IELTS speaking tips: the test, the marking and how to practise

The IELTS Speaking test is a recorded face-to-face talk with an examiner that lasts 11–14 minutes in three parts. You are marked on four equal criteria: fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The best preparation is to answer in full, keep speaking, and practise each part differently.

Everything below is built on what the two test partners say about the test. IDP and the British Council both run IELTS in Canada, and they describe the Speaking test the same way: a short conversation with a trained examiner, split into three parts.

Because Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 test different things, the best tips are different for each one. They follow below, after the marking.

The examiner gives you a score for each of four criteria. IELTS.org says they carry equal weight, so pronunciation counts as much as vocabulary.

Notice what is not on the list. Nobody scores how clever your opinion is, and nobody asks you to sound like a native speaker. The next table shows how the published band descriptors change for the first criterion, so you can see what a step up looks like.

The pattern is plain. At the lower bands, you keep going by repeating yourself or slowing down. At band 8, hesitation is usually about ideas and only rarely about finding words; band 7 still allows some language-related hesitation, repetition and self-correction. That is why the tips below spend so long on having something to say.

If you searched for IELTS speaking practice, the material from the people who write the test is the first place to look. It shows the real question style.

• get familiar with the Speaking test format and what each part involves.
• hear examples of the kinds of topics and questions you may be asked.
• understand how responses are assessed across fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
• build confidence by practising under realistic conditions.

The British Council also offers a printable set. Searches for an IELTS speaking PDF usually mean this one:

IDP's older long-turn article also describes practice tests that include a Speaking test, but it does not say whether they are free, so check the current page and price before you start. It says they are not face-to-face, and that matters for how you use them:

Our reading: use a recording-based practice test to time yourself and hear your own voice, then practise with a real person at least a few times before test day. Eye contact, turn-taking and an examiner who may interrupt cannot be rehearsed with a recording.

Part 1 is often called the easy part, because the topics are about you. IDP's Australian site adds a warning: you are being assessed from the first hello.

What the owners tell you to do

IDP's Australian site also says how long answers typically are, depending on the segment of the test.

Our Part 1 drill

• Answer in the first sentence. If the question is about transport, the first words are about transport, not about how you feel about the question.
• Add one reason or one example in the second sentence. That is the 'why' the examiner would otherwise have to ask for.
• Stop after two to four sentences unless the examiner leans in. Short and clear beats long and lost.
• Say the question's tense back in your answer. A past question needs a past answer.
• Prepare six familiar topics, not sixty answers: your home, your work or study, your free time, food, your town, and a trip. Know a few real details about each.

Part 2 is the individual long turn. People search for it as speaking section 2 or Part 2. Here is what IDP's experts say about the minute you are given and the two minutes after it.

IDP also tells you not to panic about the bullet points: running out of time before the last bullet is fine, because you will already have shown you can speak at length.

Our Part 2 routine

• In the first ten seconds, write the four question words from the card down the page (who, what, where or when, and why or how). Then fill each with one real detail, not a full sentence.
• Open with one sentence that rephrases the card, for example: 'I'd like to talk about a time when...'. It buys you a second to breathe.
• Give each bullet about twenty to thirty seconds. Use one small story, not a list of adjectives.
• Keep a spare detail in your pocket. If you finish early, say it. The examiner wants to hear you keep going until they stop you.
• Practise with a timer for three minutes in total: one minute of notes, two minutes of speech. Record it and listen back for gaps and filler sounds.

Part 3 is different from the other two, because the questions stop being about your life. Searches for speaking task 3 are usually about this.

IDP lists the things you are expected to do in this part. Treat the list as a checklist for your own practice answers.

• expressing your opinion.
• agreeing or disagreeing with something.
• looking at the advantages and disadvantages of something.
• giving reasons for your opinion.
• giving examples to support your opinion.
• describing the situation in your country.
• thinking about the future.
• assessing the importance of something.
• asking the examiner for clarification or to explain something.
• suggesting solutions.
• comparing and contrasting.

Our Part 3 routine

• Answer the question as a claim, then support it: 'I think the main reason is...', then one example from your city, a person you know, or something in the news.
• Keep one sentence for 'on the other hand'. Part 3 rewards seeing two sides, even when you pick one.
• Use tenses on purpose. Talk about the past to compare, the present to explain, and 'might' or 'could' for the future.
• If you do not know much about the topic, talk about people in general: 'Many young people...', 'In cities like mine...'. You do not need facts, you need a sensible view.
• Do not leave a pause longer than a breath. Use a thinking phrase from the next section and then say something.

Two tips cause the most confusion. One is whether to pause. The other is what to do about an accent. Here is what each partner says.

The pause answers do not conflict. Both say a short, planned pause is fine. The difference is the sound you make while you wait. IDP's list of fillers to avoid is short and specific:

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

IDP's long-turn article, by contrast, includes "well" inside its stalling phrases: "well, another thing that I can remember is...". Our reading: avoid a bare "well" as a filler, and use a full phrase if you want it.

And it gives you phrases to use instead, such as the three below. These are IDP's suggestions, so they are safe to learn.

• That's an interesting question.
• Let me think about that for a minute.
• That's a difficult question, but I'll try and answer it.

On accent, IDP's examiner tips page adds a useful limit:

Our reading: the sentence carries a condition. Your accent is not marked, but clarity is. Practise the sounds your listeners struggle with, and mind word stress and sentence rhythm. IDP's own advice is to practise with friends, who will tell you if they cannot understand you.

These are our suggestions, not the test owners'. Each one comes from a fact quoted on this page.

1. Read the four criteria aloud once a week. Since pronunciation is worth as much as vocabulary, a rehearsed answer with unclear speech loses marks you could easily keep.
2. Build every answer on the same frame: claim, reason, example. It works in all three parts.
3. Never answer yes or no alone. A one-word answer shows the examiner nothing to mark.
4. Rephrase the question instead of repeating it. If you are asked about your hometown, begin with 'I grew up in...', not 'My hometown is...'.
5. Slow down a little. A normal pace is what the fluency criterion mentions, and nervous speakers speed up and then run dry.
6. Choose one 'thinking phrase' and use it only once or twice in the whole test. A phrase repeated five times becomes a filler.
7. Learn vocabulary in topic groups, not alphabetical lists. Words you can use together are the words you will find under pressure.
8. Practise with someone who will interrupt you. In the real test, the examiner moves you on, and you should be ready to start a new thought without panic.
9. On test day, bring the ID you registered with and keep it ready.
10. Sleep. Fluency is the first thing to go when you are tired.

Many people in Canada take IELTS for immigration. IRCC sets the rules, and your Speaking score is one of four numbers it uses. Two rules matter for how you prepare.

That second line has a practical effect. If your speaking score is the one that falls short, a One Skill Retake of Speaking cannot fix your Express Entry profile. You would need to sit the whole test again. Here is how IRCC maps the IELTS Speaking score to a Canadian Language Benchmark level in the Federal Skilled Worker table:

The full conversion, with listening, reading and writing, is on our IELTS to CLB page, and the points they earn are on CRS points for language. This is not immigration advice. IRCC's page decides what counts for your program.

Rules differ a little by venue, so read your booking email. These are the points IDP prints on its Burnaby venue page; other venues may differ.

Note the 20 minutes. IELTS.org says the Speaking test itself is 11–14 minutes. Our reading, not an IDP statement: the longer figure probably includes checking in and moving between rooms. Plan generously.

To find a venue and compare dates, see IELTS test centres in Canada. For the full fee, see IELTS test fees in Canada.

Use the one-week plan if your test is close and you already speak English every day. Use the four-week plan if speaking is your weakest skill or you rarely speak English outside work.

One week

Four weeks

Common questions