IELTS Speaking: 10 Tips to Help Increase Your Score (2024)

The IELTS Speaking section is the fourth component of the IELTS test. However, unlike theListening,Reading, andWriting sections, the Speaking component can be completed up to a week before or after you take the other tests. Read on for an overview of some IELTS Speaking tips, with a few examples of IELTS speaking questions.

About the IELTS Speaking Section

The IELTS Speaking test is 11-14 minutes long and consists of an oral interview between you and an examiner. The test is broken down into three parts:

Part 1 – Introduction and Interview (4-5 minutes)

The examiner will ask you questions about yourself, as well as general questions on familiar topics such as your home, family, work, studies, and interests.

Part 2 – Long Turn (3-4 minutes, including prep time)

The examiner will give you a task card asking you to discuss a particular topic. You’ll have one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. The examiner will then ask you one or two follow-up questions. Topics are general and will ask you to tell a story about yourself or a time in your life.

Part 3 – Discussion (4-5 minutes)

The examiner will ask you further questions about the topic from Part 2. This is your chance to expand on your thoughts and introduce more abstract ideas into the conversation.

Since it’s structured like an interview, the Speaking test is a stressful exercise for many test-takers. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to not only reduce stress but attain a high score. Follow the 10 IELTS Speaking tips below, and you’ll be ready to excel on this part of the test.

Because the IELTS speaking section is a lot like an interview, these interview tips for international students might be helpful, too!

Our Top Ten IELTS Speaking Tips

10. Pick a Good Study Buddy

When you take the IELTS Speaking test, it’s more likely than not that your examiner will have a stronger grasp of the English language than you. For this reason, it’s a great idea to practice with someone who also speaks English at a higher level. This will allow you to stretch your speaking abilities.

Just make sure you don’t pair up with someone whose English proficiency is much higher than your own, as this is a good way to get discouraged and have doubts about your abilities.

9. Speak More than the Examiner

Although IELTS frames the Speaking test as a conversation between you and the examiner, this isn’t really the case. A better way to think of it is that you are the interview subject. The examiner is there to prompt you with a question and listen intently to your answer.

So how do you make sure you’re speaking more than your examiner?

8. Elaborate!

Don’t respond to a question with a single short sentence. Build on your answer. Use different grammatical structures to keep your thoughts flowing, like:

• Conditional clauses: These usually begin with iforunless: “If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”
• Time clauses: You’ll use these when discussing the future: “I’ll come home when I finish work.”
• Modal verbs: These are auxillary verbs that express necessity or possibility: “You can borrow my car.”
• Reported speech: When you’re talking about what other people say, the tenses, word-order, and pronouns may be different from the original sentence, like: “She said that she liked ice cream.”

Ultimately, it’s better to use more complex grammar and make a few mistakes than keep to only short, simple sentences.

7. It’s Like Telling a Story

Picture this: one of your IELTS speaking questions is: “What sport do you like to play?” The problem is, you don’t play any sports. So, how can you talk about something you have no experience of?

One of the most helpful IELTS speaking tips is to turn things into a story. While it’s useful to pull from your own experiences in your answer, there’s no rule saying you need to tell the truth. You’re just being asked to tell a story with language. One option is to make something up. Or, talk about why you don’t play sports; there could be a really interesting story there! IELTS speaking questions are diverse and could be about anything. Use this to your advantage by turning it into a fun story.

6. This Isn’t A Test of What You Know

One of the most difficult things about the test is that you won’t know the IELTS Speaking topics ahead of time. While it’s true you can prepare for common topics, you won’t know the exact questions until you’re in the test.

There’s a chance you’ll be asked a question about a topic you have little-to-no knowledge about or experience with. While this isn’t a fun position to be in, the good news is what you know about a certain topic matters very little in an IELTS Speaking test.

The examiners are more interested inhowyou answer a question thanwhatyou know. Why? Because it shows you’re resourceful and can still develop an answer even if you lack an understanding of the topic.

5. Push Your Limits (But Know the Words)

This point builds off of the previous one about the importance ofhow you speak during the test. Even if you know everything there is to know about a topic, you won’t achieve a high score if you only use simplistic language in your answer. Instead, don’t be afraid to use more complex vocabulary. That said, make sure you understand the words you’re using, as you might be asked to explain them.

4. It’s Okay to Gather Your Thoughts

Much like in a job interview, it’s okay to take time to think over a question before you give a response. This can help you avoid rambling. If you’re worried about leaving an awkward silence, you can always let your examiner know you need a moment to collect your thoughts.

Here are a few sample phrases to use:

• “To be honest, this isn’t a topic I normally talk about. Let me take a moment to consider your question.”
• “I’m so sorry but I’m feeling a bit nervous today. Can you give me a moment to collect my thoughts?”
• “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat the question please?”

To clarify that last phrase, you can ask your examiner to repeat a question if you didn’t fully understand it or just want to buy yourself a bit of time. However, make sure you don’t do this for every question or your examiner may think you’re just stalling, or don’t understand most things they’re saying.

3. Once More, With Feeling

While we don’t recommend answering your examiner’s IELTS speaking questions with tears streaming down your face, it’s important to put some emotion in your voice. Speaking in a monotone can make you look inexperienced, and could hurt your score.

Instead, think of how you’d express yourself if you were answering in your native language and apply those feelings to your answers. You can also watch English-language TV and movies to get an idea of what different English speakers sound like, to best answer IELTS speaking questions. (However, as odd as it sounds, avoid sounding like someone on reality TV. They’re often more dramatic and emotional than most English speakers are.)

2. Look Confident

The Speaking test is arguably the test section students are most worried about. You’ll likely feel nervous before and during the test. This is completely normal. However, even if you’re feeling anxious, it’s important to project a confident attitude.

A strong first impression can go a long way toward building a rapport with your examiner, so make sure you dress neatly. Greet your examiner with a smile and a firm handshake. And if you accidentally say “Good morning” instead of “Good afternoon,” don’t worry–IELTS examiners will overlook simple mistakes due to nerves.

1. Set a Good Pace

We tend to associate speed with skill when it comes to speaking a language. The more fluent you are, the quicker you’ll be able to speak, right? While there is some truth to this, it’s best not to fall into the speed trap during the IELTS Speaking test. If you speak too fast, you may come off as incoherent. Alternatively, speaking too slowly may cause your instructor’s mind to wander and lose interest in what you’re saying.

The best thing you can do is keep a steady, consistent pace. This will help ensure that you are coherent and leave an overall good impression on your examiner.

We hope these IELTS Speaking tips were helpful, and wish you the best of luck on the test!

For more study tips, check out our list of the5 Best IELTS Preparation Books for International Students, and our guides on IELTS Listening,Reading, andWriting.

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