IELTS Speaking Overview:

The IELTS speaking test will take between 11-14 minutes. It consists of three sections.

Part 1: Informal interview questions about yourself, family, work, study or hobbies.

Part 2: You will be given a topic card with three points to talk about. You will have 1 minute to prepare speaking points, and 1-2 minutes to speak continuously, addressing all parts of the task. You will be asked discussion questions relating to the topic from two.

Part 3: You have a longer discussion on the topic. The examiner will ask you further questions connected to the topic in Part 2.

IELTS Speaking Criteria

There are four parts to the IELTS marks scheme:

1. Fluency and Coherence
2. Lexical Resource
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
4. Pronunciation

TIPS FOR IELTS SPEAKING TEST

Tip 1: Don’t memorise answers

Don’t memorise answers, especially in Part 1. The examiner can’t measure your English-language skills accurately. The examiner will be able to tell if you have memorised your answers and this may influence your final band score.

Tip 2: Don’t use big and unfamiliar words

You may want to impress the examiner with big and complex words in your Speaking test. But to be safe, avoid using words you are not familiar with. There is a higher chance of making mistakes by either mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context. Mistakes can affect your final band score.

Tip 3: Use a range of grammatical structures

You are assessed on your ability to use different grammatical structures accurately, so it’s important to practise speaking about the past, the present and the future using correct tenses.

Tip 4: Don’t worry about your accent

If you can communicate well, then there is nothing to worry about. But do be aware of sounds that you have difficulty with and make sure to use stress and intonation. Practice with friends and they will tell you if they can’t understand what you are saying.

Tip 5: Avoid using fillers

Speak confidently and avoid using filler words. Avoid the following fillers: Like, you know, umm…, ahh…

Tip 6: Extend your answers

Try and answer the examiner’s questions in full. Extend your answers and don’t wait for the examiner to prompt you with a question. When your answers are short, this shows the examiner that you cannot talk in detail about a topic. If the examiner says ‘Why?’, they are prompting you to give a reason for your answer and to extend more fully.

Tip 7: Don’t speak in a monotone

Putting emphasis on certain words and pausing at sections in your speech can make your conversation with the IELTS examiner more engaging. When we emphasise certain words it makes it easier to compare and contrast ideas by stressing key words. It also increases the flow of conversation, so remember:

• Don’t speak in a monotone
• Vary the stress and intonation to add emphasis
• Use your hands to gesture and help the rhythm of the conversation

Tip 8 – Practice common IELTS topics

Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test requires you to speak on a given topic for about 2 minutes. Practice common IELTS topics with friends, family or colleagues to improve and to learn vocabulary associated with each topic.

Common topics you can practice for the Speaking test include:

• Tourism and travel
• Education
• Transport
• Environment
• Family life