How to prepare to ielts speaking

IELTS Speaking test: 10 tips from Experts

Test takers are often nervous about facing an examiner on test day. By reading through our IELTS Speaking tips, you will be better prepared and more confident on your test day.

On this page

You might be nervous about taking your IELTS Speaking test, but with these 10 tips from our IELTS Experts, and plenty of practice, you will be well on your way to building your confidence and getting the IELTS band score you need.

For both IELTS on paper and IELTS on computer, the face-to-face Speaking test is made up of three parts. By understanding what happens in these three parts of the Speaking test, you will be better prepared.

Part 1

In Part 1, you will have a 4 to 5 minute conversation with an IELTS examiner about yourself. Topics might include:

Part 2

In Part 2 of the Speaking test, you will be given a card with a topic. You will be given one minute to take notes on the topic and will be given a pencil and paper to prepare your response, you will then speak on the topic for two minutes.

Part 3

In Part 3, you will have a conversation with the IELTS examiner around the topic given in part 2, discussing it in more detail. Part 3 should take approximately 4 to 5 minutes to complete.

IDP IELTS preparation offer

IDP offers free access to an IELTS preparation course developed by Macquarie University. Prepare better and move towards a high band score!

Tip 1: Don’t memorise answers

Don’t memorise answers, especially in Part 1. Memorised language doesn’t give the examiner an accurate measure of your English-language skills. The examiner will be able to tell if you have memorised your answers and this may influence your final band score.

Tip 2: Don’t use big and unfamiliar words

You may want to impress the examiner with big and complex words in your Speaking test. But to be safe, avoid using words you are not familiar with. There is a higher chance of making mistakes by either mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context. Mistakes can affect your final band score.

Use a range of vocabulary that you know which is relevant to the topic being discussed. Look at the topics in Tip 10, making vocabulary lists or mind maps to help you learn more words and phrases connected to these topic areas.

Tip 3: Use a range of grammatical structures

When IELTS examiners assess your speaking skills, they mark you against the following assessment criteria:

Fluency and coherence

Grammatical range and accuracy

Try and use a range of grammatical structures using complex and simple sentences to express what you want to say. Know your own errors and practice speaking to friends in English, or record yourself to see if you can spot errors. If you hear an error, make sure to correct yourself. You are assessed on your ability to use different grammatical structures accurately, so it’s important to practise speaking about the past, the present and the future using correct tenses.

Tip 4: Don’t worry about your accent

With a face-to-face Speaking test, the IELTS examiner understands a wide range of accents so will be able to understand what you say, unlike an AI machine. If you can communicate well, then there is nothing to worry about. But do be aware of sounds that you have difficulty with and make sure to use stress and intonation as English is a stress-timed language. Practice with friends and they will tell you if they can’t understand what you are saying.

Tip 5: Pause to think

That’s an interesting question

I have never thought about that, but.

That’s a good point

That’s a difficult question, but I’ll try and answer it

Well, some people say that is the case, however I think.

Let me think about that for a minute

Tip 6: Avoid using fillers

Speak confidently and avoid using filler words. We generally use fillers when we don’t know what to say, however, this shows the examiner that you can’t access the appropriate language or ideas so it’s important to avoid them and to use the phrases we gave you in Tip 5.

Avoid the following fillers:

Tip 7: Extend your answers

Try and answer the examiner’s questions in full. Extend your answers and don’t wait for the examiner to prompt you with a question. When your answers are short, this shows the examiner that you cannot talk in detail about a topic. If the examiner says ‘Why?’, they are prompting you to give a reason for your answer and to extend more fully.

Tip 8: Smiling helps pronunciation

Smiling can help calm your nerves which in turn helps your pronunciation. Make sure to enunciate clearly, opening your mouth wide enough so that sounds come out clearly. When we smile, our mouth is bigger and the tone of our voice is more friendly. Using clear enunciation and tone will show the examiner that you can use a range of pronunciation features.

Tip 9: Don’t speak in a monotone

Sometimes when we speak, we produce a flat sound, a monotone, with little variation. This makes it more difficult to express what you say and makes it more difficult for the listener to identify what parts of your message are important. Putting emphasis on certain words and pausing at sections in your speech can make your conversation with the IELTS examiner more engaging. When we emphasise certain words it makes it easier to compare and contrast ideas by stressing key words. It also increases the flow of conversation, so remember:

Don’t speak in a monotone

Vary the stress and intonation to add emphasis

Use your hands to gesture and help the rhythm of the conversation

Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test requires you to speak on a given topic for about 2 minutes. Practice common IELTS topics with friends, family or colleagues to improve and to learn vocabulary associated with each topic.

Common topics you can practice for the Speaking test include:

IELTS Speaking

Explore official IELTS preparation materials for Speaking test, from free practice tests to events and tips from IELTS Experts.

The IELTS Speaking is the same for both General Training test and Academic test and assesses your use of spoken English. All speaking tests are conducted face-to-face with a certified IELTS examiner and are recorded in case they need to be reviewed.

The Speaking test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of 3 parts. Part 1 is the first part of the test where the examiner will ask you some general questions about familiar topics like work, family, studies and hobbies.

In Part 2 you will be given a card with a topic. You will be given one minute to take notes on the topic and will be given a pencil and paper to prepare your response. You will then speak on the topic for two minutes. In Part 3 of the interview, you will have a two-way discussion with the examiner where they will ask questions related to the topic discussed in Part 2.

The Speaking test may be conducted on the same day as the other tests or a week before or after the other test parts.

Ask IELTS

Ask IELTS

The Listening, Reading, and Writing parts of the test are completed immediately after each other on the same day. In some test centres, you will sit the Speaking test on the same day, or up to 7 days before or after your test date.

If you take IELTS on computer, the Speaking test will be taken on the same day, either before, or after the other three parts of the test.

Smiling can help you feel relaxed which in turn might help you perform better. However, if you smile or laugh too much, it might not be appropriate for the topic you are discussing. Every examiner is trained and monitored closely to be fair to every candidate and to assess your level of English. The examiners will not give you more or fewer marks if you are smiling and laughing. It is best to try and relax as much as you can and communicate in a natural way.

The Speaking test is a discussion with a highly qualified IELTS examiner who assesses your ability to talk about a range of topics. The Speaking test has three parts and is recorded. A description of the three parts of the interview is found in the Information for Candidates booklet.

As IELTS is an international test, a variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used in both the General Training and Academic tests.

Everyone speaks with an accent and you are not expected to change your accent for the IELTS test. Instead, focus on speaking clearly and at a natural pace so that the examiner can understand you. Practising your English every day and listening to different native speaker accents will help you to more clearly pronounce difficult words.

You must bring the same passport or national identity card that you used to book your IELTS test. Your ID will be checked before you enter the interview room and again during the interview.

Как подготовиться к IELTS Speaking

Сегодня мы поговорим о последней части экзамена IELTS — Speaking. Некоторые считают ее самой простой, другие — самой сложной. Как и в случае с остальными частями, нужно знать, что вам ожидать и что ожидают от вас.

Структура экзамена IELTS Speaking

Первая приятная новость: перед Speaking у вас будет небольшой перерыв, около часа. Если вы сдаете экзамен в своем родном городе, то этот модуль могут перенести на другой день. В любом случае непосредственно перед Speaking советуем пообщаться с кем-то на английском языке. Это может быть кто-то из ваших друзей, хорошо владеющих английским, или преподаватель. Так вы сможете «настроиться на нужную волну».

Теперь о самом экзамене. Первое, о чем нужно помнить: ваш ответ будет записываться. Это минимизирует роль человеческого фактора в оценивании знаний. В самом начале экзаменатор представится и проверит ваши личные данные. После таких формальностей начнется проверка ваших знаний, которая состоит из трех частей.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 или General questions

В этой части экзаменатор будет задавать вам различные вопросы на общие темы, часто несвязанные между собой. Темы могут варьироваться, начиная от “Can you describe your town?” до “Do you enjoy reading?” Первый вопрос в большинстве случаев один: “Do you work or study?”

Длится эта часть около 4-5 минут.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 или Long turn

Это своего рода монолог. Вы получите задание и должны будете дать ответ в течение 2-3 минут. Вам дают 1 минуту на подготовку. Здесь разрешается делать записи. Вот пример задания для Speaking part 2:

Готовясь к ответу, не пытайтесь писать полноценные предложения, вы не успеете. Отметьте для себя только ключевые слова и фразы, которые помогут выстроить рассказ.

Когда отвечаете, сверяйтесь с заданием, чтобы не пропустить ни один из пунктов. После того, как вы закончили отвечать, экзаменатор задаст вам 1-2 дополнительных вопроса.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 или Analytical discussion

Вам предложат обсудить абстрактные понятия, но вопросы экзаменатора будут тематически связаны со второй частью. Например, рассказав о достопримечательностях в вашей стране в Speaking part 2 (см. выше), в Speaking Part 3 вам, возможно, пришлось бы отвечать на следующие вопросы: “Do you think tourism is a promising industry in your country?”, “How does tourism influence the life of locals?” и т. д.

Такова структура экзамена. Разрешите теперь предложить вам больше практических советов о том, как готовиться к экзамену и как себя на нем вести.

Советы при подготовке к IELTS Speaking

До экзамена

На экзамене

Напоследок предлагаем вам просмотреть записи реальных ответов на экзамене и прочитать комментарии экзаменаторов к ним.

1. IELTS Speaking Part 1: Where you live, family, learning English

Band: 5.5

Examiner’s comment:

In spite of this candidate’s confidence, she does not demonstrate the features of performance that are necessary to reach Band 6.

2. IELTS Speaking Part 2: A well-known person

Band: 4.5

Examiner’s comment:

This candidate can keep going, but she uses only a limited range of connectives. There are frequent self-corrections and false starts, but she does not need long pauses to find language. She uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate non-personal information, but she is sometimes not able to paraphrase Spanish words (mitos; histories), which indicates her limitations. She is able to use a limited range of tenses and complex structures, although the frequency of errors is quite high in these. Her pronunciation is a weak feature of her performance and causes some strain for the listener. She has a strong accent with systematic mispronunciations and incomplete word endings. She also has marked stress and intonation patterns that make patches of speech quite hard to follow at times.

This candidate’s pronunciation difficulties prevent her reaching Band 5.

3. IELTS Speaking Part 3: Hobbies

Band: 8

Examiner’s comment:

This candidate speaks very fluently and is able to give long, complex and very detailed responses without any loss of coherence, repetition or language searches. She uses a wide range of discourse markers naturally and precisely. Her range of vocabulary allows a high degree of precision and flexibility with plenty of examples of stylistically appropriate language. Only occasional inaccuracies or slight inappropriacies (Competition is quite big) restrict her rating. She uses a wide range of complex structures with the majority of sentences being error-free. However, there are examples of inappropriate choice of tense and other occasional, non-systematic errors. Candidate J is easy to understand throughout the test, in spite of her accent. Although there are occasional mispronunciations of individual phonemes, these have minimal effect on communication. She is able to use a wide range of features, such as intonation and contrastive stress, to convey meaning.

This candidate’s high overall fluency and wide range of features with only occasional examples of inappropriate usage make her a strong example of a Band 8 candidate.

Теперь вы знаете, чего ожидать от устной части экзамена IELTS. Если вы серьезно решили заняться подготовкой к IELTS, то вам предстоит проделать серьезную работу, ведь самостоятельно «разговориться» — совсем непростая задача. И не забывайте, что вы всегда можете обратиться за помощью к нашим квалифицированным преподавателям, записавшись на интенсивный курс подготовки к экзаменам.

How to Prepare for IELTS Speaking

This article will show you how to prepare for the IELTS speaking test.

Understand the Speaking Test Format

This might seem like an obvious point, but there are lots of students who go into the IELTS speaking test not knowing what to expect at all.

The speaking test is split into three parts and it lasts between 11-14 minutes in total.

Part 1 last around 4-5 minutes and you will be asked about yourself and your family. The examiner could also ask you about your hometown, your work or studies, your family or your hobbies. This part is designed to help you relax and start talking naturally about familiar topics.

In part 2 you will be given a card with a topic on it. The card will also have a list of points that you should talk about. You are given one minute to read the card, make notes and think about what you are going to say. You will then have to talk for between 1-2 minutes about that topic. The examiner will not ask you any questions or help you in any way when you are talking. Please check out our strategy for answering part 2 questions, if you need extra help with this.

Part 3 is the most abstract part of the speaking test and students often find it the most challenging. The examiner will ask you questions related to the topic you spoke about in part 2 and this part lasts for between 4-5 minutes. The examiner might test your ability to talk about the past, present or future, give your opinion, talk about hypothetical situations, compare and contrast or evaluate another person’s opinion.

Know What the Examiner Wants

It is essential that you understand how the exam is marked.

There are four marking criteria:

Each criterion counts towards 25% of your mark and you will be marked on a 9 band scale.

Fluency refers to your ability to talk smoothly without any unnatural stoppages.

Coherence refers to how easy it is for the examiner to understand what you mean.

Lexical resource refers to your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary both appropriately and accurately.

You will also be given a mark for your grammar. Your sentences should be as error-free as possible and you should use a range of appropriate grammatical structures.

Finally, you will be judged on pronunciation. Your speech should be clear and contain a full range of pronunciation features, such as intonation, sentence stress and weak sounds.

Establish Your Current Band

You should find out what your current speaking band and then you will know how much you need to improve.

The best way to do this is to find an experienced IELTS teacher and ask them to tell you.

There are also some teachers online that can help you establish your score and help you prepare for the IELTS speaking test.

If you can’t find anyone to help you take a look at the IELTS speaking band descriptors and these should help you find your level.

Set Your Target and Make a Timeline

Now that you know your current IELTS speaking band you should set your target and make a timeline. It is very important to be realistic at this stage.

It normally takes between 200-300 hours of study to move up half an IELTS band. Therefore if you studied 20 hours a week it would take you between 3-5 months to improve your score by half a band.

It should be noted that everyone is different and the figures above are very general. Some people can improve more quickly and for others it takes a little longer. Also, the 200-300 hour rule is for someone trying to improve all four skills, so if you are just trying to improve your speaking, you might be able to do it in a shorter period of time.

Make a Study Plan

Now that you know how long it will take you to get the score you need, you should make a study plan and stick to it. Some people decide to join an IELTS school and just study when they are there, but if you really want to improve you should be also practising at home.

Check out our post on 25 free language learning tools for lots of great free websites that you can practice at home.

Below is an example of a study plan:

Monday

Morning- Listen to the news in English (30 minutes)

Evening– Practice speaking with friends online (30 minutes)

Tuesday

Morning- Read my favourite English blog (30 minutes)

Afternoon– Meet my friend for coffee and speak English (30 minutes)

Wednesday

Morning– Practice pronunciation at home (30 minutes)

Evening– Chat to my friend on Skype (30 minutes)

Thursday

Morning– Read the news in English (30 minutes)

Evening– Practice talking for 2 minutes about one topic (30 minutes)

Friday

Morning- Watch an English movie (30 minutes)

Evening– Record myself talking and listen (30 minutes)

You will obviously not follow exactly the same study plan, but it shows you that it is very easy to make improving your English part of your daily routine.

Learn From Your Mistakes

You should find out what your common mistakes or weaknesses are and then you can focus on improving them. Some people are very fluent speakers but make lots of grammar mistakes, some people are very good at grammar, but speak at an unnaturally slow speed and others are difficult to understand because they need help with their pronunciation.

Find a good IELTS teacher either in your local area or online and ask them to tell you your weak points.

If you have a friend who is a native or advanced English speaker, they can also help you with this.

Finally, you should record yourself and this will help you spot your weaknesses and help you fix them.

Prepare For the IELTS Speaking Test by Listening and Reading

In order to do well in the speaking test, you will need to improve your overall level of English. As stated above, you will be marked on your grammar and vocabulary, so improving these is essential. Listening and reading in English will really help you improve these skills.

For listening you should definitely check out Podcasts. Podcasts are like radio shows, but you can download them and listen to them whenever you like. There are millions of podcasts so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to find one you like. Try to find one on a topic that you are interested in, rather than one about learning English or IELTS.

For reading, you should find a blog that interests you. All you have to do is Google a topic you’re interested in and type ‘blog’ in the search. For example, you might be interested in travel so just search for ‘Travel Blog’.

Practice Speaking in Real Life Situations

The IELTS speaking test is supposed to represent what it is like to talk to someone in a real-life situation. You should therefore not practice IELTS past paper questions and just talk normally to someone instead. There are thousands of past paper questions and it is very unlikely that you will be asked any of them in your test.

Find someone to practice your English with and talk about something you are interested in. This will make it much easier and you are less likely to get bored.

One of my best students was so determined to improve her speaking that she got a part-time job in a 5-star hotel in her local town. She knew she would have to speak to mostly English speaking customers and this practice helped her get an 8 in the speaking test.

Practice Functional Language

I said above that you should not use past paper questions to practice, but you should be aware of the types of questions that normally come up in the IELTS speaking test.

You are likely to be asked about the past, present and future, your opinion, hypothetical situations, and what you think about another person’s opinion. You should, therefore, learn the grammar and functional language used to talk about these things. See my guide on 7 common IELTS questions for lots of help with this.

Extend Your Answers

One of the ways students get a low score is by giving very short answers. Practice not only stating your answer but also explaining what you mean and giving examples from your life. This will help you get in the habit and this will lead to higher marks on exam day.

For example, if you were asked the question ‘Who is the kindest person you know?’ you could answer one of two ways:

Answer 1– ‘The kindest person I know is my Mum.’

Answer 2– ‘The kindest person I know is my Mum because she gave us everything she could when we were growing up and made lots of sacrifices. For example, she would always buy us clothes and books instead of buying anything for herself.’

Answer 1 might be true, but it is so short that it doesn’t really allow the examiner to judge your ability.

By using the A-E-E formula (Answer-Explain-Example) you have shown the examiner that you can fully address the question and use a range of grammar and vocabulary. If you don’t do this, it will be more difficult to get a high score.

Next Steps

I hope you have found these tips useful. If you have any questions, let me know below.

Как получить высокий балл за IELTS Speaking?

Ключи к успеху IELTS Speaking – это естественность, развернутые аргументированные ответы, богатый лексический запас, связная беглая речь без пауз на обдумывания: какое бы продвинутое слово сказать. И, конечно, ПРАКТИКА. Вы – спортсмены, IELTS – Олимпийские Игры.

В критериях на 6, 7 баллов сказано: speak at length. Важно показать экзаменатору, что Вы можете говорить и говорить много.

Экзаменатор Вас сам остановит вежливым thank you. Если экзаменатор не останавливает Вас и не задает следующий вопрос, Вы продолжаете говорить!

— Do you work?
-Yes, I do. – НЕ ПОДХОДИТ – Важно показать экзаменатору, что Вы можете говорить достаточно!

Стратегия успеха:

Ответ + Детали (что, где, когда, сколько, с кем)

Отвечаем на поставленный вопрос и говорим на тему вопроса. В противном случае, экзаменатор может подумать, что Вы не поняли вопрос (из-за недостаточно высокого знания языка, например).

Good. Good. Very Good – не подходит.
Lovely. Wonderful. Extraordinary – да!

Просто: I like Italian food. It’s tasty.
Сложнее: I like Italian cuisine. It’s delicious.

Старайтесь не повторять вопрос/слова из вопроса в Вашем ответе:

— What’s the most beautiful place in your hometown?
-The most beautiful place in my hometown is…
I quess, it’s … It’s really attractive and popular with tourists…

I don’t know

Всё мы знаем и стараемся придумать ответы на все вопросы, и в развернутом виде дать ответ. Экзаменатор оценивает Ваш Английский, а не Ваше мнение. Так что можно придумывать, врать, шутить, говорить глупости и первое что придет в голову, только по теме.

Будьте Естественны и Спонтанны. Говорите как будто общаетесь с другом или коллегой. Естественно и непринужденно! Если, когда Вы говорите, создается впечатление, что Вы заучили текст или произносите все так, как будто выучили – Вы теряете баллы.

На вопросы о чем-то хорошем, отвечаем с энтузиазмом и воодушевлением. Смотрим экзаменатору в глаза, улыбаемся и смеёмся, когда весело!)

Если экзаменатор очень серьёзен, Вас перебивает или останавливает – это не значит, что Вы делаете что-то не так. Просто это его работа (от которой устал, возможно); он/она следит за временем, которое ограничено 11-14 минутами.

Чтобы показать всё богатство вашего словарного запаса, лучше перефразировать словосочетания; постоянно употребляемое «I THINK» и говорить эти естественные и неформальные фразы:

Выбирайте те слова, которые вам нравятся и перефразируйте I think

Когда не знаете, что сказать, реагируй на вопрос и говори вот эти слова и фразы:

Запомните эти фразы, тренируйтесь выделять слова интонационно и произносите их естественно, реагируя на вопрос.