Fluency and coherence are the criteria relating to a candidate’s ability to speak at length while organising their ideas logically and using appropriate signposting.
IELTS speaking tips to prepare for the IELTS Academic or General Training test.
How to get ready for your IELTS speaking test
The IELTS Speaking test is designed to assess your ability to communicate effectively in spoken English. The same speaking test is used for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. It is a face-to-face interview with an examiner and is recorded for marking purposes.
This guide will offer some practical IELTS speaking tips to help you feel confident and prepared.
Test structure
The speaking test lasts between 11 and 14 minutes and is divided into three parts.
1
Part 1
The examiner will ask you general questions about familiar topics such as your home, studies, work or interests.
2
Part 2
You will be given a task card with a topic. The examiner will listen without interrupting and may ask one or two follow-up questions at the end.
3
Part 3
You will discuss more abstract questions related to the Part 2 topic.
Understanding what is assessed
Examiners assess your performance in four areas: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. This means they are listening for how smoothly and clearly you speak, the range of vocabulary you use, the accuracy and variety of your grammar, and how easy you are to understand.
You are not marked on your opinions. There are no right or wrong answers, so focus on expressing your ideas clearly rather than trying to guess what the examiner wants to hear.
Developing your answers
In Part 1, try to give more than one-word answers. Extend your responses naturally by adding a reason or an example. In Part 2, use your preparation time wisely by noting down key points and ideas to structure your talk. Make sure you keep speaking for the full two minutes if you can, and try to cover all parts of the task card.
In Part 3, aim to develop your answers further. You can compare situations, discuss advantages and disadvantages, or consider different perspectives.
Speaking naturally and confidently
Try to speak at a natural pace and avoid memorised answers. Examiners are trained to recognise rehearsed responses, and these can limit your score. If you need time to think, it is perfectly acceptable to pause briefly or use natural fillers such as “That’s an interesting question” or “Let me think about that”.
If you do not understand a question, you can politely ask the examiner to repeat or clarify it. This will not affect your score.
Practising effectively
Regular speaking practice is essential. Try to speak English as often as possible before your test. You could practise answering common IELTS topics, record yourself to check your fluency and pronunciation, or practise with a study partner.Listening to fluent English speakers can also help you improve your pronunciation and intonation.
The more you practise expressing your ideas clearly and confidently, the more comfortable you will feel during the test.
Final thoughts
Finally, remember that the speaking test is a conversation, not an interrogation. Stay calm, listen carefully, and treat it as an opportunity to show you can talk fluently in English.
Learn more about the Speaking portion of the IELTS test
Tips on improving the range of vocabulary you use in your IELTS speaking test
Tips on how to use a variety of complex sentence structures to show a range of grammar in IELTS speaking.
Tips on achieving variety of pronunciation features, such as individual sounds, word stress, sentence stress and intonation