Education

Sources: NgocBach Q1 2022, NgocBach Q1 2024, NgocBach Q2 2022 (May–Sep), NgocBach Q3

Part 1 — Questions (2 total)

Teachers

Source: NgocBach Q3

Do you have a favorite teacher?
What kinds of teachers do you like?

Part 2 — Cue Cards (14 total)

Cue card 1

Source: NgocBach Q1 2022

Describe a lesson that you remember well

You should say: - What the course was about - Where you had it - Why you remember it - And explain why it impressed you a lot

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Which can help you remember things better, words or photos? 2. Why do some people have better memory? 3. Why can some people remember some little things in life?

Cue card 2

Source: NgocBach Q1 2022

Describe a rule (in school or work) that you don’t like

You should say: - What it is - Why you don’t like it - How others feel about the rule - And explain whether you’ve followed the rule

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. What are the rules students should follow at school? 2. Are the rules at school good or bad? 3. Do people often violate the rules in Viet Nam? 4. What rules should children follow at home?

Cue card 3

Source: NgocBach Q1 2022

Describe a time when you moved to a new home or school

You should say: - When you moved Where you moved - Why you moved

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Why do people move to a new home? 2. What problems will people face after moving to a new place? 3. How do people solve these problems? 4. Is it good to move to a new place frequently? Why?

Cue card 4

Source: NgocBach Q1 2022

Describe a person who impressed you most when you were in primary school

You should say: - Who he/she is - How you knew him/her - Why he/she impressed you most - And how you feel about him/her

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Why do people always miss their childhood? 2. Are kids happier than adults? Why? 3. Why do people still remember many of their friends from primary school? 4. What kinds of primary school teachers will impress students?

Cue card 5

Source: NgocBach Q1 2024

Describe a rule that is important in your school or at work

You should say: - What the rule is - If the people break this rule, what will happen - Why do you think this is an important rule?

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. What rules should children follow at home in your country? 2. On what occasions can children be forgiven if they don’t follow some rules? 3. What rules should people follow when using public transportation? 4. What kinds of rules do people need to follow in public places? 5. What are the reasons that cause people to break rules? 6. When people break rules, how would they be punished in your country?

Cue card 6

Source: NgocBach Q1 2024

Describe a difficult task that you campleted at work/study that you felt proud of

You should say: - What the task was - How you completed it - Why the task was difficult - Why you were proud of the completion of the task

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. What are the things that make people feel proud of? 2. Do people often feel proud of themselves when they complete a difficult task? 3. What challenges do young people face today? 4. How do young people handle difficult or challenging tasks? 5. What kinds of rewards do people receive from work? 6. What are the most difficult jobs that people do?

Cue card 7

Source: NgocBach Q1 2024

Describe a person you study or work with who is successful in his/her life

You should say: - Who this person is - How you knew him/her - What makes him/her successful - And explain how you feel about this person

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Do you think a successful person can be popular at the same time? 2. Which one is more important? Being popular or having good grades? 3. Do you think students who do well in academic study will be become successful later in life? 4. What do people need to sacrifice in order to be successful?

Cue card 8

Source: NgocBach Q1 2024

Describe an activity you enjoyed doing when you were at primary school

You should say: - What the activity was - How often you did the activity - Who you did it with - And explain why it was your favourite activity

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. What activities do children often do in your country? 2. What do parents in your country let their children do? 3. What are the differences between activities at home and at school? 4. Why do some people like to participate in activities? 5. What activities do people do in their free time?

Cue card 9

Source: NgocBach Q1 2024

Describe a time you wore a uniform for work or school

You should say: - Where you wear the uniform - How long you need to wear it - Who bought it for you - And explain how you feel about it

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Why should students wear uniforms? 2. Why should people at work wear uniforms? 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing a uniform?

Cue card 10

Source: NgocBach Q1 2024

Describe something you do regularly to help you study or work

You should say: - What it is - How are you learn it - When you do it - And explain how you feel about it

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Do you think everyone’s routine is different? 2. Which jobs need a morning routine? 3. Is a daily routine important?

Cue card 11

Source: NgocBach Q2 2022 (May–Sep)

Describe something you do that can help you con-centrate on work/study

You should say: - What it is - How it helps you concenưate - When you do it - And explain bow you feel about it - Why is it more difficult for children to concentrate nowadays than in the past? - What kinds of jobs require high concentration at work?

Cue card 12

Source: NgocBach Q3

Describe an indoor or outdoor place where it was easy for you to study

You should say: - Where it is - When you go there - What you study there - Who you go with - Why you would study in this place

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Do you prefer studying by yourself or with a group? 2. Do you prefer staying at home or outside? 3. What are the differences between learning from a teacher and learning by oneself? 4. Which is more important school diploma or work experience? 5. Do young people prefer to do things alone or in a group?

Cue card 13

Source: NgocBach Q3

Describe some useful skills you learned in a math class from your primary/ high

You should say: - What the skill was - How you learned it - Who taught you Why it was useful to you

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Can computers help us in math areas? 2. What is the first subject learned by children in childhood? 3. What methods can be applied to make math class more interesting? 4. How do schools teach math in VN? 5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using calculator? 6. When do kids in VN start to learn math?

Cue card 14

Source: NgocBach Q3

Describe something that can help you concentrate on work/study

You should say: - What it is - How it helps you - What you think about it

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. Is it important to keep concentrating on something?? 2. How can employers make their employees concentrate on their work?? 3. What kinds of jobs need higher levels of concentration? 4. Why is it hard some people to concentrate?? 5. Can technology help you concentrate?? 6. Do you need to concentrate when you do sports??

Part 3 — Discussion Questions (59 total)

Which can help you remember things better, words or photos?
Why do some people have better memory?
Why can some people remember some little things in life?
What are the rules students should follow at school?
Are the rules at school good or bad?
Do people often violate the rules in Viet Nam?
What rules should children follow at home?
Why do people move to a new home?
What problems will people face after moving to a new place?
How do people solve these problems?
Is it good to move to a new place frequently? Why?
Why do people always miss their childhood?
Are kids happier than adults? Why?
Why do people still remember many of their friends from primary school?
What kinds of primary school teachers will impress students?
What rules should children follow at home in your country?
On what occasions can children be forgiven if they don’t follow some rules?
What rules should people follow when using public transportation?
What kinds of rules do people need to follow in public places?
What are the reasons that cause people to break rules?
When people break rules, how would they be punished in your country?
What are the things that make people feel proud of?
Do people often feel proud of themselves when they complete a difficult task?
What challenges do young people face today?
How do young people handle difficult or challenging tasks?
What kinds of rewards do people receive from work?
What are the most difficult jobs that people do?
Do you think a successful person can be popular at the same time?
Which one is more important? Being popular or having good grades?
Do you think students who do well in academic study will be become successful later in life?
What do people need to sacrifice in order to be successful?
What activities do children often do in your country?
What do parents in your country let their children do?
What are the differences between activities at home and at school?
Why do some people like to participate in activities?
What activities do people do in their free time?
Why should students wear uniforms?
Why should people at work wear uniforms?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing a uniform?
Do you think everyone’s routine is different?
Which jobs need a morning routine?
Is a daily routine important?
Do you prefer studying by yourself or with a group?
Do you prefer staying at home or outside?
What are the differences between learning from a teacher and learning by oneself?
Which is more important school diploma or work experience?
Do young people prefer to do things alone or in a group?
Can computers help us in math areas?
What is the first subject learned by children in childhood?
What methods can be applied to make math class more interesting?
How do schools teach math in VN?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using calculator?
When do kids in VN start to learn math?
Is it important to keep concentrating on something??
How can employers make their employees concentrate on their work??
What kinds of jobs need higher levels of concentration?
Why is it hard some people to concentrate??
Can technology help you concentrate??
Do you need to concentrate when you do sports??

Generated Practice Questions

Additional IELTS-style questions for practice (generated from topic themes).

Part 1 (5 questions)

What did you enjoy studying at school?
Do you prefer studying alone or in a group?
Have you ever used technology to help you learn?
Would you like to study abroad?
Do you think education is important for everyone?

Part 2 — Cue Cards (1 cards)

Cue card 1

Describe a teacher who influenced you

You should say: - who this person was - what subject they taught - what they were like - and explain how they influenced you

Part 3 follow-up questions: 1. What are the benefits of studying abroad? 2. How has technology changed education? 3. Should badly behaved students be punished physically? 4. Is it better to educate boys and girls separately? 5. What makes a good teacher?

Part 3 — Discussion (3 questions)

Should university education be free?
How important are exams in measuring student ability?
Is home-schooling a good alternative to traditional schools?

Sample Answers Band 6.5–7.0

Part 1 — Education

1. Are you interested in learning and school life?

Yes, to some extent. I would not say I am an expert, but learning and school life affects daily life, so I find it worth thinking about. For example, when I read news or talk with friends, this topic often comes up naturally.

2. Is learning and school life important in your country?

Yes, definitely. In my country, learning and school life matters because it influences families, young people, and the wider community. It may not be something people discuss every day, but it has a real impact on quality of life.

3. Has learning and school life changed in recent years?

Yes, quite a lot. Technology, education, and modern lifestyles have changed the way people think about learning and school life. Older people may have more traditional views, while younger people tend to be more open and practical.

4. Do young people care about learning and school life?

I think many young people do care, especially when it affects their future directly. However, they may express interest through social media or online discussions rather than traditional conversations.

Part 2 — Cue card sample

A lesson i remember well

I would like to talk about a lesson I remember well, which is closely connected to learning and school life.

I first became aware of it a few years ago, and since then it has stayed in my mind because it reflects both the positive and negative sides of modern life.

The positive side is that it shows the value of good teachers and technology. This is important because people often need practical examples, not just abstract ideas, to understand a topic clearly.

At the same time, it also reminds me of the problem of too much exam pressure. That makes the topic more complex, because there is rarely a perfect solution.

Overall, I find it meaningful because it helps me think more deeply about society and my own choices. If I had to summarise my feeling, I would say it is both interesting and relevant to everyday life.

Part 3 — Discussion

1. Why is learning and school life important?

It is important because it affects individuals and society at the same time. For example, good teachers and technology can improve peoples quality of life, while too much exam pressure can create long-term problems. That is why this topic deserves more attention from both citizens and governments.

2. What are the advantages related to learning and school life?

The main advantages are connected to good teachers and technology. If this area is managed well, people can benefit through better opportunities, more convenience, and a higher standard of living. It can also help communities become more organised and forward-thinking.

3. What are the disadvantages or risks?

The biggest risk is too much exam pressure. If people ignore this issue, it can lead to social pressure, inequality, or environmental damage depending on the situation. In my view, the negative side should not be exaggerated, but it should be taken seriously.

4. What should governments do about learning and school life?

Governments should create clear policies, invest in public education, and make sure rules are enforced fairly. For example, they can fund useful programmes and raise public awareness. However, government action alone is not enough; individuals also need to change their habits.

5. Do you think learning and school life will change in the future?

Yes, I think it will continue to change, mainly because of technology, globalisation, and younger generations. People are becoming more aware of both benefits and risks. In the future, I expect more practical solutions rather than simple arguments for or against it.

6. Do older and younger people think differently about learning and school life?

Yes, in many cases. Older people may value tradition, stability, and personal experience, while younger people are often influenced by online information and global trends. Neither side is completely right or wrong; the best approach is to combine experience with fresh ideas.