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Test-takers and students often find IELTS Speaking to be difficult because they are not aware of what to expect in this section of the exam. In this article, we will tell you about the IELTS Speaking test, the parts it consists of and the types of questions to expect at the test. You will also learn what the examiner will be listening for during the test, and what your band will depend on.
Regardless the version of the test you choose, paper or computer-based, IELTS Speaking is always conducted face-to-face. You will take this part of the test in a private Speaking test room, free from noise and distraction with the examiner only. According to IELTS, it is the most effective way of assessing your speaking skills and it prompts a more lifelike performance. This is also an advantage because the examiner can repeat and rephrase questions for you.
You will take the Speaking test before or after other sections of IELTS. Some centers offer to take IELTS Speaking a day before Listening, Reading and Writing which is less stressful for candidates. Others conduct the Speaking test on the same day after the main session. It is up to you what option to choose. However, people tend to demonstrate better results when they are less tired and more relaxed.
IELTS Speaking is the shortest section of the test. It lasts only from 11 to 15 minutes. However, it may seem like you have spent forever and a day in the room with the examiner. The main reason for this is that candidates forget to relax and lose their confidence. The examiner knows you worry a lot, so he or she may also ask you how you feel to help you relax.
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There are 3 parts in the speaking test:
Part 1 will last for only 4 – 5 minutes, and you will have to answer questions about your everyday life, for example, about your family, work or studies, hobbies, weather etc. These are the questions people often ask each other when they meet for the first time. This part of the test is a kind of warm-up before the next two parts.
In Part 2 the examiner gives the candidate a card with the task. You will have 1 minute to prepare and then talk for 1 – 2 minutes, with some questions from the examiner. The tasks in this part are usually about your experience. For example, you can be asked to speak about things you have or want to have, places you visited or would like to visit, situations and experiences you’ve had or would like to have. Use the preparation time to plan your answer and make some notes. You can look at your notes while answering.
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Below, there is an example of the prompt card you might get from the examiner:
In Part 3 the examiner asks further questions on the topic from Part 2, and gives the candidate the opportunity to discuss more abstract issues or ideas. This means that you will have to speak about other people, tendencies and social issues. For example, if you were to talk about the adventure in Part 2, now you may have to answer the following questions:
The examiner will ask you questions, and you will have to give a response with as much detail as you can. Your answers should be clear and extended. It’s a good idea to support them with an example or two.
In IELTS Speaking you will be assessed according to the following criteria:
The better your work on these aspects the higher score you will get for your speaking test.
If you want to find out more about the format of the test, strategies you can use to increase your score and get feedback on your speaking, register for IELTS Grade course. Moreover, you will have the chance to practise all four skills, watch video tutorials, get your writing evaluated and checked by the automated checking system that uses artificial intelligence to give you the IELTS band score instantly.
We have also written about helpful idioms you can use at the IELTS Speaking test.
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As you work on your English, sooner or later you might come across some odd phrases that don’t make any sense in your language. See, how would you react if your friend told you to ‘break your leg’ before the day of your IELTS exam? Probably, you would think this person is only pretending to be your friend. Doing an exam with a broken leg in plaster isn’t really funny.
However, such groups of words in English have hidden meanings, and we call them ‘idioms’. As a rule, such meanings aren’t clear when reading the words literally. Good news, there’s no need to be scared when someone wishes you to ‘break your leg’ because they are actually wishing you good luck in English. Now you can see how confusing idioms can be! They can mean the total opposite of what they seem to mean.
Why are they helpful? Well, textbooks don’t usually teach you how to use idioms, but if you use them in conversations, it can show how skilled you are in English. Look at the public IELTS Speaking band descriptors. If you aim to score band 7 and more, you have to make use of idiomatic vocabulary.
READ ABOUT: Common mistakes made by candidates in IELTS Speaking
Although using idiomatic language is important in the IELTS speaking exam, it must sound natural. You have to be comfortable with it. So, be very careful with using idioms, and don’t use a lot of them. We have prepared 20 idioms for you to learn about and when they can be used. Think about how you can use these idioms to talk about yourself and which questions they could be used to answer.
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If two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different from each other.
My brother and I are like chalk and cheese.
If someone is down to earth, they are practical, reasonable, and friendly.
The players like the coach because he’s down to earth and honest with them.
The member of the family who seems to get into trouble or has made bad choices.
She had different interests, and we stupidly thought of her as a black sheep of the family.
If the places is off the beaten track, it’s a quiet and unusual place, not known or popular with many people.
We wanted to find a camping site that was a little bit off the beaten track.
To be more relaxed than usual and enjoy yourself.
We always go to Ibiza. It’s the best place to let your hair down.
If something is a whole new ball game, it’s a completely different situation, often one that is difficult or that you know little about.
We’d done a lot of climbing in Scotland but the Himalayas were a whole new ballgame.
If someone does something as if there was no tomorrow, they do it with no regard for the future consequences.
Americans at home continue to consume oil supplies as is there was no tomorrow.
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Use this idiom when you want someone to hurry up.
Get your skates on, or we’ll be late!
Use this phrase when you are saying something that is true but surprising.
Believe it or not, they got married after knowing each other only a week.
If something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected.
One evening, Angela phoned me out of the blue and said she was in some kind of trouble.
This idiom is used to say that something happens not very often.
My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a blue moon.
It describes something that is happening very early in the morning, especially at the time when the sun first appears.
Farmers are often away at the crack of dawn.
We use this idiom to say that someone works or does other things from early in the morning until late at night and so get very little rest.
Back in the twenties, the Millay sisters were known in New York society for burning the candle at both ends.
If someone lands something, they successfully acquire something, such as a job or piece of information.
The economy is still in terrible shape—I haven’t been able to land a job for months.
Tom landed a really juicy story about the senator’s ex-wife.
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Use this idiom to describe the situation when someone has just enough money to pay for the things that they need.
It’s not easy to make ends meet with a big family, but somehow we manage.
From what I know and understand from the information that I have.
To the best of my knowledge, the chemicals which were found are not dangerous.
Something that is like clockwork runs easily, automatically, and always in the same way.
The charity event was well organized and ran like clockwork.
When we use this idiom, we are saying to someone not matter what, rain or shine, regardless of the circumstances, it will be done.
Every morning at about 5am, come rain or shine, James leaves his home on his morning run.
We use this phrase when we consider all the parts or events of a situation.
It wasn’t the best game I’ve ever seen. But, all things considered, it wasn’t too bad either.
If something is at the back of your mind, you are aware of it, though it is not the main thing you are thinking about.
Whenever I park in the city, the fear of being towed is always at the back of my mind.
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