What you Need to Know about the Speaking Test (British Council Academic IELTS: Speaking): Study Material

Overview of the Speaking test

What is the IELTS Speaking test?

• The IELTS Speaking test checks how well you can communicate in spoken English

• It is a face-to-face interview with an examiner

• The test is recorded 

• You do not need to bring anything into the exam room  except for your identification documents

• The test lasts about 11 to 14 minutes

• It has three parts:

  • Part 1: Introduction and interview (four to five minutes)

  • Part 2: Individual long turn (three to four  minutes)

  • Part 3: Two-way discussion (four to five minutes)

How is the Speaking test scored?

• You receive a band score from 1 to 9

• Your score is based on four marking criteria

• Each criterion is equally important

• The four criteria include

  • fluency and coherence

  • lexical resource

  • grammatical range and accuracy

  • pronunciation

Fluency and coherence

• This means how well you can keep speaking

• It also includes how clearly and logically you organise your ideas

• The examiner listens for:

  • clear development of ideas

  • linking words and phrases

  • smooth communication without too many long, unnatural pauses

• To achieve this, you can:

  • give an answer that is easy to follow from beginning to end

  • add a reason or example to support your point

  • use linking expressions such as “because,” “so,” “however,” and “for example”

  • speak at a natural speed without stopping too often to search for words

• For example:

  • I enjoy studying in the library because it is much quieter than my house. When I study at home, for example,  I often get distracted by my phone or other people.

Lexical resource

• This refers to your range of vocabulary

• The examiner checks whether you can use words:

  • accurately

  • appropriately

  • on a range of topics

• It also includes your control of:

  • word forms

  • collocations

  • idiomatic language

• To get a higher score in Lexical resource, try to:

  • use words that fit the topic naturally

  • show some variety instead of repeating the same words

  • use common collocations and idioms correctly

• For example:

  • I enjoy living in my neighbourhood because it is peaceful and well-connected. There are plenty of local shops nearby, and the public transport is very reliable.

    • In this answer, the vocabulary is clear and appropriate, and the speaker uses a range of words and collocations connected to the topic of neighbourhood (peaceful, well-connected, local shops, public transport)

Grammatical range and accuracy

• This refers to how well you use grammar

• The examiner checks whether you can use:

  • a range of structures

  • both simple and more complex forms

  • grammar accurately

• You can score higher in Grammatical range and accuracy by 

  • using word order correctly (e.g., I like pizza very much. NOT I like very much pizza)

  • using a mix of grammatical structures (e.g., conditionals, complex sentences, simple sentences)

  • avoid making mistakes that make your meaning unclear

• For example:

  • I usually study in the evening because that is when I have the most free time. If I study in the morning, I often feel less focused.

    • In this answer, the speaker uses grammar clearly and accurately, and includes more than one sentence structure: a complex sentence (I usually study in the evening because that is when I have the most free time) and a conditional structure ( If I study in the morning, I often feel less focused.)

Pronunciation

• The examiner checks whether your speech is easy to understand

• This includes how well you use:

  • individual sounds 

  • word stress

  • sentence stress

  • intonation

• You can score higher in Pronunciation by:

  • making individual sounds as clear as possible

  • using word stress correctly in longer words

  • stressing the important words in a sentence

  • using intonation to show meaning and interest