IELTS SPEAKING
What do I need to know about the speaking section of my IELTS exam?
Firstly, IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face, informal discussion with an IELTS examiner, and is the same for both Academic and General Training. The test is divided into 3 parts and is designed to test your 1), pronunciation, 2). fluency and 3). grammar and vocabulary.
The Speaking test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of an interview between the test taker and a trained and certified examiner.
In the Speaking test, you will have a discussion with a certified examiner. It will be interactive and as close to a real-life situation as a test can get.
The Speaking test is 11-14 minutes long and is in three parts.
Part 1 – You will answer questions about yourself and your family.
Part 2 – You will speak about a subject.
Part 3 – You will have a longer discussion about the subject introduced in Part 2.
The Speaking test is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.
How to practise
This practice material is designed for two people working together. Find a study partner to help you practise. This might be a teacher or a friend. Take the three parts of this practice test one after another without a break to make your practice as realistic as possible.
Remember, you need to speak fluently, clearly and accurately. It is important to say as much as you can and to be spontaneous. Do not prepare answers in advance.
Record yourself if you can so that you can go back and check your performance.
SPEAKING TEST PART ONE
In part 1 of the Speaking test the examiner will introduce him or herself and ask general questions on familiar topics.
The examiner will ask you to confirm your identity. He or she will then ask general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests. Part 1 of the test will last 4-5 minutes.
How to practise
You will need a study partner to practise the Speaking test. Ask your study partner to interview you using the questions below. Record yourself if you can.
Speaking test part 1: questions
Let’s talk about your home town or village:
- what kind of place is it?
- what’s the most interesting part of your town/village?
- what kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
- would you say it’s a good place to live? (why?)
Let’s move on to talk about accommodation:
- tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?
- how long have you lived there?
- what do you like about living there?
- what sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?
SPEAKING TEST PART TWO
In the IELTS speaking part 2 test you will be given a task card on a particular topic, and this will include key points that you should talk about.
This section of the Speaking test gives you the opportunity to speak for longer on a topic. You will be given one minute to prepare to talk about the topic on the task card. A pencil and paper will be provided for you to make notes.
You will have to talk for 1-2 minutes, and then the examiner will ask you one or two questions on the same topic. Part 2 takes 3-4 minutes in total.
How to practise
Ask your study partner to listen while you speak about the task card topic. You should talk for 1-2 minutes. Your study partner should then ask you one or two questions on the same topic using the rounding off questions. Record yourself if you can.
Speaking test part 2: candidate task card
Describe something you own which is very important to you. You should say:
- where you got it from
- how long you have had it
- what you use it for; and
- explain why it is important to you.
You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
Rounding off questions
Tell me
- is it valuable in terms of money?
- would it be easy to replace?
SPEAKING TEST PART THREE
In part 3 of the Speaking test the examiner will ask further questions which are connected to the topics discussed in part 2.
This part of the test is designed to give you the opportunity to talk about more abstract issues and ideas. It is a two-way discussion with the examiner, and will last 4-5 minutes.
How to practise
Ask your study partner to prompt your practice test discussion using the questions below. Try to speak as naturally and fluently as possible. Record your discussion if you can.
Let’s consider first of all how people’s values have changed.
- What kind of things give status to people in your country?
- Have things changed since your parents’ time?
Finally, let’s talk about the role of advertising.
- Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
Advice
You have now completed all three parts of the practice Speaking test. How did you do?
Listen to your recording of your own practice test. Which part of the test do you think you did best in? Are there any areas where you think that you need to do better?
Think about how you can improve your own Speaking test performance.
Review the examples
Go back through the test and listen to the recordings and read the audio transcripts for each part. These are designed to give you an understanding of the format of the test. They do not represent a test taker at a particular level of competency.
Do you think that this test taker performed well?
PRACTICE TESTS: Practice speaking with your teacher or with a friend.
PART ONE
PART TWO
PART THREE
SPEAKING EXAMPLES PART ONE:
SPEAKING EXAMPLES PART TWO:
SPEAKING EXAMPLES PART THREE:
Thank you to Alex and Jay for their great videos.