IELTS Speaking test: What all you should know

The International English Language Testing System is one of the world's most widely accepted English language proficiency tests. It evaluates the candidate's familiarity with the language in four aspects: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. 

IELTS Speaking is one of the essential sections of the IELTS exam that evaluates a candidate's ability to communicate in English. It follows the same format for both Academic and General Training modules. 

IELTS Speaking Format 

The IELTS Speaking section usually lasts for 11-14 minutes and is divided into three parts; 

• Part 1: In this part, the examiner asks general questions about your regular life. It generally starts with familiar questions that are factual in manner. Some common topics in this section are family, friends, work/study, lifestyle, habits, hobbies & interests, and likes & dislikes. This part usually lasts for 4 to 5 minutes.  
• Part 2: In the second part, candidates are given a cue card in which a topic will be written. They are allotted one minute to prepare their answer and speak for one to two minutes. Topics in these cue cards generally focus on tight areas such as your favorite painting, a memorable vacation/ event or incident, your school life, the person you are close with, and your most significant milestone. 
• Part 3: In this part, the examiner will ask you cross-questions about the topic you spoke about in Part 2. These questions are more abstract. For example, if your cue card topic was to describe your favorite sport, The examiner could ask questions such as What are the advantages of playing sports? Do you think school children should be encouraged to play sports?

IELTS Speaking: Assessment Criteria

There are four primary assessment criteria for IELTS Speaking:

• Fluency: Fluency describes your ability to speak for a lengthy period without hesitation, pauses, or repetition. To maintain fluency while answering questions, it is advisable to communicate your thoughts clearly and answer relevantly. 
• Coherence: Coherence refers to the logical flow of ideas. It is an assessment criterion that evaluates how well the candidate can express his thoughts using appropriate words and phrases. 
• Lexical Resource: Lexical Resource can define the candidate's vocabulary range while answering the questions. However, they must mindfully maintain the scope of the new words they use while speaking and avoid their overuse. 
• Grammatical range and accuracy (GRA): As the name suggests, GRA refers to the proper use of the grammatical structures in the speaking test. To achieve a high test score, making correct sentences using a limited grammatical range is advisable to achieve a high test score. 
• Pronunciation: Mostly, pronunciation is misinterpreted with 'accent.' However, candidates are not expected to speak in a particular accent. Instead, this assessment criteria analyzes the clarity.  

Tips for scoring good bands in IELTS Speaking 

• Know the question's intent.

You can answer questions confidently once you know what the examiner expects and wants to know. Here you need to be mindful while answering. Avoid answering in haste if you don’t understand the question; instead, gently request the examiner to repeat the question. 

• Keep eye contact while answering the questions.

Maintaining eye contact while speaking shows you're confident to share your thoughts. It creates a good impression in front of the examiner and helps you convincingly present your answers. 

• Elaborate your answers. 

In the speaking test, the examiner evaluates your English communication skills and expects detailed answers. Therefore, make sure that you justify your answers correctly. Some ways you can do this are by giving examples and presenting facts and figures. This would not only substantiate your responses but also embellish your answers and make you more presentable in front of the examiner.

• Expand your vocabulary 

Vocabulary works as a tool for showing your command over the language. A good vocabulary is a skill that adds up to 25% of your total score. So, make sure you learn new words every day before your speaking test. 

• Practice every day to develop fluency 

Fluency comes with practice and consistency. An excellent way to start is by picking any topic and speaking in front of the mirror. This way, you'll learn about your mistakes and the areas for improvement. Make this a part of your daily routine, and you'll eventually start developing fluency. 

• Know the examiner's accent 

Most of the time, Indian candidates get interviewed by foreign examiners whose accent turns out to be an issue. To ensure that you don't go through the same, begin watching English movies and web series with subtitles to understand how words are pronounced in different accents. 

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IELTS Speaking Test Samples

The below table shows some of the common IELTS Speaking test samples with answers.

Everything that you need to know about the IELTS speaking section

1. The IELTS Speaking section is the same for both IELTS Academic and General Training.

2. The scores in the speaking section are awarded on the basis of four skills. They are fluency and coherence, lexical resources, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.

3. There is no right or wrong in the speaking section. Applicants will not be negatively marked for any response. The answers will be evaluated by experienced and trained examiners.

4. There will not be any writing involved in this section. Applicants only need to answer and discuss the questions orally.

5. The IELTS speaking section is the shortest one. It is conducted within a maximum of 15 minutes.

6. The speaking section will comprise three sub-sections. Each subsection will be 3-4 minutes long.

7. As a part of the first subsection, the questions will be related to the applicant. There can be questions about his/her interests, family background, hobbies, and reasons for choosing a particular course or educational institution. This segment usually contains predictable questions and is pretty easy to deal with.

8. In the second subsection, applicants will be given a topic and they will need to speak on it for 2-3 minutes.

9. The third subsection is a conceptual one where you will get an opportunity to answer the issues raised by the examiner.

10. Even if you are taking a computer-based IELTS test, you still need to appear for the face-to-face speaking test.

11. The interview is recorded. And the applicants can take the recordings home too if they are eager to mark themselves on their performance.

12. The examiner of the speaking test is the one who decides the results after the interview ends. Therefore, only reputed, trained, and certified examiners give the test.

13. Fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation all earn equal marks in the speaking test. To do well, applicants need to work on all these skills.

How is the IELTS speaking test different from other IELTS sections?

1. IELTSSpeaking does not involve any writing tasks. It is only a face-to-face formal interview. On the other hand, reading, writing, and listening sections include writing tasks.

2. The IELTS speaking section is conducted within 11-15 minutes, which is much less as compared to all the other sections of the test. It is the shortest section.

3. All the sections of IELTS can be taken in either offline or online mode. The speaking test is conducted offline only. 

4. The speaking section is the only IELTS section where the band is based on four factors that have already been stated. 

5. IELTS speaking results are declared right after the test by the examiner. For other sections, the test results are declared later.

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Booster Program

To prepare the aspirants for their study abroad journey, upGrad Abroad has launched a 12-week-long booster program that assists students in IELTS preparation, Academic Writing, Profile Building, University Application, and Education Loan and Visa process. The program also features an International Faculty Masterclass where the leading subject matter experts and corporate leaders share their experiences with the students. 

Read more: IELTS Speaking Test Format | IELTS Speaking Preparation | IELTS Speaking Topics: Know, Practice & Prepare | IELTS Speaking Band Score