Learn thoroughly About The Three parts of An IELTS Speaking Test!

 

Who can deny the importance of scoring great in an IELTS speaking test? A decent IELTS score can open doors to many decent colleges and universities globally, as it is an internationally accepted language certificate. A candidate

generally gets tested for their English language skills in IELTS. Knowing the test format beforehand can make a tremendous difference in achieving a handsome score.

You can practice as a candidate for every type of question that comes your way and strategize more efficiently. Remember! The IELTS test explores four fields of your English language knowledge: Listening, writing, reading and speaking.

 

The Three Parts of An IELTS Speaking Test

 

An IELTS speaking test consists of three basic parts; each portion has its own test format. The whole takes about 11 to 14 minutes. Let’s delve into the three parts of an IELTS speaking test and how to score best in each to get a high overall score!

 

Part 1 Questions (4-5 Minutes)

 

In Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test, you answer basic questions about yourself. The examiner uses this portion as a warm-up stage of the test, letting you get comfortable with his queries. At this stage, the examiner also forms a rough idea about your English speaking ability as a candidate and decides how they want the flow of the speaking test to go.

• Part 1 relates to simple questions about personal interests, family, home life, and anything related to your background as a test taker. The best thing is to not memorize your answers beforehand but to prepare your ideas to speak with a natural flow on topics related to the following themes:

 

• Home
• Hometown
• Work
• Study
• Food
• Family or Friends, etc.

 

 

• Answering each question with a few words, such as “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t think so,” won’t work here as you need to offer a range of language to the examiner to assess you well. This can negatively affect your score, so don’t give short answers here. Remember! The examiner is evaluating your English language flow and vocabulary choice here.

 

• Stick to what you know, like if you study, say, “I study”, or if you don’t work or study, clarify it from the get-go. The examiner will model their questions accordingly to tease out the most language usage out of you while using the most suitable questions.

 

 

Note:

Hometown in the topic may refer to a village, town or city where you spent most of your childhood or feel most connected if you lived in multiple places.

Scoring high in part 1 is vital to getting a high overall speaking score because this part carries simple life-related questions.

 

Part 2 (Talk Up to 2 Minutes On A Certain Topic)

 

In Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test, you speak on a given topic without stopping using proper English language for 1-2 minutes. The examiner offers a topic card, or Cue Card, showcasing the topic to be discussed. You will have 1 minute to brainstorm and jot down random ideas about the topic you will discuss on paper with a pen.

• Start talking when the examiner allows you to begin, and keep talking until they stop you.

 

• Unlike part 1, here, you need to speak with unique ideas and word usage without any prompting questions from the examiner.

 

• Don’t speak for only 1 minute as it gives less content to the examiner to thoroughly assess your English speaking skills. Go for a 1-2 minute topic description, using multiple tenses and fine details. Such techniques portray your fine control over sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary and fluency.

 

• Examples of topics may include:

 

• The best decision you ever made
• A personality which inspires you
• Your favourite place
• A piece of art you recently liked, etc.

 

Note:

 

Talking fluently in part 2 without a break is vital to getting the best speaking score. Scoring bad in this portion may result in a poor overall score. So, practice speaking on random topics.

 

Part 3 (General Q/As Related To Part 2 Topic) (4-5 Minutes)

 

Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking test revolves around answering broader themed questions related to the topic provided in part 2. The examiner is looking for a candidate’s capacity to speak about related issues in greater depth, providing analysis and justifying their opinions with reasons. Remember! You might get interrupted here by the examiner to gain a better in-depth response from you.

• Avoid repeating the same ideas in Part 3 described in Part 2 by expanding your answers. Moreover, offer your general view rather than a personal experience.

 

• Showcase your English language skills using a greater range of grammar, tenses, vocabulary and sentence structure.

Note:

 

If you perform poorly in Part 2, you may make up for it in Part 3 by using better English language. This part gives you more room to showcase your adeptness in using English words and sentences.

 

Hence, you have learned the ins and outs of the three parts of an IELTS speaking test. Take note of the test format and the valuable tips, practising much to get an outstanding speaking score!