What happens in each part of the Speaking test, what the four criteria really mean, what lifts an answer from about band 6 to 7, and your first recorded practice.
45 minFree lesson
In this lesson
Describe what happens in each of the three parts and how long each one takes
Explain the four marking criteria in plain words, and what separates about band 6 from about band 7
Spot the common myths that make candidates nervous or waste their preparation time
Record a first set of answers and review them with a simple routine
The Speaking test is the shortest part of IELTS, but for many people it feels the most stressful: there is a real person in front of you and no time to plan every sentence. The good news is that the format is always the same. Once you know exactly what will happen and what the examiner is listening for, much of the fear goes, and you can spend your practice time on the things that actually move your band.
The test at a glance
The Speaking test lasts 11 to 14 minutes. It is a face-to-face conversation between you and one examiner, and it is recorded. It is exactly the same test whether you are taking Academic or General Training. Depending on your test centre, it may be on the same day as Listening, Reading and Writing, or up to seven days before or after them, so check your booking details for your time.
The three parts at a glance
Part
Time
What happens
What it shows the examiner
Part 1: introduction and interview
4-5 minutes
Short questions about familiar topics: your home, your work or studies, your interests and daily life
Whether you can talk about yourself easily and naturally
Part 2: the long turn
3-4 minutes, including 1 minute to prepare
A task card with a topic and prompts; one minute to make notes, then you speak alone for one to two minutes; possibly one or two short questions after
Whether you can organise and keep up a longer talk on your own
Part 3: discussion
4-5 minutes
A two-way discussion of more abstract issues and ideas linked to the Part 2 topic
Whether you can explain, justify and compare ideas that go beyond your own life
How the Speaking test runs, from start to finish
1Stage 1: You meet the examiner, who introduces themselves and confirms who you are. The test is recorded.
2Stage 2: Part 1: short questions about you and a few everyday topics.
3Stage 3: Part 2: you are given a task card, paper and a pencil, and one minute to make notes.
4Stage 4: You talk on your own for one to two minutes. The examiner keeps time, stops you when it is up, and may ask one or two short questions.
5Stage 5: Part 3: a discussion of wider, more abstract questions connected to the Part 2 topic.
6Stage 6: The examiner ends the test. They will not tell you how you did; your Speaking band is reported later, together with your other results.
Tip
The examiner keeps time, not you
You do not need to watch a clock in any part. In Part 2 the examiner will stop you when your time is up, sometimes in the middle of a sentence. That is normal and says nothing about your level. Simply stop, and listen to what comes next.
What each part feels like
Part 1 feels like a friendly interview. The examiner asks short questions on a few everyday topics, such as where you live, your job or course, or how you spend your free time. You do not need any special knowledge. What helps is a natural answer: a direct reply, then a reason or a detail. As a rough guide, two to four sentences is usually right. One word gives the examiner too little to assess, and a one-minute speech is too much.
Part 2 is your long turn. You are handed a card asking you to describe something, such as a person, a place, an object or an experience, with a few prompts to guide you. You get one minute to make notes, then you talk alone for one to two minutes while the examiner listens. The real skill here is keeping going: organising a longer talk and adding detail, rather than stopping after thirty seconds because you have answered the prompts.
Part 3 is a discussion. The questions move away from your own life to wider ideas linked to the Part 2 topic. If your Part 2 card was about a teacher who helped you, Part 3 might ask what makes a good teacher, or how schools are changing. Answers here are longer: give your view, explain why, and add an example or a comparison. The examiner may ask follow-up questions to hear you take an idea further. That is a normal part of a discussion, not a sign that your answer was wrong.
Watch out
Memorised answers work against you
Learning answers by heart for popular topics feels safe, but it tends to show: the rhythm suddenly changes, the language jumps above the rest of your test, and the answer does not quite fit the question. A memorised answer shows what you can memorise, not how well you speak. Prepare ideas and vocabulary for common topics instead, and practise saying them in different ways each time.
Fill the gaps
Check the format. Type a number or a word in each gap.
1The whole Speaking test lasts between 11 and blank minutes.The whole Speaking test lasts between 11 and minutes.
2In Part 2 you have blank minute to prepare, with paper and a pencil for notes.In Part 2 you have minute to prepare, with paper and a pencil for notes.
3After preparing, you speak on your own for one to blank minutes.After preparing, you speak on your own for one to minutes.
4Part 3 questions are linked to the topic of Part blank.Part 3 questions are linked to the topic of Part .
5The Speaking test may be on the same day as the other papers, or up to blank days before or after them.The Speaking test may be on the same day as the other papers, or up to days before or after them.
How you are marked: four criteria
The examiner gives you a band for each of four criteria, and they count equally: each is a quarter of your Speaking band. The examiner listens across the whole test, so one difficult question does not decide your result. Notice what is not on the list: your opinions and your general knowledge are not marked, and neither is your accent itself (how clearly you speak is).
The four Speaking criteria in plain words (our descriptions, not the official wording)
Criterion
The question behind it
Around band 6, it tends to sound like this
Around band 7, it tends to sound like this
Fluency and Coherence
Can you keep talking smoothly, and is your answer easy to follow?
You can give long answers, but the flow breaks now and then: you stop to search, restart sentences or go back over the same point. Linking words are there but can sound bolted on (‘Firstly... Secondly...’).
You can talk for a long time and it sounds comfortable. You may still stop briefly to find a word or fix a slip, but your answers hold together and are easy to follow. Ideas are joined with a variety of natural phrases.
Lexical Resource (vocabulary)
Do you have the words to talk about a range of topics clearly and precisely?
You get your message across on familiar topics, but you lean on general words (good, nice, thing) and some word combinations sound unnatural. When a word is missing, you can usually describe your way around it.
You pick the exact word more often and use natural word partnerships (heavy traffic, a tight budget, catch up with friends). The occasional more unusual expression appears and fits. Less familiar topics do not leave you stuck, though a few choices are still slightly off.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Can you use a variety of sentence types, and how many come out correct?
Short, safe sentences are mostly correct. When you try longer ones, errors with tenses, articles or word order creep in. The listener still understands you, but notices the mistakes.
Longer sentences built with if, although, which or who come out more naturally, and many of your sentences have nothing to correct. You still slip sometimes, especially when the topic is hard.
Pronunciation
How easy are you to understand, and do stress, rhythm and intonation help your meaning?
The listener follows you, but now and then a word or sound comes out unclear and they have to work to catch it. Good stress and intonation show up in places, then disappear.
You are easy to follow over long answers. Stressing the right words, grouping words into chunks and moving your voice up and down happen more consistently. Your accent may still be obvious; that is fine.
Note
Our words, not the official ones
These descriptions are ours, written to help you practise. The full public criteria are on the official IELTS website, and only the real test, marked by a trained examiner, gives you a real band. ReadFluent is independent and is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge.
Tip
Band 7 does not mean perfect
Look again at the band 7 column: short pauses, self-corrections, the odd wrong word and some grammar slips all still appear. The step from 6 to 7 is not about removing every error. It is about answers that flow for longer, words that are more exact, and more control when your sentences get longer.
From about band 6 to about band 7: what actually changes
If you are at around band 6, the step to 7 can feel mysterious. In practice it comes down to a handful of habits you can train, and none of them requires sounding like a native speaker. Here they are, with an example for each criterion below.
Develop, do not list. Answer directly, then add a reason and a detail or example. One idea explained well is worth more than three ideas named.
Link like a speaker, not an essay. In conversation, ‘Firstly... Secondly... In conclusion’ sounds stiff. Phrases such as ‘The main thing is...’, ‘Actually...’, ‘That’s why...’ and ‘Having said that...’ sound natural.
Choose the exact word. Swap general words for precise ones: not ‘good’ but ‘convenient’, ‘affordable’ or ‘well paid’, depending on what you mean.
Let the question bring out your grammar. A question about the future invites ‘I’d imagine...’ or ‘If..., then...’; a question about change invites ‘used to’ and comparisons. Do not force structures in where they do not fit.
Speak in chunks. Group words into meaningful phrases and stress the important ones. Clear chunks make you easier to follow than speaking fast. Fluency is not speed.
Recover quickly. When you make a mistake, fix it in two words (‘I go... I went’) and carry on. Stopping to apologise, or starting the whole answer again, breaks the flow far more than the original slip.
Fluency and Coherence. Question: ‘How do you usually get to work or college?’
Weaker
I go by bus. Because bus is cheap for me. Firstly, it is cheap, and secondly, um... I can, I can read on the bus. So, um, so I go by bus.
Better
Usually by bus, although on sunny days I sometimes cycle. The bus takes a bit longer, but it’s cheap and I can catch up on emails on the way, so I don’t really mind.
Why:The weaker answer has the right ideas, but it is built like a list (‘Firstly... secondly’), says ‘cheap’ twice, stalls twice (‘um... I can, I can’ and ‘So, um, so’) and ends by repeating its first sentence. The better one answers straight away, adds a natural contrast (bus or bike, slower but useful) and joins ideas with ‘although’, ‘but’ and ‘so’. It sounds like a person talking, not a list being read. (The weaker answer also misses an article, ‘because bus is cheap’; grammar comes next.)
Lexical Resource. Describing a trip
Weaker
It was a very good trip. The beach was very nice and the hotel was nice too. The people were very nice and the food was very good.
Better
It was a really memorable trip. The beach was unspoilt, the hotel was simple but spotless, and the locals went out of their way to help us. The seafood alone was worth the journey.
Why:Both say the same thing, but the weaker one uses ‘good’ or ‘nice’ five times, so the examiner hears a very narrow range. The better one uses precise adjectives (memorable, unspoilt, spotless) and natural phrases (‘went out of their way’, ‘worth the journey’). None of these words is rare. They are simply exact.
Think firstYour turn. Here is a flat Part 1 answer to ‘Do you like doing puzzles?’: ‘Yes, I like it. Puzzles are very good. I do puzzles every day. It is very nice.’ Using habits 1 to 3 above, say a better answer out loud: answer directly, add a reason and a detail, link your ideas the way people do in conversation, and swap the general words for exact ones. Then reveal one possible version.Show the answer Hide the answer
One possible version: ‘I do, yes, although I’m definitely not an expert. I mostly do the little number puzzles in the free paper on the train to work, and I’ve just started on a book of logic puzzles too, because they wake my brain up before the day starts.’ It answers in the first three words, gives a detail (what and when) and a reason (the puzzles wake the speaker up mentally), and replaces ‘very good’ and ‘very nice’ with specific content. The grammar comes from the meaning rather than being forced in: ‘although’ for a contrast, ‘because’ for the reason, and the present perfect in ‘I’ve just started’ for something recent. About 20 seconds is plenty for Part 1. Your version will be different, and it should be.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Question: ‘What was your neighbourhood like when you were a child?’
Weaker
When I was child, I am living in small village. There is no cinema, so we watch films in the home.
Better
I grew up in a small village that didn’t have a cinema, so we used to watch films at home, usually on a Friday night with the whole family.
Why:The weaker answer slips into present tenses in a past story (‘I am living’, ‘there is’, ‘we watch’), drops articles (‘when I was child’, ‘in small village’) and says ‘in the home’ instead of ‘at home’. The better one stays in the past, uses a relative clause (‘that didn’t have a cinema’) and ‘used to’ for a past habit. One longer, controlled sentence does the work of three short broken ones.
Pronunciation. Chunking and stress (bold shows the stressed syllables)
Weaker
My - favourite - place - to - relax - is - a - small - park - near - my - flat. (Every word gets the same weight, with a tiny stop after each one.)
Better
My favourite place to relax / is a small park / near my flat. (Three short chunks, with the key words stressed.)
Why:Text cannot show an accent, but it can show rhythm. The weaker version is correct English, yet it is tiring to follow because nothing stands out. In the better version the listener hears three meaning groups, and the stressed words (favourite, relax, park, flat) carry the message even if one sound is not perfect, while small words such as ‘to’, ‘is’, ‘a’ and ‘my’ are said lightly. The lesson ‘Pronunciation that is easy to understand’, later in this module, trains this step by step.
Think firstYour turn. Say this sentence aloud, then decide where the chunks go and which words carry the stress: ‘The main reason I moved to the city was to find a better job.’ Think first, then reveal.Show the answer Hide the answer
One natural version: ‘The main reason / I moved to the city / was to find a better job.’ Three chunks, each one piece of meaning, and each with one main stress (in bold). The other content words, ‘reason’, ‘moved’, ‘find’ and ‘better’, still get some weight, while small words such as ‘the’, ‘to’, ‘was’ and ‘a’ are said lightly and quickly. Other groupings can work too, as long as no break cuts through words that belong together, such as ‘a better job’.
A worked example: one question, two answers
Here is a Part 3-style question, following an imaginary Part 2 card about a job you did to help your family. Read both answers aloud if you can, to feel the difference. Remember that a real Speaking band comes from the whole test, not one answer, and that pronunciation cannot be judged from text, so the estimates below are only a rough guide to the words themselves.
Example answer
Answer A
The task
Do you think children should be paid for helping at home?
Yes, I think children should be paid for helping at home. Because if they get some money for it, they can learn the value of money and how to save. For example, in my country, many parents are giving money to their children when they clean their room or wash the dishes, and the children are happy to do it. Um... and secondly, it is good for the motivation. But, um, some people think it is not a good idea, because children must help their family without money, it is their duty. So... so I think it depends. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Our estimate6.0 (an estimate)
0123456789
About band 6 (our estimate, judged on the words only)
Written by ReadFluent as an example. The band is our estimate, not an official IELTS score.
Notes on this answer
Fluency and Coherence: the speaker is willing to keep talking, which is a real strength. But the position drifts from ‘yes’ to ‘it depends’, ‘secondly’ arrives without a ‘firstly’, ‘So... so’ shows the speaker searching for an ending, and the last sentence, ‘Both have advantages and disadvantages’, says nothing new.
Lexical Resource: there are enough words to make the point, and ‘the value of money’ is a good phrase. But ‘money’ comes up four times, and ‘good for the motivation’ and ‘it is not a good idea’ are general where something more exact was possible.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a mix of simple and longer sentences (‘if they get some money...’, ‘when they clean their room...’), but with errors: ‘parents are giving’ for a regular habit (it should be ‘parents give’), ‘the motivation’ (no article is needed here), and two sentences run together with only a comma (‘...without money, it is their duty’).
Why it is not lower: the meaning is always clear, the errors never block understanding, and the speaker offers a reason and an example. That is typical of around band 6 (our estimate). What it lacks is control and precision, not effort.
Think firstBefore you read Answer B: name three specific changes that would lift Answer A. Think about the position, the linking and the vocabulary.Show the answer Hide the answer
Possible changes: (1) Choose one clear position and keep it, or make ‘it depends’ your position from the first sentence and then say what it depends on. (2) Replace the ‘secondly... so... both have advantages’ pattern with a natural sequence: your view, the reason, an example from real life. (3) Swap the repeated, general words for precise ones, such as ‘pocket money’, ‘chores’, ‘responsibility’ or ‘managing money’. A bonus fix: use the present simple for habits (‘many parents give’). Now compare your ideas with Answer B.
Example answer
Answer B
The task
Do you think children should be paid for helping at home?
Hmm, I’d say it depends on the kind of job. For everyday things, like tidying their own room or clearing the table after dinner, I don’t think children should get paid, because that’s just part of living in a family. Nobody pays the parents for cooking, after all. But if a child takes on something extra, say washing the car or helping out in a family shop at the weekend, then a bit of pocket money makes sense. It shows them that effort and reward are connected, and it gives them a safe way to practise managing money before they’re adults. My parents actually do... did something like that with me when I was about ten, and looking back, I think it made me far more careful about what I spent.
Our estimate7.0 (an estimate)
0123456789
About band 7 (our estimate, judged on the words only)
Written by ReadFluent as an example. The band is our estimate, not an official IELTS score.
Notes on this answer
Fluency and Coherence: the position (‘it depends on the kind of job’) comes first and never changes. The ideas move in a clear order: no pay for everyday chores, pay for extra jobs, why, then a personal example. Links such as ‘after all’, ‘say’, ‘then’, ‘actually’ and ‘looking back’ sound like speech, not an essay, and the opening ‘Hmm, I’d say...’ buys a second of thinking time naturally. When the speaker slips (‘do... did’), the fix takes one word and the answer carries straight on.
Lexical Resource: precise, everyday words in natural partnerships: ‘tidying their own room’, ‘clearing the table’, ‘takes on something extra’, ‘pocket money’, ‘effort and reward’. Nothing is rare; everything is exact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a conditional (‘if a child takes on..., then...’), a modal verb for opinion (‘I don’t think children should get paid’), a time clause (‘before they’re adults’), and a short past story linked back to a present view (‘looking back, I think it made me...’). Everything is accurate apart from one tense slip, and the speaker corrects that at once. This is what ‘not perfect’ looks like at about band 7: occasional slips, fixed quickly, inside sentences that are mostly error-free.
Length: about 130 words, roughly 50 to 60 seconds at a relaxed pace. That is a good size for a Part 3 answer: developed, but not a speech.
What would lift it further: a wider range of less common expressions used precisely, and the same ease on unfamiliar topics across the whole test. Pronunciation, of course, would need to be heard.
Six myths to stop believing
A lot of Speaking advice is half true. These six beliefs are common, and each one either adds stress or sends your practice in the wrong direction.
Speaking myths and the reality
The myth
What is actually true
What to do instead
‘I need a British or American accent.’
Having an accent is not a fault, and you are not marked down for it. What counts is how easily you are understood and how well you use stress, rhythm and intonation. Clear speakers with all kinds of accents can score highly.
Keep your accent. Work on clarity: stress the right syllables, group words into chunks and finish the ends of words.
‘The examiner is judging my opinions.’
There are no right or wrong opinions, and your general knowledge is not tested. The examiner marks how well you express and support your ideas in English.
Give the view you can explain most easily, even if it is simple. A plain idea explained well beats a clever idea explained badly.
‘Asking for a question to be repeated loses marks.’
In Part 1 it is fine to ask the examiner to repeat a question. It is far better than guessing and answering a different question.
Ask briefly and politely, for example ‘Sorry, could you say that again, please?’, then answer straight away. Use it when you genuinely did not hear or follow, not as a way to buy time on every question.
‘Big words and idioms impress the examiner.’
Rare words used slightly wrongly, or idioms squeezed in where they do not fit, sound unnatural. Precise, natural word choice is what helps.
Use words you are sure of. Learn new words in the combinations they are used in, and use an idiom only if you would really say it.
‘I must never pause or make a mistake.’
Fluent speakers pause to think, rephrase and correct themselves. Long silences and constant restarts are the problem, not a short pause.
Use a natural thinking phrase (‘Let me think...’, ‘I’ve never really thought about that, but...’) and fix mistakes quickly.
‘If the examiner looks serious or moves on quickly, I’m doing badly.’
Examiners follow the same structure and timing with every candidate, and many keep a fairly neutral manner. Being moved on or stopped is about the clock, not your level.
Do not try to read the examiner’s face. Focus on the question in front of you.
Listening
Asking for a repeat: a short Part 1 extract
An imaginary exchange. Notice how short and natural the request is, and how the candidate answers straight after it.
Read aloud by your device’s computer voice. In the real test you hear recorded speakers with a range of accents, at natural speed, once only.
Examiner: 1Let’s talk about your neighbourhood. How long have you lived there?
Candidate: 2About three years now. I moved there when I started my current job, because it’s only a short bus ride from the office.
Examiner: 3What do you like most about it?
Candidate: 4Probably the people. Most of my neighbours have lived there for years, so everyone says hello, and the woman next door waters my plants whenever I’m away.
Examiner: 5Is it a good area for families with young children?
Candidate: 6Sorry, could you say that again, please?
Examiner: 7Is it a good area for families with young children?
Candidate: 8Oh, yes, I’d say so. There are a couple of good primary schools nearby, although parking can be a nightmare at the start and end of the school day.
Your first recording
Now record yourself. This first recording is not a test; it is your starting point. The recorder on this page keeps a recording only until you leave the page, so if you want to keep it, leave your phone’s voice recorder running at the same time. When you reach the end of this module, record the same tasks again: hearing the difference is one of the most encouraging things you can do. Do not write your answers first. The point is to capture how you really speak today, not how well you can read a script.
Speaking practice
Record your starting point: Part 1
Imagine the examiner has just asked you these three questions. Press record and answer each one out loud, one after the other, in about 20 to 30 seconds each. Do not write anything down first.
(1) Do you prefer getting up early or staying up late? Why?
(2) Do you prefer texting people or phoning them? Why?
(3) How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
3:00left
Your recording stays on this device and disappears when you leave the page. We never receive it.
Check your answer
Speaking practice
Record your starting point: a Part 2 long turn
The timer runs for three minutes: one to prepare, two to talk. Read the card, take one minute to write keywords on paper, then press record and keep talking until the timer ends, just as the examiner would stop you in the real test. Card: Describe an object you use every day that makes your life easier. You should say: what it is, when and how you got it, how you use it, and explain why it makes your life easier.
3:00left
Your recording stays on this device and disappears when you leave the page. We never receive it.
Check your answer
How to listen back, and what to do next
Hearing your own voice feels strange for most people, so give yourself a moment. Then listen with a purpose. This short routine takes about five minutes and turns a recording into a plan.
Listen once as a stranger would. Do not stop the recording. Could someone who does not know you follow every answer? Note any moment where they would get lost.
Mark your long silences. Note each pause of more than about three seconds and ask why it happened. Were you searching for a word, or for an idea? Idea pauses are often the quicker fix: you need a simple answer pattern, which the Part 1 and Part 2 lessons give you.
Catch your favourite words. Write down any word you used again and again, such as ‘good’, ‘very’, ‘thing’ or ‘like’. These are your first vocabulary targets.
Check one grammar point. Did your past stories stay in the past? Did your habits use the present simple? Pick one wrong sentence and write it out correctly.
Choose one change. Not five. For example: add a reason to every Part 1 answer, or replace ‘very good’ with a more exact word.
Record again straight away. Same questions, same card, with that one change. Then compare the two versions.
Tip
Keep a speaking log
After each recording, write the date, the task and your one change in a notebook. Over a few weeks this becomes a clear record of what you have fixed and what still needs work, which is far more useful than a vague feeling that you are not improving.
Speaking practice
Listen back, change one thing, record again
Before you leave this page, play back your two recordings from above and follow the six listening steps. Write down your one change. Then record the three Part 1 questions and the Part 2 card again, using that change. Listen to the new version and compare it with the first.
10:00left
Your recording stays on this device and disappears when you leave the page. We never receive it.
Check your answer
The rest of this module takes each part in turn, then each skill the examiner listens for. You will learn an answer pattern for Part 1, a note-taking method for the Part 2 long turn and ways to develop ideas in Part 3, followed by lessons on fluency, pronunciation, and vocabulary and grammar for speaking, and finally a bank of practice material for mock tests at home. Keep your speaking log close: today’s entry is your ‘before’ picture.
Remember
The Speaking test is 11 to 14 minutes, face to face with one examiner, in three parts, and the same for Academic and General Training.
Part 1 is short answers about you; Part 2 is a one-to-two-minute talk after one minute to prepare; Part 3 is a discussion of wider ideas.
Four criteria count equally: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Band 7 is not perfection: it means developed answers that flow, more exact words and more control, with some mistakes still present.
An accent is not a fault and your opinions are not marked; how clearly you express and support your ideas is. Asking for a repeat in Part 1 is fine.
Record, listen back, change one thing, record again: this loop is how you improve.