What the examiner sees
Photograph description
The photograph shows a group of students at a maker space or innovation lab in school. They are building a model of a smart garden using cardboard, wires, and a small electronic board. One student is sketching a design on paper, another is cutting cardboard, and a third is connecting wires. Their faces show excitement and concentration.
Three questions the examiner might ask
What are the students doing in this photograph? What does their project seem to be about?
Have you ever created or built something you were proud of? Tell me about it.
Do you think schools should spend more time on creative projects and less on memorising facts? Why or why not?
Q1 tests what you see in the photograph. Q2 tests a personal experience. Q3 tests your opinion — the hardest of the three since 2025.
A model opinion answer (P.E.E.L.)
Point
I don't think children my age always spend too much time on devices — it really depends on what they're using devices for.
Explain
Playing games for three hours is different from using a learning app or video-calling my cousin in Malaysia.
Example
In my family, we have a rule: no games before homework is done, but educational apps and reading on the iPad are allowed any time. My younger sister uses Khan Academy for maths every day, which is a good two hours of screen time — but it's productive.
Link
So the real question isn't how much screen time, but what kind — and that's a conversation families should have together.
Swap in your own example — the structure stays the same. Examiners reward concrete detail over polished phrasing.
Common mistakes on this topic
- Saying 'I don't use devices much' when the examiner can tell otherwise. Be honest and talk about how you manage it.
- Treating 'technology' as one thing. Tablets, games, messaging, and AI are all different — pick one.
- Skipping the actual rule or habit your family uses. Concrete rules score higher than wishful thinking.
Vocabulary that works for this topic
device— a piece of technology
“I use three devices every day.”
balance— the right mix
“It's about balance between work and play.”
distraction— something that pulls your attention
“Games can be a big distraction.”
productive— getting useful things done
“The app helped me be more productive.”
addictive— hard to stop
“Some games are very addictive.”
innovation— a new idea or product
“Innovation has made learning more fun.”
For parents
Pick up any family device and ask your child to describe what a 'good hour' and a 'bad hour' of screen time look like, using that specific device. That exact framing is what Q3 is testing.
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More topics in Technology & Innovation
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The highest-probability 2026 SBC. Most students say screens are bad — the high-scoring answer separates productive from unproductive screen time with a concrete family rule.
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AI-in-learning Q3 asks students to draw the line between 'help' and 'cheat'. The answer that defines the line concretely — 'AI explains, I still write' — scores higher than one that dodges the tension.
Too Much Screen Time
Screen-time Q3 asks whether devices make children lonelier. A 'sometimes yes, sometimes no' answer works only if it names WHEN each is true — specificity wins.