IELTS speaking test

In this part, the examiner will evaluate your speaking skill in 3 parts in 11 to 14 minutes. The candidate’s voice will be recorded during the test, but you’ve got nothing to worry about since this is just for evaluating the examiner’s performance by the exam center.  The other reason for recording your speaking test is to address future objections using the recorded files.

What is the first part of the speaking exam like?

In the beginning, the examiner will ask for your passport or any identification document for authentication. After that, the first part begins. This part takes between 4 to 5 minutes and the candidates will respond to some personal and general questions about their hometown, job, family situation, interests, etc. This part includes short questions, therefore, you should answer with short answers, too.

What is included in part two of the exam?

In this part, the examiner will give you a topic on a cue card, a piece of paper, and a pencil. You will have one minute to think about the topic and write notes about the subject. Then, the topic paper will be taken from you and you should be ready to talk about it for two minutes.  While the candidate is talking in part two, the examiner won’t interrupt. The important thing about this part is that you must speak for 2 entire minutes, otherwise, your score will be deducted.

What is the major problem of candidates in part 2 of speaking?

Most of the candidates are worried about not having enough ideas or appropriate information about the given topic. Unfortunately, many institutes give candidates wrong tips telling them to memorize information about various subjects which doing so will result in running out of energy and time. However, if you pay enough attention to this skill, you will notice that this exam is to measure the candidates ‘English level and it is not focused on your general knowledge. Therefore, it is not a problem at all if you’re don’t have much information about a subject. On the contrary, the examiner tends to find out how you respond to a topic that you don’t know much about in a real-life situation as an English speaker.

What is the third part of the speaking exam like?

In the third part, which takes between 4 to 5 minutes, you will have a conversation about the same given topic in part two and some questions will be asked from you. In this part, your ability to talk about the future and predicting events can be evaluated. In other words, the examiner evaluates how you use verbs, different words, and grammar structures based on future tenses and making predictions.