How to Calculate IELTS Speaking Score?

IELTS is one of the most popular English Proficiency Tests in the world. To get admission to a top abroad university, you must get above-average in the IELTS. Knowing how the scores are calculated can definitely help you get an idea to score more. Test takers often lose scores in the speaking section as it tests your fluency in the language. Read the whole blog to understand how speaking scores are calculated in the IELTS Test.

Highlights

IELTS	International English Language Testing System
Skills Tested	Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking
Score Range	0-9 (0.5 band increments)
Test Validity	2 Years

IELTS Test Structure

IELTS Test Takers should be aware of the test structure as it allows them to prepare for the test accordingly. There are 2 types of IELTS Tests i.e IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training or GT and these tests are graded in the same way. While taking an IELTS test your Reading, Writing, Listening and speaking fluency is tested. Only the speaking section is held individually while the other sections of the test are taken altogether. Mentioned below is the format for an IELTS Test:

Sections	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
Time Provided	60 Minutes	60 Minutes	30 Minutes	11-14 Minutes
No. of Questions	40	2 Tasks	40	3 Parts
Marks Awarded for each question	1	–	1	–

Also Read: Canada Student Visa IELTS Band Requirements

IELTS Speaking Band Description

IELTS band speaking is calculated with the mean calculation of all the aspects of the IELTS speaking band description. Here is the description:

IELTS Speaking Band Description	Fluency and coherence	Lexical resource	Grammatical range and accuracy	Pronunciation
Speaking IELTS band 9	Speaks fluently with only rare repetition or self-correction; Any hesitation is content-related rather than to find words or grammar Speaks coherently with fully appropriate cohesive features Develops topics fully and appropriately	Uses vocabulary with full flexibility and precision in all topics Uses idiomatic language naturally and accurately	Uses a full range of structures naturally and appropriately Produces consistently accurate structures apart from ‘slips’ characteristic of native-speaker speech	Uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety Sustains flexible use of features throughout Is effortless to understand
IELTS band 8 speaking	Speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self-correction; Hesitation is usually content-related and only rarely to search for language Develops topics coherently and appropriately	Uses a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly to convey precise meaning Uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary skilfully, with occasional inaccuracies Uses paraphrase effectively as required	Uses a wide range of structures flexibly Produces a majority of error-free sentences with only very occasional inappropriate or basic/non-systematic errors	–
Speaking 7 band in IELTS	Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence May demonstrate language-related hesitation at times, or some repetition and/or self-correction Uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility	Uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics Uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and shows some awareness of style and collocation, with some inappropriate choices Uses paraphrase effectively	Uses a range of complex structures with some flexibility Frequently produces error-free sentences, though some grammatical mistakes persist	Shows all the positive features of band 6 and some, but not all, of the positive features of band 8
IELTS band 6 speaking	Is willing to speak at length, though may lose coherence at times due to occasional repetition, self-correction, or hesitation Uses a range of connectives and discourse markers but not always appropriately	Has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length and make meaning clear in spite of inappropriate Generally paraphrases successfully	Uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but with limited flexibility May make frequent mistakes with complex structures though these rarely cause comprehension problems	Uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control Shows some effective use of features but this is not sustained
IELTS band 5 speaking	Usually maintains the flow of speech but uses repetition, self-correction, and/or slow speech to keep going May over-use certain connectives and discourse markers Produces simple speech fluently, but more complex communication causes fluency problems	Manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but uses vocabulary with limited flexibility Attempts to use paraphrase but with mixed success	Produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy Uses a limited range of more complex structures, but these usually contain errors and may cause some comprehension problems	Shows all features of band 4 and some, but not all the positive features of band 6
IELTS speaking band description 4	Cannot respond without noticeable pauses and may speak slowly, with frequent repetition and self-correction Links basic sentences but with repetitive use of simple connectives and some breakdowns incoherence	Is able to talk about familiar topics but can only convey basic meaning on unfamiliar topics and makes frequent errors in word choice Rarely attempts paraphrase	Produces basic sentence forms and some correct simple sentences but subordinate structures are rare Errors are frequent and may lead to misunderstanding	Uses a limited range of pronunciation features Attempts to control features but lapses are frequent Mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty for the listener
IELTS band 3 speaking	Speaks with long pauses Has limited ability to link simple sentences Gives only simple responses and is frequently unable to convey the basic message	Uses simple vocabulary to convey personal information Has insufficient vocabulary for less familiar topics	Attempts basic sentence forms but with limited success, or relies on apparently memorized utterances Makes numerous errors except in memorized expressions	Shows some of the features of band 2 and some, but not all, of the positive features of band 4
IELTS speaking band description 2	Pauses lengthily before most words Little communication possible	Only produces isolated words or memorized utterances	Cannot produce basic sentence forms	Speech is often unintelligible
IELTS band 1 speaking	No communication possible No rateable language	No communication possible No rateable language	No communication possible No rateable language	No communication possible No rateable language
IELTS band 0 speaking	Did not attend

Scoring Criteria

Your IELTS Speaking is assessed through the following criteria:

• Fluency & Coherence (FC)
• Lexical Resource (LR)
• Grammatical range and accuracy (GRA)
• Pronunciation (P)

Scoring Chart

IELTS speaking scoring is based on 4 different criteria. IELTS Speaking Score is calculated by the arithmetic mean of all the 4 different criteria, for example: 6+7+&+8/4=7). Here’s a reference scoring chart to make it easier for you to understand IELTS Speaking Scoring:

Criteria	Band Scored by X Candidate
Fluency and Coherence	6
Pronunciation	7
Lexical Resource	7
Grammatical range and accuracy	8
Total IELTS Speaking Score	7

IELTS Speaking: What is the Examiner Looking For?

The IELTS speaking examiners judge students on the basis of 4 parameters which are:

• Fluency and Coherence
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Pronunciation

Fluency and Coherence (FC)

Fluency demonstrates your ability to speak at length without minimal hesitation, pauses or repetition. You must sound natural and be able to convey the right expression so that the listener can easily understand your message. Coherence refers to the logical development of ideas and linking within and between sentences while speaking.

Lexical Resource (LR)

Lexical Resource depicts your knowledge of vocabulary. While taking the IELTS Speaking Test, you must use a wide range of vocabulary, including less common phrases and idiomatic language, in a natural way.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GR)

Use a variety of grammatical structures accurately. You will also need to demonstrate that you can use a good mix of various grammatical structure.

Pronunciation (P)

You must not confuse with ‘accent’. You must speak in a way that you are clearly understood, without your listener having to focus on every word that you speak.

IELTS Speaking Score Criteria

Test takers must know the speaking assessment criteria to get the desired score. IELTS Speaking scores are calculated and marked according to the following mentioned criteria:

Fluency and cohesion	Talking at length Talking without pauses and hesitation Talking without self-correction Ability to be understood
Lexical Resource	Using a variety of words and paraphrasing Using collocations Using more vocabulary Avoiding errors
Grammar Range and Accuracy	Using a range of sentence structures Using a range of grammar tenses Avoiding errors
Pronunciation	Able to be understood throughout the test Able to use intonationAccent does not affect understanding Accurate word and Sound pronunciation

Also Read: Different IELTS Bands

IELTS Speaking Score Calculator

The above-mentioned criteria are graded on a score ranging from 0-9 score points. The overall score is calculated through arithmetic means. We’ve mentioned an example below for your reference:

Criteria	Score A	Score B
Fluency and cohesion	7.5	7
Lexical Resource	7.0	8
Grammar Range and Accuracy	7.0	7
Pronunciation	7.5	6
Overall Score	7.5	7

How are the scores calculated?

Calculation	Score A	Score B
Add	(7.5+7.0+7.0+7.5)	(7+8+7+6)
Divide by	4	4
Overall Score	7.5 (7.25 before round-off)	7

1. Add all the 4 scores
2. Divide them by 4
3. Round off the score if needed

Also Read: IELTS Eligibility

Tips to Get a Good Score in IELTS Speaking

Here are some very important tips that our experts have curated to help you score well.

• As you know, the grading is done using the 4 criteria, so all of them must be given equal importance.
• Try to connect your sentences by linking words and sign points, and extend your answers by adding all the relevant details
• Make sure you speak smoothly without taking a pause.
• Learn new words and increase your vocabulary so that you can use a wide range of vocabulary and discuss different topics freely using appropriate and new words
• Ensure that you use the words wisely. Do not use inappropriate words while giving the test such as yeah, like, and all, and stuff etc.
• While preparing for the test, focus more on the pronunciation so that at the time of the test you pronounce words as clearly as possible. It will be easier for the examiner to understand what you are saying.
• Record your voice and try to figure out what you are saying incorrectly. Self-Assess yourself to improve further. 
• Make sure you use advanced grammatical structures such as passive voice, direct speech, different tenses and conditional sentences to make your speech more effective and vast.
• Lastly, do not forget to carry confidence along with yourself. Be confident while giving the answers. Do not hesitate. Do not panic. 

Also Read: Tips to Ace IELTS Writing

IELTS Speaking Samples

Click here to listen to the IELTS Speaking Sample

IELTS Speaking test measures fluency and coherence, lexical resources, grammar range and accuracy, and pronunciation of every candidate. The average IELTS speaking band score is 6.5 and 5 in India. If you want to ace this section then practicing your pronunciation and improving your coherence is the key!

Common IELTS speaking topics

1. What is your country famous for?
2. Where do you live in your country?
3. Is it an interesting place to live?
4. Are you planning to live there in the future?
5. How is the weather today?
6. Can you tell me about your hometown?
7. How has your hometown changed over the years?
8. Is there any way your hometown could be made better?
9. Are there good transportation links to your hometown?
10. What kind of jobs do the people in your hometown do?
11. Do you have a lot of friends?
12. Who is your best friend and why?
13. Who would you most like to be friends with and why?
14. What kind of person can you make friends with easily?
15. How many people are there in your immediate family?
16. Who do you get on best within your family?
17. Do you have a large extended family?
18. What do you do together with your family?
19. Why is family important to you?
20. Do you do housework at home?
21. What kind of housework do you often do?
22. Do you like watching TV?
23. How often do you watch TV?
24. What kind of TV programs do you like to watch?
25. What are the most popular TV shows in your country?
26. Has the internet affected your viewing habits?
27. How often do you read?
28. Do you like reading books? Why?
29. Do you have many books at home?

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Why Leverage Live?

• Batch size of less than that of 20 so that everyone gets enough attention from the faculty.

• Diagnostic tests and periodic evaluations help identify the focus areas for every individual and additional attention is provided accordingly.

• Multiple mock tests and practice sets to ensure that the student is able to practice all the concepts.

• Webinars and online sessions with previous year toppers on test strategy, tips and tricks that make it easier for you to understand the specific test.

Also Read: How to score in the IELTS Speaking Section?

FAQs

If you wish to get the desired scores on the IELTS test, you can take a free online demo of our exclusive test preparation classes. Get in touch with us at Leverage Edu to register for the same. We will further ensure that you get an above-average score in the IELTS!