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Indian students who wish to study abroad must usually show their English language proficiency using test results. IELTS is one of the popular tests that is accepted worldwide. A test trusted for more than three decades, IELTS is also a well-structured, comprehensive evaluation that accurately reflects your hold on the language. There are four sections in the IELTS test: Speaking, Listening, Writing and Reading.
The IELTS Speaking test format
For a first-time IELTS Speaking test taker knowing what you will deal with in the test helps a lot. You will be talking to an examiner directly, answering their questions and interacting with them. The IELTS Speaking test takes about 11 to 14 minutes to complete. You will need to bring and show the same ID you used to register for the IELTS test to be allowed to take the Speaking test. The test is recorded so that a review is possible.
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What should you expect with the questions/ interactions? This can be categorised into three segments:
- The initial section is the introduction. This is where you will introduce yourself and give a summary of your family, what you do, what you are interested in, your academics, home and similar topics. For this part of the test, you have approximately four to five minutes.
Your questions are likely to centre around these IELTS Speaking topics for this section:
- Where do you live?
- What do you do?
- What kind of music do you like?
- Do you watch movies? What kind?
- What are your hobbies?
- Who all are in your family?
The examiner will encourage you to elaborate on responses by asking ‘Why?’, ‘When?’, ‘How?’ type pointers.
Understand what your IELTS band score mean.
The second part is known as the Individual Long Turn section. This part of the test begins with you getting a card with a topic written on it, and you have to talk about the given topic. You have a minute to collect your thoughts and decide what to say before you start talking. The time for this section is approximately three to four minutes, of which you can take one minute to prepare. You have to talk continuously for two full minutes. Your examiner will maintain a timer and let you know when the time is up.
Sample IELTS Speaking topics for this section:
- Tell me about a famous piece of art.
- Talk about the book you read last or like most.
- Describe your favourite activity in the day.
- Talk about a family member you are very close to.
Two-way discussion is the third and final part of the IELTS Speaking test. Here you will be talking further about the topic you got in the card in section two. But you get to expand on more abstract ideas here. You have approximately four to five minutes for this section of the IELTS Speaking test.
Explore idioms for IELTS speaking
Sample IELTS Speaking topics for this section: Remember that here, the examiner expands on the topic you spoke about earlier.
- Do you think preserving artwork is important? Why?
- Why is family important?
- How does your favourite activity help you?
- Why should you read books?
How is the IELTS Speaking band score determined?
Each of the four sections in the IELTS test gets an individual band score, and then you have an overall band score. The scores can range from 0 to 9. The first thing to know is that you are evaluated on four IELTS Speaking marking criteria: Fluency/ coherence, Grammatical Range, Lexical resource and Pronunciation. What is tested with each of these?
Fluency/ coherence:
- Your continuity of speech
- Effort taken by you to maintain continuous speech
- Is your speech logically connected and coherent?
- Are you able to link ideas and language appropriately?
- How sustainable is the pace of your speech?
Two main aspects observed are your rate of speech and continuity. The examiner checks if you have separated the speech into sections, whether you can narrate your idea properly or argue your point convincingly and how you use grammatical tools to build and structure sentences.
Grammatical Range:
- How good your grammatical accuracy is
- How complex your sentences are
- How long your sentences are
- Are you able to use clauses to help your narration?
- How good is your sentence structure, and how complex is it?
- Can you bring enough focus to the main ideas using sentence formation?
Note how the focus is on how well you use grammar to improve your communication and meaning. The examiner will be paying attention to how easily you can incorporate correct grammar into your speech and use it to convey what you want effectively.
Lexical resource:
- What is your vocabulary range?
- How easily you can use your vocabulary
- How accurately do you understand the meanings of words and phrases
- Can you use them with precision in your speech?
Your examiner will be paying attention to how well you can use words to fill in gaps and express yourself. They will also see how varied your vocabulary is and how frequently you repeat words. The correct use of words and their application without hesitation on your part is another important aspect the examiner will focus on.
Pronunciation:
This one is simple enough- the examiner will see whether you pronounce words correctly, and articulate them well, and the following aspects determine this:
- How good is your speech clarity and correctness
- Can the listener understand with the least effort and strain?
- Is your speech intelligible, and to what extent is it not?
- How evident is it that English is not your natural choice of language?
The band scores for the IELTS Speaking test are given based on how you fare in all of these respects. What do the scores of 0 to 9 mean, and what do they convey to the college or institution you send them to?
IELTS Speaking band descriptors
The following chart tells you what each of the band scores conveys. This applies to all the four sections of the IELTS test. Get a comprehensive breakdown of what the scores mean for each of the IELTS Speaking marking criteria.
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Band 0 |
Did not attempt the test |
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Band 1 |
Incoherent speech; uses a few isolated words; pronunciation is unintelligible |
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Band 2 |
Lengthy pauses before words, words are mispronounced and often unintelligible |
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Band 3 |
Frequent pauses between words, inadequate vocabulary for simple topics, numerous grammatical errors, frequent mispronunciations |
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Band 4 |
Slow speech with repetitions and pauses, can produce basic sentences and convey basic meaning in familiar situations, frequent mispronunciations |
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Band 5 |
Can produce simple language fluently, and can discuss familiar and unfamiliar topics with limitations. |
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Band 6 |
Willing to speak in long sentences, even though there could be a lack of coherence at times, can produce short and complex sentences, can be understood without much effort |
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Band 7 |
Can continue speaking in long sentences without much effort, has the vocabulary to discuss a variety of topics, a few basic errors persist. |
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Band 8 |
Fluent in the language with very minimal repetitions or self-corrections, has the vocabulary to convey precise meaning, error-free sentences in majority of the cases, easy to understand. |
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Band 9 |
Fluent in the language with very occasional repetitions or self-corrections, able to construct precise and accurate sentences, has the language skill to convey precise and subtle meaning. |
Explore the detailed Speaking Band Descriptors on the IELTS website.
More about how the IELTS Speaking test is conducted
You will be taking the same IELTS Speaking test irrespective of whether you have picked the Academic or General Training test. Unlike the other three parts of the IELTS exams, the IELTS Speaking may be done alongside the rest of the segments or separately. It may be conducted a week before or after the other three sections. These are Listening, Writing, and Reading. For those completing the online version of IELTS, the Speaking portion is completed along with the rest of the sections, but it may be before or after the other three.
Some tips to ace the IELTS Speaking test
- It helps to know how you sound when you talk. Record your practice sessions and listen to them to understand where you hesitate or lose track of your thoughts.
- Fluency does not translate into fast-paced speech. Often, when you talk too fast, you may miss words or pronounce words incorrectly. Avoid rushing through your speech.
- Practice listening to different accents so you are not surprised on test day. Remember that this is a globally recognised test, so the test taker can be exposed to several accents and tones. Familiarising yourself with different accents during your preparation can be very helpful.
- Keep your pace and accent as natural as possible. It is best to avoid adding an accent. It may make you fumble for words or focus too much on maintaining the accent at the cost of fluency or flow. The examiner is trained to interact with students from across the globe, and they will understand your speech with its natural accent. Focus on speaking clearly and articulately.
- Remember to focus on fluency, language grasp, pronunciation, and grammar and not the actual opinion you are giving in your speech. You don’t have to worry about whether the examiner agrees with your view or not.
- In the Long Turn section (section 2), use the preparation time of one minute to jot down bullet points you will speak about. Glance through your notes as you speak so that you can continue without interruption for two minutes fluently.
- Start slow once you have your topic to talk about. Keep your pace, slow, calm and composed so you have enough time to collect your thoughts as you talk. You don’t want to rush through your speech and end up with nothing more to say well before your two minutes are up.
- Avoid using words that you are not familiar with. Focus on expanding thoughts and ideas instead of trying to deliberately include complex words that you may be at risk of using wrongly. Give reasons for why you think what you do and expand on these reasons.
Read our article on the best ways to improve your IELTS speaking skills.
Understanding the IELTS Speaking test format, knowing what to expect at each stage and what aspects to focus on to increase your band score helps a lot. Now that you have this information, it is time to start laying the groundwork. Being prepared for the IELTS Speaking test with several practice sessions under your belt is the simplest and most effective way to ace it. Give yourself enough time before your test date to practise and gain confidence to handle this section.
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