Speaking Test Overview
The speaking test is a one-on-one and face-to-face interview between the test-taker and the examiner. It is usually held in a closed room and your speaking is recorded. Sometimes, the interview is either in-person or through video meetings. Usually, the test takes around 11-14 minutes.
There are three parts of the test in which each part has its own specific task format to test your speaking skills from different points of views.
Marking
There are four assessment criteria to determine your speaking skill level:
- Fluency and coherence
- Lexical resource
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Pronunciation
Fluency and Coherence
Indicator of fluency
- Speech rate: ideally, not too slow (hard to keep links between words/propositions in mind).
- Speech continuity: ideally, flow of speech will not be excessively interrupted by false starts, backtracking, function less repetitions of words and phrases, and/or pausing during which the test taker searches for words.
Indicator of coherence
- Logical Sequencing and Topic Signposting: Every sentence must follow a clear, logical progression. The speaker must explicitly signal transitions between different stages of a discussion, narrative, or argument by using appropriate spoken discourse markers, strategic pauses, and natural fillers.
- Contextual Relevance: Every spoken sentence must directly address and remain highly relevant to the specific prompt, question, or topic at hand.
- Structural Cohesion: The speech must flow smoothly through the seamless use of cohesive devices. This includes utilizing logical connectors, conjunctions, and pronouns to tightly bind ideas both within individual sentences and between consecutive sentences.
Lexical Resource
Lexical resource refers to the range of vocabulary the test taker uses, which will influence the range of topics which they can discuss, and the clarity with which meanings are articulated and attitudes are communicated.
- Indicator of lexical resource:
- Range and variety of vocabulary used to express ideas effectively.
- Adequacy and appropriateness of vocabulary in relation to: Referential meaning: accurate labeling of objects, actions, concepts, and relationships; Register and style: appropriate use of formal, informal, or neutral language according to the communicative context; Collocation: natural and accurate combinations of words, including common phrases and idiomatic expressions; Attitudinal meaning: effective use of vocabulary to convey the speaker's stance, opinion, or evaluation (e.g., favorable, neutral, or unfavorable).
- Ability to paraphrase ideas using alternative words and expressions while maintaining meaning.
- Use of idiomatic language where appropriate and natural.
- Precision and flexibility of word choice to communicate nuanced meanings and avoid repetition.
- Control of less common and topic-specific vocabulary when required by the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Indicators of range
- The length of spoken sentences
- Appropriate use of subordinate clauses within clauses and phrases
- Complexity of the verb phrase (correct use of auxiliaries in continuous/perfect aspect, modality and passive voice)
- Range variety of sentence structures
Indicators of accuracy
- Error density (the number of grammatical errors in a given amount of speech)
- The communicative effect of error (its effect on intelligibility and precision or expression)
Pronunciation
Pronunciation refers to the ability to divide speech into meaningful utterances or chunks within spoken sentences
- Indicators of pronunciation:
- The appropriate use of rhythm and stress timing, and the linking of sounds, using features such as elision to produce connected speech.
- The use of stress (e.g. emphatic/contrastive) and intonation to enhance meaning the production of sounds at the word and phoneme level (e.g. word stress, vowel and consonant production), and the degree of effort required of the listener to understand these the overall effect of accent on intelligibility
Speaking Part 1: Introduction and Interview
What's involved?
In this part, the examiner introduces him/herself and checks your identity. Then the examiner asks you general questions on some familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies or interests.
Part 1 is 4-5 minutes long.
What skills are tested?
This part tests your ability to give opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences or situations by answering a range of questions.
Task Overview
In part 1, the examiner will ask easy questions on personal topics such as your name, identification, hometown, what do you do. Also, you will be asked about familiar topics such as family, learning English hobbies, food preference, traditions, travelling, etc.
This part focuses on the candidate's capacity to respond to a variety of questions and effectively express ideas and facts on commonplace subjects and situations.
Note that each of these questions is about you. Therefore, this part is the simplest one among the others.
There will be four possibilities when you begin the speaking test. Before Part 1 begins four things will happen.
- The examiner will introduce themselves and ask you what your name is. You can simply reply: 'My name's ______'. (Make sure that you use the contraction 'name's' instead of name is.)
- The examiner will then ask you 'What can I call you?'. You can simply say: 'You can call me_______'. Or People usually 'call me ______'
- They will then ask you where you are from. Simply state: "I'm from_____". There is no need for you to give any extra information about your answers at this stage.
- The examiner will finally ask to see your identification. Show it to them and then the test can begin.
Tips
1. Create a Good First Impression
- Be confident! You will typically offer extremely brief, monotone replies if you glance at the floor and appear to prefer being anywhere else to being in the room with the examiner. This will lower your score.
- However, you are more likely to provide responses that sound natural if you are open and personable with the examiner. Act as though you are conversing normally with a friend. You'll be alright if you act like it's just a regular conversation which can make you produce a very natural speech as well.
2. Extend Your Answers
- There is no minimum or maximum number of words or phrases required for Part 1. You want to demonstrate to the examiner that you can actually utilize them, so they shouldn't be too brief. However, extend your answer at least into 3-5 sentences long.
- For instance: When the examiner asks you, "what do you do in your daily life?", don't answer it too short such as "I am a student" only. Try to make it longer like, "Currently, I am a senior student of the Mechanical Engineering department".
Examples of phrases
- I once...
- I remember when...
- Back when I was...
- I don't remember exactly when, but...
- (Just) the other day...
- In my childhood...
- When I was very young...
- Not so long ago...
- Back in the day when I was a teenager...in one of the private universities in Jakarta.
3. Pretend to be interested with the topic
- If you pretend that you are interested in what the examiner is saying, your intonation should become more varied.
4. Don't be too perfectionist
- Since you are speaking in a language other than your native tongue, the examiner is not expecting perfection. Even those who receive a 9 still make minor errors, and those who receive a Band 7 or 8 commit quite a number.
- Fluency and pronunciation account for 50% of your marks. Grammar and vocabulary will take care of itself if you talk as naturally as you can, concentrating on speaking at a natural pace and using clear pronunciation.
5. Try to do an improvisation
- You are not given an option in the question, therefore even if you don't know the answer or don't like the question, you are still required to respond to it.
- It is appropriate to ask the examiner to clarify a word in a question if you are unclear on its meaning. If you didn't fully grasp the question, you may also request that the examiner repeat it. Only use this access when it is really required; do not, however, abuse it by using it for all inquiries.
- If you genuinely don't know the topic, tell the examiner the truth and say as much before making a guess. It is acceptable to make something up if you are genuinely lost because the test is an English proficiency test rather than a knowledge test.
6. Practice
- Record yourself while you speak about some IELTS tasks and consider doing the following things after listening to a recording you made of yourself:
Practice checklist
- Could you expand your vocabulary?
- Did you make any grammatical errors that you could have corrected?
- Were you speaking naturally or did you speak at a rapid pace?
- How well did you intonate?
- Did you go far enough in your response?
- Were your words audible?
Warm-Up 18
Answer these questions using the extension phrases on Tips point 2 above:
Warm-Up 18
Did you like playing sports when you were a kid?
When was your last time watching a cartoon?
Were you an active person at high school?
Strategy
1. Pay attention to your fluency
- Do not pause too long to think about your answer, or pause in the middle of your speaking, because doing so will affect your final score.
2. Be Brief and Simple
- Avoid providing lengthy, in-depth responses. It only takes one or three sentences.
3. Finish Your Sentences
- One-word responses are insufficient. Complete your sentences. For instance, say "I live in Tokyo," not "Tokyo."
4. Conclude Firmly
- After giving your response, conclude your sentence forcefully. Stop rambling and chatting nonstop.
5. Have Confidence
- Your posture and even your facial expression can influence how you speak. Smile, maintain good eye contact, and sit up straight but comfortably. Those gestures would give you confidence and you'll end up speaking fluently.
6. Unwind and settle in
- Part 1 is only a warm-up; it's not where you should focus.
Task Sample
First Set of questions (asked to almost all students):
- May I know your full name? (Just mention your full name without telling anything else).
- How may I address you? / What should I call you? / How may I call you?
- May I see your ID? (Don't answer 'Yes', but you can say "Here is my ID/Here is my passport)
- Where do you come from?
Second set of questions (familiar topics) - Home / accommodation
- Do you live in a house or flat? Or what kind of housing/accomodation do you live in?
- Do you like living in your house? Please describe it a little.
- What's your favourite room in your home?
- What have you done to your room?
- Who do you live with?
- Do you plan to live there a long time?
Warm-Up 19
Expand answers
Try to talk for more than 20 seconds. Use the phrases below to help you introduce your opinions.
- I find that....
- I tend to think that....
- On the whole, I think...
- Well, it's hard to say, but.....
Friends
Do you like spending time with friends? Why?
What activities do you and your friends like to do together?
Who do you prefer to talk to about problems: friends or family?
What do you think are the qualities of a good friend?
Is it hard to spend time with friends these days?
How is spending time with your friends different from spending time with your family?
Warm-Up 20
Learning about news
News
Do you read newspapers? Why/ why not?
How do you prefer to learn about news events? Why?
How do you share your personal news with friends?
Do you like hearing your friends' news? Why/why not?.
Mini Practice 62
- You will have some practice with your teacher.
Mini Practice 63
- You will have some practice with your teacher.
Mini Practice 64
Answer the questions below by recording it.
Art & Photography
Do you like art?
Do you think art classes are necessary?
How do you think art classes affect children's development?
What benefits can you get from painting as a hobby?
Do you like to take photographs?
Do you prefer to take photos yourself or to have other people take photos?
How often do you take photographs?
Do you prefer to take pictures of people or of scenery?
Do you prefer to take photos with a phone or with a camera?
Do you take many photographs when you travel?
Do you like looking at photographs of yourself?
Have you put any photographs you have taken on the walls in your house?
Birthdays
What did you usually do on your birthday when you were a child?
How do you normally celebrate your birthday now?
Is your birthday now still as important to you as when you were a child?
Do you think it's important to give someone a card when it's their birthday?
Do you think the price of gifts/presents is important?
Books
Do you like reading books? Why?
How often do you read?
Do you have many books at home?
Do you prefer to buy books or borrow them?
What are the benefits of reading?
What book would you take on a long journey?
How easy is it for you to read books in English?
Have you given up reading a book recently?
What kind of people like reading and what kind of people don't like reading very much?
What kinds of books do you like to read?
What is the best book you've ever read?
Is reading books a popular activity in your country?
Do you think that electronic books / eReaders are better than real books?