IELTS speaking syllabus

Speaking is the same in IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Three parts, 11 to 14 minutes, one to one with a certified examiner, and recorded. It is the only module in the test where you are assessed by a person in real time. The IELTS Academic syllabus hub page covers the other modules.

Pattern

Speaking may be taken on the same day as the other modules, or up to seven days before or after. Some centres run it as Video Call Speaking, where a certified examiner joins by live video while you sit in a private room at the centre. Content, timing, scoring and structure are identical, and the centre decides which format you get.

Assessment criteria

Four criteria, weighted equally, averaged to give the Speaking band.

• Fluency and coherence: speaking at length without unnatural hesitation, and organising ideas so they follow

• Lexical resource: the range of vocabulary and how precisely it is used, including paraphrase when a word will not come

• Grammatical range and accuracy: the variety of structures used and how accurately they are formed

• Pronunciation: how easily you can be understood, including stress, rhythm and intonation

Part 1 topics

• Home and accommodation

• Family and friends

• Work or studies

• Hobbies and free time

• Food, weather, travel and daily routine

The examiner introduces themselves and checks your identity before the questions begin. Answers of two or three sentences work better here than either one word or a speech.

Part 2, the long turn

• You are given a task card describing something to talk about, with three or four prompts

• One minute to prepare, with pencil and paper provided for notes

• Speak for about two minutes without interruption

• The examiner may ask one or two short follow up questions at the end

• Common card types: describe a person, a place, an object, an event, an experience or a plan

Part 3 topics

• Broader questions arising from the Part 2 subject

• Comparisons between past and present, or between countries and generations

• Causes, consequences and predictions

• Opinions on social, educational, environmental and technological issues

• Questions asking you to speculate or justify a position

What is not in the syllabus

• No subject knowledge. You are assessed on language, not on the quality of your opinions

• No right or wrong answers

• No reading aloud

• No preparation time in Part 1 or Part 3

• No separate pronunciation drill or accent requirement. A regional accent is not penalised if you can be understood

• No negative marking

How to spend the time

Use the full minute in Part 2 and write notes that are prompts rather than sentences. Candidates who write out what they plan to say end up reading, which hurts fluency.

Aim to fill the two minutes. Stopping at a minute leaves the examiner with less to assess and usually costs you on fluency and coherence.

Part 3 is where the band is decided for most candidates, because the questions are abstract and the answers have to be developed. Practise giving a position, one reason and one example, in that order.

Record yourself. Fluency and pronunciation only move with spoken practice, and hearing your own hesitation is the fastest way to reduce it. Browse the available IELTS Academic practice papers.

Common mistakes

• Memorising answers, which examiners are trained to recognise and which costs marks

• Giving one word answers in Part 1

• Writing full sentences during the Part 2 preparation minute and then reading them out

• Stopping early in Part 2 instead of filling the two minutes

• Treating Part 3 like Part 1 and giving short personal answers to abstract questions

• Using memorised idioms that do not fit the context, which lowers Lexical Resource rather than raising it

• Trying to imitate a native accent instead of working on clarity and stress

Part 1 against Part 3

Frequently asked questions

How long is the IELTS Speaking test?

11 to 14 minutes in total, across three parts.

Is Speaking the same in Academic and General Training?

Yes. Listening and Speaking are identical in both versions.

How much preparation time do I get in Part 2?

One minute, with pencil and paper for notes, before speaking for about two minutes.

What are the Speaking assessment criteria?

Four criteria, weighted equally: Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, Pronunciation.

Is the test face to face or by video call?

Both formats exist. Video Call Speaking uses a live certified examiner joining by video while you sit at an official test centre. The centre decides which format is used, and the two are identical in content, timing, scoring and structure.

Is my accent marked down?

No. Pronunciation is assessed on how easily you can be understood, not on sounding like a particular nationality.

Does the examiner judge my opinions?

No. The assessment is of language only. There are no right or wrong views.

Can I ask the examiner to repeat a question?

Yes, in Parts 1 and 3. Asking for clarification is normal and is not penalised.

What happens if I stop early in Part 2?

The examiner moves on, but you have given less evidence to assess, which usually costs marks on fluency and coherence.

Is Speaking taken on the same day as the other modules?

Sometimes. It may fall on the same day or up to seven days before or after.