IELTS Speaking test

At IELTS we believe a face-to-face Speaking test is the most effective way of assessing your speaking skills and prompts a more lifelike performance.

Don’t struggle to be heard over the noise and distraction of others.
Don’t battle to speak over the sound of other test takers.
Don't get "timed out" if you take too long to start.

Sit your IELTS Speaking test in a private room – free from noise and distraction, and get the time and consideration you deserve with IELTS .

Additionally, we're happy to inform you that video call Speaking tests are available at some centres. At IELTS – we hear you.

There is just one version of the IELTS Speaking test for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. As the Speaking questions and topics are the same for both tests, you can be sure that the practice material provided here is suitable for you, whichever type of IELTS test you are taking.

What to expect

In the IELTS Speaking test, you will have a discussion with a certified examiner lasting between 11 and 14 minutes. This will be interactive and as close to a real-life discussion as possible.

The test has three parts:

• In Part 1 - you will answer questions about yourself and your family.

• In Part 2 - you will speak about a given topic, which will be introduced by the examiner on the day.

• In Part 3 - you will have a longer discussion with the examiner about the topic introduced in Part 2.

We believe a face-to-face Speaking test is the most effective way of assessing your speaking skills and prompts a more lifelike performance.

• Our private Speaking test rooms are free from noise and distraction.

• We can repeat and rephrase a question for you.

• We can match your pace and level of English.

• We hear your accent and we accept your accent wherever in the world you’re from.

• We won’t cut you off if you take too long to start: don't get "timed out" with IELTS.

Test duration: Between 11-14 minutes

• Part 1: Introduction and questions on familiar topics
  Length: 4-5 minutes

• Part 2: Individual long turn
  Length: 3-4 minutes

• Part 3: Two-way discussion
  Length: 4-5 minutes

Part 1: Introduction and questions on familiar topics

• The examiner will start by introducing him or herself and asking you to state your name and show your identification.

• Next, you will be asked general questions about yourself such as where you live or what you are currently doing (working or studying).

• The remaining questions in this section are of a personal nature and topics will be familiar, for example, about the music you like, cooking, the weather, or movies you prefer.

• Usually, you cover one or two more topics and you may get two or three questions about each of them.

Part 2: Individual long turn

• The examiner will give you a topic and ask you to talk about it for one to two minutes.

• The topic will be handed to you on a card and you will also be given a piece of paper and a pencil for making notes. On the card, you will see the speaking prompt and some points you can cover in your talk relating to this.

• You will have exactly one minute to prepare and make notes before you speak.

• After the one-minute preparation, you will be asked to begin and the examiner will listen to you for two minutes. They may ask you a couple of follow-up questions when the time is up before going on to the next section.

Part 3: Two-way discussion

• The questions in Part 3 will be loosely connected to the topic that you spoke about in Part 2.

• They will become more complex and abstract as you go along. You will need to be able to express and justify your opinions, analyse, discuss and speculate on given subjects.

• The examiner will speak more with you in this section and may challenge your opinions to see how well you are able to converse about abstract ideas versus the personal topics contained in Parts 1 and 2.

• Support and extend your answers. State your opinions clearly and provide examples and reasoning as you talk. You do not have to believe your opinion, or you might not have one, so turn to what you think others are saying about the subject and create a line of reasoning from that.

• Remember the more you say, the more you show how you can use English to communicate.

IELTS has lots of free preparation material for you. For your IELTS Speaking test, we recommend you practise with another person - just like the real test. Try to find a study partner to help you. This might be a teacher, colleague or a friend.

You should take all three parts of the test one after the other without a break to make sure that your practice session is as realistic as possible. 

Remember to speak clearly and accurately. It is important to say as much as possible (without rushing) and be spontaneous. Do not prepare memorised answers in advance, as you will not have this option when it comes to the real-life IELTS Speaking test. The more natural and authentic you can be, the better the test is likely to go.

It’s a good idea to record yourself (e.g. via your smartphone or laptop) so that you can go back and check your performance. If you can’t record yourself, ask your study partner if they can do so.

Prepare for your IELTS Speaking test