The IELTS speaking section is a one-on-one interview with a trained IELTS examiner (also know as the interviewer) who evaluates your use of spoken English. This interviewer is the person who assesses your performance and the results and his/her comments are then sent to England.
The interviewer is a native-speaker and their accents may be North American, British, New Zealand or Australian.
The speaking section is recorded.
Students taking the Academic version and the General Training version both have the same type of Speaking interview. There is no difference between the two versions.
The speaking section is divided into three parts and has a total duration of between 11 and 14 minutes.
Before the exam begins your ID will be checked so much you remember to bring it on the day.
IELTS Speaking – Part 1
Time: 4-5 Minutes
You will be asked general questions about yourself and your life on a range a topics that you will be familiar and comfortable with. These are set / fixed questions on three different topics. Each topic with have 3 or 4 questions. You should try to speak for at least 20 seconds for each answer.
Some familiar topics include your family, your work (or studies), your hobbies/interests, your city, your country and similar topics.
IELTS Speaking – Part 2
Time: 3-4 Minutes
You will be given a topic which you have to talk about for 1-2 minutes. You are not given a range of topics or alternatives to choose from. It is one topic so be prepared to speak about anything.
Before you begin your talk, you will be given one minute where you can make notes on a piece of paper and you can use these notes as you speak.
Soon: Examples of speaking part 2 topics
If you start to speak past the 2 minutes, the interviewer will stop you by asking one or two questions. Just answer these briefly.
IELTS Speaking – Part 3
Time: 4-5 Minutes
You will speak with the examiner about issues related to the topic in Part 2.
This section is more natural and therefore may be more challenging for some students.
The examiner will respond to what you say and may appear to be inventing questions on the spot. The examiner is in reality checking your grammatical range, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation and if you can express your ideas clearly.
Once the speaking section has finished you cannot ask the examiner how you went or your possible score. They will not respond or give you any clue.