International English Language Testing System/IELTS Speaking Component

The IELTS Speaking part of the International English Language Testing is the one of the four components of the exam. The others being listening, reading and writing. The length of the IELTS Speaking exam is between 11-14 minutes. This component consists of three different types of questions: personal/general questions (4-5 mins), a presentation based on one topic (3-4 minutes), and a discussion (4-5 minutes).

IELTS Speaking Part 1 The personal/general questions is the first part. This involves asking questions based on 2-3 general topics. For each topic an IELTS examiner will normally ask 3-4 questions. Common topics that are asked can be related to work, home, school, food, music, etc. The examiner has a choice of up to 15 possible topics to ask a candidate on any exam day. Some examples of typical questions for the topic of home, for instance, are: ''What is the favorite room in your home? Tell me about your home. Do you live in a house or an apartment?''

IELTS Speaking Part 2 The next part is a short presentation. The candidate is given a topic on a task card and then has 1 minute to prepare at 1-2 minute presentation based on this topic. The examiner will then normally end this part with one simple follow-up question based on this topic. While the candidate has 1 minute to prepare, they can take notes on a piece of paper that is provided by the examiner. Examples of past topics asked in this exam are: describe your favorite book, describe a famous person from your country, and tell me about your ideal home. Just like part 1, the examiner has a choice of 15 or more topics to choose from, so it is difficult for candidates to predict topics and memorize responses.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 The last part of the IELTS Speaking exam is a 4-5 minute discussion between the examiner and the candidate. The questions in this section are related to the topic in the presentation, but are more challenging. If asked to describe their favorite book (in part 2), in part 3, the examiner may ask questions, including Are e-books better than paper books? 'or' How have libraries changed in the past 30 years? 'or' How can parents encourage their children to read more?  Part 3 questions often ask candidates to compare, explain, predict, and examine various things.

Answering IELTS Speaking Questions Examiners use a strict grading criteria to determine a IELTS speaking band score. They listen for four different criteria that are graded equally. This includes fluency (25%), grammar (25%), vocabulary (25%) and pronunciation (25%).

To receive a IELTS Speaking band score of 7 or higher in any one category, for instance, a candidate should: Fluency: use a variety of transitions signals, not hesitate much, speak a good speed (not too fast or slow), and produce long responses. Grammar: Use a variety of complex sentences structures, and not make too many grammar mistakes, especially with simple structures. Vocabulary: Use specific vocabulary during responses and use some less common word choices commonly used by native English speakers. Make not many wrong word choice or wrong word form errors. Use paraphrasing to describe words if having difficulty recalling in English. Pronunciation: Can be generally understood without strain. Uses intonation, tone, and appropriate pace.

Other IELTS Speaking Info To get a better idea of the how the IELTS speaking is graded for other bands, it is a good idea to check out the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors (from the British Council)

Online English Success provides a list of practice IELTS Speaking topics for parts 1, 2 and 3