The cue card
Describe a piece of good advice you received. You should say:
- who gave you the advice
- what the advice was
- when you received it
- and explain why it was good advice
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:
- my first manager
- don't be afraid to ask
- first week at work
- learned faster, fewer mistakes
Band 7+ sample answer
The best piece of advice I've ever received came from my first manager in Australia, a woman called Karen, who ran the warehouse where I got my first job.
The advice was simple: "Never be afraid to ask a question. The only bad question is the one you don't ask." She told me this at the end of my first week, after she'd noticed that I'd made a couple of mistakes with orders because I hadn't understood the instructions properly but was too embarrassed to say so.
At that time my English wasn't as good as it is now, and I was really worried about looking stupid in front of my new colleagues. So whenever I didn't understand something, I just nodded and hoped I'd work it out later, which obviously didn't always work.
It was good advice for a few reasons. Practically, once I started asking questions, I learned the job much faster and made far fewer mistakes. But it also changed how I saw the situation. I realised that people actually respected me more for checking, because it showed I cared about doing things properly. And asking questions turned out to be a great way to practise my English and get to know my colleagues.
I still think about it all the time, especially when I start something new. In fact, I recently gave exactly the same advice to a new person in my team, who was clearly as nervous as I'd been.
About 245 words, or roughly 2 minutes at a natural speaking pace.
Useful vocabulary for this topic
- words of wisdom
- to take advice on board
- it stuck with me
- to swallow your pride
- to learn the ropes
- it was spot on
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): Have you given the same advice to anyone?
Part 3 discussion questions:
- Who do young people usually ask for advice?
- Is advice from family better than advice from professionals?
- Do people trust advice they find online?
- Why do some people ignore good advice?
Answer Part 3 questions in 3–4 sentences: your view, a reason, an example, and the other side.
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Frequently asked questions
How long should my answer to 'Describe a piece of good advice you received' be?
Speak for up to 2 minutes; the examiner will stop you. That's roughly 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The sample answer on this page is about 245 words.
Can I memorise this sample answer?
No. Examiners are trained to recognise memorised answers, and it can lower your score. Use the sample to see the structure and borrow a few phrases, then talk about your own experience.