Guides

IELTS Speaking guides

Short, practical notes on the Speaking test, written the way a teacher would explain them in class.

• The test

  The IELTS Speaking test, part by part

  Understand the three parts, their timing, the task card and the discussion, with practical advice for your Speaking appointment.

  6 min read

• Part 1

  IELTS Speaking Part 1: question types and how to answer

  Practise ten original Part 1 questions, choose a useful answer length and respond to changes in tense without memorising a script.

  6 min read

• Part 2

  IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics: practise by category

  Twelve original Part 2 task cards grouped by topic, with advice on choosing relevant memories and adapting them to the exact prompt.

  7 min read

• Part 2

  IELTS Speaking Part 2: a cue card technique for the full two minutes

  How to use the minute of preparation, what to write on the paper, a shape for the talk, and what to do when the story runs out before two minutes.

  7 min read

• Part 3

  IELTS Speaking Part 3: discuss unfamiliar ideas

  Learn to develop Part 3 answers with reasons, comparisons and careful speculation, using original practice questions and short candidate examples.

  7 min read

• Bands

  How the IELTS Speaking band descriptors work

  The four IELTS Speaking criteria in plain English, what separates Band 6 from Band 7 in each, and which one to practise first.

  7 min read

• Bands

  IELTS Speaking Band 7: what to listen for and practise

  Understand Band 7 across the four Speaking criteria, identify a recurring difficulty and test your progress with a two-week recording routine.

  6 min read

• Criteria

  IELTS fluency and coherence: keep your answers connected

  Practise a steady pace, clear connections and brief repairs with recording drills that show why your answers pause or lose their thread.

  7 min read

• Criteria

  IELTS pronunciation: what the examiner listens for

  Practise word stress, sentence stress and pausing with spoken examples and a daily 10-minute drill focused on being understood.

  6 min read

• Study plan

  IELTS Speaking preparation: a four-week study plan

  Follow a four-week Speaking plan with daily 20-minute sessions, one criterion per week and mock tests that check progress on new questions.

  7 min read