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What the examiner listens for
Four equally weighted criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource (vocabulary), grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. You don't need a particular accent. You need to be clear and easy to follow.
Part 1: introduction and interview (4–5 minutes)
Short questions about familiar topics. Give a direct answer, then one or two extra details.
Do you enjoy cooking? → Yes, I do, especially on weekends. I've been trying to cook more Australian dishes since I moved here. Last week I made my first pavlova, which was a bit of a disaster, but fun.
Sample topics: your hometown, work or study, weekends, weather, food, technology, transport.
Part 2: the long turn (3–4 minutes)
You get a task card and 1 minute to prepare, then speak for up to 2 minutes. Use your minute to jot down 4–5 keywords, one for each prompt on the card, plus a story or example.
Practice card: Describe a time you helped someone. You should say: who you helped, what the problem was, what you did, and explain how you felt about it.
Open the speaking recorder to practise speaking for a full two minutes.
Part 3: discussion (4–5 minutes)
Broader questions linked to Part 2. Why do some people find it hard to ask for help? Should schools teach volunteering? Give your view, a reason, and an example, and consider the other side.
Useful phrases: It depends on… · On the one hand… on the other hand… · A good example of this is… · I'd probably argue that…
Tips that make a difference
- Don't memorise answers. Examiners recognise them, and they can lower your score.
- It's fine to ask: Could you repeat the question, please?
- Extend, don't list. Explain why, and give examples.
- Use a range of tenses naturally: past experiences, present habits, future plans.
- Practise out loud every day, even for five minutes. Talking to a tutor helps too: italki and Preply both have IELTS speaking specialists.