How to prepare for IELTS Speaking

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How to prepare for IELTS – Speaking

Details of the Speaking Test

Structure of the test

The speaking test is the last test you do on the test day. You will be given a time slot

between about 2pm and 6.30pm.

There are three tasks or parts to the test which takes the form of an interview lasting

between 11 & 14 minutes:

Part 1: Introduction & Interview (4-5 minutes)

Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)

Part 3: Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes)

The tasks test your ability to perform the following functions in English:

• provide personal and non-personal information

• express & justify opinions

• make suggestions

• speculate

• express a preference

• make comparisons & discuss contrasts

• summarise

• relate personal experiences

• analyse

• repair conversation & paraphrase

Procedure of the test

The test is conducted by one examiner.

He or she asks all the questions and assesses you. The test is recorded on audio

cassette.

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You will be taken to the examiner’s room where you will be asked to sit either

opposite or at right angles to the examiner. The examiner will then switch on the

cassette recorder and start the test.

Marking

Your performance will be assessed on the criteria below:

Fluency & Coherence

Being able to keep going, to talk at a normal rate without unnatural pauses and

hesitations.

Being able to link ideas and language together clearly so the examiner understands

you.

Lexical Resource

Having the vocabulary which enables you to express yourself while talking about

both familiar and unfamiliar topics or being able to get around any vocabulary gaps

without hesitation.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Being able to use a variety of grammatical structures appropriately.

Making as few grammatical mistakes as possible.

Being understood despite making grammatical mistakes.

Pronunciation

Being able to use English pronunciation features like stress and intonation naturally.

Not causing the examiner any problems in understanding what you are saying.

The examiner will give you a score from 1 to 9 for each of these factors.

They will be converted into one final score between 1 and 9.

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Part 1: Introduction & Interview (4-5 minutes)

The examiner will introduce himself or herself and confirm your identity. He or

she will then ask you a number of general questions about yourself to try and make

you feel relaxed. You may be asked about your home or studies. Then you will be

asked one or two more sets of questions on familiar topics such as your interests,

your country, your family or types of things you like in various categories such as

food, clothes, holidays etc. The questions come from an examiner ‘frame’ (pre-

determined questions) so the examiner will not necessarily follow-up with questions

based on what you say. The more questions that are asked on a specific topic the

more difficult they tend to be. However, you do not have to express a point of view

or justify it in this part.

Some typical questions/prompts might be:

• Where do you come from?

• What is your home like?

• Tell me about your family.

• Tell me about your job/studies.

• Is there anything you dislike about your job/studies?

• What type of transport do you use most?

• Do you like reading?

• What kind of television programmes do you watch?

• Tell me about a film you have seen recently.

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