Expert Tips

IELTS Speaking Test Scoring Factors

Your proficiency in speaking English is evaluated by the IELTS Speaking test. The examiner assigns bands to your spoken English proficiency. Your Speaking scores are given as band scores ranging from 0 to 9. Examiners evaluate your performance in light of four factors:

• Pronunciation
• Lexical variety
• Grammatical range 
• Coherence

Mastering a language takes a lot of time and effort, so keep all the above tips in mind while preparing for the speaking test. If you are struggling to prepare for the test by yourself, contact us! We are happy to help. 

IELTS Test

IELTS Exam stands for International English Language Testing System and is recognized as one of the most popular Language tests for Non-English Native speakers. This test assesses and evaluates English proficiency across four skills namely:

1. Reading 
2. Listening
3. Writing
4. Speaking  

Every section has a different criterion of questions. But when it comes to IELTS speaking, one must go through face-to-face communication which most of the candidates find challenging. Here we have gathered 13 simple tips that will assist you to master the IELTS speaking test. 
 

Parts of IELTS Speaking Test

The speaking section is the fourth and final component of the IELTS test. An oral conversation between you, the test taker, and the examiner takes place during the Speaking test, which lasts 11 to 14 minutes. There are three sections to the test: 

1. IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Introduction and Interview (4 – 5 minutes)

The examiner will ask you questions concerning yourself and general questions on topics like home, family, work, studies, and interests. 

1. IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Long Turn (3 – 4 minutes, including prep time)

You'll receive a task card from the examiner asking you to talk about a specific subject. You have up to two minutes to speak after one minute of preparation. After that, the examiner will ask you one or two more questions. You will be asked to share a tale about yourself or a particular period of your life on broad topics.

1. IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Discussion (4 – 5 minutes)

You will be questioned further by the examiner on the subject covered in Part 2. You now have the opportunity to elaborate on your points and bring up more complex concepts.

Are the IELTS Speaking test Questions Difficult?

A lot of applicants who take the IELTS Speaking test find that this section is the most challenging because it requires face-to-face contact. The IELTS Speaking section, however, is the most straightforward to improve your score in. Seeking an IELTS Coaching nearby would also help in the betterment of the score. 

Speaking test is spontaneous and gives little time to prepare responses which makes the test takers anxious. Examiners are aware of this and do not anticipate you to speak quickly. They don't even anticipate you to provide extremely reasoned and organized responses! 
You will be judged on your ability to:

• Talk clearly and smoothly
• Use a variety of vocabulary for IELTS Speaking
• Avoid grammatical errors
• Pronounce words correctly 

IELTS Speaking Tips

For IELTS Speaking practice, learning vocabulary will help you to score 8 or more. Here are some  speaking tips and tricks to help you increase your IELTS Speaking score: 

1. Be fluent 

More points are awarded to you for speaking fluently and clearly. Be fluent; don't worry too much about employing sophisticated jargon. Keep your speech slow and be mindful of your grammar. A "healthy balance" should be struck between speaking too quickly and taking lengthy pauses.

[Read More: The merits and demerits of group study for IELTS preparation]

1. Ask the question again if needed

Don’t hesitate to ask the examiner if you want to clarify something, and you will not lose points for that. 

1. Don't speak monotonously

Our voices can be flat and monotonous when we speak. This makes it difficult for the examiner to understand the key points of your message. Speaking with the IELTS examiner can be made more interesting by emphasizing specific words and pausing at key points in your speech. By putting more emphasis on crucial terms, we may more easily compare and contrast ideas. Additionally, it improves discussion flow, so keep these in mind:

• Don't speak monotonously
• To emphasize a point, change the stress and intonation.
• Make gestures with your hands to keep the conversation running.

1. IELTS Speaking Test Samples

You must talk for around two minutes on a predetermined topic as part of IELTS Speaking Part 2. Just be sure of the IELTS Speaking Test Topics for Parts 1, 2, and, 3 to avoid confusion. With friends, family, or co-workers, practice frequent IELTS themes to get better and learn terminology related to each topic.
You can hone your speaking skills on the following topics:

• Tourism and travel
• Education
• Transport
• Environment
• Family life
• Sport and recreation
• Crime and punishment
• The Internet
• Advertising and retail

1. Avoid using Complex or Unfamiliar Words

In your Speaking test, you may try to use big, difficult terms to impress the examiner. To be cautious, though, stay away from unfamiliar words. Making blunders by either mispronouncing words or utilizing them incorrectly in context increases the likelihood of making mistakes. Your final band score may be impacted by mistakes.

[Read More: IELTS Exam: First Step Towards For An Overseas Education]

1. Use Various Grammatical Structures

The following evaluation criteria are used by IELTS examiners to score your speaking abilities:

• Fluency and coherence
• Lexical resource
• Grammatical range and accuracy
• Pronunciation

To explain what you want to say, try employing a variety of grammatical constructions in both complicated and basic sentences. Know your own mistakes, practice speaking English to friends, or try recording yourself to see if you can catch them. 

Whenever you hear a mistake, make sure to correct it. It's crucial to practice utilizing the proper tenses while speaking about the past, present, and future because your ability to use various grammatical structures correctly will be evaluated.

1. Extend your Speech

Make an effort to talk at least as much as the examiner. Two or more sentences should be used to respond to one-sentence queries. And never offer succinct, ineffective responses:

Examiner: Do you like fast food?
You: I do like fast food. [Don’t stop there!] But I try not to eat it because junk food is unhealthy. Moreover, I have been planning to lose weight, so I am eating healthily these days. 
 

1. Don’t be Concerned About Your Accent

The IELTS examiner can comprehend a wide range of accents, so they will be able to understand what you say during the speaking test. If you can communicate effectively, there is nothing to worry about.

However, bear in mind that English is a stress-timed language; as such, when speaking, use stress and intonation to emphasize any consonants you find difficult. Practice with your friends so that they will be able to tell you whether they can understand you or not. IELTS Sample papers are also available that will give assistance to prepare for the exam day.

1. Take Time to Think

You can use this tip to give yourself a little more time to think if you're not sure how to respond to the question. 

• That's an interesting question
• I have never thought about that, but...
• Let me see
• 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

1. Don’t Worry if you made a Mistake

Be calm if you made a mistake. Try to fix yourself without being jarring. If you can’t, just keep going; you won't lose many points.

1. Smiling Improves Pronunciation

Your pronunciation will improve if you can relax and smile. Be sure to enunciate effectively, expanding your mouth sufficiently to allow sounds to escape. When we smile, our mouths enlarge and our voices seem friendlier. Your ability to use a variety of pronunciation elements will be demonstrated to the examiner by using clear enunciation and tone.

[Read More:  Know the IELTS Test Centres in India-2023]

1. Avoid Fillers

Speak with assurance and steer clear of unnecessary words. It's common to utilize fillers when unsure of what to say; yet, doing so lets the examiner know that you lack the necessary language or conceptual capacity.

Avoid using the following filler:

• Like
• You know
• Umm...
• Ahh...
• Ehh...
• Well
• Yeah...

1. Don't Memorise the Answers

Examiners can tell if you speak naturally or if you memorized the response prior to the interview. Full scripts should not be learned. It is far preferable to acquire individual words and collocations and use them in your speech.

[Read More: IELTS Section-wise Tips to Crack the Exam]