Speaking Tips for IELTS

Okay, so “30/40” is usually for Listening or Reading, not Speaking. But if someone says they got 30 out of 40, that would generally mean around Band 7. For Speaking, the band is scored on fluency, pronunciation, grammar, etc., not a marks system. But yeah—if that 30/40 is accurate (from another section), you're in pretty solid English speaker territory.

No, the Speaking test is always face-to-face with the examiner, even in computer-based IELTS. You don't speak to the computer.

Yes, if you book paper-based IELTS, you can pick your Speaking test slot 5 to 7 days before the exam. If you don't pick, IDP will allott it for you. For computer-based test, speaking is on same day or close to your main test.

Talk in English with a friend or just talk in front of mirror. Record your answers. Use IELTS cue cards and speak on topic for 1–2 minutes. Listen to Band 8 speaking videos online and learn how they speak.

Speaking section has 3 parts which has to be covered in 11-14 minutes.  

• Part 1 (4–5 minutes):

  • Simple questions about yourself (name, work/study, hometown, hobbies).

• Part 2 (3–4 minutes total):

  • You receive a cue card with a topic.

  • One minute to prepare, then speak for up to two minutes.

  • Examiner may ask one or two follow-up questions.

• Part 3 (4–5 minutes):

  • Discussion of more abstract ideas linked to Part 2 topic.

  • You'll be asked to compare, speculate, and justify opinions.

Tip: Treat it like a normal conversation. Be natural, but give full answers (2–3 sentences) rather than one-word responses.

The IELTS Speaking test is marked by a trained examiner during your test. They listen to how well you speak English and score you on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Each part is worth 25%, and all scores are added and averaged to get your final score from 0 to 9.

To get 8.5 band in IELTS Listening, you need good practice and focus.

• Train yourself to listen audio only one time like in real exam. Try to understand different English accents like British, American, Australian. Learn and use listening strategies like skimming, scanning, and predicting.
• If you practice daily, you will learn more vocabulary and it will help you in the whole IELTS test.

Fluency in IELTS Speaking needs speaking in a smooth and continuous manner without taking too many pauses. If you would hesitate while speaking - that will reflect in your speaking. Thus to improve your speaking - don't let fear of making mistakes hinder your flow. Start speaking to yourself and others regularly on various topics. Minimise use of filler words like "um" and "aa".

Make brief notes first. You should answer all given bullet points on IELTS card. Explain your personal feelings. You can tell a detailed story to make your answer last for full two minutes. Keep talking till they do not stop you.