1. BASIC INFORMATION
ABOUT IELTS SPEAKING

2. 1. Basic information
2. Structure
3. Timing
4. Four marking criteria
5. What examiners expect from you?
OUTLINE

3. ✔ You will talk to an examiner face-to-face in a room.
✔ The test is interactive and as close to a real-life situation
✔ The test will be recorded to remark
✔ The content of the IELTS Speaking test
is the same for both the IELTS Academic
and IELTS General Training tests.
BASIC INFORMATION

4. Part 0: ID check before test starts
• Greeting
• Information about the test
• Ask name and check identification
STRUCTURE

5. Part 1: Introduction and Interview
• Time: 4 - 5 minutes
• Common topics: study & work, hometown, hobby,
music, film, sport, ……
• Common question types: Like, How often, How has
something changed, Popular, Difficult, Important,
Learn something …
STRUCTURE

6. Part 2: Presentation
• Time: 3 - 4 minutes, 1 minute to prepare an outline
for answer and 2 minutes to present the full answer
• Common topics: the same as part 1
• Common question types: Describe a person,
Describe a place, Describe an object, Describe an
activity, Describe an event, Describe your favourite.
STRUCTURE

7. Part 3: Two-way discussion
• Time: 4 - 5 minutes
• Common topics: the same topic as part 2
• Common question types: give opinion, comparison,
problems and solutions, future and prediction.
STRUCTURE

8. • may happen before or after the written date
• can be in the morning or afternoon
• take 11-14 minutes
• is strictly controlled by the examiner (may
interrupt you if you exceed the given time)
• you can ask to change the time if the given time is
not suitable for you.
TIMING

9. Fluency and Coherence
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and
Accuracy
Pronunciation
MARKING CRITERIA

10. • Ability to speak fluently without loss of coherence
• Ability to develop topics coherently and appropriately
• Ability to use linking words appropriately
• Ability to expand answers by adding an example or
explanation to illustrate a main point
Fluency and Coherence
MARKING CRITERIA

11. • Ability to use a wide range of vocabulary
• Ability to use less common and idiomatic vocabulary naturally
and accurately
• Ability to use paraphrases effectively
Lexical Resource
MARKING CRITERIA

12. • Ability to use a wide range of structures naturally and
appropriately (a mix of simple, compound and complex
sentences)
• Do not make any mistakes about basic grammar such as
articles, tenses …
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
MARKING CRITERIA

13. • Ability to pronounce clearly and appropriately
• Ability to speak with stress and intonation
Pronunciation
MARKING CRITERIA

14. • Always smile
• Be comfortable
• Use body language
Be confident
WHAT EXAMINERS EXPECT?

15. • Only focus on the issue given by the examiner
• Answer what the examiner ask
Do you like reading books
⇒ Answer: Yes, I’m really keen on reading books. NOT
Everyone has many hobbies, and I am no exception… and I
love reading books.
Answer directly the question
WHAT EXAMINERS EXPECT?

16. • Give information to be measured/ visible
Example: Buses now are pretty convenient. (too general)
⇒ Buses now are less costly and less congested. (to be
measured and visible)
Give a clear answer
WHAT EXAMINERS EXPECT?