge sense of achievement, and probably a lot of relief as well.

🔊 Listen to the sample answer

About 253 words, or roughly 2 minutes at a natural speaking pace.

Useful vocabulary for this topic

• a long-term goal
• to work towards
• a stepping stone
• to stay motivated
• a sense of achievement
• to fulfil an ambition

Why this answer works: it covers every bullet point, tells a short story with specific details (names, places, numbers), uses a range of tenses, and finishes with the "explain" point, which is where you show your best vocabulary.

Follow-up and Part 3 questions

Examiner's follow-up (Part 2): How will you feel when you achieve it?

Part 3 discussion questions:

• Is it important for young people to set goals?
• Do people give up on their goals too easily?
• Should companies set goals for their employees?
• Are personal goals more important than career goals?

Answer Part 3 questions in 3–4 sentences: your view, a reason, an example, and the other side.

More cue cards

• Describe a teacher who influenced you
• Describe a time when you changed your mind
• All 30 IELTS cue cards