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The IELTS Speaking is the same for both General Training test and Academic test and assesses your use of spoken English. All speaking tests are conducted face-to-face with a certified IELTS examiner and are recorded in case they need to be reviewed.
The Speaking test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and consists of 3 parts. Part 1 is the first part of the test where the examiner will ask you some general questions about familiar topics like work, family, studies and hobbies.
In Part 2 you will be given a card with a topic. You will be given one minute to take notes on the topic and will be given a pencil and paper to prepare your response. You will then speak on the topic for two minutes. In Part 3 of the interview, you will have a two-way discussion with the examiner where they will ask questions related to the topic discussed in Part 2.
The Speaking test may be conducted on the same day as the other tests or a week before or after the other test parts.
Ask IELTS
Ask IELTS
If you plan to migrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, taking an IELTS General Training test makes sense. Or if you plan on studying in secondary education, or enrolling in vocational training, this might still be the right choice.
But if you plan to study in higher education or want professional registration in an English-speaking country, you might need to take an IELTS Academic test.
Smiling can help you feel relaxed which in turn might help you perform better. However, if you smile or laugh too much, it might not be appropriate for the topic you are discussing. Every examiner is trained and monitored closely to be fair to every candidate and to assess your level of English. The examiners will not give you more or fewer marks if you are smiling and laughing. It is best to try and relax as much as you can and communicate in a natural way.
The Speaking test is a discussion with a highly qualified IELTS examiner who assesses your ability to talk about a range of topics. The Speaking test has three parts and is recorded. A description of the three parts of the interview is found in the Information for Candidates booklet.
If you take computer-delivered IELTS, you will do the tests in the following order on the same day: Listening, Reading and Writing, with the Speaking test before or after this test session.
For PB test is the same order as the CD test which is Listening, Reading, Writing and same format for the Speaking test. Depending on the test centre, the Speaking test can be done on the same day, or up to 7 days either before or after the test date.
As IELTS is an international test, a variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used in both the General Training and Academic tests.
Everyone speaks with an accent and you are not expected to change your accent for the IELTS test. Instead, focus on speaking clearly and at a natural pace so that the examiner can understand you. Practising your English every day and listening to different native speaker accents will help you to more clearly pronounce difficult words.