IELTS General Training Speaking: three parts scored on four equal criteria
Speaking lasts 11–14 minutes, face to face with a trained examiner, and is recorded. Four criteria carry equal weight: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. There is no correct opinion; the examiner assesses language, so an unusual view expressed clearly scores as well as a conventional one.
The three parts
- Part 1 (4–5 minutes) - an identity check, then questions on familiar topics: home, work or study, free time, food, weather. Answer in two or three sentences: a direct response plus a reason or example.
- Part 2 (3–4 minutes) - a cue card with four prompts, one minute to prepare using paper and pencil, then a talk of one to two minutes, followed by one or two short closing questions.
- Part 3 (4–5 minutes) - a two-way discussion of abstract issues linked to the Part 2 topic: why people volunteer, whether unpaid work should be valued differently.
Worked example
Cue card: Describe a time you helped someone. Notes taken: neighbour, broken arm, carried shopping, felt useful. Spoken answer: 'Last winter my neighbour broke her arm, so I carried her shopping up three flights and set up a weekly delivery order for her. It only took twenty minutes, but she had been struggling for a week.' Reasoning: the notes supply the what; the answer adds sequence, specific detail and a comment on significance - exactly the fluency and vocabulary evidence the examiner needs.
Traps
One-line Part 1 answers ('Yes, I like it') cap your range before you reach the sections where marks are really decided. A memorised speech sounds rehearsed and often answers a different cue card. Using the whole preparation minute to write full sentences leaves no time to rehearse aloud. Stopping at 45 seconds in Part 2 forces the examiner to prompt you. In Part 3, state a view and then justify or qualify it - 'it depends on...' is acceptable provided you explain what it depends on.