How to score 7+ bands in IELTS Speaking – Tips

Does a mere thought of appearing in an IELTS Speaking test send jitters down your spine? Do you often look for IELTS Speaking Tips to score 7 bands or higher in your IELTS Speaking module? Well, your search ends here!

Here I’m sharing most important IELTS speaking tips and tricks which will help you get rid of all the demons of facing the IELTS examiner and get above 7+ bands in your IELTS Test.

Many students keep asking me a lot of questions regarding IELTS Speaking Module, have a look at a few of the most common ones:

1. What is the format of the IELTS speaking test?
2. How is marking done in IELTS Speaking?
3. What is the duration of this test?
4. Can I ask the examiner to repeat/explain the question to me?

Read more about Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding IELTS Speaking Test.

IELTS Speaking Test Format :

• Part 1 (4-5 mins): General questions about yourself and other familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and your interests.
• Part 2 (3-4 mins): 1 minute for preparing your answer by looking at the Task Card and 1-2 minutes for speaking on the given topic. This is followed by one or two related questions. It’s a cue card section wherein you have to talk about a particular topic.
• Part 3(4-5 mins): Further detailed questions about the topic in Part 2. Your task is to discuss more abstract ideas and issues.

The speaking test in IELTS can last anywhere from 11 minutes to 14 minutes, so sit back and relax.

” What do you need to keep in mind before appearing in this test? “

IELTS Speaking Marking criteria :

The examiner assesses your proficiency in Spoken English using the below mentioned four criteria:

1. Fluency and Coherence
2. Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
4. Pronunciation

Fluency and Coherence

• The examiner listens to check your ability to speak fluently with/without self-correction.
• Whether you are searching for Ideas or looking for language and grammar/vocabulary.
• How much you speak coherently using appropriate cohesive features (and, besides, moreover, apart from that etc.).
• They assess your skills in developing topics appropriately.

Lexical resource (Vocabulary)

• It’s a test of your ability to paraphrase, generalize a question efficiently using a wide range of vocabulary.
• The examiner tests how skilled you are in using idiomatic language.
• How flexible you can use English words to convey precise meaning.
• Whether you can use less common vocabulary yet being natural.
• How good you are in using collocations (words often seen together in English. For example, acquire knowledge, make a habit) and phrasal verbs (call off the meeting, give in to his demand).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The examiner checks whether you:

• can use a variety of complex structures in your language to express yourself.
• are natural and appropriate in speaking English accurately with flexible use of grammatical sentences.
• make basic/systematic errors or the errors occur only as slips.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation matters a lot when it comes to scoring well in your IELTS Speaking test. The examiner tests whether you are:

• natural and appropriate in speaking English with minimal or no First Language Influence (Mother Tongue Influence).
• able to use a range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety.
• effortless to understand
• skilled enough to use a wide range of pronunciation features and whether you are able to sustain that.

Now when you’ve understood the format of speaking in IELTS and the assessment criteria, let’s now learn how you can score well in IELTS speaking test.

Have a look for some IELTS Speaking Tips which surely help you in scoring higher bands in your IELTS speaking module.

How To Score 7 or Higher in IELTS Speaking Test :

1. First of all, speak as much as you can. The examiner would appreciate your fluency and desire to speak English. Though, it should be relevant and of course, not off-topic.
2. Focus on the clarity of your answers. Make sure that the examiner is able to comprehend you effortlessly.
3. Be more spontaneous in your answers before your part -2 begins i.e. before your cue card section. It shows how comfortable you’re answering questions about YOURSELF.
4. Try to be as natural and as comfortable as you can. Also, be informed that the test will last anywhere between 11-14  minutes.
5. Enjoy talking to the examiner and shed all your inhibition and shyness.
6. Show your ability to express what you feel. Since it’s a test of your language and not your knowledge.
7. Further, feel comfortable with silence as a gap-filler rather than using “umms and aahs”, as this is a clear indication that you are confident. If you’re able to show that you’re looking for an idea and not the language to express, you have a better chance to score well.
8. Try to vary your rate of speech, tone, register and sound as natural as possible just as you do in your mother language.
9. Do Not Fake the British or American accent, because your examiner knows that you are non-native. So, sound more appropriate and natural by using the exact pronunciation of a word.
10. Be as realistic and true in saying things as you can. This will relieve you of the burden to think for ideas and the only thing you have to focus on is the language.
11. So, even if the cue card seems difficult to speak about, don’t panic! Be smart and make up a story. You’ll come out with flying colors. A number of my students have done it and scored well.
12. You can cite your own personal experiences wherever necessary to speak at length about a topic. Though you are analyzed on your ability to generalize things on speak on a broader spectrum, yet speaking naturally about something will surely assist you.
13. In part 1, give reasons for your answers, one-word answers won’t really help you.
14. In part 2, decide which tense form to use – generally, you are supposed to speak in past tense or present tense. Always cover all the bullet points mentioned in your cue card. Be as realistic as possible.
15. In part3, most noteworthy is that you speak in detail and add examples to extend your ideas if required. However, if you can use more abstract things, it’ll surely boost your score.

Conclusion

IELTS Speaking tips: I hope you’re ready to score 7 or higher in your IELTS speaking test. Make speaking English a daily habit. Practice speaking by choosing any topic(s) of your interest and speak continuously for three to five minutes. It will boost your confidence. Finally, this is not the end of the road for you. Therefore, enjoy speaking with the examiner, and Relax! You can also refer to my tips on IELTS Listening, Reading and  IELTS writing to get your desired overall score. I will love to address your queries, drop them in the comments sections below.