A Useful Guide to the IELTS Speaking Test

What is it?
An oral interview between a candidate and an examiner.
How long is it?
11-14 mins
How many parts are there?
3 parts
What are they?
Part 1: Introduction and Interview
- Examiner introduces themselves and checks the candidate’s identity.
- Examiner asks questions about personal information such as home, studies, family, work, studies, interests etc.
Part 2: Long turn
- Students are given a topic card and a pencil and paper and have a minute to make some notes.
- Students then give a short talk on the topic for around 1-2 minutes.
Part 3: Discussion
- The examiner and candidate discuss issues connected to the topic in part 2.
- The discussion in part 3 is more abstract than in part 3 and students answer questions in as much detail as possible.
How it’s marked.
The marking criteria is weighted equally the following:
Fluency and Coherence (25%)
Lexical Resource (25%)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
Pronunciation (25%)
Tips:
- Keep in mind that fluency is just as important grammatical accuracy so don’t panic if you make a grammar mistake, just keep on going!
- Don’t worry about having to ask the examiner to repeat a question.
- When you’re practising at home try recording yourself then listening back for mistakes.
- Try to relax and be as confident as possible.
Here’s a link to an IELTS speaking test. This candidate achieved a 7 in IELTS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2oawkQIgrw
You can also find the public band descriptors on the IELTS website
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IELTS