IELTS Speaking Test

IELTS is a popular English proficiency test acknowledged by the top universities in the world. According to The New York Times report, there are more than 3 million tests taken in the past year. IELTS scores are accepted by more than 1000+ universities and colleges across 140 countries around the world. It has 4 sections –  reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. IELTS speaking section is considered to be the easiest of them all. This blog brings you a comprehensive guide to score well in the IELTS speaking section. 

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IELTS Speaking Test Information

The IELTS speaking test’s key details are shown below.

• 1. The speaking examination is conducted face-to-face in a room with an examiner.
• 2. Each applicant will take just one speaking test. The speaking exam is the same for academic and GT applicants.
• 3. The face-to-face interview with the examiner will still take place even if you are taking the IELTS on a computer. Everybody takes the same speaking exam.
• 4. It is recorded so that you can request a comment at a later time.
• 5. This is a casual speaking assessment.
• 6. At the end of the examination, the examiner who asked the questions will determine your scores.
• 7. The examination lasts 11 to 14 minutes (not more and not less).
• 8.      The examiner controls the time and length of your answers.
• 9.      The test comprises of:
  • §  ID check and Greeting
  • §  Part 1 = questions & answers 4 to 5 mins
  • §  Part 2 = a talk for 1-2 mins with rounding off questions for 1 min.
  • §  Part 3 = discussion 4 to 5 mins
• 10.  There are four marking criteria:
  • 0.      Fluency & Cohesion (25%)
  • 1.      Vocabulary (25%)
  • 2.      Grammar (25%)
  • 3.      Pronunciation (25%)

Types of Questions and Marking Schemes

The very first thing you must know about the IELTS speaking section is that it is not to check your smartness but your ability to communicate. As an international student, you will be living in a completely different society and culture, in that case, communicating your thoughts effectively will help you blend in. Apart from that, speaking ability is a must to engage in classroom activities. IELTS speaking section tests your vocal ability to pronounce, analyze error-free English and fluency. It is 11-15 minutes long and a certified examiner evaluates your performance on 4 parameters familiarity & intelligibility, lexical asset, linguistic range & fluency, and elocution. Let us have a look at the 3 divisions of the 

Part 1

In the first part of the IELTS speaking section, you are expected to tell the examiner about your hobbies, family, interests, and personal life. This part is 4-5 minutes long in duration. Examiner might ask you additional questions just to check your response time. 

Part 2

In this part, the examiner will give you a card with a topic. You will get 1-2 minutes to think over it and then speak about the same at length. 

Part 3

This part of the IELTS speaking section is an extension of the previous task. You will be questioned on your viewpoints from part 2. This is done to understand if you are able to communicate your thoughts well enough or not.

Also Read: IELTS Speaking Topics

How to manage your IELTS Speaking section

Purpose of the IELTS Speaking Test 

The IELTS Speaking test is intended to measure a variety of abilities. Because it is a proficiency exam, it will assess the candidate’s ability to answer questions. The themes and questions for speaking are designed to encourage the applicant to talk freely. The questions and themes are not designed to assess your intelligence. Candidates are frequently confronted with subjects about which they have no context to talk, or topics that are meaningless and foolish. Nonetheless, the examiner will be able to judge your language skills through these subjects. He’ll notice how easily and confidently you can talk about anything.

What Skills are Assessed?

The following skills and parameters are assessed during the IELTS Speaking Test: 

• Your verbal fluency and coherence (your speaking speed and ability to make sense).
• Your lexical assets and resources (how wide is your vocabulary range).
• Your grammar and syntax (your ability to use a range of tenses and sentence structures accurately and clearly).
• Your pronunciation (how correct is your English accent).

Common Mistakes of IELTS Speaking Section

You must aim to avoid any sort of mistakes in the speaking section. This can be done by practicing more and more. Below listed are some common mistakes that students usually make while attempting the IELTS  test-

Silence

Being quiet shows that you lack responsiveness which can leave an impression that you are either not confident or not proficient with the language. It’s fine to waver for a couple of moments before talking or between thoughts, however, the silence of longer than five seconds will go down your way.

Over Use of Transition Signals

It’s useful to utilize a couple of signposting words once or twice. However, if you over-burden your speech with these you could harm your score. Sounding nature real, not like a signposting robot, should be your objective in IELTS Speaking. 

Addressing an Inappropriate Question

You will lose marks for lucidness if your answer neglects to address the inquiry. Ask yourself before you start talking if you are sure that you have understood the topic well. 

Tips to Improve IELTS Speaking Section

To score maximum in the IELTS speaking section, you must master your speaking skills and pronunciation. Below are some crucial tips to improve your speaking skills to enhance your IELTS result.

• Pay attention to fluency
• Make use of technology
• Take some time to think before you respond
• Improve your coherence
• Avoid giving short answers
• Use emotions in your speech
• Ask questions
• Learn to answer basic questions
• Make no grammatical errors
• Use your vocabulary
• Use the right pronunciation
• Do not get nervous if you make mistakes

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Books to Improve IELTS Speaking Section 

Here is an exclusive list of the best books and guides that would help you to finesse your English vocabulary and fluency and thus will further improve your IELTS speaking section. 

Books	Links to Buy
IELTS Speaking Section: Quick Guide To IELTS Speaking	Buy here
The Official Cambridge Guide To Ielts Student’s Book With Answers With Dvd Rom	Buy here
IELTS: 10 Insider Tricks: Get our top insider tips and tricks to score a 7 or higher on the IELTS Exam.	Buy here
Achievers 9 Bands General Training Speaking & Writing	Buy here
The Perfect Guide For IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARDS	Buy here
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Strategies: The Ultimate Guide With Tips, Tricks, And Practice	Buy here
Cambridge Ielts 13 Academic Student’s Book With Answers With Audio: Authentic Examination Papers	Buy here

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