3 parts of IELTS Speaking, and what to look out for

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the world’s most popular English language test for work, study, and migration. More than 12,000 organisations trust IELTS as a reliable indicator of true-to-life ability to communicate in English.

The IELTS exam has 4 sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking test takers find the Speaking section a little more difficult than others as it’s a face-to-face test and you can get nervous with your pronunciation skills.

Here’s all about the Speaking section to help you crack the IELTS exam. IELTS speaking test is conducted with a face-to-face interview of 10-15 minutes. If you are not familiar with the 3 parts of IELTS speaking then read on to know everything about it, and how to score better for each segment in your IELTS test.

Questions about the candidate (4 - 5 Mins)

Just like a normal conversation, examiners would set the tone of the assessment by starting with simple and introductory questions about you. Think of it as a warm-up. These questions typically consist of more familiar topics ranging from your interests, family, home life, and anything related to your background.

Besides introducing yourselves, it allows you to get the hang of crafting timely responses and getting comfortable with the examiner. At the same time, examiners can already get a rough gauge of your ability to engage in a conversation and decide how they want the flow of the speaking test to go.

During Part 1, examiners are always looking out for one’s capacity to speak smoothly while displaying a broad vocabulary range to recount these familiar topics.

The key to acing the first segment of the IELTS Speaking Test is to stick to what you know and not be afraid to be yourself. Share about your day-to-day activities, different personal interests, and perhaps what life is like at home.

Talking about a topic for up to 2 minutes (3 – 4 Mins)

Part 2 of the Speaking Test is where you will be tested on your ability to continuously talk about a given topic and develop unique ideas about it. All while using proper grammar and vocabulary. You will be given a random card with a certain topic. These act as cue cards that would prompt the next stage of the conversation, which gives examiners more insight into your thoughts, and how you would effectively communicate those messages in the English language.

Examples of some of these topics can include everything from a book you’ve been reading recently, a female world leader you look up to, a family member that impacted your life, or even something as simple as describing your favourite picture at home.

You will have one minute to mentally prepare and craft your answers before sharing them for the next two minutes. From there, the examiner will continue to ask a few more questions on the given topic.

In Part 2, being able to dive deep into a topic with no given prompts and relating them to your own experiences is what examiners are looking out for. Unlike Part 1, which is a more guided conversation, the cue cards given in Part 2 allow you to come up with unique responses. Thus, it is very important for you to practice with a range of different topics beforehand, to organise your thoughts, and to think of your delivery during the actual examination.

General discussion, linked to part 2 (4 – 5 Mins)

Last but certainly not least, Part 3 of the Speaking Test tackles the responses from Part 2 in an attempt to draw out more abstract and elaborate answers from you. This is where examiners are keeping an eye out on your capacity to speak about related issues in much greater depth, provide analysis, and justify their opinions.

However, expect to be interrupted by the examiner from time to time during this part of the test. This is completely normal and is meant to prompt you to dive deeper into the particular topic. There is also no preparation time beforehand, which challenges you to think on your feet.

While the topic may have originated from Part 2, you must avoid repeating those ideas in Part 3 to the best of your abilities. The objective is to expand on those answers and share more about your general view as opposed to personal experience.

To get a better idea of how to prepare for the last portion of the Speaking Test, here’s a 4-step strategy that you can adopt:

• Step 1: Give a straight answer to the asked question.

• Step 2: Explain with reasons.

• Step 3: Provide an example to support your answer.

• Step 4: Give an alternative or consequence.

With this strategy, you will have a clear framework that can be applied to any question thrown at you. Practice by having discussions or mini debates with your friends and family on potential topics such as education, society, and nature, and use that as preparation for the big day!

Do your best in all parts of the IELTS speaking Test!

Now that you know the ins and outs of the three different parts of the Speaking Test, it’s now time for test takers like you to prepare and ace it. If you are looking for that extra boost to help you with your IELTS test preparation, look no further than IDP.

From a wealth of IELTS test resources available down to the process of booking your test, our goal is to guide each student at every step of their journey.

Book your IELTS test with us today and we’ll take it from there!