IELTS Speaking: Format, Scoring and How the Test Works

The IELTS Speaking test explained: the three parts and their timings, what the examiner does, how your band is calculated, and how to prepare.

3 min read · Updated 2026-10-31

The IELTS Speaking test is a short, recorded conversation with a certified examiner. It is the same for Academic and General Training candidates, and it is the one part of IELTS that has stayed face to face after the move to computer-delivered testing.

Test format

The test lasts 11 to 14 minutes and has three parts. Each part does a different job, so it helps to know what is coming.

Part	Time	What happens
Part 1: Introduction and interview	4–5 minutes	The examiner checks your identity, then asks short questions about you and familiar topics such as your home, work, studies or hobbies.
Part 2: The long turn	3–4 minutes	You get a task card with a topic and prompts. You have 1 minute to prepare, with paper and a pencil, then talk for up to 2 minutes. The examiner may ask one or two short follow-up questions.
Part 3: Discussion	4–5 minutes	A two-way discussion of broader, more abstract questions connected to the Part 2 topic.

How Speaking is scored

The examiner rates you on four criteria, each with equal weight:

Fluency and Coherence: keeping going, and organising what you say so it is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource: the range and precision of your vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: the variety and correctness of your sentence structures.
Pronunciation: how easy you are to understand, including stress, rhythm and intonation.

Your Speaking band is the average of the four criteria. The examiner judges your performance across the whole test, not part by part, so a weak answer in Part 1 can be balanced by a strong Part 3. For how the Speaking band combines with the other skills, see IELTS band scores.

What the examiner does

IELTS does not publish the examiner's script, but the shape of the test is well known from official descriptions and practice recordings:

At the start, the examiner introduces themselves, asks your name and where you are from, and checks your ID.
In Part 1, questions come from fixed topic frames. The examiner can repeat a question if you didn't catch it, but is not allowed to explain it in other words.
In Part 2, the examiner hands you the task card, stays silent while you prepare for a minute, then asks you to begin. At 2 minutes they will stop you, even mid-sentence.
In Part 3, the examiner has more freedom. They can rephrase a question and will often push you to justify or extend an idea.
Throughout, the examiner gives no feedback and no opinions. A neutral face does not mean you are doing badly.

How to prepare

Practise speaking out loud, not just thinking answers. Fluency is a physical skill.
Record yourself and listen back for long pauses, repeated words and unclear sounds.
Learn topic vocabulary in phrases (commute to work, a tight budget) rather than single words.
Practise the timing. Use a timer for Part 2 so that 2 minutes of talk feels normal.
Don't memorise answers. Examiners are trained to spot rehearsed speech, and it is assessed as if it were not your own language.

Speaking guides

Sources

Questions people ask

Is IELTS Speaking done on a computer?

No. Even though the other three skills are now taken on computer, Speaking is still a face-to-face conversation with a trained examiner. It is recorded.

How long is the IELTS Speaking test?

Between 11 and 14 minutes, split into three parts.

Is Speaking the same for Academic and General Training?

Yes. Both versions of IELTS use the same Speaking test.

Does the examiner cutting me off lower my score?

No. The examiner has to keep to strict timings, so being stopped mid-sentence is normal and is not marked against you.

Try it in a real-format test.

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