A TIME WHEN YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND LEARNED FROM IT

IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Instructions

• You will have 1 minute to think and make notes on the topic.

• The examiner will give you paper and a pencil for note-making.

• Then, you must speak continuously for 1–2 minutes on the topic.

• Usually, this is around 10–12 sentences spoken naturally..

Band 7 Answer

A mistake I made and learned from was during my first job as a customer service assistant about two years ago. I accidentally gave a customer incorrect information about the store’s return policy.

Because of this mistake, the customer got confused and was upset. My manager had to step in and clarify the situation, which was embarrassing for me.

From this experience, I learned how important it is to be fully informed and double-check facts before giving any information to customers. Since then, I always make sure to read company policies carefully and ask questions if I am unsure. This mistake taught me to be more careful and responsible in my work.

Band 8 Answer

One significant mistake I made was during a university group project last year. I was responsible for compiling the final report but mistakenly submitted an earlier draft instead of the completed version.

As a result, our project was marked down because the report was incomplete and lacked important sections. It caused frustration among my group members, and we had to ask the professor for an extension to resubmit the work.

This incident taught me valuable lessons about attention to detail and time management. I realized the importance of thoroughly reviewing my work before submission and communicating clearly with my team. Since then, I have adopted a habit of double-checking all documents and setting reminders to avoid last-minute errors. This experience has made me more organized and reliable.