Microsoft Word ielts speaking Actual Tests (Sep Dec 2019) and Suggested Answers Version

10/ Describe a practical skill you learnt.

You should say: what the skill was; who you learnt it from; how you learnt it; and explain how useful it was.
In my country, buying a car isn’t exactly a big deal, but driving a car is. It sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? Well, if it does, then the reason for this is, it is extremely difficult to obtain a driving license in my country as it involves some rigorous (difficult; detailed) driving and road tests. So, when I finally managed to pass the driving test a year ago or so, I felt as if I had landed on the moon (accomplished something huge).
I had recently gone to a job interview in which they required the candidate to have their driver’s license. I was really intrigued by the job, so I decided to follow up on this. So, I went to a local car driving school and started to take driving lessons mostly on the weekends, as I worked during the week. Initially, the lessons involved learning about different parts of a car and their functions. Then came the actual driving lessons on the road by understanding and following different road signs and driving rules. Needless to say, the lessons followed some stringent (strict) driving standards which weren’t always easy to maintain, but that was exactly the real “test” in order to help a future driver understand the safety and security aspects of taking a car on the roads.
Anyway, the lessons had continued for almost three months, and I was finally ready to take an official driving test to obtain a driver’s license.
Anyway, I am glad that I had finally learned driving as it has allowed me the freedom to travel to my work and other places at my own pace (speed) and according to my agenda (schedule). Besides, learning this driving skill has also made me confident about applying for some well-paying jobs. Finally, learning how to drive has also allowed me to transport many bulky (big) items in my car, which otherwise would have been really inconvenient for me if I had to take them on the bus like before. All in all, driving is just so useful.