IELTS Speaking
A face-to-face interview in three parts, 11 to 14 minutes long. Practise it here with a mock test that asks the questions and follow-ups like test day, then gives you a band on each of the four criteria.
- Parts
- 3
- Time
- 11–14 min
- Format
- Face-to-face
- Prep time
- 1 min (Part 2)
How it works
- Part 1 — Introduction and Interview4–5 min
- Part 2 — Individual Long Turn3–4 min
- Part 3 — Two-way Discussion4–5 min
You will be scored on: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation.
Past attempts
IELTS Speaking test format
The Speaking test is a recorded conversation with an examiner in three parts. It lasts 11 to 14 minutes and is the same for IELTS Academic and General Training. At a test centre it is face-to-face, or at some centres by video call with an examiner in another location; IELTS Online runs it by video call from home. It is held on the same day as Listening, Reading and Writing, or within 7 days before or after.
| Part | Time | What happens | Example question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Introduction and interview | 4–5 min | The examiner checks your identity, then asks short questions about familiar topics. | Do you work, or are you a student? |
| Part 2: Long turn (cue card) | 3–4 min | You get a task card, 1 minute to prepare, then speak alone for about 2 minutes. The examiner may ask 1 or 2 follow-up questions. | Describe a journey you remember well. |
| Part 3: Discussion | 4–5 min | A two-way discussion of broader, more abstract ideas linked to the Part 2 topic. | Why do some people prefer to travel alone? |
Part 1: introduction and interview
Part 1 is about you and your everyday life. The examiner asks questions on two or three topics, usually starting with work or study, then moving to topics such as your hometown, your home, hobbies, weekends, food or the weather.
- Answer length: aim for two or three sentences. Give a direct answer, then one reason or detail.
- Tone: natural and conversational. You are not being tested on facts, only on how you use English.
- Tense: listen for the tense of the question. "Did you" wants the past; "Would you" wants a hypothetical.
Sample exchange. Examiner: "What do you usually do at the weekend?" Candidate: "Mostly I catch up with friends. We often go to a small cafe near my college on Saturday evenings, and on Sundays I try to rest because the week is quite busy."
Part 2: the cue card
The examiner hands you a card with a topic and three or four prompts, plus paper and a pencil for notes. You have 1 minute to prepare and should then speak for about 2 minutes without help. The examiner stops you when the time is up and may ask 1 or 2 short questions.
How to use the 1-minute preparation
- Choose your example quickly. A true, simple memory is easier to talk about than an impressive one.
- Write keywords, not sentences: one or two words for each prompt on the card.
- Add one or two details you can expand on: a feeling, a problem, a person.
- Decide your last point first, so you know how to finish.
A structure for 2 minutes
- Opening (about 10 seconds): say what you are going to describe.
- Background: when, where and who.
- Main events or details, following the prompts on the card in order.
- Feelings and reasons: why it mattered to you.
- Close: what you think about it now.
Sample cue card and answer outline
| Prompt | Answer outline |
|---|---|
| Where you went | A train journey from the city up into the mountains with my cousins, two summers ago. |
| How you travelled | An overnight train, then a small mountain railway for the last stretch. |
| What happened | The toy train stopped for an hour because of a landslide, and we ended up talking to other passengers and sharing food. |
| Why you remember it | The delay turned into the best part of the trip. It taught me to stop worrying about plans going wrong. |
Part 3: discussion
Part 3 moves from your own experience to people and society in general. After a journey cue card you might hear: "How has travel changed in your country?" or "Is it better to travel with a group or alone?" The questions are harder on purpose, and the examiner wants to hear you give opinions and justify them.
Extend each answer with three moves:
- Reason: say why. "I think group travel is safer, because someone can help if things go wrong."
- Example: make it concrete. "When my friend lost her wallet on a beach holiday, the rest of us covered her costs."
- Contrast: show the other side. "On the other hand, travelling alone makes you more independent."
It is fine to take a second to think. Phrases such as "That's an interesting question" or "I haven't thought about that before, but..." buy time naturally.
How IELTS Speaking is scored
The examiner gives a band from 0 to 9 for each of four criteria, each with equal weight. Your Speaking band is the average of the four. It then counts as one of the four section bands in your overall score, explained on the IELTS exam overview.
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | Can you keep talking without long pauses, and do your ideas connect in a logical order? |
| Lexical Resource | Do you have enough words to talk about different topics, and do you use them accurately and naturally? |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Do you use a mix of simple and complex sentences, and how many mistakes do you make? |
| Pronunciation | How easy are you to understand, including word stress, sentence stress and intonation? |
What moves a speaker from band 6 to band 7
- Talking at length without slowing down to search for words, and linking ideas with more than just "and" and "but".
- Using less common words and natural phrases with some flexibility, even if not always perfectly.
- Using complex sentences often, with most sentences free of errors.
- Being easy to understand throughout, using stress and intonation to show meaning.
Common mistakes
- Memorised answers. Examiners are trained to spot them, and a memorised answer that does not fit the question hurts your score.
- One-word answers. "Yes" or "No" gives the examiner nothing to assess. Always add a reason or detail.
- Forcing an accent. Pronunciation is about being clear, not sounding British or American. Your own accent is fine if your words are easy to understand.
- Stopping early in Part 2. Finishing after one minute usually lowers your fluency score. Use your notes to keep going.
- Fancy words used wrongly. A simple word used correctly beats a rare word used in the wrong way.
Frequently asked questions
Is IELTS Speaking the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes. The Speaking test has the same format, timing and scoring in both modules.
Is the Speaking test on the same day as the other sections?
It can be. Speaking is held on the same day as Listening, Reading and Writing, or within 7 days before or after, depending on the test centre.
Is IELTS Speaking done on a computer?
No. At a test centre you speak with a trained examiner, face-to-face or, at some centres, by video call with an examiner in another location. IELTS Online runs the Speaking test by video call from home.
Does my accent affect my Speaking score?
No. Pronunciation is judged on how easy you are to understand, not on your accent. Your own accent does not lower your band if your speech is clear.
How many minutes should I speak in Part 2?
About 2 minutes. You get 1 minute to prepare first, and the examiner will stop you when the time is up.
How long is the IELTS Speaking test?
11 to 14 minutes in total: 4–5 minutes for Part 1, 3–4 minutes for Part 2 and 4–5 minutes for Part 3.
How is the Speaking band calculated?
The examiner scores four criteria (Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation), each from 0 to 9, and your Speaking band is based on all four equally.