Describe A Time When You Were Late Cue Card

Jan 30, 2026

Describe A Time When You Were Late IELTS Speaking Cue Card model answers have been provided below. The answers are centred upon questions - When Did It Happen?, Why Did You Get Late?, How Did You Feel About Getting Late? And Explain How You Managed the Situation.

What is a Cue Card: IELTS Speaking Part 2 includes cue cards containing topics on which candidates are to speak. Candidates get 2-3 minutes time to speak and 1 minute for note-taking. In IELTS Speaking part 2, candidates' proficiency in grammar and vocabulary is assessed along with their confidence to speak in English.

Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Topic: Describe A Time When You Were Late Cue Card

You should say:

When Did It Happen?
Why Did You Get Late?
How Did You Feel About Getting Late?
And Explain How You Managed the Situation?

Answer 1:

When Did It Happen?

A few years ago, I showed up late to a job interview—definitely not my proudest moment. It was a weekday morning, the office was clear across town, and I’d actually tried to plan ahead for once. This interview really mattered to me, so I set everything up the night before, mapped out my route, and left home earlier than usual.

Why Did You Get Late?

Then life happened. Road construction and a nasty accident turned my main route into a parking lot. Cars barely crawled forward, and I started to sweat. To make things worse, my phone battery was almost dead. No GPS, no way to call for updates—just me, stuck and getting more anxious by the minute.

How Did You Feel About Getting Late?

I kept glancing at the clock, heart pounding, convinced I was blowing my shot at the job. It felt awful, knowing I couldn’t really control any of it, but still blaming myself anyway.

And Explain How You Managed the Situation?

Finally, I managed to call HR and let them know I was running late. Luckily, they were pretty understanding and told me to just get there when I could. I made it to the office about fifteen minutes late, apologized, and tried to pull myself together before walking into the interview. Looking back, the whole thing was stressful, sure, but I learned something valuable: always give yourself extra time, and don’t let panic take the wheel when things go sideways.

Answer 2:

When Did It Happen?

One time, I showed up late to a family wedding. The whole thing was happening at a banquet hall in the evening, and our plan was for everyone to arrive together. You know how it goes—since it was a big event, everyone was running around, trying to look their best.

Why Did You Get Late?

Honestly, I just didn’t manage my time well. I thought I’d be ready way faster, but picking out clothes and accessories took forever. On top of that, nobody really agreed on when we were supposed to leave, and getting dressed just dragged on.

How Did You Feel About Getting Late?

It was really bad. Other people were relying on me, and I realized that they were not happy about that. It made everything even harder. Then, to top that, I also began to worry that I may end up missing some of the major wedding ceremonies.

And Explain How You Managed the Situation?

However, I realized that I needed to quicken my pace to pick up some accessories and get ready. Once we got to the place, though, I tried to make amends with the day by participating in the wedding ceremony and assisting them in any way that I could. This lessoned me on why people should respect others' schedules when it comes to important matters.

Answer 3:

When Did It Happen?

One of the most nervous situations that I remember regarding running late occurred during the last semester of college when I almost missed a major exam. It was to be held early in the morning, since the paper in question involved a lot at stake, hence an early arrival at the examination hall was absolutely mandatory.

Why Did You Get Late?

Unfortunately, I got late because my alarm did not ring that morning. There had been a power cut during the night, which drained my phone battery completely. As a result, I overslept and woke up much later than I had planned. The moment I checked the time, I realized I was already running behind schedule, and panic immediately set in.

How Did You Feel About Getting Late?

I was terrifyingly scared and nervous, shaking in fear of the thousands of negative thoughts pouring in about how I was going to blow the exam and how all the effort I’d put in for the entire first semester would go down the drain. I went through the entirety of my day in a haze, skipping breakfast and rushing out the door without checking if I’d taken all of my belongings. It was as if every single minute was precious, with my heart pounding incessantly.

And Explain How You Managed the Situation?

I didn’t wait around for public transport—I grabbed an auto-rickshaw right away. The whole ride, I kept telling the driver to hurry, glancing at my watch every other second. Somehow, I made it to the exam hall just a few minutes before they shut the gates. I explained what happened to the invigilator, and after a quick check, they let me in. I was rattled at first, but I took a breath, pulled myself together, and started the exam. After all that, I walked away knowing I’ve got to be better prepared, manage my time, and always set a backup alarm—lesson learned.

Check More IELTS Cue Cards