IELTS Speaking Exam - What is Assessed? How is the Testing Done? How to Ace it?

The ability to demonstrate proficiency in English through the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is often required when applying for a visa abroad. The minimum required GPA varies by institution. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are all essential skills to hone if you want to do well on the IELTS Exam.

In this article, we will focus on IELTS Speaking Test. The IELTS speaking exam aims to gauge how well you can communicate in English. 

Usually, IELTS test takers feel that it is difficult to take the speaking test, especially those who do not communicate in English on a regular basis. However, if you are aware of, and follow, these IELTS speaking exam guidelines, you will be more prepared than many others to handle the speaking tasks.

This article post will explain how you may improve your English-speaking skills to the point where you can confidently use the language fluently, and fluency test results will reflect a band score of 9 in this exam. 

What Kind of Skills are Assessed in the IELTS Speaking Exam?

Your performance on the IELTS speaking section will reflect how well you can express yourself in English. To put it plainly, that's all there is to it. 

Your vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, pronunciation, and correctness will all be evaluated here.

Format of the Speaking Test

There is a one-on-one session segregated into an "Introduction" section, "Cue card" section, and "Follow-up" section, the questionnaire is divided into three distinct types.

Part 1: It takes about 5 minutes to complete the first part. Questions are asked about your background, education, hometown, and hobbies. After establishing your identity, the examiner will introduce themselves and request that you do the same.

Part 2: This cue card segment lasts about four or five minutes. The contender is allotted two minutes to answer a single question. Candidates are given paper and pencils to come up with ideas in a short amount of time.

Part 3: Questions about cue cards make up most of Part 3's follow-up probes. This conversational exercise aims to learn how you generate and articulate ideas. It lasts around 5 minutes.

Now that you know the different parts of the test, you must know the best possible response.

Examinees take either the paper-based or the Online version of the IELTS Test. IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training Speaking Exams have the same questions. There will always be a personal interview with a certified IELTS tester. 
 

Tips to ace the IELTS Speaking Scores

Achieving a 9 on the IELTS Speaking section is within reach with these helpful hints and strategies. Your 9-pointers for the test preparation for IELTS.

1. Focus on Fluency
Speak on a regular basis to gain fluency. Practice speaking on various topics so that you are spontaneous in expression and gain the confidence to speak on anything you are asked to. Practice makes a man perfect and so will it make you fluent too.

2. Speak Flawlessly
Spend time practicing English with those who have a thorough command of the language, native speakers or record yourself to improve further. If you hear any mistake, make sure to make it right. Your command of language is assessed based on your use of tenses while speaking about the past, the present, or the future. 

3. Avoid Fillers
Speaking clearly and without hesitating will boost your IELTS score more than any other factor. It's best to skip the fillers and focus on the good stuff. As a rule, candidates use filler words or phrases when they are at loss for words or the right expression. Avoid these and instead bolster your response using the simplest words that convey your thoughts on the given topic.

4. Do Not Memorize: Avoid Borrowed Response 
Refrain from cramming for the Speaking test by memorizing answers; questions have a standard format. Although it's helpful to know some useful phrases, collocations (groups of words often used together), and good vocabulary, memorizing long passages of text is not advisable at all. The examiners may easily recognize memorized answers and will grade you worse.

5. Vocabulary and Idioms
It would help if you studied contemporary terminology and idioms by categorizing terms into groups like sports or movies. You can also use this strategy to improve your vocabulary throughout the rest of the IELTS exam; remember, the more words you know, the higher your score will be!

Note: Please avoid metaphorical idioms. 

6. Develop Neutral Accent
If you try to hide your accent, the examiner will look at it as fake or not genuine. You shouldn't fret over your accent; however, if you pronounce things correctly, it won't affect your IELTS result. If you have a regional or mother tongue influence on your language, you should work on it and try to gain a neutral accent. However, you should never try to put on a fake accent trying to speak like an American or an Australian as even this will go negative on your part.

7. Take Advantage of your 1 Minute
In the second oral examination phase, you will have one minute to prepare your argument before you present your talk. Be mindful of this opportunity. If you feel unprepared, try imagining the situation from another person's point of view or making up a tale to explain the topic. Don't stress over providing the "wrong" response; focus on clarifying your point. After receiving your cue card with discussion points, take a moment to jot down a few phrases or keywords you can refer to if you feel lost.

8. Practice on a Regular Basis
Practicing for the various test parts on a regular basis makes you more confident, thoughts flow in easily and you will be adept to speak on any topic given to you. Practice under expert guidance will be an added advantage as they will help you check your grammatical errors, the points of improvement and the apt vocabulary as well.

Following all the above tips will surely help you ace your IELTS Speaking Scores.

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Try to maintain an air of self-assurance and speak as though you were having a conversation with a close friend. You'll be able to concentrate more clearly and hence do better on tests. If you follow the advice above, you should be able to ace the speaking portion of the interview.