Describe a time you changed your mind about something important.
A strong long turn names the subject in the first sentence, spends most of the two minutes on the last bullet — the why — and arrives at a prepared final line rather than trailing off.
The question, as the examiner gives it
Describe a time you changed your mind about something important.
You should say
- what you originally thought
- what changed it
- how long the change took
- and explain how you feel about it now
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 198 words at a natural pace — roughly what 120 seconds holds.
Answer it yourself first
Record your own answer first. A model you have read three times comes out with a flattened rhythm, and examiners are trained to hear exactly that. Read it afterwards for the vocabulary and the shape, not to memorise the sentences.For most of my twenties I was convinced that working for yourself was obviously better than working for a company, and I said so at length to anybody who would listen, with no evidence at all. What changed it was watching two friends actually do it. One of them succeeded, comfortably, and one of them did not, and the difference between them was almost nothing to do with talent. It was that the first one had a partner with a salary and the second did not. The change took about two years, which is the honest answer, because I did not want to give up the idea. It was flattering. Believing you would thrive on your own is a very pleasant thing to believe when you never have to test it. How I feel about it now is that I hold the opinion much more loosely. I might still do it. But I would do it because the specific circumstances were right, not because of a general belief about my own character. I am also considerably more careful now about opinions I hold that happen to be flattering, because that turns out to be a useful warning sign.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- convinced
past participle with a demanding final cluster
- evidence
abstract noun, three syllables
- succeeded
three syllables with the stress on the second
- flattering
the precise adjective for a belief you enjoy
- thrive
a strong verb with a difficult opening cluster
- loosely
adverb that qualifies how you hold an opinion
- circumstances
four syllables with the stress on the first
How a strong answer is built
- 1State the original belief and how strongly you held it.
- 2Say what changed it, with concrete evidence.
- 3Be honest about how long it took and why.
- 4Describe your current position, precisely.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe a time you changed your mind about something important.” be?
You get 60 seconds to make notes and then speak for up to two minutes without interruption. Aim to still be talking at ninety seconds: finishing at forty is the commonest way to lose marks on this part.
Should I memorise the model answer?
No. Record your own version first, then read the model for the shape and the vocabulary. A memorised answer changes rhythm and pace noticeably, and examiners are trained to hear it — it usually costs more than the better wording gains.
Does sayit score this answer?
It scores what a microphone can observe: an estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.
What the band on your result means
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.One question a day until your test
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